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Transcript

Juanes

Hello! Welcome to Estudio Billboard. My name is Leila Cobo, and I want to invite you to an unprecedented musical journey. I want to thank all of you who are joining us here in the studio every week and who want to take an insightful look at the composers and creators who join us each week. We have an entire hour to discover another side of music, and those who create it. Let's get started.

Sometimes, songs become the soundtrack of our lives. This is our guest's case. His music has been played in so many places that it very likely reminds of certain moments and eras in time for many people. His music is a blend of rock, pop, and Colombian culture. He is a singer, a composer, a guitar player, an arranger, and also a producer. Let's learn part of his story.

Que mis ojos se despierten con la luz de tu mirada yo, a Dios le pido...

Seven years ago, I left a group of people that I had been working with. Now, I think we have been able to form a very nice network. For example, working with Gustavo Santaolalla has been terrific, with Anibal Kerpel, with Tom Russo, the engineer.

En los días lejanos de mi cotidiano eterno...

Concerning some of the musicians I have collaborated and recorded with, there is certain knowledge we have about each other and also a certain respect for our work. Gustavo has understood, from the beginning, what I really wanted to do with music, what I call fusion, that balance between rock and the most popular or cultural parts of music.

Si tú me pagas con eso yo ya no te doy más de esto. Ayer me dijiste que tú volverías pero todo fue mentira...

The whole concept that wraps this album up and the songs has to do with life as a journey.

...Bosque que divide nuestras vidas...

A series of good, bad, and rewarding situations... failures, defeats, and success, too. It's like a sort of highway that you have taken. You stop at certain places. You meet people, leave certain things, and gain others. You learn about other people, about their experiences and then, you continue on your way.

...con el viento.

"Un Día Normal" was the best sold album in Spanish in the entire world in 2002. His song "La Camisa Negra", from the album called "Mi Sangre" was number one in more than 30 countries. He is in the top 100 most influential people in the world as published in the American magazine, Time. His music crosses over boundaries without requiring him singing in English. Stay tuned because we're about to have a unique conversation with Juanes. We'll be right back.

I didn't even know what I was doing, where I was, where I was going... I had kind of lost my target and my focus. I was also exhausted, both mentally and physically.

Juan Esteban Aristizabal Vasquez was born in Medellin, Colombia, on August 9. Thanks to his father Javier, his mother Alicia, and his five brothers, he grew up surrounded by music. He started in the rock group Ekhymosis as a singer and guitar player. In '98, he moved to Los Angeles where he met producer Gustavo Santaolalla and Aníbal Kerpel, and they started to work on his album "Fíjate Bien". His next two records, "Un Día Normal" and "Mi Sangre" reached the top one of the billboard charts. Now, his newest album, "La vida es un ratico", has also achieved this honor. Let's give it up for Juanes!

[clapping]

Thanks. Hi, dear. How are you?

Thanks for coming!

It's a pleasure.

Listen, Juanes, I was just reading and remembering when people used to say, "Juanes is a band, isn't it?"

And it still happens to me. That's the worst part.

You get somewhere and they say, "Where is the rest of the band?"

Yes, it happens sometimes. "These are The Juanes from Spain." And I think, "Why from Spain?" Juanes is only one person. It's me, by myself, and I am from Colombia. Or I'm walking in an airport, and somebody stops me and asks, "You are the singer in The Juanes group, right?" And I say, "Sure, sure, man. Let's take a picture." Otherwise, I would have to explain, "No, look, Juanes is..." The confusion does make sense though because Juanes is a plural word, so...

By the way, talking about airports, you were almost taking a... let's say a sabbatical year, in Colombia, composing...

Yes.

...almost confined in an apartment, and now you are once again in the eye of the storm.

From the moment my first record, "Fíjate Bien" was released to the market in 2000, we almost haven't stopped playing. The tour for one record, and the recording of the next one, almost overlapped. It was like that for about six years. Last year, in August, after the Mi Sangre tour, during some of the last concerts in Portugal, I didn't even know who I was anymore, who I was, or what I was doing, where I was going... I kind of had lost my target and focus. I was also exhausted, both mentally and physically.

You didn't even know what city you were waking up in.

We weren't enjoying the situation anymore. So, I think it was almost like a sign. And I said, "Ok, I think right now is a very good time to stop for a while and find myself in terms of music, reorganize my ideas. You know what I mean? Recharge my batteries. So, I went to Medellin, my home town. There I was...

Why Medellin and not... you also own a place in Miami. So why was it important to come back to your roots?

I felt an inner need to be at home, surrounded by those magical mountains, by my family of course... I don't know. It was a kind of returning to all that I am, my essence...

