Carlos Vives – Singer, songwriter, and actor from Columbia. Holds two Grammy and twelve Latin Grammy Awards.
Carlos Vives (real name Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo) was born in the northern part of Columbia. His mother was a homemaker and his father was a doctor. Carlos has three brothers. Even though Vives has Spanish roots, his family lived in an African neighborhood of Columbia. Vives believes that this mix of cultures inspired him to create original music and lyrics.
Vives’s talent became obvious back when he was just a boy. Carlos performed at family outings and was invited to play the guitar at the charity events arranged by the church. By the time he turned 18, Vives was a professional musician. He played with a rock band and performed at the night clubs.
In 1982, Vives was noticed by one of the producers of a TV show Pequeños Gigantes. Carlos stayed with the show for three years while studying at the university. During that time, he met many celebrities and decided to pursue a music career.
In1986, Vives released his debut album Por Fuera y Por Dentro, which wasn’t successful. The same happened to his next three albums. However, Carlos didn’t give up and continued to record music and act in telenovelas.
