On a recent Thursday in Miami, three men dressed all in black entered the main room of Sony’s 5020 recording studios. Another man awaited, this one dressed in light blue.

“Wait … was black the dress code?” asked Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo, the blue-clad one. “Did you guys plan this?” The guys in question were, in fact, his buddies and fellow Colombians: Junes, Carlos Vives and Fonseca.

“Yes,” Juanes explained with his usual patience. “There was a memo sent out, with photos, because this meeting has a theme.”

More than a theme, it’s a historic moment: Billboard Español has brought four of the most iconic Colombian stars — of today, and ever — for the first time in an interview. It’s about to be an eventful month for all of them: the FIFA World Cup kicked off June 11 and features Colombia’s national team, La Selección; they are all dads who’ll celebrate Father’s Day June 21; and on the same day, along with the rest of their country, they’ll participate in Colombia’s deeply divisive presidential elections, where a far-left candidate will face a far-right candidate in a run-off for the country’s highest office. Amid it all, they’ll continue doing what they all do best: making unapologetically Colombian music that has reached the farthest corners of the world.

There’s an easygoing vibe in the room, immediately filled with laughter and hugs all around. These men have all collaborated before, and their relationships go back years, both on and offstage. There’s a sense of familiarity among them, the kind that comes from knowing, respecting, and truly liking each other, no matter where their careers take them.

Read the full Billboard Español cover story here.

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