Tell us, when you were a little, little kid...

When I was a little kid...

What used to happen in a house where everyone played the guitar?

I have five older brothers, and we got home from school every day at 1:30 p.m. or so, and before lunch or after lunch... the guitars were always in our living room. I actually learned about music through popular songs.

Like what?

Latin American songs, for example... Let me show you. I don't know if people here know a musical group called Los Visconti.

Yes.

Really? That's interesting. They are not very well known, not even in Argentina. I used to arrive at school, to my classroom, and tell my classmates, "I was at the concert of Los Visconti yesterday, and I even have a picture with them." They would look at me like, "What's wrong with that guy?" So, they didn't understand it. My female classmates had Luis Miguel's or Menudo's records, and I was there talking about Los Visconti... I was worried. I used to think, "Am I crazy? Is there something wrong with me?" Anyhow, that's traditional music. This is the solo.

Right.

It also goes... Hoy que te hago tanta falta ya es muy tarde, lamentablemente te he olvidado, yo te dije que no ibas a olvidarme, no soy fácil de olvidar, lo has comprobado. And then my brother said, "Juanes, get in the house" It was very cool.

Your voice changes so much.

Of course, the idea was to sing just like Victor. Those were... those were my childhood days. Surrounded by music... tangos, a lot of tango by Gardel, Cuban trova, too. Rock music came into my life at about... I would say when I was 12 or 13, about 13. There was a band called Metallica, right? So, in 1983, I think... they released an album called "Kill'em All," and one of my classmates introduced it to me. I went home to listen to it, and I was like, "What's this? Holy God!" That was pure energy. I discovered rock music thanks to Metallica. And of course, the records from The Beatles were already at home, and I used to listen to them. The Rolling Stones, they were in my house because they belonged to someone in my family, but I was not very interested in them. Metallica was the one that really blew my mind.

Did it change your life?

Absolutely. The sound of the guitars, the style, the structure of the songs, and the way they composed... I didn't understand the lyrics, nothing at all. But, I really liked something in that music and the way it made me feel. So, that is how my links with rock started, through Metallica, and well, through Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd...

That's interesting because none of those bands had ever played in Medellin.

None... The most interesting thing is... All of those bands have been there in the last three years. So you can imagine all of the heavy metal lovers crying. All of them, crying with emotion. Seeing those guys there... because they are like gods, I mean, to us. All of them have been there. I think Sepultura was there, Destruction, and Testament, too. They have been to Bogotá.

Did you want to remain just a metal lover fan at that time, or did you want to be a musician? What did you want to be?

I had this feeling since I was a little kid. I sat and played the guitar, and I felt something... like a connection, a connection.

Did it take you to a new place?

Yes, yes. But, when I was 13 or 14, I realized I couldn't control it. I really wanted to pursue music. That was my way to project my soul, and there was no other way of doing it.

Were you very shy?

Too much, too much. So, an interview like this, ten years ago… Forget it, it wouldn't have happened! I wouldn't be here. Well, to be honest, I have learned how to speak, understand, and communicate more.

Was playing the guitar a real love of music, or your way to meet girls?

I would say, both... Well... No, no. It really is a passion. It's a serious thing. The guitar is a projection of my soul, you know? It's something deeper. But, women are definitely the inspiration in my life. And, love means everything to me.

Was there another band before Ekhymosis?

Before? Well, maybe the school band.

The school band. But, Ekhymosis was your start.

Ekhymosis was the start, yes. That was back in 1988.

Juanes, if you try to remember further back, and talking about the guitar again... Do you remember what was the first song you ever wrote?

Wow! I only remember a small part. I'm sorry, but...

[laughing]

I hope you will excuse me.

How old were you?

I was about... I don't know... 7, or maybe 8, years old.

Really?

Yes, about that age.

Was it written for someone? Who did you write it for?

It is pathetic... No, not for anybody. I was with my brother at home, and I think it was something like this, with this rhythm...

Recuerdo cuando las olas te besaban y tu cara de niña hermosa las esquivaba.

[laughing]

...Que fuimos juntos a la playa... Tarará...

Something like that.

You created Ekhymosis, but you were already going to college.

No, I was in my fifth year of high school when we started Ekhymosis, and I was... I mean, I went there, and I was the best student at school. I got A's, all the time. Always the best... A nice, obedient student.

A nice, obedient student.

Yes. I didn't stop studying. But then I thought about it, and I said, "No, this is too much, too much!" We started rehearsing every day after school. Of course, at the end of the year, this guy sitting right here, failed five different subjects! So, I failed my fifth year. I failed it completely. I was in my fifth year when I started Ekhymosis, and I discovered it really was like a religion for me.

