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J Balvin 

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J Balvin Pays Ode to Reggaeton During Latin GRAMMY Speech: "It's Time To Create New Legends"

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The Colombian artist has been one of the leaders in the reemergence of reggaeton and used his acceptance speech to recognize the power of the genre
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 16, 2018 - 1:59 pm

The 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards, held Nov. 15, was an exciting night for Colombian artist J Balvin, who led the night with a total of 8 nominations, the most of any other artist nominated at the show that night.

J Balvin Latin GRAMMY Speech Honors Reggaeton

The rapper has been a recognized leader for bringing reggaeton back into the mainstream and harder than ever, since English-language pop-centric U.S. and other parts of the world first heard names like Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon and Don Omar around the early '00s (Yankee also won an award last night, for Best Urban Song for "Dura.") The success of the genre the last few years has been slowly making waves at the Latin GRAMMYs. The genre has been climbing its way outside of just the urban categories and into general sought-after categories like "Record Of The Year," which Balvin was nominated for twice this year—2011's Album Of The Year winners hip-hop/reggaeton dup Calle 13 infused reggaeton and other genres in their award-winning Entren Los Que Quieran.

Balvin—who has collaborated with artists of other Latin genres, including indie, Alt. Latino artist, Carla Morrison, who he performed with at the show—used his speech for his only win, Best Urban Music Album, to address the state of reggaeton. He brought up the success reggaeton has had the last few years, despite the challenges the music has faced as a respected genre, and spoke about the power the genre has to change lives. 

"Thank you. I want to share this GRAMMY with my colleagues. All the people from the urban genre that are nominated," he began. "To everyone that is representing this genre that we have fought so hard for, that has been sometimes a bit discriminated against, but here we are still fighting for it and showing that there are a lot of talented people, that reggaeton has saved lives, that reggaeton has motivated people to leave the streets and inspired better dreams, that shows dreaming is worth it."

READ: 2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards: Inside All The Action From Las Vegas

Balvin gave a special shout-out to Ozuna, another nominated reggaeton artist who has achieved mass success and garnered billions of views on YouTube. "Ozuna, you know I love you a lot and respect you a lot," Balvin said.

The rapper ended his speech by paying respect to Latin legendary artists that came before him, but said that was time for new legends to be made.

"Let's not kill the dreams of the new producers that are coming up, the new songwriters that are coming up. Value the young blood that is coming because we are the future of music," he said.
"Obviously with so much respect for artists who are legends and will be legends always, but it's time to create new legends, new motivations. For people on the streets to also want to be like us because we are also an example of what life can be. God Bless"

2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards Complete Winners List

Mon Laferte

Mon Laferte at the 18th Latin Grammy Awards

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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19th Latin GRAMMY Awards: 19 Things You Didn’t Know

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The Biggest Night in Latin Music is almost here. Learn some fun and historical facts about the celebration
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 1, 2018 - 6:29 pm

In 2000, the Latin GRAMMY Awards were televised for the first time ever. Nineteen years later, the show has seen iconic performances and acceptance speeches and continues to bring out an amazing lineup of artists and DJs. Last year the awards reached eight million viewers and put its broadcast host Univision as the No. 1 Spanish-Language Network for the whole night. Days away from this year's celebration, we want to remind you why this spectacular show is the Biggest Night in Latin Music.

1. Maná Is The First Ever Group To Be Person Of The Year

Every year before the Latin GRAMMY Awards, the recognizes a musical artist or musician of Ibero-American background for their musical achievements and humanitarian work. This year pop-rock group Maná is the first group ever to receive the honor. "It is a grand and unexpected recognition to an extensive career, a beautiful and passionate one that we continue to enjoy as if it were the first day," said Fher Olvera on behalf of the band.

2. The Latin GRAMMYs Will Continue To Air On Univision For The Next 10 Years

Earlier this year the Latin Recording Academy that it would continue to partner with Univision to televise the show through 2028. The partnership first began in 2005, after the Latin GRAMMYs moved from its original broadcast station CBS.

3. Acclaimed Artist Paula Designed This Year's Artwork

Ecuador's Paula is the of the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards. The talented artist has illustrated five children's books and several book covers. Her artwork will be shown on tickets, program books, posters and other show material. "For me, music is as much an essential part of life as blood," Barragán said in a statement. "I've lived surrounded by musicians and dancers—their vibrations, their choreographies, and their creative madness. In creating the art for the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, it was as if the power of music had been just waiting to come out."

