Carlos Vives on His Colombian Identity and Bringing Vallenato to the Pop Spotlight: ‘My Greatest Act of Rebellion’
variety.comErnesto Lechner Carlos Vives stops himself in mid-sentence and apologizes. He chokes up, overcome by a rush of the same raw, vulnerable emotion that informs his anthemic songs.
Tears stream down his face — but they’re tears of joy or, at the very least, of sweet vindication. “I never expected anything,” the charismatic singer and thoughtful songwriter says over Zoom from an unassuming, cozy space somewhere in his native Colombia.
In the background, bookshelves are filled with novels, family photos and one of his many awards. Vives has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Person of the Year honor by the Latin Recording Academy.
The accolade could hardly come as a surprise, as Vives changed the course of Latin music, selling more than 20 million albums, winning 18 Latin Grammys and two Grammy awards.
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