New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Colombian singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and one of the biggest influences in the Latin music industry,
Carlos Vives, received last night the Billboard Hall of Fame Award. He received the honor in celebration of his artistic career and his incredible influence in multiple fields. In addition to receiving the prestigious award, Vives took over the stage at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida delighting his fans from around the world with a medley of his greatest hits. The award ceremony took place last night at 8 pm/7c and was broadcast on the Telemundo network.
The award was presented by
Emilio Estefan, who has been a key piece in Vives' career and who opened the doors of his studio when the Colmbian star first arrived in Miami. When presenting him with the award, Estefan let
Carlos know how proud and honored he feels to have been part of this special moment. Vives received the award with much excitement after his explosive presentation: "Almost 30 years ago, I decided to make my music in an original way, without copying the genres of that time. I searched for my own pop and rock sounds of my town apart from the traditional music of Colombia, hence a new sound was born. At that time, much of the industry did not see it but the public did ... Today, I thank Billboard for recognizing it tonight, and I want to share it with the entire Vives Team; with my record label Sony; Gaira Música Local; my manager Walter Kolm, because he always believed in me; my wife Claudia, my children and my country Colombia. And a message to the new generations, each of you are unique and original. Be the same with your music. Thank you Billboard."
The influential artist received this award for his successful singing career, outstanding performance as an actor, television host, judge of "La Voz" (The Voice) and owner of restaurant and music club Gaira. Moreover, he is the founder of "Tras la Perla," (Behind the Pearl), an initiative to improve people's quality of life in his native
Santa Marta and its surroundings, with educational and environmental programs. And to top it off, he is also the founder of the Rio Grande music school in Bogotá, where children develop artistic skills.
In addition to receiving the award,
Carlos Vives blew the house away with a medley of his greatest hits, "Cumbiana", "
La Bicicleta", "Gota Fría" and "Pa' Mayte". With a spectacular live performance, the artist filled the stage with great energy, culture and vibrant colors. The performance featured a series of images, taking viewers on a musical journey through various stages, and included a recreation of the colorful buildings from Vives' hometown meanwhile dancers dressed in traditional Colombian Vallenato clothing joined him throughout the performance. Without a doubt,
Carlos Vives is a worthy representative of his culture and carries it highly wherever he performs.
The biggest night in latin music coincided with Billboard's Latin
Music Week, a three-day virtual experience dedicated to Latin music, culture, and entertainment taking place October 20-23. Celebrating its 30th anniversary,
Carlos Vives took part in an intimate conversation with Gustavo Dudamel on the "From Local Inspiration To International Stage" panel at 10:30 am on Thursday, October 21st.
His most recent album, Cumbiana, explores the origins of cumbia in the deepest Colombian roots and in the instruments created by native peoples, highlighted in the documentary "The Lost World of Cumbiana." With this imagery, Vives brings his personal journey to life, one that began 25 years ago with another one of his renowned albums, La Tierra del Olvido.
Not only has
Carlos Vives won multiple international awards, he has sold over 20 million albums world-wide and his songs have been featured 33 times on the hottest of Latin music on Billboard. A total of 26 of his songs have made the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, thirteen of which made the top 10 and five reached No. 1. He has placed 26 titles on the Latin Airplay chart, 15 of which topped the list, including his most recent hit "Si Me Das Tu Amor," featuring Wisin. Meanwhile, he managed to place a total of 27 titles in the Tropical Airplay List, of which eight reached No. 1, including "Hoy Tengo Tiempo (Pinta Sensual)" which charted at #1 for six weeks in 2018.
