ARTIST BIO
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his interpretation of traditional music styles of Colombia such as vallenato, cumbia, champeta, bambuco and porro as well as genres such as Latin pop, reggaeton, dance pop and tropical music. Having sold over 30 million records worldwide, Vives is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in the world as he has progressively helped vallenato gain popularity globally by combining traditional vallenato music with pop/rock music, forming a subgenre that has come to be known as "vallenato-pop". Vives is an advocate for social causes, and has been involved in numerous philanthropic initiatives, including the Carlos Vives Foundation, which works to improve the lives of children in Colombia.