On Thursday night (Nov. 14), Person of the Year 2024 honoree Carlos Vives kicked off the awards’ 25th anniversary ceremony with a vibrant yet nostalgic performance. In a medley that ran through the most emblematic moments of his career, the Colombian singer-songwriter paid tribute to his own musical legacy, transporting the audience through decades of hits.
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Vives kicked off his performance with “Fruta Fresca,” followed by a medley that included classics such as “La Bicicleta” and “La Tierra del Olvido” that evoked Colombian folklore. This was followed by romantic songs such as “Robarte un Beso” and the inevitable “Pa’ Mayte,” in a sequence that was both a celebration of his legacy and an intimate journey through the sounds and styles that have defined him.
Throughout the presentation, Vives was accompanied by backing vocalists and a live band that captured the essence of his unique style, fusing traditional instruments, such as accordion and bagpipe, with electric guitars, a blend that has characterized his approach since his beginnings. He was also accompanied by a group of dancers with choreographies that enhanced the rhythms of each song, while their typical costumes paid tribute to their roots.
One of the most emotional moments of the night came when his compatriots Juanes, Sebastián Yatra, Camilo and Silvestre Dangond took the stage to accompany him at the end of the performance. On the other hand, during the performance of “Robarte un Beso,” the screens projected a heartfelt tribute to Egidio Cuadrado, Vives’ accordion player and partner who passed away on Oct. 21.
His performance was a combination of celebration and nostalgia, reaffirming why Vives is one of the most loved and respected figures in the industry, as well as his cultural impact and relevance in Latin music.
Following his performance, Vives took the stage once again to received his Person of the Year award. Jon Bon Jovi presented him with the recognition sharing a few words about Vives. “Carlos, for decades you have embodied the spirit and have used your voice for creating a better world through your music,” he expressed. “Your legacy reaches far beyond the stage making an impact not only in your community but around the world. And that’s one of the many reasons that you are so deserving of this award. It’s my privilege from one ‘person of the year’ to another, to acknowledge you as this year’s persona del año of the Latin Recording Academy.”
Read Vives’ acceptance speech, translated from Spanish to English, below:
“To receive from your hands, my dear Jon, my friend, Jon you’re the best. You are a music legend, a rock legend. I’m still a kid from Santa Marta, I’m still a young man from Bogotá, and I’m from a country that is Colombia, which is a musical crossroads, which has found its rock-n-roll from our roots, that you are tonight giving me this award means that music has no borders. It means that rhythms and genres are like trees when one sees the countryside that the trees seem seemingly are not connected and if we go down to earth we see that the roots are connected, we are all connected at the roots despite our differences and the walls that sometimes the industry imposes.
“So, as the Academy today has wisely created this space to celebrate and allow us to live united in diversity. Infinite thanks to the Academy for allowing me, my province, my musicians that I have worked with all these years. And whom I deeply admire, I want to thank all the artists who have made us vibrate with music, who inspired us, those who are still here, who I see here, those who are no longer with us. I want to thank my parents because they gave me the gift of music, they infected me with the magic of the province to honor it with the name of my band.
“Thanks to my manager, Walter. Thanks to my Spanish heritage. I want to thank my people, my manager, my wife Claudia, president of my company. My Sony family all over the world, thank you very much. To my wife Claudia, she deserves this more than me, she has dreamed and fought for it more than me. To my family and my children who are here, I finally see them together. And to our public, to our public for whom we are here. Even if there is wind, tide, rain, they are at our concerts, they do not forget us, so thank you. This is for my country Colombia because I still believe…I still believe that in music are the ideas to be able to live united in diversity. Thank you very much Miami.
Thank you Emilio, thank you Gloria, thank you for opening the doors to all Hispanic singers, I love you!”
