FRANCE: Colombian rocker Juanes made Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France

Latin rock star Juanes was awarded France's highest cultural honour in Paris on Wednesday (July 19). The musician was named a commander in France's order of Arts and Letters at a ceremony hosted by French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. "You are an unclassifiable, eclectic artist, a guitarist, singer and composer of great talent. You are also maybe before anything else politically committed. Your message started in Colombia and crossed the Atlantic ocean, it is now welcomed in France who is paying you a tribute through my voice," said Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres before pinning the medal on Juanes's chest. Juanes has been widely recognized as his country's leading cultural ambassador and social activist. Recently, he urged the Colombian government and the guerillas to put an end to the nightmare of kidnapping while inaugurating a rehabilitation centre for the victims of antipersonnel landmines, an issue in which he has taken an active interest. "It is important (receiving such an award), as I just said, it's like a bridge between the two countries, Colombia and France, it's an exchange, a way to come closer together. Colombia needs huge aids from the international community and this is one form of aid and also it is a great recognition for my work, the music from the heart, which is a universal language," the singer said after receiving the medal. "It's a huge honour. I can't really explain, I don't understand why they gave it (the award) to me. I never imagined I would happen to me. I'm really pleased and happy," he added. The songwriter and guitarist has become the top-selling and most critically acclaimed Latin rock artist in the world and has received numerous awards and honours including twelve Latin Grammy Awards, nine MTV awards, eight Premio Lo Nuestro Awards and seven BMI awards for songwriting, including 'Songwriter of the Year' and recognition from Time Magazine as "one of the 100 most influential people in the world".

ITN Source | July 20, 2006

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