The Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes

The Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes is once again at the center of the news with the premiere of the music video Mayo, a work based on the song of the same name that opens his album Vida cotidiana. Through the images, the interpreter revives, in a stylized way, the national shock caused by the tragic events surrounding the May 2021 protests in Colombia, which paralyzed the country for a month with the support of dozens of workers and students.

Inspiration behind the song

“This song came to me because I was very frustrated to see the turbulent situation caused by the protests in Colombia during May 2021, [donde se veían a] people threatening to burn policemen and policemen shooting young people who were protesting in the streets. It was a surreal moment of chaos [que me impulsó] to write about the horror and pain he was experiencing,” the artist said in a statement to the media.

The making of the song and video

Juanes revealed that to achieve his purpose he turned to the teacher David Campbell, who made an “incredible” string arrangement that contributed to the The song will turn out to be one of the favorites on the album. “The song has that Pink Floyd vibe with the first verse telling what happened, and then the chorus saying, ‘we’re not the same.’ The second verse is more optimistic, it says that the only thing we have to do is change,” he said.

Regarding the making of the video, directed by María Camila Calle, the interpreter of La camisa negra recalled that he was inspired by a story about the protests that really impressed him, when an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman was surrounded and blocked by protesters. As a result, the baby died before they reached the hospital, an event that occurred twice during that fateful May. “I thought that these new souls that were stolen from life itself would be the symbol that would unite us all around these days. sad and devastating. We can have differences and advocate for what we think, but not to the point of sacrificing our future. I have hope in my country and I hope that hope has been reflected in the last scene of the video.”

Expressing love for his country

May is the second time Juanes expresses his love for his native country. He did it before him in Canción desaparecidad, where he joined forces with Afro-Colombian rapper and composer Mabiland, to pay tribute to the thousands of people who disappeared during the conflict in Colombia.