4. Leading Ladies Of Entertainment Will Occur For The Second Year In A Row

There is much to do the week leading up to the Latin GRAMMYs and this year, the event that honors and celebrates women succeeding in the music industry will once again be one of the many celebrations happening. The inaugural event took place last year and honored female engineers, singers, label leaders and more that included General Manager Warner Music Latina & SVP Marketing Warner Music Latin Gabriela Martinez and singer/songwriter Erika Ender.

5. Angela Aguilar Is One Of The Youngest Artists To Be Nominated

At just 15-years-old singer Angela Aguilar is one of the youngest artists to be nominated. With a powerful voice, Aguilar is a new generation of Regional Mexican singers and is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. She follows the footsteps of her father, Pepe Aguilar, and grandfather, Antonio Aguilar, who are also Mexican regional singers. Watch the show on Nov. 15 to watch her take the stage at the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMYs with a live performance.

6. J Balvin Has This Year's Most Nominations

Is there any surprise here? J Balvin, who has been leading the new wave of reggaeton, has been a name constantly floating around in Latin music this year. With his own project and hot collaborations with artists like Cardi B and Bad Bunny, he is this year's top nominee. The rapper/singer from Colombia has eight nominations, including Best Urban Music Album and Album Of The Year. Will he take home all eight? Tune in to find out.

7. 5 Cities Have Hosted The Latin GRAMMYs

The Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast has taken place in five cities in the United States: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Houston and Las Vegas. The inaugural Latin GRAMMY Awards kicked off at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2000; the upcoming 18th Latin GRAMMYs will mark the tenth show in Las Vegas.

8. The Telecast Launched In English

The Latin GRAMMY Awards started on CBS, the longtime home of the GRAMMY Awards, in 2000 and was broadcast in English. In 2005 the Latin Recording Academy secured a deal to televise the show on Univision in Spanish, which has been the home for the show in the United States ever since.

9. Juan Gabriel's Unforgettable Performance

The fabled Mexican composer and showman Juan Gabriel turned in the longest performance in Latin GRAMMY history in 2009. Gabriel, who was set for a seven-minute performance, kept going for nearly 40 minutes, thrilling the audience and viewers alike. That same year, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Calle 13 Win Latin GRAMMY Album Of The Year

10. Calle 13, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra Are Among Top Winners Of All Time

There is some major competition at the Latin GRAMMYs, but Calle 13, Juanes and Juan Luis Guerra are some of the most victorious. Tropical/merengue influenced singer Guerra has won the esteemed Album Of The Year award four times to date, the most in the category's history to date. Pop singer Juanes has earned Latin GRAMMY Album Of The Year honors three times, for Un Día Normal (2003), La Vida … Es Un Ratico (2008) and MTV Unplugged (2012). At the 18th Latin GRAMMYs, he also earned Best Pop/Rock Album honors for Mis Planes Son Amarte. Former reggaeton duo Calle 13 made history at the 12th Latin GRAMMY Awards when they hauled in a total of nine awards, including Album, Record and Song Of The Year.

11. The Latin Recording Academy Has How Many Members?

A member-based organization, the Latin Recording Academy has grown to approximately 4,000 members as of 2017, representing diverse fields such as pop, urban, rock, tropical, classical, singer-songwriter, Brazilian, Regional Mexican, traditional and more.

12. Millions In Scholarships Raised For The Next Generation Of Latin Music Makers

As the educational arm of the Latin Recording Academy, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation's mission is anchored by a scholarship program for students of Latin music with financial needs. Since 2015 the Foundation has given more than $2.5 million in scholarships. The Prodigy Scholarship program counts artist support from Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra and Miguel Bosé.

13. The Latin Person Of The Year Represents 10 Countries

A flagship Latin GRAMMY Week event, the honors a Latin artist for their significant music and philanthropic contributions. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. A diverse roster of recipients spanning 10 countries have received the award: Emilio Estefan Jr. (Cuba), Julio Iglesias (Spain), Vicente Fernández (Mexico), Gilberto Gil (Brazil),  (U.S.), José José (Mexico), Ricky Martin (Puerto Rico), Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic), Gloria Estefan (Cuba), Juan Gabriel (Mexico), Plácido Domingo (Spain), Shakira (Colombia), Caetano Veloso (Brazil), Miguel Bosé (Panama), Joan Manuel Serrat (Spain), Roberto Carlos (Brazil) and Marc Anthony (United States).

