Carlos Vives Colombian singer, composer and actor Date of Birth: 07.08.1961 Country: Colombia

1. Carlos Vives - Colombian Singer, Composer, and Actor
2. Early Career
3. Rise to Fame
4. Musical Transformation
5. Commercial Success
6. Personal Life

Carlos Vives - Colombian Singer, Composer, and Actor

Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo was born on August 7, 1961, in the city of Santa Marta, located in the Magdalena department on the northern coast of Colombia. He spent the first 12 years of his life there before moving to Bogota with his family in search of a better life.

Early Career

In Bogota, Carlos became acquainted with rock music and developed a passion for it. He started performing in bars and cafes around the city, making connections within the local rock scene. In 1982, Vives began to appear in several shows and soap operas, including "Pequeños Gigantes" (Little Giants, 1983) and "Tuyo es Mi Corazón" (Yours is My Heart, 1985).

Rise to Fame

Vives gained recognition in 1986 after his role as Gallito Ramírez in the eponymous series. The show told the story of a Colombian boxer from the Caribbean coast who falls in love with a wealthy girl, played by his first wife Margarita Rosa de Francisco, a famous Colombian actress. Vives and de Francisco were married from 1988 to 1990, and their relationship was always of interest to the national press.

That same year, he released his debut album "Por Fuera y Por Dentro," which consisted mainly of ballads but failed to achieve success. In 1987, Vives released his second album, "No Podrás Escapar de Mí," which also focused on ballads. Although the title track reached the 30th position on the "Billboard Hot Latin Tracks" chart, the album sold poorly.

Musical Transformation

Vives's next album, "Al Centro de la Ciudad," was his last with romantic ballads. Some of the songs attracted attention as they were used in telenovelas, but overall, the album was a failure. In 1989, Carlos was offered acting work in Puerto Rico, where he took a break from his music career. He gained recognition in Puerto Rico for his leading roles in soap operas such as "La Otra" (The Other Woman) and "Aventurera" (Adventurer). During this time, he married his second wife, Herlinda Gómez, and split his time between Colombia, Miami, and Mayagüez, Gómez's hometown.

Returning to Colombia in 1991, Vives received an offer to play the lead role in a television series based on the life of composer Rafael Escalona, a renowned Colombian composer known for his Vallenato music, which is a folk genre that holds great significance for Colombians. Vives sang several of Escalona's songs in the series, which transformed his musical career towards Vallenato.

Commercial Success

His next two albums, "Escalona - Un Canto A La Vida" (1991) and "Escalona: Vol. 2" (1992), which consisted of soundtracks from the series, achieved tremendous success. In 1993, reunited with the group "La Provincia," Vives recorded the album "Clásicos de la Provincia," which combined Vallenato with rock, pop, and other ethnic Caribbean rhythms. This album shocked Vallenato purists but enjoyed immense success in Colombia and other Latin American countries. The title track of the album, "La Gota Fría," became a hit across the continent. The album won Vives a "Billboard Latin Music Award" and became a classic of Colombian music.

Vives continued to blend different genres in his subsequent albums, including "La Tierra del Olvido" (1995), "Tengo Fe" (1997), "El Amor de Mi Tierra" (1999), "Déjame Entrar" (2001), and "El Rock de Mi Pueblo" (2004). "Déjame Entrar" won a Grammy Award for "Best Latin Album." His latest album, "Clásicos de la Provincia II," was released in 2009 and features cover versions of popular Vallenato songs performed in Vives's unique style. The songs gained significant popularity on radio stations.

Personal Life

Carlos Vives is currently married to Claudia Helena Vásquez, a former Miss Colombia and a chemical engineer by profession. He has two children, a daughter, and a son, from his previous marriage to Herlinda Gómez. Claudia is expecting their third child.