Bacilos

Jorge Villamizar, the Colombian-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist who leads the acclaimed rock en español band Bacilos, makes his home in Miami, FL. Born on October 14, 1970, in Montería, Córdoba, Colombia, he relocated with his family to Quito, Ecuador, at the age of ten. During that period the Beatles and Andean folk traditions sparked a profound musical curiosity in him. A Soda Stereo concert he witnessed in Quito at age 15 made a permanent impact and motivated him to begin creating his own music. He moved back to Colombia at 18, enlisted in the Navy, and spent his time composing songs while playing guitar. From there he spent a period studying in London before settling in Miami, FL, during 1992. In the mid-'90s, while enrolled at the University of Miami, Villamizar assembled Bacilos alongside fellow students André Lopes on bass, who is of Brazilian heritage, and José Javier Freire on percussion, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. The group issued its first full-length album, the independently released Madera, in 1999. Warner Music Latina soon signed them, which led to the acclaimed releases Bacilos in 2000, Caraluna in 2002, and Sin Vergüenza in 2004, followed by the greatest-hits compilation Grandes Exitos in 2006. Throughout their run Bacilos earned multiple Latin Grammys and notched several hit singles, among them “Tabaco y Chanel,” “Caraluna,” “Mi Primer Millón,” “Pasos de Gigante,” and “Contigo Se Va.” Villamizar also lent his songwriting skills elsewhere, collaborating on tracks with Marc Anthony on “Viviendo,” Obie Bermúdez on “Así Me Siento Hoy,” Julieta Venegas on “Limón y Sal,” and additional artists, as well as contributing several songs to Paulina Rubio’s Pau-Latina album in 2004. Bacilos gave their last performance on February 21, 2007, at the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar in Chile. After the group disbanded, Villamizar launched a solo career with the 2008 album Jorge Villamizar.