Carlos Vives Unveils His Wax Figure at Mexico City’s Wax Museum

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is waxin’ nostalgic.

The 63-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter and actor now has his double at the Wax Museum of Mexico City.

Vives helped unveil his figure on Thursday night at the institution, where it will share space with Mexican cultural figures, like painter Frida Kahlo and wrestler El Santo.

“I’m happy with this recognition that the Mexican people give me, that’s how I feel,” Vives said during the ceremony, evidently moved. “We have come to Mexico so much, our hearts have been touched by its music, by its art, by its cinema, its television.”

He added: “Being here in the museum, next to so many figures from the world, but above all next to the Mexican stars, who from my childhood and my youth had been a great example and inspiration — being here with them is the greatest honor I’ve received from the Mexican people.”

The new wax figure shows Vives looking a bit younger and taller than the real artist.

It carries a guitar and wears fitted leather pants and a black t-shirt emblazoned with his name and the title of his sixteenth album, Cumbiana (2020). It’s located in the main hall of the museum, close to those of Vicente Fernández and Marco Antonio Solís.

Vives — who is performing this Saturday, September 7 before 10,000 people for a sold-out show at the National Auditorium in Mexico City — shared the honor with the Colombian musicians who inspired him in his youth and who are part of his history.

“They are here with me and represent what I wanted to show the world: a beautiful and diverse oral tradition like our country,” he said.

His addition to the museum comes two months ahead of his honoring as the Latin Recording Academy 2024 Person of the Year in November, during the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys in Miami.

Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives is one of the most respected artists in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound, redefining traditional Colombian vallenato by incorporating to it pop and rock sounds. With No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts such as “Volví a Nacer,” “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta” with Shakira, among others, he has become an ambassador of Colombian and Latin American culture around the world.

“He has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of people and today he will be immortalized at the Wax Museum of Mexico City,” said the museum in a press release prior to Thursday’s ceremony.

Located in the central neighborhood of Colonia Juárez, in an old Art Nouveau style mansion, the Wax Museum of Mexico City celebrates this year its 45^th anniversary.

In its 14 thematic rooms, visitors can appreciate some 260 wax figures of characters from history, art, politics, and sports, from Diego Rivera and Salvador Dalí, to Bill Gates, Ronaldinho, Hugo Sánchez, ‘Canelo’ Álvarez; Gene Simmons, Michael Jackson, Chaplin, Alex Lora, Chabelo, and more.

According to the museum, the wax figures are made by its team of sculptors and many wear clothes that belonged to the real character. The creation of each figure takes approximately four to eight months.

Carlos Vives Donates “Cumbiana: Relatos De Un Mundo Perdido” Book to Schools

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is an open book…

The 59-year-old Colombian singer has spoken with more than 75 students across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico about his book Cumbiana: Relatos De Un Mundo Perdido.

During this week’s virtual event, Vives talked about cumbia and its roots and described his experiences writing the book.

The institutions that were part of the talk with Vives were also recipients of a special donation:

Vives gifted schools located in cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Mexico City and Yauco (Puerto Rico) with a copy of his book, in which he traces the origins of cumbia through a magical journey that interweaves the artist’s memories with historical facts.

The book is available on Amazon.

Natalia LaFourcade Among the Top Winners at This Year’s Latin Grammys

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Natalia LaFourcade has her hands full…

The 36-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter proved to be one of the night’s big winners at the Latin Grammys awards show, taking home three prizes, including one of the top awards.

LaFourcade, a Grammy and Latin Grammy darling, was nevertheless a surprise winner in the Album of the Year category with her Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1, a collection of songs dedicated to Mexico and arranged in traditional style.

LaFourcade also won best regional song for “Mi Religión” and best alternative song for “En Cantos,” alongside Ile and co-written with Ismael Cancel.

LaFourcade now raises her total of Latin Grammy wins to 14 after winning in every category she was nominated this year.

But she wasn’t the only top winner of the night…

Rosalía also took home three awards.

The 27-year-old Spanish singer won those awards due to two collaborations. “Yo x Ti Tu x Mi,” with Puerto Rican star Ozuna, won best urban fusion performance and best urban song, leading also to two Latin Grammy wins for Ozuna and one for Rosalía’s collaborator, El Guincho. And “TKN,” her collaboration with Travis Scott, won best short form video (directed by Nicolás Méndez, aka CANADA). She’s now an 8-time Latin Grammy winner.

Carlos Vives also claimed three awards.

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter’s “Canción para Rubén,” alongside Ruben Blades, won best tropical song while his album Cumbiana won best contemporary/tropical fusion album and the documentary El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana won best long form video.

J Balvin, the top nominee of the evening, won the very competitive best urban album category for Colores, while Bad Bunny’s provocative “Yo Perreo Sola” won best reggaeton performance. The new category was one of the nods the Latin Recording Academy made this year toward appeasing a contingent of urban artists who felt neglected by the Latin Grammys.

