Carlos Vives

Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born August 7, 1961 in Santa Marta, Magdalena) is a Grammy Award and three-times Latin Grammy Award winning-Colombian singer, composer and actor.

Biography

Carlos Vives was born in August 7 1961 in Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia, where he spent his first 12 years of life. At that age, he and his family moved to Bogotá in search of a better life. They lived with Diego Martinez and his family. There he acquired a taste for rock, and started playing in bars and cafés in the city, but never forgot his Caribbean roots. At the same time, he pursued an acting career, being remembered in Colombia for the "telenovela" (Latin American soap opera) Gallito Ramírez (which told the story of a Colombian Caribbean coast boxer who falls in love with an uptight girl, who was portrayed by his first wife, Margarita Rosa de Francisco). He also participated in the Colombian TV show for kids Pequeños Gigantes and starred in other soap operas like "Tuyo es mi corazon" and "Loca Pasión".

In 1989, he was offered an acting job in Puerto Rico, and upon moving, he took a break in his music career. There, he is remembered for his leading roles in the soaps La Otra and Aventurera. There he married Herlinda Gómez, his second wife (they have since divorced). Vives would spend his time between Colombia, Miami and the city of Mayagüez, Herlinda's hometown, during his marriage to her.

Upon his return to Colombia in 1991, he was offered a TV role that would change his life forever. He was cast in the leading role of a fantasy series based in the life of Vallenato composer Rafael Escalona called, not surprisingly, "Escalona". He sang the composer's songs in the series, and that's when he retooled his career towards vallenato and started fusing it with rock, pop and other Caribbean Colombian ethnic rhythms (which scandalized Vallenato purists). This style of vallenato was a huge success not only in Colombia but all over Latin countries.

In 1993, he released his "Clásicos de la Provincia", which became a timeless classic in Colombian and Latin American music, introducing Vallenato to both rest of the world.

He followed his success with the not-as-successful but equally high quality releases "La Tierra del Olvido" (1995), "Tengo Fe" (1997), "El Amor de mi Tierra" (1999), "Déjame Entrar" (2001) and "El Rock de mi Pueblo" (2004), which has the largest fusion component of all his albums.

In 2001 Carlos Vives' album "Dejame Entrar" won him his first Grammy award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.

He's now married to Chemical Engineer and former Miss Colombia Claudia Helena Vásquez and has 2 children from his marriage with Herlinda Gómez. Rumors are stating that he is expecting a child from Claudia Elena Vasquez.

He spends his time between Miami and Colombia, mainly Santa Marta and Bogotá.

His hits include "Matilde Linda", "La Hamaca Grande", "La Gota Fria", "Alicia Adorada", "Pa Mayte", "La Tierra Del Olvido", "Tu Amor Eterno", "Fruta Fresca", "Dejame Entrar", "Luna Nueva", "Carito", "Papadio", and "Décimas del parecido" (this last one a tribute to Guillermo Martínez, a Cuban-born radio host who resides in Mayagüez, and for whose program Vives was an occasional master control technician).

On July 2008 Carlos Vives and others that were with him in Santa Marta, Colombia were robbed as he was on his way to the beach. Nobody was hurt but they stole his shoes and other items.

Discography

Ballads Period

* "Por Fuera y Por Dentro" (1986)
* "No Podrás Escapar de Mí" (1987)
* "Al Centro de la Ciudad" (1989)

Vallenato/Ethnic Fusion Period

* "" (1991)
* "" (1992)
* "Clásicos de la Provincia" (1993)
* "La Tierra del Olvido" (1995)
* "Tengo Fe" (1997)
* "El Amor de Mi Tierra" (1999)
* "Déjame Entrar" (2001)
* "El Rock de Mi Pueblo"(2004)

Compilations

* "20 De Colección" (1994)
* "Canta Los Clasicos Del Vallenato" (2002)

ee also

*List of singer-songwriters/Colombia
*Pop Latino

External links

*es icon [http://www.carlosvives.com Official site]