Ravinia 2025 Issue 3

PAVILION 7:30 PM TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025 JUANES † † Ravinia debut JUANES Born and raised in Medellín, Colombia, Juanes is unquestion- ably Latin rock’s leading global ambassador. Known for his dis- tinctive sound that fuses a deep love of rock and pop music with smartly crafted, multi-layered songwriting and a deep rever- ence for the traditional folk and other indigenous rhythms of Colombia and Latin America, Juanes is the mind and voice be- hind two of Billboard’ s Top Five Latin Pop Songs of All Time. Having sold millions of records around the world, Juanes has 13 number-one singles to his credit in the US, and he has collected a staggering 29 combined Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards from a record-setting 49 nominations as a solo artist. On 2021’s Origen and its matching standout documentary film, Juanes passionately returned to his earliest guitar-driven rock roots to reimagine some of the most important songs and artists that shaped his early musical vision. The album won both the Latin Grammy for Best Pop-Rock Album and the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alterna- tive Album. The critically acclaimed and highly personal 2023 album Vida Cotidiana (Everyday Life) saw Juanes continue his immersive return to electric guitar rock roots as well as dive back into his long-praised skill as a songwriter, turning his focus inward during the global pandemic to re- examine life, love, family, social concerns, and more. In addition to being awarded the same Grammy honors as Origen , Vida Cotidiana was widely hailed as the best album of his career and named among the best Latin music of 2023 by the likes of NPR, Billboard , Variety , and Rolling Stone . Vida Cotidiana was Juanes’s first album to feature his longtime touring band in the recording studio, and the energy of the sessions continued across the ensuing world tour, which featured the unveiling of a signature Fender Stratocaster guitar. Across 2024, Juanes also delved deeper into acting, having previously made dozens of groundbreaking Spanish lan- guage television appearances. His international film and TV credits have included a significant voice role in the Oscar-nominated animated feature Ferdinand and guest appearances on Jane the Virgin , and his latest role is a star turn in the film Pimpinero , directed by Andrés Baiz for Amazon. Juanes is making his Ravinia debut. RONNIE BAKER BROOKS Chicago-born guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ronnie Baker Brooks is one of the city’s—and the world’s—most undeniably talented and electrifying blues- men. He was born into blues royalty as the son of Blues Hall of Famer and multiple Grammy nominee Lonnie Brooks, and he is among the few contempo- rary blues artists who learned his craft directly from many of the genre’s icons, including Al- bert Collins, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, and, most significantly, his father. Ronnie received his first guitar at age 9 and learned the instrument as he got older, splitting his time between playing basketball and focusing on his music. After high school, he joined his father’s band as a roadie, earning his way slowly up the ladder—lis- tening, watching, and learning. Lonnie eventually allowed Ronnie to play bass with the band before bringing him on as the full-time second gui- tarist. Ronnie made his recording debut on Lonnie’s Live from Chicago: Bayou Lightning Strikes album in 1988. Ronnie performed with his father for 12 years, gaining valuable experience and sharing stages with such artists as Taj Mahal, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and many others. Among the many lessons he learned was to forge his own identity, to write his own songs, to play his own brand of blues and not to imitate anyone else. In 1998, Brooks formed his own label, Watchdog Records, and released three solo albums— Golddigger (1998), Take Me Witcha (2001) , and The Torch (2006)—working with and learning countless studio and produc- tion lessons from JellyBean Johnson (Prince, The Time), earning praise for his music from Prince himself. In 2008, Brooks produced and played on blues legend Eddy Clearwater’s West Side Strut , helping to bring one of his mentors to a new generation of fans. His next solo album, 2017’s Times Have Changed , was produced by drummer Steve Jordan (Rolling Stones, Robert Cray) and issued on the Provogue label. Among many blues and soul mentors and friends, Brooks has also worked closely with rocker Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd &The Monsters, with whom he co-wrote “All True Man” for his latest album and Alligator Records debut, Blues in My DNA . Ronnie Baker Brooks is making his Ravinia debut. CAROUSEL STAGE 7:30 PM THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025 RONNIE BAKER BROOKS † † Ravinia debut RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 30 – JULY 20, 2025 70 JIMSUMMARIA(BROOKS)