A frequent Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor, Ernesto Lechner has also written for Rolling Stone, Interview, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and many other publications. He co-hosts the weekly radio show The Latin Alternative, airing in more than 50 NPR and affiliated stations. Ernesto grew up in Buenos Aires and the Greek island of Ródos. He lives in Los Angeles.
The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles looked particularly iconic in July of this year, when legendary supergroup Earth, Wind & Fire took the stage during three consecutive nights for the taping of the CBS television special "A GRAMMY Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September." Over more than five decades, six GRAMMY Awards and 18 nominations,…
In the summer of 2021, British singer/songwriter PinkPantheress dropped "Pain," a wounded-soul cinematic miniature. Clocking in at less than two minutes of length, the track sampled UK garage duo Sweet Female Attitude, and the haunting chord progression of Erik Satie’s "Gymnopédie No. 1." Pink was only 20 at the time, but she already showed an extraordinary gift for painting colors…
"It's unnecessary." That was Bad Bunny's answer when Variety's Latin music critic Thania Garcia recently asked him why he chose to not include any U.S. dates in his epic 2025-26 world tour. Instead, the Puerto Rican mega-star known among his fans simply as Benito has taken a bold creative and logistical step. He is celebrating the release of his latest…
On Friday night at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, veteran pianist Cheche Alara walked away from the stage for a few minutes before the second annual GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala kicked off, and surveyed the scene from the soundboard. As the gala’s musical director, Alara was responsible for leading a band of virtuoso instrumentalists, stellar backup vocalists and legendary…
Its specific combination of sounds and textures is an unmistakable, glorious snapshot of late 20th century pop culture. A staccato groove of Latin percussion with congas and cowbells. The lacerating licks of a guitar, way upfront in the mix, echoing the sweet psychedelia of Abraxas. A salsa piano line — the kind of tumbao you would find in a Tito…
Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2023 and has been updated to reflect the artist's recent releases. After taking home a golden gramophone in the inaugural Best Latin Electronic Music Performance at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, Shakira kicked off 2025 in style at Music's Biggest Night. There, on the 2025 GRAMMYs stage, the icon performed a medley of…
For Natalia Lafourcade, the songwriting process can easily become a mystical experience — almost like sorcery. "Intuition is a very powerful tool," the Mexican singer/songwriter says via Zoom from her home in Veracruz. "We all have the capacity to connect with creative forces that appear seemingly out of nowhere. You just need to open up your heart, and try not…
In April 1972, Jon Anderson, the singer with British progressive rock group Yes, arrived at a London recording studio and encountered what he describes as "a barrage of sound." His bandmates — Chris Squire on bass, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboard wiz Rick Wakeman and drummer Bill Bruford — were improvising a furious instrumental piece that glittered and swayed at the…
Candi Staton may be most associated with "Young Hearts Run Free," the 1976 hit that thrives on the bittersweet contrast between its heartbreaking lyrics and a lush disco aesthetic. The unequivocal highlight of this timeless dancefloor anthem are Staton’s vocals — wounded, defiant, eternally hopeful — just one example of a dazzling ability that defined her legendary, genre-spanning career. Canzetta…
Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com. The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast was reimagined to raise funds to support those impacted by the wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area. The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched a dedicated campaign to support affected music professionals, and we need your help. Donate now. 2024 was a boon for Dominican singer/songwriter Juan Luis…
Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com. The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast has been reimagined to raise funds for MusiCares Fire Relief, a dedicated campaign to support the people affected by the recent wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Donate now. It was almost impossible not to feel hopeful about the future the moment the Special Merit Awards ceremony…
Few Latin artists have been recognized and celebrated by the Recording Academy like Panamanian salsa legend Rubén Blades. He was nominated for the first time in 1983 for Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos — a now classic collaboration with trombonist and producer Willie Colón. Between 1997 and 2018, Blades won seven GRAMMY Awards, emerging victorious every single time he…
Sacred arias and Christmas carols have been an essential component of Andrea Bocelli’s record-breaking career in the fields of pop and classical music. Now, the Italian tenor celebrates both on Christmas with "Andrea Bocelli and Friends: A GRAMMY Holiday Special," which aired Christmas Eve 2024 on the CBS Television Network and is now streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. Since…
By true miracle of nature, 66 year-old tenor Andrea Bocelli has never strayed away from his Italian roots, and yet he became an international star across genres and styles — equally comfortable performing full operas, sacred choral works and evergreen pop standards. Born in 1958 in Tuscany, Bocelli had problems with his vision since childhood due to congenital glaucoma, and…
At the height of their success in the 1970s — when they sold millions of records and toured the world — the Carpenters were thought to epitomize the safest, most pasteurized aspects of mainstream American pop. But time has been extremely kind to the music of the Downey, California sibling duo of Richard and Karen Carpenter. After Karen’s tragic death at…
One would have expected plenty of pomp and circumstance as the Latin GRAMMYs celebrated their 25th year anniversary. But there were no lengthy speeches or self-congratulatory videos during the Nov. 14 telecast. This year, the telecast focused on the things that matter: saluting the magic of undying genres like salsa, rock and bossa nova. Honoring the legacies of such Latin…
At 83, Art Garfunkel has found a musical project that's perhaps even more exciting than a potential Simon & Garfunkel reunion: an album with his son. The folk-rock icon and his 33-year-old singer/songwriter son, Art Garfunkel Jr., recorded a delicately layered album of their favorite standards from the past century. Titled Father and Son — fittingly, but also after the…
Sixty years ago, a musician and composer named Johnny Pacheco joined forces with divorce attorney Jerry Masucci and founded Fania Records. What began as a fledgling project to capture the sounds of New York City and far beyond became one of the most influential labels in Latin music history. By the late 1960s, Fania had become the Latin equivalent of…
Many years ago, veteran CBS journalist Anthony Mason lost his entire record collection when it disappeared in transit as he moved from one place to another. Mason was inconsolable, and you could still hear a tinge of sadness in his voice when he recounted this painful story at the inaugural GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala, held on May 21 at…
Henry Mancini had a gift for melodies of an ethereal, almost supernatural beauty. His prolific discography — albums of jazzy orchestral pop, dozens of film and television soundtracks — established him as a cultural icon and transformed the role that melody and song played in the art of movie narrative. Once you encounter a Henry Mancini tune, it’s almost impossible…
