Christian Carabias' name may not be familiar to some, but he has a huge fan base among those who watch telenovelas, thanks to his roles in Corazon Apasiondo, Mas Sabe el Diablo and Dame Chocolate.
Recently, the Miami-based Carabias was in Chicago to attend events such as the inaugural celebration of Chicago's first Who's Who in Latinos Chicago Book. He also co-hosted the recent Red Dress Party, which is dedicated to creating awareness and visibility for the HIV/AIDS movement and raising funds for organizations that provide vital community services.
Before appearing at the Red Dress Party, the very genial ( and, yes, ridiculously good-looking ) Carabias talked with Windy City Times about Miami, fashion and his connection with Dancing with the Stars hunk William Levy.
Windy City Times: You're in Chicago for several events.
Christian Carabias: Ah, yes. Basically, I'm part of Latino Fashion Week, so we're promoting that. I was at a book-signing last night, supporting Who's Who. I was very happy to be part of that event—it's very important for Latin communities here in Chicago. Today, there's a birthday celebration for me, although my birthday is next week, actually. Tomorrow, we're going to be celebrating the Red Dress Party, raising money for AIDS.
We'll be back here the second week of October for Latino Fashion Week.
WCT: And the weather will be the same. [ Note: On this day, it was cold and very gray outside. ]
Christian Carabias: [ Smiles ] Oh, maybe. I want to see how summer is in Chicago. Miami in winter is very nice.
I think Chicago [ brought ] me some luck. I was stressing out over a contract but when I got here, I got a call from my manager that everything's all right.
WCT: What would you say is the main difference between fashion in Chicago and in Miami?
Christian Carabias: What I feel is that you dress how the weather permits you to dress. Miami is very colorful, but you have to stick with certain collections. That's what is fun about Chicago—you have seasons, so you can change [ how you dress ] . Miami also has that Latino influence, including Brazilians, so the style is more sexy—not as many clothes.
WCT: I don't know if less clothing is necessarily sexy.
Christian Carabias: [ Smiles ] That's true! With Miami, it seems like culture is involved.
WCT: So how did you get started? You're a model and an actor on shows like—and don't make fun of my Spanish [ Carabias laughs ] — Corazon Apasiondo.
Christian Carabias: Yes—that was perfect [ pronunciation ] ! So, I started my career as a model…
WCT: So you walking down the street and someone said, "Hey! I want you to be a model."
Christian Carabias: For me, it was like that. I was really into sports; I was going to be a professional tennis player. ( In fact, I still teach kids. ) I got tired of it, though—too much discipline. At the right moment, somebody approached me. I started modeling and, right after that, I was approached to model in a music video by a big pop band.
Then, they asked me if I sing; I had some skills, and performed. I made three albums with BMG Records [ as part of Tierra Cero ] . Pop bands are huge in Latin America; we traveled all over the world.
WCT: What do you want to do?
Christian Carabias: That's a good question because I like acting. But I don't know…
WCT: Are you thinking movies or Broadway?
Christian Carabias: I love movies. I'm trying to get more movie roles and to cross over.
WCT: We'd have to get you on Dancing with the Stars, like William Levy.
Christian Carabias: Actually, William is my friend. When I came from Mexico, the first thing I did was a reality show called Protagonistas de Novela; it was on Telemundo. It had actors living in the house, and we performed each week. So I was on the show with William, but neither of us won.
But for now, I have my own live show, Vida Online TV. We try to show the world what's happening in other countries, and we talk with other celebrities.
WCT: You're preparing for the Red Dress Party. Regarding HIV/AIDS, there are some people who are [ complacent ] about the disease, and feel there's no need to worry about it. What do you think?
Christian Carabias: People can ease the suffering [ with medicine ] , but in most cases this can be prevented. People need to be careful and responsible; they [ need to worry ] . It's good to have this fundraising so science can advance. The numbers are huge; they are very scary. We need to talk about things more openly.
I have a 7-year-old kid. We can't talk about everything right now, but you have to start talking early about [ some things ] .
