‘TRYING TO ELEVATE THE CULTURE’
‘Boy From Medellín’ follows J Balvin as reggaeton star prepares for hometown show
JBalvin has faced a number of obstacles in his life. But he’s pushed forward making a name for himself in music — reggaeton, specifically.
In 2019, a crew helmed by Emmy-winning director Matthew Heineman traveled to his hometown of Medellín, Colombia, for what would become the documentary “The Boy From Medellín.” The documentary is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
It follows Medellín native J Balvin as he prepares for the most important concert of his career — a sold-out stadium show in his hometown.
But as the performance draws closer, the streets explode with political unrest, forcing the Latin Grammywinning musician to wrestle with his responsibility as an artist to his country and his legions of fans around the globe.
As the public pressure of the approaching concert heightens, behind the scenes J Balvin also continues to deal with the anxiety and depression that have plagued him for years.
“The issue of mental health is not spoken about, and I’m a human being,” J Balvin says. “I can give them light from the darkness.”
J Balvin says the documentary shows the vulnerability in his life.
Despite his flashy lifestyle, he wanted his fans to know one thing.
“It’s important to let people know that we are the same,” he says. “We are under the same umbrella. We feel the same things.”
The documentary was filmed in the week leading up to his concert.
“I forgot about the documentary,” he says of the week of filming. “(I) was thinking about how to make things happen. It was really tough. The day we had the show, it was so stressful.”
The documentary also traces J Balvin’s roots as he performed as a child.
He says the memories brought up a lot of nostalgia.
“It reminds me how I used to dream,” he says. “Then I see where I’m at now. It was worth it. It took a lot of sacrifice and work. I keep trying to elevate the culture. It’s not just me; it’s the whole crew at work.”
As far as music goes, during the pandemic, J Balvin has been quiet and focused.
“I’ve been doing lots of music,” he says. “I’m not used to being quiet. With the film, I wanted it to show real life. There was no script, and watching it, you might find something meaningful. I want people to know a little bit about what’s going on behind the scenes.”