Juan Luis Guerra Wins Best Merengue Performance

14. And The First Latin GRAMMY Went To …

Who did the first ever Latin GRAMMY Award go to? Juan Luis Guerra took home Best Merengue Performance for "Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual."

15. Most Performances On The Latin GRAMMYs

Ricky Martin has performed the most on the Latin GRAMMY telecast to date, with 11 performances. Martin was among the performers on the first-ever telecast performance. He's since teamed up with the likes of Blue Man Group, Draco Rosa, Miguel Bosé, and Camila for a series of unforgettable on-stage duets. At the 16th telecast Martin performed twice: a solo medley of "Disparo Al Corazón" and "La Mordidita" and a duet with Wisin on "Que Se Sienta El Deseo."

16. The General Four Categories Feature 10 Nominees Each

In 2012 the Latin Recording Academy announced an expansion to 10 nominees each for the General Four categories: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist. The move, which was ratified by the Latin Academy Board of Trustees, was due in part to the fact that the Latin GRAMMY Awards process receives nominations from multiple countries around the world.

17. The Latin Academy Membership Represents Nearly 40 Countries

A true reflection of the variety of Latin music subgenres that spans the globe, Latin Recording Academy members represent nearly 40 different countries worldwide, including Spain, Portugal, Puerto Rico and the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Panama.

18. The Latin GRAMMY Awards Receives How Many Entries?

The Latin GRAMMY Awards currently honor recipients in 49 categories, from Record Of The Year to Best Long Form Music Video, with this year's newest addition being Best Arrangement. In 2017 the Latin Academy received almost 10,000 entries for the Awards process for the 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards.

19. Special Awards For Extraordinary Latin Icons

Instituted in 2004, the Latin Recording Academy bestows annually to performers and other music professionals who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include icons such as Armando Manzanero, Mocedades, José Feliciano, Rita Moreno, Los Lobos, Djavan, Angélica María and Piero; Trustees Awards recipients include notables Rafael Escalona, Yomo Toro, Simón Díaz, and Humberto Gatica. The , among others, include João Bosco, Ilan Chester, Víctor Heredia, and Los Del Río.

2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards Nominations Announced

Yuri

Yuri

Photo: Sam Wasson/Getty Images

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2018 Latin GRAMMY Special Awards Honors Yuri, Chucho Valdés, Dyango & More

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Seven iconic Latin music artists were awarded with the Latin Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, plus two industry veterans received the Trustees Award during the celebratory event last night
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 14, 2018 - 4:44 pm

Las Vegas is the place to be this week for the 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards, taking place this Thursday. The Latin GRAMMY Week festivities officially kicked off Nov. 13 as the Latin Recording Academy honored influential Latin music artists Erasmo Carlos, Dyango, Andy Montañez, José María Napoleón, Chucho Valdés, Wilfrido Vargas and Yuri with their Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Special Awards ceremony. Visionary label executives Horacio Malvicino and Tomás Muñoz received the Trustees Award. Both awards celebrate the honorees outstanding and lasting contributions to Latin music.

Latin GRAMMY Special Awards Honors Yuri & Others

The celebratory evening honoring these nine people was filled with applause, gratitude and even a few tearful moments as the artists reflected on their achievements and what it took to get there. Latin Recording Academy President and CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. and singer Raquel Sofia hosted the event, which, as Abaroa highlighted when opening the event, the awards presented are not "extra GRAMMYs," as they don't honor an album or a song, but a career and legacy of an artist. A touching video showcased each artists' achievements and milestones, and each award was given by a different presenter, who highlighted some of the honoree's most notable career moments, with Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow handing off the first award. The event was livestreamed on Facebook, with fans from around the world sharing in the excitement and celebrating each artist.

"We are proud to pay tribute to this remarkable group of talented artists and music professionals with this year's Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards," Abaroa Jr. said in a statement. "Our 2018 class has made outstanding contributions benefitting Ibero-American music, providing innovation and a unique vision in favor of all music lovers."

The first to be honored was the great Cuban jazz musician Chucho Valdés, born to a musician father, who he released a touching duet album with, followed by Brazilian rocker Erasmo Carlos, whose music transcended genres, often with psychedelic influences. Next to be presented the award was Barcelona-born singer Dyango, aka "La Voz del Amor" (The Voice of Love), whose passionate ballads gained him a loyal following in Latin America, and Puerto Rican salsa legend Andy Montañez from Puerto Rico, a lead artist of the growing salsa romántica sound in the '80s. The fifth award went to Mexican singer José María Napoleón, aka "El Poeta de la Canción" (The Song's Poet), who got teary-eyed with gratitude as he said, quite poetically, "gracias por este tesoro gran precioso" (thank you for this beautiful treasure).

