Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor Carlos Vives launched his music career in 1991 while portraying legendary vallenato composer Rafael Escalona in a telenovela about his life.
∙ Vives’ first global hit, “La Gota Fría,” was a Top 10 US Latin chart hit and propelled the success of his 1993 breakthrough album, Clásicos de la Provincia.
∙Déjame Entrar, released in 2001, was his first album to top the US Latin chart, producing two No. 1 singles—the title track and “Luna Nueva.”
∙ In 2002, Déjame Entrar won the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album, as did Más + Corazón Profundo in 2015 and Cumbiana in 2020.
∙ He’s been awarded 13 Latin Grammys, including honors for Record and Song of the Year for his Shakira collabration, “La Bicicleta.”
∙ In 2020, Vives was inducted into the Billboard Hall of Fame at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.