Was there any moment in Ekhymosis when you said, "This is not going anywhere. I'm leaving?" Was there any moment? You were in that band for quite a long time, right?

Yes. For almost ten years.

Really?

We started in '88 as a heavy metal band, as a very radical metal band. It was pure metal, and there just wasn't a place for anything different than that. It was very, very focused. But, we were 14. When we were recording, a national record label called Codiscos came to us. Do you know it?

Yes. Remember those times when you were passionate about heavy metal music, and you were starting your own band... Is there any song that was of importance to you?

The thing is... This is not going to sound good.

Was there any song, maybe more acoustic, or a ballad perhaps?

I haven't played this in years, Leila.

[humming]

"Fade To Black".

Yes.

It was one of my favorites.

Very good! Juanes, the heavy metal lover! When we return, we will continue talking about the life of Juanes. Stay tuned!

[clapping]

The passion implied by words and... It has to have, you know? I just can't sing a melody like...

Yo te amo mucho amor mío, te extraño demasiado y sin ti no puedo vivir...

We continue talking to Juanes here on Estudio Billboard.

We were talking about your music, and the first things you wrote. You also played a song for us. Along the road, everything has been almost like a story for you, even today.

Yes, definitely. In all of my music... Well, thanks to music, I have found an insight into reality, a chance to tell the story of my life and the story of my people, too.

Yes.

I think it is similar to a diary.

The new record, "La vida es un ratico", is a reflection of your life and your experiences. Can you tell me the story behind one of those songs?

The first track on the CD is called "No creo en el jamás". It is the first song on the album. I composed that song based on a trip I made to Guatemala during a campaign to fight Aids. I work with a group called Youth Aids. I am a Goodwill Ambassador for them. There were people of all ages, children, adults, youngsters... All of them were affected by Aids. They had a very serious health situation, and at the same time, they had an amazing vitality. I was really surprised by their enormous desire to live. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes when we are completely healthy, we don't feel that.

Yes.

So those were the origins of that song.

Tell us, how do you compose songs?

For example, while in that house, I started having ideas about the words.

The lyrics?

Hold on... Let me try to remember. Well, when life hits me hard and knocks me down to the ground, I feel a stronger desire to get up. I am not giving up. I am not giving my life away to fear. Fear is a terrible murder that kills feelings. It's like ideas and concepts. Or, for example, I am doing great with my wife, and I come up with something wonderful. Something like... You and I have turned this place into a home. Our love has been created step by step. We are like fine artisans. Then, at a different time, I play my guitar. These are two separate things. I play my guitar, and I am... And I do something I like... And later, I finish building it, like strokes on a painting. You know?

Yes.

Later, I add the melody.

[humming]

Afterwards, not knowing what the melody wants to tell me, and without the words... I listen to it so many times that I end up knowing what it wants to tell me because the melody can't be...

It can't be different.

No, I mean... Nothing else could tell me what I'm going to sing.

Cuando la vida me da golpes y me manda para el suelo es cuando yo más siento que tengo que levantarme, que dar la cara al miedo, es una forma de vencerlo. No voy a darme por vencido, no voy a darle mi vida al miedo, el miedo es un asesino que mata los sentimientos. Sé que no estoy solo, yo sé que Dios está aquí adentro y necesito silencio para poder encontrar mi propia voz y mi verdad que al final de la oscuridad no me siento solo, sé que estás conmigo.

Good!

[clapping]

I got excited.

It's a combination of the melody and the passion about words, and... something that it has to have. I couldn't be singing that melody and then add something like...

Yo te amo mucho amor mío, te extraño demasiado y sin ti no puedo vivir...

It doesn't...

[laughing]

You were in Medellín, all by yourself, like a... I don't know... like a Buddhist monk, in your house at the mountains. You were there, all alone, composing. Do you ever get desperate and start thinking... Is this song going to be good or bad?

Totally, totally. You have to make a thousand decisions about a song. What tone should I use? What chords? How should I play the guitar? Should it sound like this... or like that? Do I use this microphone over here, or the one over there? On the keyboard, what "path" should I use? This one or that one?

So, you're in Medellín. It's 7 a.m. You have been writing all night, and you say, "Wow, I have the song. Who do I play it for?"

I call my daughters. I have two little girls. They are 4 and 2. I took them to the studio a while back. Well, I used to do it very often. I used to play a song. They sat in the back, on the sofa. I played the song, and I said, "Honey, do you like the song? Listen to it, and tell me what you think." I would press the Play button, and I would stay still, watching the girls' reaction. With some of the songs, they would really connect. They would play the song, and they would really get into it, you know? With other songs, I discovered, I would look at them, and they were playing with the dog or fighting... It actually happened.

