The Latin Grammys get political and reward 'Homeland and life'
It was supposed to be the night of Camilo, the Colombian singer who had the maximum nomination with 10 nominations, or perhaps one in which C. Tangana would take the big leap in his conquest of America or even one that could be marked by the boycott of stars of the reunion promoted by J. Balvin. The Latin Recording Academy in the United States had other plans. The 22nd edition of the Latin Grammy It has been surrendered this Thursday in its main categories to two consecrated artists: Rubén Blades and Caetano Veloso (with his son Tom). Also, and there it has broken with its own traditions, the Academy has elevated as song of the year to one of strong political content: 'Homeland and life ', the theme of Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky that has become anthem of protest against the government in Cuba.
It's not that Camilo and C. Tangana have gone empty. On the contrary. The one from Medellín has won four awards thanks to his album 'Mis Manos' and three of his songs, the same number of awards that Juan Luis Guerra has won. The Madrilenian, meanwhile, has received other three, all delivered in the non-televised portion of the ceremony.
'Hong Kong' has been chosen best pop / rock song (occasion that has served to Andres Calamaro ensure that his friend 'Pucho' is the "definition of the artist of the XXI century"), 'Nominated'has been crowned as best alternative song and the entire album has been recognized for recording engineering, at which point C. Tangana thanked “all the people who help us do what we like the most in life. Without you ", he said" we really wouldn't sound shit. "
The evening at MGM in Las Vegas, where the Latin Grammys have returned to a face-to-face edition and with an audience after last year's pandemic, has been less marked by those artists than by a veteran like Blades. In the same edition in which he received the recognition as Person of the Year for his musical and humanitarian work, the Panamanian has seen how 'Salswing', his album with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta, won the jackpot, that of best album. And the recognition of the talent of the veteran has also come with the award to the Veloso by 'Maybe' What record of the year in an edition that comes out crowned as best new artist the young Colombian Juliana Velásquez.
Cuban revolution in Las Vegas
The Cuban revolution of the Latin Grammys has been, however, the most talked about at night. In the interpretation of 'Patria y vida', with all the interpreters in white, the public has turned upside down with voices and the lights of their mobiles. And in the speeches for the awards (it has also received in the previous ceremony the recognition as best urban song), it has been spoken like never before in this ceremony of freedom of expression and political prisoners, to whom the El Funky award has been dedicated. Osorbo, one of the perpetrators, is still imprisoned on the island.
“This Grammy is one of the 12 million who are in Cuba, the prisoners, those who have no voice, who are not allowed to choose who directs them. For all of them who suffer a dictatorship. This is the first Grammy of the Cuban people ", said at another time Zone people.
Musical numbers
The one of Patria y Vida has been only one of the 18 live musical numbers in the television gala. Among them has been that of C. Tangana, who has practically replicated the family table from the hit concert Tiny Desk that he did for public radio NPR in the pandemic, this time gathering around him to interpret 'Ingobernable' to 17 people, including an Antonio Carmona with an eternal smile, Diego del Morao, Israel Fernández, Jorge Drexler, La Húngara, Natalia Lafourcade and Omar Apollo.
Others have ventured into less explored terrain and there it has shined andhe rock tribute that Juanes and Cafe Tacvba have made the 'I have no money' of Juan Gabriel, or the strength of seeing and listening together Mon Laferte (winner of best singer-songwriter album for 'Seis') and Gloria Trevi, or the return to the stage of the Latin Grammys for the first time since its first edition of Christina Aguilera. And to an evening of strong presence of norteño and band music that Gloria Estefan has opened in a number that has also included Carlinhos Brown has ended with the pyrotechnics and fire rain surrounding Bad bunny, which shortly before had won the award for best urban music album with 'The last tour of the world'.
