1. He was born Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez August 9, 1972 in Medellin, Colombia. Juanes began playing guitar at age seven. At age 15, He started his first band, Ekhymosis, in 1988, which went on to release five albums, achieving recognition in his native Colombia. The track "Sólo" from the album "Niño Gigante" in 1992 was a big hit. n 1997 after the band broke up, Juanes continued solo and in 2000 he released the album, "Fíjate Bien."
2. He is one of the biggest Latino artists in the world. With six solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 15 million copies, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist with eight #1 singles on Billboard’s “Hot Latin Songs” chart. Juanes has won, among others, twenty Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammy Awards. 9 MTV Awards, two NRJ Music Awards, 9 "Premios Lo Nuestro", 9 Our Land Awards, the highest awards possible in the International Song Festival of Viña del Mar.
3. Juanes is also vocal activist. He has said that: "these are your people, young people, people with families, and four or five of them are dying every day." Juanes established the Mi Sangre Foundation to help victims of anti-personnel mines. He also performed at the 2009 Peace for Cuba Concert, and despite some criticim. "Going to Cuba is a symbol that it's time to change people's minds, an opportunity to tell the world that people have to change."
4. He has two daughters, Luna Aristizábal Martínez Paloma Aristizábal Martínez and one son, Dante Aristizábal Martínez.
5. Juanes had a difficult childhood. He grew up during the Escobar era Medellin. His cousin was executed by kidnappers, and his close friend was murdered by gunmen. This upbringing changed his outlook: "Colombia has suffered so much that the only way to go forward is to imagine a better country."
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