L: Well... Was there any song on this album that they said, "Yeah, daddy! This is definitely it!"

From the new one? I would say...

Total reaction.

I think it was all of the songs that we included. All of the ones we chose, were the ones they liked.

Really?

No, just kidding. Well, kind of. For example, "Me enamora", they love that song. They always dance along with it. The guitar playing...

[humming]

...Makes them dance.

Your previous album was an enormous success. One of the songs, well, many of them were hits. But there was a particular song called "La camisa negra." It was a hit in more than 30 countries. It didn't matter what language the people spoke, Japanese, French, or German... That song reached number one. Then, you meet Gustavo Santaolalla and Aníbal, who are your long time producers, and you had 40 songs. How do you decide which ones you are going to record?

I sat down with Gustavo. We had 30 or so. I don't know. We sat and listened to all of them. Gustavo told me, "Juanes, let's go for a walk." I thought, "Oh, my God! What does this mean? Let's go for a walk? He has never said that to me before." Then he said, "Tell me what kind of record you want us to make." I told him, "Master, I want to make an album..." I call Gustavo "Master" as a sign of appreciation. I told him I wanted to make a rock album. So he told me, "Ok, we need to work on a rock album. Do you want us to work on something like 'La camisa negra'?" I told him, "No, master. I love that song, but I think I can go beyond that in terms of music". You know? And he said he thought the same. We went back into the studio and listened to all of the songs again. We picked the songs that really should be in the album. I would say this album is more balanced. It is a place where two musical worlds merge. It has both popular music and the rock elements I like. I really feel this album is like...

Well balanced?

Yes. I think rock sung in Spanish is part of our popular culture in Latin America, Leila. We have grown up listening to it, and the younger generations have, too. It means to us, what Los Panchos or Lucho Gatica meant to our parents. Understand? We like Café Tacuba, Soda Stereo... I think I have incorporated that in my very own personal way, so...

Don't you sing in English? Why don't you?

Let's see, Leila... I think... I love music in English, and to be honest, I have learned that language more during the last few years. But, I come from Colombia. I keep on dreaming in Spanish and thinking in Spanish. Everything that has happened with the last album, and also with "Un día normal", has confirmed my feelings that you can go further. You can cross over language barriers with music, and still sing in Spanish.

Do you feel that being like you are have somehow managed to change the perception that people have about Colombia? You are a Goodwill Ambassador for Youth Aids. You have been officially honored by the French government. All of those international events...

When you sit with any journalist in the world, there is always the topic of Shakira, Juan Pablo Montoya, Juan Pablo Ángel, García Márquez, the music... So, I think that has happened somehow. All of us have contributed in some way to that happening. Also, sometimes as a Colombian, it is difficult to sit next to someone who tells you, "Hey, you come from Medellín, the city of the cartel... and the drugs... People get killed there every day..." So, I say, "Brother, where did you get that from? How long has it been since you were in Colombia?" They say, "I've never been there." So I tell them, "Have you been to Medellín lately? Do you know what's going on in Medellín right now?" They reply, "No, people tell me not to go there".

Hey, I'm going to ask you, and this is an indulgence of mine... "A Dios le pido" was actually written at a time when the country was having a serious crisis, and you wanted that to end. Can you tell me a little about that song, and how you came up with it?

Yes, yes. Sure. At that time... I am not sure if you remember the Watcha Tour, in 2002 or so...

I had forgotten that you performed in the Watcha Tour.

Of course. Well, again... I can't really explain how or where. I have no idea. I just do...

[humming]

A Dios le pido.

"A Dios le Pido" That was the first thing that came out.

Wasn't it because you were going through a spiritual moment in your life, and you were asking God for something?

At that time, it wasn't a conscious decision. "A Dios le Pido" came out, and the melody was very different from the final song, right? But later, with "A Dios le Pido", I really started thinking then about praying, my mother, my father's memory, my country, stop spilling blood in my country, be close to the person I love forever, having one more second to live. And the change in music from minor to major in the chorus, is something I have used in my songs and I like doing.

Yes, yes. I have noticed it.

I love doing it. If, for example, you take this part of the guitar, and this part of "A Dios le pido" and play it like this... It sounds very typical of Colombian guasca music.

It sounds arrabalero.

Cantina music. It has that sort of arrabal feeling. But if you play it on an accordion, it can also have a sense as a vallenato.

Thanks. I'm being told the audience has questions.

Sure, of course.

(Continue to[Page 2])

Juanes in Estudio Billboard [1] [2]