Generally speaking, we all have those certain artists that we grew up listening to thanks to our parents’ own music tastes. Last week, multi-Latin Grammy winner and Colombian idol, Juanes put on a spectacular show at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, making for a flawless midsummer evening for the community and its attendees. Juanes’ songs have been in my rotation of playlists for as long as I can remember; as my parents would constantly have some of his most iconic songs playing on multiple occasions when I was growing up. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to experience a Juanes show for the first time with my dad so naturally I dragged him with me; and he would not stop talking about the night for days after the show. Needless to say, Juanes is not only a phenomenal performer, but also an extraordinarily talented singer who faithfully renders his songs when compared to his studio albums.
As showtime drew closer, the evening was just getting started! The grounds at Ravinia filled in quickly, with countless groups of people scattered throughout the expansive lawn. The beauty of this venue is the freedom to bring in your own food and drink and I saw the creativity spark among many people, charcuterie boards, candles, bottles of wine, etc. Being my first time at this venue, I could not stop thinking about how nice it all was!
Since it was primarily a Latino audience, I knew it was going to be a special evening with Juanes. The second he and his band came out on stage, the crowd was locked in and was roaring every lyric to his song “Mala Gente.” His setlist was heavy with his older hits, but I can't complain as that is what I grew up on and these songs still hold up as some of the best modern Latin rock songs out there!
Juanes really got the crowd riled up when he performed “Fotografia” promptly followed by his faint-worthy song “Es Por Ti.” The night crept in and the summer heat began to subside all while I was drenched in sweat from dancing too much. Towards the middle of his set, Juanes came down into the aisle of the pavilion to perform an acoustic version of “Para Tu Amor.” The crowd rushed to him and surrounded him for a brief intimate number. Before his lively sendoff of an encore, he concluded his main set with an impressive run of nostalgic songs including “Gotas De Agual Dulce,” “La Paga,” the revolutionary “La Camisa Negra,” and “A Dios Le Pido.” The night came to a close with a very fun bilingual cover of “Twist and Shout”/”La Bamba” and an extended Cumbia jam session with elements of “La Luz.”
It might be a cultural thing, but I am always filled with immense pride when I get the opportunity to see a fellow Latino have such a vast platform and to perform on stage to an enthusiastically commending crowd. Juanes was truly one of the most seasoned performers I have witnessed and he and his band blew my expectations out of the water! The setlist was more than ideal as I got to hear every single song that I remember from my childhood so fondly. Since Juanes is such a superstar; it was very refreshing for people to experience his talent in a more intimate environment as opposed to an arena or stadium venue; it made this show that much more special.
All photos by Andrew Lagunas.
