When you are born in South America, music seems to come so naturally, as if it runs in your blood. Yet, Colombian
Yuri Buenaventura only found his music in Europe. In the French capital Paris, where he studied Economics, he used to sing in metrostations to earn an extra penny. But when the 'Latin fever' broke out in France at the beginning of the 90s, Buenaventura quickly acted on it and started his first band. His salsa cover of Jacques Brel's
Ne Me Quitte Pas made his international breakthrough and with his debut album
Herencia Africana (1996) he earned a gold record in his home country. Not only are songs written by Buenaventura very danceable and exhilarating, he also has a message to convey. Most of his lyrics are critical of politics and society. Still, the 40-year-old singer is mainly an artist to enjoy. A fresh counterweight for the 'old boys' from Cuba, with a live act that seems to sparkle.