The excitement and positivity stayed high throughout the evening, with each presenter having plenty to talk about for each monumental honoree. The second to last Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was Dominican merengue artist Wilfrido Vargas, a trumpet player and bandleader who led the genre forward for years, even mentoring the next generation of artists including Las Chicas de Can, the first all-female merengue group from the Dominican Republic.

The final artist honored—which many Facebook viewers seemed to be waiting for the whole time—was Mexican genre-defying popstar and actress Yuri, aka "La Güera" (The Blonde), or as she's often referred to, the "Global Pop Diva." She shared how thankful she was to her many fans for making her 40 years of work worth it, although she knows she has plenty more work to do. As the presenter of her award said, "Su talento no tiene limites" (her talent has no limits).

Horacio Malvicino, a label executive and jazz musician from Argentina, and Tomás Muñoz, a label executive from Spain who worked with the likes of Julio Iglesias, were both honored with the Trustees Award.

As excitement mounts for Thursday's presentation of this year's Latin GRAMMYs, which recognize the finest artists and projects of the year, the Latin GRAMMYs Special Awards remind us where we come from, celebrating those artists and industry players who paved the road for so many of today's stars.

Thalía, Fonseca, Miguel Bosé & More To Join 2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards Presenters

Thalía

Thalía

Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images

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Thalía, Fonseca, Miguel Bosé & More To Join 2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards Presenters

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The Biggest Night In Latin Music is just around the corner on Nov. 15, and as anticipation builds, the latest announcement adds even more artists to an already star-studded presenters list
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 13, 2018 - 6:01 pm

The 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards will take place in just two days, on Nov. 15 and there is plenty to be excited about, including special events tonight and Wednesday, plus red carpet coverage, all of which are being livestreamed. The Latin GRAMMYs latest announcement adds even more artists to an already star-studded list of presenters for the big event on Thursday, including Thalía, Fonseca, Miguel Bosé, Draco Rosa, Dillon Francis, Diplo, Kelly Rowland and more.

In addition to Latin GRAMMY-nominated artists Thalía and Fonseca, Latin GRAMMY winner Bosé, Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner Rosa, Dillon Francis, GRAMMY winners Diplo and Rowland, current Latin GRAMMY nominees Pedro Capó, Luis Coronel, Beatriz Luengo and Raquel Sofía have also been asked to present awards during the Biggest Night in Latin Music.

Aitana, Kane Brown, Pedro Capó, Luis Coronel, Wilson Cruz, El Dasa, Dyango, Lali Espósito, Beatriz Luengo, Aymée Nuviola, Lele Pons, Maria Rita, Rozalén, Raquel Sofía, Willy William and Yuri have also are also newly added to the presenters list.

Previously announced presenters include an equally exciting group of artists, several of who will also give performances during the evening. Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner Marc Anthony, current Latin GRAMMY nominee Bad Bunny and GRAMMY winner Will Smith will perform their hit song "Está Rico" live together for the first time. Actress Ana de la Reguera and actor/singer Carlos Rivera will host the evening. The 2018 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Maná, being honored at the special event Wednesday evening, will also both present and perform.

You can watch the 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards show live on Univision on Nov. 15.

The Complete Latin GRAMMY Awards Viewer's Guide

Rosialia

Rosalía

Photo: Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

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Nominated for five Latin GRAMMYs, meet the artist who is getting noticed for her striking blend of new and old, flamenco and electro-pop, and tells the world: "Not now or ever will I put flamenco aside"
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 9, 2018 - 6:14 pm

Meet Rosalía. The young Spanish singer is getting noticed globally for her modern take on her country's tradition of flamenco music, rife with passion and infused with her electronic-infused and pop-ready flair. Her unique sound is something the world is showing its ready for and feels almost as if it should belong in a new genre shaped by her alone.

The 25-year-old is from Sant Esteve Sesrovires, a suburb of Barcelona in the Catalonia region in Spain. She began studying music since age 13, the same age she first fell in love with traditional Spanish flamenco music. She learned flamenco formally at the Taller de Músics in Barcelona, which only accepts one student a year, and received a degree from the Catalunya College of Music, where she developed the concept for her latest album as her graduate thesis.

