The Singer, Composer, Actor and Entrepreneur will Receive this Award for his Artistic Career, which goes Beyond Musical Performance and takes into Account His Incredible Influence as an Artist Globally in Multiple Fields
Telemundo and Billboard announced today that world-famous Colombian singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur Carlos Vives will be honored with the Billboard Hall of Fame Award to celebrate his artistic career, that goes beyond musical performance and takes into account his incredible influence as an artist globally in multiple fields.The interpreter, who brought traditional vallenato music to the world, will also perform during the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on Telemundo on Wednesday, October 21 starting at 7pm/6c with the red carpet pre-show followed at 8pm/7c by the three-hour awards show from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The Billboard Hall of Fame Award is reserved for artists who have achieved worldwide recognition for their work, transcending musical genres and languages. Previous winners of the coveted award include José José, Vicente Fernández, Rocío Durcal, Marco Antonio Solís, Mongo Santamaría, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Banda El Recodo, Joan Sebastian, Marc Anthony, Franco de Vita and Alejandro Fernández.
Vives will receive this award not only for his prolific singing career, but additionally for his outstanding performance as an actor, television host, judge of “La Voz” (The Voice) and owner of restaurant and music club Gaira. Moreover, he is the founder of “Tras la Perla,” (Behind the Pearl) an initiative to improve people’s quality of life in his native Santa Marta and its surroundings, with educational and environmental programs. And to top it off, he is also the founder of the Rio Grande music school in Bogotá, where children develop artistic skills.
This propagator of traditional Colombian and Latin American music worldwide is the interpreter of music hits such as «La Gota f=Fría,» «Fruta Fresca,» «Volví a Nacer,» «Bailar Contigo» and «La Bicicleta” (featuring Shakira), which have taken him on tour around the world including the United States, Europe and Latin America.
After starting his acting career in 1982, he began to sing ballads in 1986, and in 1991, he leaned towards classic vallenatos, making him the face worldwide of the new Colombian sound. His approach to playing this traditional music with pop and rock influences expanded the genre to international audiences.
His most recent album, Cumbiana, explores the origins of cumbia in the deepest Colombian roots and in the instruments created by native peoples, highlighted in the documentary «The Lost World of Cumbiana.» With this imagery, Vives brings his personal journey to life, one that began 25 years ago with another one of his renowned albums, La Tierra del Olvido.
A winner of multiple international awards, the artist has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and his songs and albums have reached the top of numerous Billboard Latin music charts 33 times.
A total of 26 of his songs have made the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. Thirteen of which made the top 10 and five reached No. 1, including the hit «Fruta Fresca,» which topped the list for six weeks back in 2000. He has placed 26 titles on the Latin Airplay chart, 15 of which topped the list, including his most recent hit «Si Me Das Tu Amor,» featuring Wisin, which topped the list in August 2019; meanwhile, he managed to place a total of 27 titles in the Tropical Airplay List, of which eight reached No. 1, including «Hoy Tengo Tiempo (Pinta Sensual)» which ruled the charts for six weeks in 2018.
Vives’ albums have also enjoyed great success. He has achieved 10 entries on the Top Latin Albums chart, nine of them within the top 10 and three of which reached No. 1, including Corazón Profundo. On Tropical Albums he achieved a total of eight entries, seven of which reached the top 10 and two reached No. 1, including La Tierra del Olvido, which reigned for seven weeks in 1995.
The awards will coincide with Billboard’s Latin Music Week, a three-day virtual experience dedicated to Latin music, culture, and entertainment. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the event will take place October 20-23 and will feature intimate artist conversations, industry panels, exclusive performances and more. For more information and to RSVP, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com. For the latest news, visit Billboard.com/Latin.