Juanes will perform for Pope Francis in Philly: 8 things to know about the Colombian pop sensation

As World Meeting of Families officials make final preparations in Rome for the Papal visit to Philly this September, its leaders have started to talk about who will be performing for the Pope the day before he delivers his public mass on the Parkway.

World Meeting of Families Executive Director Donna Farrell told reporters in Rome today that renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli and the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform for Pope Francis — in addition to Juanes, a Colombian pop superstar who’s one of the best-known artists right now in all of Latin America.

This makes sense: Francis is, in addition to being the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope from the Americas and he hails from Argentina. Here are eight things to know about Juanes, the pop sensation who will perform during the Festival of Families on the Parkway on Sept. 26:

1. The basics

Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez, AKA Juanes, has sold more than 15 million records worldwide and is a well-known pop sensation in Latin America and Europe. He’s won 20 Latin Grammy awards, and widely seen as one of the only international pop stars who saw success by staying true to his native language and not crossing over to English.

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