Carlos Vives has faced severe criticism after struggling with his voice during a concert in Lima, prompting fans to walk out of the venue.
The Colombian musician performed at Estadio San Marcos as part of the Lima Latin Duo concert, but his vocals sounded strained and breathy throughout the set. Backing vocalists were forced to take over and sing almost all of his songs in full.
While some concertgoers initially blamed a faulty stadium sound system, Peruvian television host Magaly Medina delivered a scathing assessment on her Monday broadcast, arguing that the Colombian singer lacked the vocal stamina to perform and should have called off the show.
Medina stated on her programme on Monday, November 9, that Vives was barely singing at all. She said he merely repeated occasional verses and leaned entirely on his backing singers, speaking words rather than singing them, which caused disappointed spectators to leave early.
Videos shared across social media confirmed that members of the Peruvian audience walked out during the performance. Frustrated attendees posted clips showing crowds streaming toward the exits, with fans arguing that veteran musicians need to recognise when it is time to retire.
Walkouts at San Marcos Stadium
The performance at Estadio San Marcos quickly ignited controversy across Peru. Observers disagreed over whether the venue suffered from technical acoustic failures or whether the Grammy-winning star had run into serious vocal difficulties.
Medina firmly rejected suggestions that a deficient sound system was to blame for the spectacle. She maintained that the microphone did not cut out, pointing out that Vives sang in a broken rhythm that made it appear as though he were lip-syncing rather than delivering live vocals.
According to the presenter, the audience grew bored and rapidly lost interest in staying at the arena. She noted that large sections of the crowd disappeared from the stadium before the concert finished, describing the public as the ultimate judge who is always right.
Demands for an Apology
Medina argued that the artist owed an immediate apology to the ticket holders who had gathered in the Peruvian capital. She stressed that a true professional respects the public by giving their best effort, especially before fans who had arrived eager to dance and sing along.
The presenter pointed out that this was not the first time Vives had faced vocal troubles on stage. She recalled that his performance in Panama in December of the previous year resulted in severe public criticism, forcing the Colombian singer to issue an apology.
Medina insisted that the Lima concert was even worse than the Panama incident and demanded that Vives show similar accountability in Peru. She praised his backing vocalists as talented singers who carried the entire show, but concluded that an artist who cannot maintain their voice should be honest and cancel the performance.
Career of Carlos Vives
Carlos Vives, born in Santa Marta, Colombia, is widely celebrated as an international ambassador of Colombian culture. Over a career spanning more than three decades, the singer and composer transformed traditional vallenato folk music by blending accordion melodies with modern pop, rock, and funk arrangements.
Vallenato originated as an accordion-led rural folk tradition in northeastern Colombia, driven by the button accordion, the caja drum, and the guacharaca percussion scraper. Vives brought the genre into international commercial success during the 1990s through acclaimed albums that blended ancestral folklore with electric guitars, bass, and rock rhythms.
His breakthrough recordings helped turn regional folklore into global hits, earning him multiple Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards. Signature songs such as La Gota Fria and La Bicicleta, his worldwide collaboration with pop star Shakira, established him as one of the most prominent touring figures in Latin American music.
Major stadium tours across Latin America place intense demands on veteran performers. High-energy concerts in large outdoor venues require sustained breath control and vocal power, making any physical fatigue or vocal strain immediately obvious to large crowds.
Television Scrutiny in Peru
Medina presented her analysis on her long-running television show, Magaly TV, la firme, which airs on Peru's ATV network. The presenter has spent decades as one of the most influential and feared entertainment commentators in the country, known for scrutinising live performances, celebrity scandals, and the conduct of visiting international stars.
Estadio de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, commonly known as Estadio San Marcos, is one of the largest concert venues in Lima. Located on the campus of the oldest continuously operating university in the Americas, the historic stadium frequently hosts massive international music festivals and arena tours that draw tens of thousands of spectators.
Neither Vives nor his representatives had issued a formal response regarding the vocal controversy or the complaints from Lima concertgoers at the time of the television broadcast. Fans in Peru and across the region now await word on whether the Colombian star will address the incident or comment on the future dates of his international tour.
