Jean Carlos Jiménez Centeno (born Evel Antonio Jiménez Centeno, December 13, 1976), known professionally as Jean Carlos Centeno, is a Colombian vallenato singer and songwriter born in Venezuela. During his childhood, he emigrated to Colombia, where he obtained Colombian citizenship through naturalization and began his professional artistic career.
Centeno rose to prominence as a singer and songwriter during his tenure with the vallenato group Binomio de Oro de América, which he joined in 1993 and remained with until 2005. That year, he left the group to pursue a solo career alongside accordionist Juan Fernando “Morre” Romero. In 2006, Centeno and Romero released their first independent album, Ave Libre. Throughout his career, Centeno has released 17 studio albums (11 with Binomio de Oro and six as a solo artist). In 2022, he won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Cumbia/Vallenato Song/Album and had previously received a nomination in 2018.
Early years Centeno's parents are Evel Antonio Jiménez Centeno and Nidia María Centeno Gómez whom as a child, at only 3 months old of age, took him to Villanueva, La Guajira, in Colombia and left him with María Elena Jiménez Balcázar due to financial hardships. Centeno's grandfather Reynaldo was a musician, played the trumpet and the drums. At the age of 14 years financial hardships forced him to work on the streets selling snacks, worked as a farm boy and took care of kids to survive. He traveled around town in the Department of La Guajira also singing at parties. He dreamed of becoming a ballads singer or soap opera actor.
In 1992 participated along Poncho Cotes Jr. in a song contest in the Colombian town of San Juan del Cesar, in La Guajira. The song "Un ángel mas en el cielo" of his authorship was a dedication to his role model singer Rafael Orozco Maestre, then recently deceased, and lead singer of the Binomio de Oro de America vallenato group. Jean Carlos Centeno biography
Israel Romero the accordionist from the Binomio de Oro de America became interested on Centeno's talent and hired him as backup singer for the group. Centeno sang the group hits "No te vayas", "Celos", "Manantial de amor", among others and also got to be recorded by the Binomio de Oro; "Volvió el dolor", "Me ilusioné", "Amigo el corazón" and "Me vas a extrañar". Jean Carlos Centeno biography
Discography With Binomio de Oro de América 1993 - Todo Corazón 1994 - De la Mano con el Pueblo 1995 - Lo Nuestro 1996 - A su Gusto 1997 - Seguimos por lo Alto 1998 - 2000 1999 - Más cerca de tí 2000 - Difícil de Igualar 2001 - Haciendo Historia 2003 - Que Viva el Vallenato 2004 - En todo su Esplendor 2005 - Grafiti de Amor On December 31, 2005 Centeno decided to leave Binomio de Oro and joined initially accordionist Robert Urbina, but later teamed up with Israel Romero's nephew, Juan Fernando "El Morre" Romero to create their own vallenato group.
With Morre Romero and Ronald Urbina 2006 - Ave Libre 2008 - Inconfundible
With Ronald Urbina 2012 - Así Canto Yo 2016 - Todas Son Mías 2018 - De Parranda 2022 - Feliz Aniversario
Awards and nominations Latin Grammy Awards Year Recipient Award Result 2018 De Parranda Best Cumbia/Vallenato Song/Album 2022 Feliz Aniversario Best Cumbia/Vallenato Song/Album
Premios Nuestra Tierra Year Recipient Award Result 2014 Entrada Sin Salida Vallenato Song of the Year 2022 Batalla de Reyes y Reinas, Concierto virtual Best Concert Tour 2023 Déjala Ir (feat. Jorge Celedón) Vallenato Song of the Year Jean Carlos Centeno Vallenato Artist 2024 Besarte (feat. La Combinación Vallenata) Vallenato Song of the Year
See also Binomio de Oro de America Jorgito Celedon
Notes
References
External links Jean Carlos Centeno official website