Carlos Vives stops himself in mid-sentence and apologizes. He chokes up, overcome by a rush of the same raw, vulnerable emotion that informs his anthemic songs. Tears stream down his face — but they’re tears of joy or, at the very least, of sweet vindication.
“I never expected anything,” the charismatic singer and thoughtful songwriter says over Zoom from an unassuming, cozy space somewhere in his native Colombia. In the background, bookshelves are filled with novels, family photos and one of his many awards. Vives has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Person of the Year honor by the Latin Recording Academy .
The accolade could hardly come as a surprise, as Vives changed the course of Latin music, selling more than 20 million albums, winning 18 Latin Grammys and two Grammy awards. But the road wasn’t an easy one. “The Academy has always surprised me — they’ve been extremely generous with me,” he says earnestly.
“When I committed to my path in music 30 years ago, so many people told me that I was doing everything wrong. I never allowed myself the luxury of aspiring to any honors. But my team never stopped dreaming.
They’re used to competing within an industry that values such rewards, and consequently, I feel very happy for them. I’m deeply moved, but still have a hard time believing it all. I tend to be very hard on my own work.
” It was 1993 when Vives burst into the scene with “La Gota Fría” — a raucous vallenato nugget from 1.