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Throughout his career, Colombian singer and actor Carlos Vives has recorded 18 albums and starred in 17 films. He has also starred in a number of Colombian soap operas and the fame and recognition he enjoyed as an actor amongst Latin audiences was a useful springboard that eventually helped launch his career in music. Born Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo on August 7, 1961, in Santa Marta, Colombia, he moved to Bogotá with his family at 12. After graduating college with a degree in advertising, he began cutting his teeth by playing in local bars and venues. His first album Por Fuera y Por Dentro was released in 1986 but this and the subsequent two albums failed to gain momentum in the charts. Carlos Vives' big break came in 1991 when he was cast into the role of Rafael Escalona, a Colombian vallenato composer who was the main character in the TV series Escalona. Against the backdrop of the show, he released two soundtrack albums 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, he began to create a fusion of rock and vallenato, and the lead single "La Gota Fria" became a hit all over Latin America. This album introduced vallenato to a global audience. Success continued with albums like La Tierra del Olvido (1995) and Déjame Entrar (2001), the latter winning him a Grammy in 2002. Vives' collaboration with Shakira on "La Bicicleta" in 2016 became a massive hit, topping Billboard's US Latin Airplay chart. He also served as a coach on The Voice Colombia and the U.S. Spanish-language version, La Voz. In 2021, he joined Ricky Martin for the hit "Canción Bonita" and contributed to the Disney movie Encanto with the song "Colombia, Mi Encanto." By 2023, he further expanded his influence by appearing in Disney+'s The Low Tone Club, showcasing his talent as a songwriter for the show's soundtrack. That year, he also released the LP Escalona Nunca Se Habia Grabado Asi.
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