Photo Credit: Orli Arias
J Balvin is unstoppable; it’s just a fact. The Latin superstar is leading the nominations for this year’s Latin Grammy Awards with eight nods for hits like “Mi Gente” (with Willy William) and “X” (feat. Nicky Jam) as well as Album of the Year for Vibras for Album of the Year. “I Like It”—his tune with Bad Bunny and Cardi B—was one of the top hits of summer. And let’s not forget that his his 2015 smash “Ginza” even earned him a Guinness World Record for longevity at Number One on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs charts. Most recently, he has been named Creative Director of Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky’s Imparables Colección (The Unstoppables)—a national campaign celebrating the people and communities that are infusing everyday culture with their passion and talent—making this a perfect fit.
This new program is an evolution of the successful “Es Nuestro Momento” campaign that was launched in 2016, which championed an unstoppable new generation of leaders rising to greatness. As Creative Director, the 33-year-old Colombian singer has selected four artists, who created limited-edition works showcasing their own greatness. Those names include collaborator and Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny, Cuban-American painter Alexander Mijares, Mexican-American sculptor David Flores and Colombian painter Sabrina Yanguas.
These limited-edition works are intended to inspire creators 21+ to submit their own original designs beginning October 10 through October 31 at EsNuestroMomento.com, that represent their unstoppable greatness, with the chance to leave their mark on a limited-edition Buchanan’s 12-Year-Old DeLuxe pack. Balvin and the artists from La Colección will judge and then announce the final lucky winner in the coming months. We sat down with J Balvin to talk about the new collection, how he celebrates culture and creativity and how he plans on being ‘unstoppable’ for a long, long time to come.
Photo Credit: Orli Arias
How did the collaboration with Buchanan’s come to be?
My relationship with started back in 2014, when they hosted an intimate dinner at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards to celebrate my first nomination. Then in October 2016, our partnership truly began as they chose me to collaborate with them for the launch of the brand’s successful “Es Nuestro Momento” campaign and share the message of Latino greatness due to my approach to art, passion and advocacy for culture. That campaign went really well, and was followed by Buchanan’s supporting my current U.S. tour, so it’s a relationship we’ve been happy to see grow.
Were you lured by the sentiment behind the collection? How does that sentiment—Imparables—correlate to your own life?
Most definitely. I’m a big believer in perseverance when it comes to following your dreams; the need to be unstoppable in the pursuit of your goals. In my case, [this means] to share my music, and our culture with a global audience regardless of language. With the Imparables Colección, I believe Buchanan’s and I are giving people around the country a real chance for their own unstoppable creativity to shine and celebrate their own greatness.
Photo Credit: Orli Arias
Have you always been a whisky drinker? What’s your first whisky memory?
I feel like this was a very natural partnership, as I have clear memories of a bottle of Buchanan’s often at the center of the table at family parties while I was growing up in Colombia, and later on the VIP tables at the nightclubs I would perform at when I first started my career. I like to enjoy a glass of Buchanan’s Special Reserve on the rocks or in a cocktail like the La Familia cocktail I created with Buchanan’s that features guava juice, lemon juice, simple syrup mixed with Buchanan’s DeLuxe and topped with soda water.
How—like the brand’s slogan—do you celebrate culture, creativity and inspire greatness?
I celebrate our culture by making it an integral part of my music and then sharing it with the world. Even if I’m performing outside Spanish speaking countries, people still feel the positive vibes and realize culture does not have to have barriers. Through the Imparables Colección, we’re encouraging people to share their own vibes and talents, their own vision of greatness, because we believe everyone can make an impact!
Photo Credit: Orli Arias
Can you tell us a bit about the bottle you’re designing/have designed for Buchanan’s?
I am excited to leave my mark on a limited-edition bottle of Buchanan’s DeLuxe, with art inspired by both Latin culture and my own personal style. It’s very colorful, so it’ll definitely stand out on shelves and serve as a collector’s bottle! We’re also giving the chance for aspiring creators to leave their mark on a limited-edition pack as well. Starting October 10 through October 31, anyone 21+ can submit their designs at EsNuestroMomento.com. I can’t wait to see what cool designs people will be submitting!
Why specifically did you select Bad Bunny, Alexander Mijares, David Flores and Sabrina Yanguas to showcase their work with the brand?
As Creative Director of the Imparables Colección, Buchanan’s Whisky and I chose the artists due to their passion, energy and talent. Each of them has a unique, defining style and embodies the meaning of what it is to be a part of Los Imparables – real, everyday people who are redefining the world as we know it. Seeing those unique works will hopefully encourage others to also submit designs with the opportunity to leave their mark on a limited-edition Buchanan’s pack that will be sold nationwide.
What to you is the greatest luxury in life and why?
I truly feel that my greatest luxury in life is having my family and friends by my side as I am able to live out my dreams every day. Coming from Medellin, Colombia, where I had friends of all types of economical and social statuses, I feel a deep motivation to bring positive vibras and a toast to our culture in gatherings that now bring people together all around the world. It’s a luxury and a blessing in both those quiet days just with family and friends, and the nights I am lucky enough to spend with thousands of fans.
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