Music clearly runs through Rosalía's veins, and her desire to perfect her art and make it her own is admirable. Reflecting on the first time she heard flamenco, "It was like getting pierced by an arrow—it was the purest thing I had ever heard," feeling called to the sound and later realizing, as she told Pitchfork, "I have the power to communicate something, and I'd like to develop that. This is what I want to do with my life."

She co-produced both of her albums and released her debut, Los Ángeles, on Feb. 10, 2017, when the buzz began, even resulting in a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY Awards. On May 29 she released the lead single "Malamente" for her sophomore album El Mal Querer, which just dropped on Nov. 2, and the excitement around Rosalía has only continued to build, in Spain and far beyond.

This year she is in the running for five Latin GRAMMYs, the second-most nominated artist behind reggaeton king J Balvin, even though nominations went out before her second album was released, with just its lead single eligible for consideration. Pointing to the record's wide appeal, "Malamente" is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Urban Fusion/Performance, Best Alternative Song and Best Short Form Music Video.

The momentum the rising star has built in just a year in both Spanish and English language markets is quite impressive. She has been garnering a diverse, growing group of music fans, including other musicians. She worked with the likes of Pharrell Williams and J Balvin; "Brillo" is featured on Balvin's hugely popular Latin GRAMMY-nominated album Vibras.

Other musicians such as James Blake and Dua Lipa have noticed her as well and are on her growing list of fans—Lipa shouted her out when we asked her who she wanted to collaborate with a few weeks back. Rosalía told Pitchfork how "working with Pharrell was a dream….Collaborations like that are where you come up with sounds that maybe you wouldn't have found otherwise." The future looks bright for the young, innovative singer—keep reading to get a taste of her sound and style.

"Malamente"

Rosalía released "Malamente" as the lead single from El Mal Querer, and the music world has paid attention; the music video has 29.8 million views on YouTube to date. It is a great introduction to Rosalía and her sound, with flamenco-inspired clapping, or palmas, over a catchy, electronic beat and a mix of both haunting vocals and spoken word; her singing and clapping is interspersed at several points with an echoing repeat of words "mira," or look—indeed the world is.

She recently addressed the personal and cultural significance of the video's visuals themes, like the motorcycle "bullfight"— a controversial subject in Spain, as bullfighting was banned in Catalonia in 2010 and later overturned by the Spanish government in 2016 for reasons of "cultural heritage." 

Her aim was for the video to reflect traditional and modern elements of her Spanish culture, as she does in her music by having Nico Mendez, the director of both videos ("Malamente" and "Pienso en tu Mirá"), "visually translating this musical idea, which is about tradition but also about experimentation, with the current sound of electronic music. So on one hand it has this classic side, and on the other this current and transgressive vision." she explained to Billboard. "I told him I wanted to do a video that had to do with Spanish iconography, with all of the images that make up our culture."

"Pienso en tu Mirá"

This song also features a steady dose of palmas, which play a part in much of her music. The video features more artist references to her Spanish heritage, semi-trucks, which were a regular feature of the industrial suburb she grew up in, a bull mounted on the wall, a miniature singing flamenco girl in the style of a Lladró, cermamic figurines made (and popular) in Spain. In her videos we get a taste of the star's edgy, hip fashion sense, which is at times very street-style inspired and at others almost VIP-entrance-to-the-club ready. The young star is an artist and experimenter in all senses of both words.

"[For this new album] I felt that I wanted to experiment with electronic music, to develop an idea that I´d had since I was 17. The idea of flamenco and sampling. Because electronic music forms part of my background. I wanted to develop a project that had the voice at the forefront, a lot of harmonies, very rhythmic, nothing like Los Ángeles," she said.

"Catalina"

"Catalina" is the one single she released from Los Ángeles and gives you a taste of her sound on that album, with a somewhat more traditional take on flamenco, without electronic sounds. She describes her experimentation on the album as focused mainly on playing with the way the guitar is used, with both the sharp chords of the guitar and her piercing vocals shining through on this song, offering a sample of a slightly more "pure" flamenco version of Rosalía's music.

"That folklore is part of who I am, and that's the key: I don't want to lose my roots. I think that's what gives you your identity," Rosalía said. "Rather than trying to adhere to some kind of global pop standard, it's much more interesting to look to my roots and to the popular music of where I'm from. Not now or ever will I put flamenco aside."

19th Latin GRAMMY Awards: 19 Things You Didn’t Know