The Colombian speaks openly in his new documentary ‘The boy from Medellín’ about the anxiety and depression he suffers
The Colombian Reggaeton J Balvin was awarded this Thursday for his defense of mental health in the UN headquarters In New Yorkwhere he encouraged talking about emotions and relying on creativity to overcome fears.
The singer, who is the co-founder and creator of a bilingual mobile mental health app called OYE, was awarded at the “Latino Impact Summit” forum for using his voice to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dressed in a suit and tie, and sporting the Batman symbol in his platinum blonde hair, Balvin considered the award an acknowledgment of his “purpose of helping people feel better,” and he dedicated it to his native Medellin, Latin America and to reggaeton.
In his documentary ‘The boy from Medellín’ (Prime Video), the artist talks openly about his anxiety and depressionsomething he did this Thursday also remembering that the creativity of his profession has helped him “channel complex emotions”.
Balvin advocated normalizing the issue and looking for what he calls “creative wellness”which begins with “learning to name our feelings” and express them, and then goes through “listen to the wisdom” of emotions, which are neither “bad nor good”.
Lastly, he said that it is important to integrate into daily practice “meditation, dance, reflection, perreo, obviously!, or whatever helps us find our center”, to release anxieties and transform fears into energy. creative.
The singer was awarded with Mara Romeo Kahlogreat-niece and heiress of Frida Kahlo and creator of the Frida Kahlo Family Foundation, which was recognized for its promotion of Mexican culture, art and gender equality.
The “Latino Impact Summit” is organized by the Latino Impact Alliance, an initiative to promote collaborations in favor of growth and sustainable development in the Americas created by the PVBLIC Foundation and the Ismael Cala Foundation.
The forum, which continues this Friday in its face-to-face return, brings together some 150 executives, social entrepreneurs and officials from different Latin American countries to address issues such as innovation, sustainable development or the advancement of democracy.