Juanes Biography

Fast Facts

• Earned the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Culture Ministry in 2006
• In 2005, his efforts to raise awareness about land mines were honored at Sir Paul McCartney's Adopt-A-Minefield
• Received a decommissioned AK-47 converted into a guitar as a gift from peace activist Cesar Lopez, which he later donated to a Beverly Hills fundraiser for $17,000
• Has worked extensively with victims of anti-personnel mines, establishing the Mi Sangre Foundation to encourage peace-building efforts and minimize the effects of violence and warfare
• Was a headline performer for a 2009 concert in Cuba that coincided with International Peace Day
• Was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2005
• Began playing guitar at age 7, taught by his father and older brothers
• Performed on "MTV Unplugged" in 2012, recording an album under the direction of singer-songwriter and producer Juan Luis Guerra
• Was a member of the heavy metal group Ekhymosis, which he founded in 1988, before going solo
• Performed live at the Kickoff Concert of the 2010 FIFA World Cup