The coveted record of the year award went to Alejandro Sanz’s “Contigo,” while song of the year went to Residente for his biographical beauty “René.”

In a surprise win, Mike Bahía took home the best new artist award, beating out some heavy competition, including Anuel AA, Nicky Nicole, Rauw Alejandro and Nathy Peluso.

“No, I didn’t expect this award,” he said backstage. “I’ve had beautiful career moments where awards, let’s say, haven’t really been with me. I didn’t think this would be the exception. But things happen for a reason, and I want to thank my colleagues for validating my work.”

Here’s the full winners list:

GENERAL FIELD:

Record Of The Year: “Contigo” — Alejandro Sanz
Album Of The Year: Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 — Natalia Lafourcade
Song Of The Year: “René” — Residente, songwriter (Residente)
Best New Artist: Mike Bahía
Best Pop Vocal Album: Pausa — Ricky Martin
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Compadres – Andrés Cepeda & Fonseca
Best Pop Song: “TuTu” – Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters (Camilo & Pedro Capó)
Best Urban Fusion/Performance: “Yo x Ti Tu x Mi” – Rosalía & Ozuna
Best Reggaeton Performance: “Yo Perreo Sola” — Bad Bunny
Best Urban Music Album: Colores – J Balvin
Best Rap/Hip Hop Song: “Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe” – Residente, songwriter (Residente)
Best Urban Song: “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi” – Pablo Diaz-Reixa “El Guincho”, Ozuna & Rosalía, songwriters (Rosalía & Ozuna)
Best Rock Album: “Dónde Jugarán Lxs Niñxs? – Molotov
Best Rock Song: “Biutiful” – Mon Laferte, songwriter (Mon Laferte)
Best Pop/Rock Album: La Conquista del Espacio – Fito Paez
Best Pop/Rock Song: “La Canción de las Bestias” – Fito Páez, songwriter (Fito Páez)
Best Alternative Music Album: Sobrevolando – Cultura Profética
Best Alternative Song: “En Cantos” – Ismael Cancel, Ile & Natalia Lafourcade, songwriters (Ile & Natalia Lafourcade)
Best Salsa Album: 40 – Grupo Niche
Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album: Sigo Cantando Al Amor (Deluxe) – Jorge Celedón & Sergio Luis Rodríguez
Best Merengue/Bachata Album: Ahora – Eddy Herrera &
Larimar – Daniel Santacruz (Tie)
Best Traditional Tropical Album: Ícono – Orquesta Aragón
Best Contemporary/Tropical Fusion Album: Cumbiana — Carlos Vives
Best Tropical Song: “Canción Para Rubén” – Rubén Blades & Carlos Vives, songwriters (Carlos Vives & Rubén Blades)
Best Singer-Songwriter Album: Mesa Para Dos – Kany García
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album: Hecho en México — Alejandro Fernández Best Banda Album: Playlist – Chiquis
Best Tejano Album: Live In México – La Mafia
Best Norteño Album: Los Tigres del Norte At Folsom Prison – Los Tigres del Norte
Best Regional Song: “Mi Religión” – Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)
Best Instrumental Album: Terra – Daniel Minimalia
Best Folk Album: A Capella – Susana Baca
Best Tango Album: Fuelle y Cuerda – Gustavo Casenave
Best Flamenco Album: Flamenco Son Fronteras – Antonio Rey
Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album: Puertos: Music from International Waters – Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra
Best Christian Album (Spanish Language): Soldados – Alex Campos
Best Portuguese Language Christian Album: Reino – Aline Barros
Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album: Apká! – Céu —
Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album: Amarelo – Emicida Best Samba/Pagode Album: Samba Jazz De Raiz, Claudio Jorge 70 – Cláudio Jorge
Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album: Belo Horizonte – Toninho Horta & Orquestra Fantasma
Best Sertaneja Music Album: Origens [Ao Vivo Em Sete Lagoas, Brazil / 2019] – Paula Fernandes
Best Portuguese Language Roots Album: Veia Nordestina – Mariana Aydar — Best Portuguese Language Song: “Abricó-De-Macaco” — Francisco Bosco & João Bosco, songwriters (João Bosco)
Best Latin Children’s Album: Canta y Juega – Tina Kids
Best Classical Album: Eternal Gratitude – Paulina Leisring & Domingo Pagliuca; Samuel Pilafian, album producer
Best Classical Contemporary Composition: “Sacre” – Carlos Fernando López & José Valentino, composers (Carlos Fernando López)
Best Arrangement: “La Flor de la Canela” – Lorenzo Ferrero, arranger (Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra)
Best Recording Package: Soy Puro Teatro – Homenaje a La Lupe – Pedro Fajardo, art director (Mariaca Semprún)
Best Engineered Album: 3:33 – Daniel Bitrán Arizpe, Daniel Dávila, Justin Moshkevich, George Noriega, Erick Roman, Paul Rubinstein & JC Vertti, engineers; Miles Comaskey, Najeeb Jones & Tony Maserati, mixers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Debi Nova)
Producer of the Year: Andrés Torres, Mauricio Rengifo
Best Short Form Music Video: “TKN” – Rosalía & Travis Scott / Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA, video director; Oscar Romagosa & Laura Serra Estorch, video producers
Best Long Form Music Video: El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana – Carlos Vives / Carlos Felipe Montoya, video director; Isabel Cristina Vásquez, video producer

