20a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY - 88

Juanes con participantes del proyecto
Plan Hermano de la Fundación Mi Sangre,
que brinda apoyo a víctimas de minas
antipersona y municiones sin explotar (2009)
Juanes with participants of the Mi Sangre
Foundation's Plan Hermano project, which
provides support for victims of landmines
and unexploded munitions (2009)

Juanes celebra que su álbum Mi Sangre logró
certificación de cuatro discos de platino (2006)
Juanes celebrates Mi Sangre quadruple
platinum certification (2006)

Has sido el único artista que ha recibido el reconocimiento
de Mejor Nuevo Artista y Persona del Año de La Academia
Latina de la Grabación. ¿Qué opinas de esta hazaña?
Guau. No me había dado cuenta de eso y me siento muy
honrado. Estos 20 años de mi carrera de solista han sido un viaje
increíble, desde que comencé con Fíjate Bien. Recuerdo estar
en Miami [por las nominaciones del Latin GRAMMY de 2001], y
cuando escuché mi nombre siete veces en las nominaciones, me
fui al baño a llorar porque no podía contener esa emoción. Fue
un shock muy fuerte. La Academia Latina y los Latin GRAMMY
me han dado una oportunidad inmensa de abrir muchísimas
puertas en el mundo. Imagínate, aquí estoy en Budapest 20

88

20th ANNUAL LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS®

Foto/photo: Courtesy of the artist

You are the only artist to receive a Best New Artist
Latin GRAMMY and be honored as Person of the
Year by The Latin Recording Academy. How do you
feel about this feat?
Wow. I was not aware of that, and I feel very honored.
These 20 years of my solo career have been an incredible
journey, since I started with Fíjate Bien. I remember being
in Miami [for Latin GRAMMY nominations in 2001], and
when I heard my name called seven times, I went to the
bathroom to cry because I couldn't contain that emotion.
It was a huge shock. The Latin Academy and the Latin
GRAMMYs have given me an immense opportunity and
opened many doors around the world [for me]. Imagine,
here I am in Budapest 20 years later, and I play a concert
in two hours. I am happy to be able to tour the world and
make music. I feel super grateful and honored to have
this opportunity.

Your musical evolution has been tremendous since
you began playing metal in the '90s. Did you ever
imagine being where you are today?

Since I started making music at age 13, I always
dreamed of how my future was going to be. But I never
had the absolute clarity of what was going to happen. It has
been much more than I could imagine, in any ambitious dream I
might have had. This path has given me lots of joy and light, but
it also taught me to grow through pain and failure. But at the end
of the day, I feel an immense joy for becoming an artist and a
musician-to have the privilege of doing what I love.

Who have been your biggest musical inspirations, and
how do they inform your sound?
I started [loving] music at an early age. I was influenced by
what my parents and siblings listened to during the late '70s. I
listened to regional Colombian music like Totó La Momposina,
Joe Arroyo, Diomedes Díaz, Grupo Niche, and Octavio Mesa; and
from the Latin American region: Caetano Veloso, Los Panchos,

Foto/photo: Courtesy of the artist

The Black Eyed Peas' Fergie performs with Juanes at
the 4th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards (2003)

Foto/photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage.com

Fergie de The Black Eyed Peas se presenta con Juanes
durante la 4.a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY (2003)
http://www.WireImage.com
20a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY

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