If I had to collect a list of 3 things that would impress locals if you already knew about when you visit Colombia they’d be salsa, aguardiente and Carlos Vives. Yup, even more useful than knowing the language. Seeing as I’ve written about salsa and aguardiente here on our Colombia Travel Blog, I think it’s nigh time I wrote a little about the Colombian legend that is Carlos Vives.
Vives was born and raised in Santa Marta, Colombia, where he lived until the age of 12. It was then he moved to Bogotá and became emerged in the city’s lively rock scene. Using influences from this scene Vives realised the potential to revamp traditional, local music styles in order to broaden their appeal. Initially, however, his albums flopped owing to their sentimental nature – the majority of the songs were ballads.
It took a move to Puerto Rico and a subsequent return to Colombia to provide Vives with the winning formula for his music. Influenced by his role as famed vallenato singer Rafael Escalona in the telenovela Escalona, Vives began rooting his music more firmly in the vallenato style. Come 1993, Vives had found the winning formula for his music, fusing vallenato, rock, pop and other Caribbean influences in his album Clásicos de la Provincia. The lead single of this album, ‘La Gota Fría’, became an international hit and the album won the Best Album Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Check out two of my favourite tracks below: the questionably-messaged but catchy ‘La Celosa’ and Vives’s cover of ‘Jaime Molina’.
Paul
