In some ways Juanes is the Latin American answer to both Springsteen and Bono. As well as a proven ability to write catchy rock anthems, he is a high-profile campaigner on issues such as landmines. Now in his mid-30s, he came on stage dressed in black, looking as if he spends considerable time at the gym, and crashed into a series of gutsy, full-tilt ballads, from No Creo En El Jamas to Clase De Amor, that were both epic and melodic, if never wildly original. He may write great lyrics, but there is no translation on his album sleeves, and none was provided here, for he only spoke one sentence in English ("thank you for being here"). Not that his fans complained. They cheered the sing-along ballads, and kept cheering when he switched to rock-reggae on Bandera de Manos or added some non-remarkable guitar solos to the relentless attack of a six-piece band that sounded far more western than Latin. There were occasional reminders of his roots, as with the Colombian-influenced rhythm and melody of his massive hit, the slinky La Camisa Negra, or the final burst of rock-salsa, but for much of the time, this was a classy mainstream rock show in Spanish.
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Wednesday 18 June 2008
Juanes, Hammersmith Apollo, London
Juanes is a global celebrity unknown to most British audiences. You won't hear him on mainstream radio because he only sings in Spanish, and you won't hear him on specialist world music shows because he is too commercial. I doubt that he is bothered. After all, he has sold well over 10m albums worldwide, has had massive hits in Europe as well as in the American Latin market, and has already won 12 Grammies. He is a hero in his homeland, Colombia, and every Latin rock fan in town seemed to have turned out for this packed, entertaining show.
