Carlos Vives

During his long career the Columbian singer and actor Carlos Vives has recorded 18 albums and starred in 17 films. He has also starred in a number of Columbian soap operas and the fame and recognition he enjoyed as an actor amongst Latin audiences was a useful springboard which eventually helped launch his career in music. His first album 'Por Fuera y Por Dentro' was released in 1986 but this and the the subsequent two albums failed to gain momentum in the charts. Vives' big break came in 1991 when he was cast into the role of Rafael Escalona, a Columbian vallenato composer who was the main character in TV series 'Escalona'. Against the backdrop of the show Vives released two soundtrack albums which were popular but it wasn't until his 1993 album 'Clásicos de la Provincia' that Vives hit upon what was to become a winning formula. Backed by the band La Provincia Vives began to create a fusion of rock and vallenato and the lead single 'La Gota Fria' was a hit all over Latin America. It's a musical style which Vives has made his own over the year and has exploited with considerable success becoming one of Columbia's most successful musical exports.

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