What Is Carlos Vives' Net Worth?
Carlos Vives is a Colombian singer, composer and actor who has a net worth of $9 million. Carlos Vives is known for his unique blend of traditional Colombian vallenato music with modern pop and rock elements, creating a style known as "tropipop." Vives began his career as an actor in Colombian telenovelas before transitioning to music in the early 1990s. His breakthrough album, "Clásicos de la Provincia," released in 1993, revitalized the vallenato genre and brought it to a wider audience. Throughout his career, Vives has released numerous successful albums, including "La Tierra del Olvido," "El Amor de Mi Tierra," and "Corazón Profundo," which have earned him multiple Latin Grammy Awards and a Grammy Award. His music often celebrates Colombian culture, history, and social issues, making him a beloved figure in his home country and beyond. Vives has collaborated with many renowned artists, such as Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Ricky Martin, further expanding his international appeal.
Early Life
Carlos Vives was born on August 7, 1961, in Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia. He spent the first 12 years of his life there before he and his family moved to Bogota, Colombia, to pursue more opportunities. In his youth, Carlos developed a strong love for music and began singing. After finishing high school, he enrolled at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University and received his degree in advertising. While living in Bogota, he also got involved in the local music scene and started playing music in bars and cafes around the city.
Career
Vives began his career as an actor in 1982 when he started appearing in shows and telenovelas like "Pequeños Gigantes" and "Tuyo es Mi Corazón." He continued acting steadily over the next few years but did not find fame until 1986 when he landed a role in "Gallito Ramirez" as the title character, a Colombian Caribbean boxer who falls in love with a woman that was played by Margarita Rosa de Francisco, whom he later married.
The same year, Vives released his first album, "Por Fuera y Por Dentro." The album included primarily ballads and did not achieve commercial success. The following year, in 1987, he released his second album, "No Podras Escapar de Mi." The title track of the album reached the #30 spot on the "Billboard" Hot Latin Tracks chart, though the album did not sell well generally. His next album, "Al Centro de la Ciudad," included a few songs that were featured in telenovelas but also did not achieve much success.
In 1989, Vives was offered an acting job in Puerto Rico. After he moved, he took a break from his music career. While in Puerto Rico, Carlos starred in soap operas like "La Otra" and "Aventurera."
In 1991, Vives moved back to Colombia. There, he was offered a television role as the lead in the fantasy series "Escalona," which was based on the life of vallenato composer Rafael Escalona. In the series, Carlos sang the composer's songs. He gained national success with the release of the show's two soundtrack albums, "Escalona: Un Canto a la Vida" and "Escalona: Vol. 2." He also decided to refocus his own music career more towards vallenato music.
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In 1993, Vives released the album "Clasicos de la Provincia," in which he fused vallenato music with rock, pop, and other Caribbean Colombian ethnic rhythms. The album won the "Billboard" Latin Music Awards Best Album award, which was an instrumental step in introducing Carlos to a wider global audience. He then released a follow-up album, "La Tierra del Olvido." The album marked a further step in Vives's tendency towards fusion music and was successful.
Over the next years, Vives's releases were all commercially successful. In 1997, he released "Tengo Fe" and then "El Amor de Mi Tierra" in 1999. In 2001, he released "Dejame Entrar" and then "El Rock de Mi Pueblo" in 2004. His album "Dejame Entrar" won Vives his first Grammy award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.
Vives released his next album, "Clasicos de la Provincia II," in 2009, followed by "Corazon Profundo" in 2013. The first single from the album, " Volvi a Nacer," went straight to #1 on the "Billboard" charts. In 2016, Carlos released a song with fellow Colombian singer Shakira called "La Bicicleta." The video for the song was filmed in Colombia, and the song debuted at the #1 spot on the "Billboard" US Latin Airplay chart. In 2018, it was announced that Vives would join the Spanish-language version of the NBC singing competition, "La Voz," as a judge.
In April 2021, he worked with Ricky Martin on the song "Cancion Bonita," a song that was critically acclaimed for its fusion of musical styles from Colombia and Puerto Rico. The song was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Song at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards. The same year, Carlos was a featured artist in the Disney movie "Encanto," singing the credits song "Colombia, Mi Encanto." In 2021, Vives appeared in the Disney+ show "The Low Tone Club" and sang the theme as well as two other songs on the show. He also wrote all the songs on the show's soundtrack.
Personal Life
Carlos was married to Margarita Rosa de Francisco from 1988 to 1990. She was an actress and singer, and their relationship was heavily followed by the media in Colombia. The same year he and Francisco divorced, he married his second wife, Herlinda Gomez. With Gomez, he had two children, Carlos and Lucia. They divorced in 2004. Vives married his third wife, Claudia Elena Vasquez, in 2008. Vasquez was formerly named Miss Colombia. Together, the couple has two children, Elena and Pedro. Carlos divides his time between Miami, Florida, and Colombia.
