Columbian singer/songwriter Juanes brought the house down at 713 Music Hall with an incredible setlist and good vibes.
Juanes is one of those household names when it comes to Rock & Pop en Español. The Columbian singer started off with rock band Ekhymosis in 1988, and eventually pursued a solo career. Juanes embarked on this solo trek by releasing the underrated debut album Fijate Bien, where he garnered much success through a new genre lens. He gained much more momentum with different singles like “La Camisa Negra” and “Fotografía,” making him an important staple in the Rock en Español realms of music.
Most recently, Juanes released his 9th album called Origen in 2021, which is a compilation album of song covers from his greatest influences. In 2023, he released his 10th album called Vida Cotidiana, which is the album he is currently on tour for. The last time Juanes took over a stage in Houston was in 2017 at the Arena Theater – the singer was supposed to perform in 2020 but the show was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. It was refreshing to see Juanes return to the Houston scene, and he definitely acknowledge it during his set as he mentioned the first time he played the Space City was in 2001.
The night started off with newer song “Gris,” promptly followed by hits “Mala Gente,” “Amores prohibidos” and “Nada valgo sin tu amor.” The crowd went crazy for these songs, and sang along as loud as they could. For those songs to be up first, it was definitely a sign that the show was going to be one to remember.
The rest of the set included songs from his popular albums Un Dia Normal and Mi Sangre, a definitive throwback set made specifically for the fans. The Columbian singer made the crowd sing back to him during the tracks like “A Dios Le Pido” and “Gotas de Aguas Dulce.” One of the night’s best highlights was Juanes noting that he always loved being close to his fans, and made his way down to the crowd to perform. He performed a beautiful acoustic version of “Para Tu Amor,” where all the fans gathered round the singer to sing a long. Juanes greeted fans as he went back on stage, leaving everyone in absolute awe.
Everyone reached peak volume when Juanes sang “La Camisa Negra,” where the singer and his latin back up band held NOTHING back. The instrumentation resonated throughout 713 Music Hall, and the crowd sang the lyrics word for word, with every single person in the place having a visible smile on their face. Juanes ended the set with a heartfelt encore, with a Juan Gabriel cover of “Querida,” a medley of “Me Enamora” and “Oye Mujer,” and a celebratory version of “La Luz.”
Throughout the night, everyone danced and sang along. Despite it being a weekday, everyone sang along, and it was obvious that a lot of die-hard Houston-based fans had been waiting for the show for a very long time. The show was seated, but no one stood still. Juanes has a lengthy discography, and it’s great to see how each show is always different from the last, and knows how to keep it fresh for his Latinx people.
JUANES
Photos + Review by Keylee Paz | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!