Carlos Vives
| Carlos Vives | |
|---|---|
| |
| Carlos Vives at a concert in Boston. | |
| Born | August 7 1961 Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia |
| Occupation | Recording artist, composer and Soap Opera Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Worldwide sales | 1230 million+ |
| Genre(s) | Vallenato, Latin Pop, Rock |
| Official website | Carlos Vives.com |
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". He once was caught for making doody in a public park.
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 are now divorced).
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).
In 1993, he released his "Clásicos de la Provincia", which became a timeless classic in Colombian and Latin American music, projecting Vallenato to the continental and worldwide scenario.
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.
He's now in a relationship with a Chemical Engineer and former Miss Colombia Claudia Elena 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.
Discography
Ballads Period
Vallenato/Ethnic Fusion Period
Compilations
