Barranquilla, Colombia —
As thousands of people in the Colombian coastal city of Barranquilla wait outside for his raucous five-hour live performance to begin, reggaeton superstar J Balvin is fired up in his dressing room, surrounded by rows of costumers.
The moment of calm belies what is shaping up to be an unstoppable year for the Colombian, who FIFA announced on Friday as one of the stars of the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11 in Mexico City.
In an exclusive interview with CNN before the FIFA announcement, Balvin said his headlining act was a “huge statement” not only for him but for the entire Latin music scene.
“We keep stacking each artist on top of the other so that we don’t stop moving,” the 41-year-old told CNN last Friday, midway through the final leg of his “Ciudad Primavera” tour, which has been back and forth in Colombia.
Headliners including Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana and Tyra will kick off the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, with Mexican culture taking center stage for 90 minutes before the first game begins.
This year has been a record year for Balvin and Latin music as a whole. In February, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny became the first Latin artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. In April, fellow Colombian star Karol G headlined Coachella’s final night for the first time.
Balvin’s performance at the FIFA World Cup, which will be played in 16 cities across North America, marks another milestone in the global dominance of Latin music.
Balvin is known to be private about his politics, but as someone who first moved to Oklahoma at the age of 17 and has lived in New York City for 20 years, he confidently asserts that the Latino community is more than secure in the United States.
“Thirty years ago, people thought reggaeton was going to die…[but]we’re not going anywhere, you know? Our numbers don’t lie, and we know what we represent. We know what we can offer the world: our skills, our talent. We’re embracing our culture more than ever,” he told CNN.
His journey, which began selling mixtapes in New York’s Times Square in the early 2000s, long before he became Spotify’s most streamed artist in 2018, is a classic rags-to-riches success story.
“Naturally, I consider myself an immigrant, just like I came to America. But even if you’re born in America from other backgrounds, you’re still an immigrant. America is a country of immigrants,” says Balvin, who worked in this country illegally as a roofer and house painter before his music career took off.
He may no longer be living the typical immigrant life of an international celebrity, with homes in Manhattan and Medellin. But Balvin believes little has changed since 20 years ago when he used free Wi-Fi to Skype his parents.
“My home is here with me, because I’m always on the move…These days, I think to be a Latino is to be a citizen of the world. We come from a huge culture, we have rich music, we have rich food, we have NASA people, we have scientists, we have athletes, we have people who are changing the world.”
The Ciudad Primavera tour is Balvin’s way of reconnecting with his roots and showing his appreciation for Colombia. It is rare for an international artist to perform outside the two major cities of Bogota and Medellín. Even more unusual is the selection of local artists to sing on stage to promote homegrown talent.
Balvin does just that, serving as a mentor and trailblazer for dozens of young singers, bringing them to the stage at each concert to join him on the journey. In Barranquilla, local performer Vaek wore a sleeveless shirt with a thank-you note that read: “José opened the door for me. It was Balvin who was unlucky.”
This week sees the release of his latest album, “Omerta,” a collaboration with Ryan Castro, a Medellin-born reggaetonero who loves Balvin like a brother.
But reconnecting with his roots also means looking at who opened the door for Balvin. Last year, when he brought out Puerto Rican salsa legend Gilberto Santa Rosa for a duet on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” it was like passing the torch from one generation to the next.
“When these great artists, Gilberto and Celia Cruz, paved the way for us, they weren’t thinking about paving the way. They just did it with a lot of love and passion, and I think they did us a huge favor,” he said.
“What I’m doing may pave the way for someone else. That’s why we’re so collaborative. We love making songs for each other, and we know we’re stronger and more powerful when we’re together.”
His charm also brought international stars to Colombia. Last year, Ed Sheeran came to Bogota to perform as a guest at Balvin’s concert.
Before heading off to shower and change for the Barranquilla show, Balvin assessed his expectations for his beloved Colombian soccer team at the World Cup.
“If we understand that we are a team, put our egos aside and think of ourselves as a family, I think that can take us a long way,” he said, advice that sounds similar to how he encourages young artists: on and off the pitch, unity is strength.
