Juanes Revisits “A Dios le Pido,” Nelly Furtado & His Night With the Rolling Stones

The photographs that take Juanes from early nerves to rock royalty

Juanes has a remarkable collection of stories tucked inside the music. In a short video retrospective, the Colombian singer-songwriter looks back at the photographs that bring those memories into focus—from being nervous to meet Nelly Furtado in the studio to standing beside Mick Jagger in Bogotá. Somewhere in between, there was a performance of “Hotel California” for the Eagles with a former U.S. president watching. Not bad for a trip through the photo album.

What makes the conversation so appealing isn’t simply the company he’s kept. It’s how vividly he remembers the nerves. Juanes can still summon the feeling of wondering whether he belonged in those rooms, even while recounting some of the defining moments in Latin rock. There are big names here, certainly, but the stories are strikingly human.

More from INYIM: Juanes Tests His Music Knowledge On Track Star*

Meeting Nelly Furtado for “Fotografía” was no casual studio session

One photograph takes him back to recording “Fotografía” with Nelly Furtado. Juanes remembers feeling extremely nervous before she arrived to record her part. He quickly found those nerves unnecessary: he describes meeting someone with a beautiful energy, an easy smile, and a kindness that stayed with him. More than two decades later, he says he still thinks of Nelly when he sings the song.

The duet appeared on Un Día Normal, his 2002 album, and has endured as one of the most beloved recordings in his catalog. That makes the memory especially sweet: a song about holding onto someone through photographs now carries the image of the artist who helped make it what it became. The record may be familiar territory to longtime listeners, but Juanes gives us the nervous young musician behind it.

“A Dios le Pido” was the moment everything opened up

Then comes “A Dios le Pido,” the breakthrough that changed the scale of his career. Juanes recalls realizing the song was connecting in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States. One country was becoming several, and suddenly a much bigger world was listening. He describes a period of disbelief and gratitude rather than acting as though the success had been inevitable.

He also remembers filming the music video in Mexico, when he felt, in his words, as if he were floating. The experience carried extra weight because he remembered how difficult his beginnings had been, including arriving in the United States without speaking English or having a record deal. Looking back at the imagery of bullets passing without striking him, he explains the song as an expression of protection, love, gratitude, and concern for his loved ones and his country. For a single that became a defining Latin-rock anthem, its personal meaning still seems to sit remarkably close to the surface.

Singing “Hotel California” with the Eagles watching was genuinely terrifying

Fast-forward to the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. Juanes was part of a tribute to the Eagles, performing “Hotel California” alongside guitarist Steve Vai and others. He recalls listening to the song on repeat while trying to perfect his English pronunciation. Then there was the audience: members of the Eagles themselves and President Barack Obama nearby. No pressure whatsoever.

Just before going onstage, the doubts rushed in. He wondered why he had agreed to do it. Then he found himself next to Vai—another musician he deeply admires—and started talking to him about his music. Vai’s warmth helped settle the moment. Juanes remembers finally going out and singing with feeling, and his gratitude is as much about that generosity backstage as the scale of the tribute itself.

And then Mick Jagger called his “parcero” to the stage in Bogotá

The final memory could have been scripted for a music film. When the Rolling Stones played Bogotá’s Estadio El Campín on March 10, 2016, Juanes joined them for “Beast of Burden.” He recalls being invited into the band’s small backstage warm-up room and having the surreal realization that he was rehearsing with the Rolling Stones. Even better, he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone he was going to appear.

Then came Mick Jagger’s introduction of his Colombian friend—his parcero—and Juanes stepped out with his guitar to play in front of his home-country audience. In the video, he admits he wanted to cry. It is a wonderful image: the musician who once struggled to find his footing abroad sharing a stage with the very rock legends he admired, at home in Colombia of all places.

Taken together, these snapshots explain something about the staying power of Juanes. His songs traveled the world, but the emotional landmarks he remembers are often smaller: a welcoming smile, a reassuring conversation, a song played over and over until the words felt right. The rock-star moments are extraordinary. His awe at having lived them is what makes this little journey worth watching.

Juanes: The Moments That Shaped His Musical Journey

From “A Dios le Pido” and “Fotografía” to unforgettable encounters with the Eagles and Rolling Stones, Juanes revisits the music, memories and milestones that defined his career.

Image: Juanes career-retrospective video Live Nation YouTube.

From the studio to the Kennedy Center and a stadium in Bogotá, those memories have a remarkable way of circling back to the same thing: the power of a song to carry someone somewhere they never imagined reaching.

Hear Juanes tell these stories himself in the video below, including the moments behind “Fotografía,” “A Dios le Pido,” “Hotel California,” and the Rolling Stones performance.

Juanes Revisits “A Dios le Pido,” Nelly Furtado and Playing With the Rolling Stones

The Spanish-language career retrospective follows Juanes as he reacts to photographs and recounts key moments in his music, collaborations and live performances.

Sources: Juanes career-retrospective video Live Nation YouTube (interview and image source); Universal Music Colombia (Un Día Normal); Steve Vai (2016 Kennedy Center Honors); Los Angeles Times (Rolling Stones in Bogotá).