Juanes

- Juanes was born Juan Esteban Aristizabal in Medellin, Colombia - At the age of seven, Juanes learns to play guitar from his father and older brothers. He falls in love with the instrument and immerses himself in learning the traditional Latin sounds of boleros, tangos, cumbias, and Colombian folk music such as vallenatto and guasca. From then on, a guitar is rarely out of arms reach – even when he had to spend time scouting pawnshops for guitars he could afford. Today, those days of scrounging for guitars are behind him, as his natural talent for the instrument has led to Juanes being the only Latin artist signed for sponsorship by FENDER. -Over his years in Colombia, Juanes experienced firsthand the grief that comes with personal loss from violence, as kidnappers executed his cousin (even after ransom had been paid) and a close friend was killed by gunmen in a nightclub. His grief was further compounded when he lost his father to cancer. -At the age of fourteen (as many teenage boys do), Juanes discovers Metal music – specifically Metallica As a result, he quickly adapts his guitar playing to match his new favorite band, and he becomes a founding member of Colombian rock/metal band Ekhymosis (translation: bruise). - Over the course of 11 years, Ekhymosis makes seven albums and become local favorites throughout Colombia. Eventually, having outgrown the desire to just play metal, Juanes decides to depart/disband the group.