Carlos Vives Performs 21-Minute Set as Part of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk At-Home Concerts

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is putting his desk foot forward…

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is the latest artist to appear as part of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk at-home concerts, bringing his Colombian flavors to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

During his 21-minute set earlier this week, during which he was joined by a seven-member band, including his longtime backup vocalist and gaita player, Mayte Montero, Vives kicked off things off with his 1995 hit “Pa’ Mayte,” showcasing the spirited champeta dance.

He then performed one of his newer records, “Cumbiana,” dedicated to the diverse community of Colombia, his Shakira-assisted bop “La Bicicleta,” and the infectious “No Te Vayas,” released earlier this year — all while dancing barefoot in the comfort of his own home.

“On this Tiny Desk during this quarantine, we have written most of the songs for our new album, Cumbiana Vol. 2, next to our producer Andres Leal and Martin Velilla,” says the six-time 2020 Latin Grammy nominee during his performance.

Vives is confirmed to speak at the 2020 Billboard Latin Music Week taking place October 20 to October 23. He’ll be joined by internationally renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in an enlightening conversation on the power of music and the arts as a global agent of change for a better society.

The new Tiny Desk (home) concerts, which have featured special guests like Billie Eilish and BTS, are “the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.”

Carlos Vives Launching “El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana” Documentary in Partnership with Grammy Museum

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is celebrating Colombia’s indigenous roots in music in a special way…

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is launching a special documentary, El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, this Friday, August 21 on the Grammy Museum’s digital museum.

In May, Vives released his 14th studio album, Cumbiana, which married Colombia’s past with the future. The album shed light on the indigenous roots of Colombian music in a 10-set production that includes collaborations with Jessie Reyez, Alejandro Sanz, Ruben Blades and others.

Vives decided to bring his extensive research and musical exploration to the masses via the documentary, which is directed by Carlos Felipe Montoya and produced by Isabel Cristina Vasquez from Mestiza Films.

Vives spotlights the history of the amphibian universe to better understand the origins of cumbia and vallenato music, the ancestral spirits that inspired his latest production, and the environmental challenges the Magdalena River ecosystem is facing.

“I discovered a lost world. That’s the truth,” Vives previously told Billboard.

“We’ve always spoken about our African heritage in music. We’ve always thought that the most uplifting elements of our music came from Africa or from European rhythms like polka. But it turns out it comes from Andean or indigenous music. This album highlights the joy of the fusion of African, European, and indigenous music.”

El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, which also elaborates on the creative process of Cumbiana, will be available at 1:00 pm PT on Friday, August 21 at the Grammy Museum website for 72 hours only.

Following the screening, Vives will attend an exclusive conversation with NPR Alt Latino’s Felix Contreras to further discuss the documentary.

Carlos Vives Releases Indigenous Roots-Inspired Album “Cumbiana”

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is going back to his roots…

The 58-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter has released his latest album, Cumbiana, a search for the indigenous roots of Colombian music.

The album has been described as “exuberant, soulful, beautiful and important without ever sounding overbearing,” by Billboard.

The album features duets with Jessie Reyez, Ruben Blades and Alejandro Sanz,and ittreads that line between what’s commercial and what’s artistic.

“I discovered a lost world. That’s the truth,” Vives simply states, speaking from his home in Bogota, where he’s been in lockdown for the past two months.

“We’ve always spoken about our African heritage in music,” he adds. “We’ve always thought that the most uplifting elements of our music came from Africa or from European rhythms like polka. But it turns out it comes from Andean, or indigenous music. This album highlights the joy of the fusion of African, European and indigenous music.”

Marrying Colombia’s past with the future, Cumbianahas already delivered a chart hit with “No Te Vayas.” Edgier still is current single “For Sale,” a mix of traditional beats with reggaeton, a touch of rap and Sanz’s flamenco strains. Of course, Vives wrote the rulebook for Colombian fusion.

His 1994 album, La Tierra Del Olvido, where he marries Colombia’s most traditional folk beats — vallenato, cumbia, porro— with rock guitars and drums and pop sensibility, is the original blueprint of the sound that would later define the work of acts like Juanes, Fonseca and even Shakira at times.

But Cumbiana expands its realm. So much so that this is the first of a three-album project.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Cumbiana