By Jennifer Grafiada
It was obvious at Juanes’ performance at Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 2 that he is a star. The arena was packed with adoring fans, on their feet, dancing throughout the entire show. The man is diminutive, which seems to be a defining characteristic of the celebrity species. He radiated confidence and displayed substantial talent, effectively commanding our attention and adoration.
Dressed head-to-toe in tight-fitting black, Juanes was masterful with his electric guitar (he’s been playing since age 7) and his voice was deep, strong and beautiful. His shock of thick black hair, arresting green eyes, and the sexy way he moved his hips made him look like a contemporary, Latin version of Elvis.
When you combine Elvis-esque sex appeal with classic Latin lover virility, you get some seriously seductive vibes. Juanes’ Don Juan was in full effect as he stepped from the stage and was swarmed with screaming, crying women of all ages, all trying to get close enough to touch. Juanes willingly obliged — but eventually security had to pry their hands off his forearms so he could continue the show. I actually feared for his safety.
But Juanes never faltered. He maintained his magnetic presence and electric energy as he delivered beautiful ballad after ballad. A few of his songs spoke of his native Colombia and how people there are suffering from poverty and political unrest. Between songs, Juanes stared into our eyes and shared, in a moving tone and sonorous Spanish, his philosophies on life -- how we should follow our dreams and accept each other despite racial and economic disparities. How we are all equal before death, before love. How life is but a moment—in Spanish, “La vida es un ratico”—the name of his latest album and his global tour (he’ll be in Morocco next week, hit up Amsterdam and end up in Zaragoza).
By any measure, Juanes is a worldwide star. He has won 12 Latin Grammys, several awards and his albums and songs have topped Billboard charts, broke selling records and taken over radio stations worldwide. He is heavily involved in humanitarian work, concentrating on his beloved Colombia. The Los Angeles Times declared him “the single most important figure on the Latin music scene” and “one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Juanes certainly influenced his Las Vegas audience. Near the end of the concert, I sat down to take a load off my high-heel-clad feet, but was immediately swatted on the back by a stranger behind me, an even tinier black-clad Latin man, who vehemently gyrated his groin and passionately waved his arms around his head to demonstrate what I needed to do. I mustn’t sit down, I must salsa dance! When Juanes invited everyone to sing along to his encore choice, the romantic “Es por ti” (I’m sure every woman wanted the ‘ti’ to be her), Juanes shook his head disapprovingly and yelled “Cantamos con cojones!” (sing it with balls!) Fans rushed the stage carrying the Colombian flag. And no one wanted to leave until Juanes had left the building---the hallmark of a true star.