Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Feature

Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony's Harmony: For The Record

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Take a look back at the New York natives' duet history
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Oct 11, 2017 - 5:26 pm

Though they may no longer be husband and wife, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony still have undeniable  chemistry.

For The Record: Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony

The dynamic duo, who were married from 2004–2014,  has recorded a total of four duets in their career: "No Me Ames" (1999), "Escapémonos" (2004), "Por Arriesgarnos" (2007), and "Olvídame Y Pega La Vuelta" (2016).

"No Me Ames" earned the New York natives two Latin GRAMMY nominations at the inaugural Latin GRAMMY Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group With Vocal and Best Music Video. They also performed "Escapémonos" at  the 47th GRAMMY Awards in 2005.

Arguably their most famous duet, Lopez and Anthony staged a dramatic performance of "Olvídame Y Pega La Vuelta" at  the 17th Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2016, during whuch the two shared a romantic kiss during the duet that had fans' heads spinning.

 Music isn't the only work Lopez and Anthony still do together — they also partner for philanthropic efforts. Most recently they created an initiative called Somos Una Voz (We Are One Voice) to support victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

 

Calle 13

Calle 13

Photo: WireImage.com

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Calle 13's Journey To The Top: For The Record

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Find out what impressive Latin GRAMMY records the Puerto Rican duo have to their credit
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Oct 14, 2017 - 8:24 am

It's been an amazing journey for Calle 13 — René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (Visitante). In 2004 the Puerto Rican duo recorded a pair of indie demos with the hopes of landing a record deal. More than a decade later, Calle 13 have blazed a historic trail.

For The Record: Calle 13

With an eclectic style incorporating elements of alt-rock, hip-hop and reggaeton, Calle 13 emerged with their eponymous debut album in 2005. Powered by the breakout track, "¡AtréveTe-Te-Te!," the duo earned a trio of honors at the 7th Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2006: Best New Artist, Best Urban Music Album and Best Short Form Music Video for the video for "¡AtréveTe-Te-Te!"

But it was five years later when Residente and Vistante would write a big chapter in the Latin GRAMMY history book.

At the 12th Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2011, Calle 13 earned nine awards in one night. The record haul included Album Of The Year for their fourth LP, Entre Los Que Quieran, and Record and Song Of The Year for the impactful "Latinoamerica," as well as Best Urban Music Album, Best Tropical Song ("Vamo' A Portarnos Mal"), Best Short Form Music Video and Best Alternative Song ("Calma Pueblo"), Best Urban Song ("Baile De Los Pobres"), and Producer Of The Year.

To date, Calle 13 have won 22 awards through 2016, the most in Latin GRAMMY history. Residente is looking to add to his total with nine nominations for the upcoming 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Juan Gabriel

Juan Gabriel

Photo: WireImage.com

Feature

The Juan Gabriel Songbook Lives On: For The Record

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The iconic Mexican singer/songwriter wrote in a range of styles from Latin ballads to traditional ranchera — but how many total songs did he write?
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2017 - 12:04 pm

The numbers attached to Juan Gabriel's career are truly astounding.

For The Record: Juan Gabriel

He recorded more than 35 albums and sold more than 100 million albums. But at the heart of his success was songwriting. Though he wrote in a range of styles, from traditional ranchera and banda sinaloense to contemporary Latin ballads and dance-friendly pop, Juan Gabriel's songs were marked by the same qualities: hummable melodies, soulful lyrics and poetic tenderness.

Born in Parácuaro, Michoacán, in Mexico in 1950, Juan Gabriel composed his first song at age 13. In 1971 he released his first studio album, El Alma Joven..., which included his first hit, "No Tengo Dinero." Over his 40-plus-year career, he would populate his catalog with such classics as "Abrázame Muy Fuerte," "Hasta Que te Conocí," "Amor Eterno," "Se Me Olvido Otra Vez," and "Siempre En Mi Mente," among others.

It is estimated that Juan Gabriel wrote more than 1,500 songs in his lifetime. Along the way, countless artists interpreted his songs, including Rocío Dúrcal, Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel, Jenni Rivera, Maná, and Vicente Fernández — providing further testament to his lasting impact.

"Music has been my best friend — thanks to it, I've never been unhappy," Juan Gabriel said in his interview for the Latin GRAMMY Awards program book in 2009. "There is nothing in this world that allows me to express myself like a good melody."

In 2009 Juan Gabriel was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year for his music achievements and philanthropic efforts. During the 10th Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast that year, he turned in the longest performance in the show's history.

Following his passing on Aug. 28, 2016, he won his first two Latin GRAMMYs at the 17th Latin GRAMMY Awards: Album Of The Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Los Dúo 2.

Jennifer Lopez circa 2000

Jennifer Lopez

Photo: WireImage.com

Feature

1999: The Year Latin Pop Conquered America

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1999 saw an unprecedented dominance of Latin pop sounds in American music, opening the public's ears to multilingual songwriting
Brian Haack
GRAMMYs
Oct 6, 2017 - 3:15 pm

The U.S. music scene in 1999 saw an unprecedented surge in the popularity of Latin pop.

Hispanic artists and various elements of Latin sounds dominated the charts to such an extent that by the end of the year even artists with no Latin heritage to speak of were looking to capitalize on the movement by recording Spanish-language versions of their singles in hopes of activating the crossover market.

Sure, there were prior Latin crossover rumblings — remember Dru's Hill's 1998 Latin-inflected Top 3 hit "How Deep Is Your Love" from Rush Hour? But most argue that it all started with Ricky Martin.

Ricky Martin

"It was completely sudden, and it had a lot to do with Ricky. After his performance at the GRAMMYs, everyone was on alert, so to speak, and expecting his new album. The first hit, of course, was "Livin' La Vida Loca" with that sensational video. I think that was the beginning." — Leila Cobo, executive director of Latin content and programming, Billboard

As a young man, Martin came to prominence between the ages of 12 and 17 as a member of the GRAMMY-nominated boy band Menudo. The Puerto Rico native was also a successful actor and solo recording artist before he burst onto the U.S. music scene in 1999. In the '90s, he acted in TV series such as "General Hospital" and "Getting By," telenovelas and stage plays, and he'd released four successful Spanish-language albums.

Martin won his first career GRAMMY — Best Latin Pop Performance for Vuelve — at the 41st GRAMMY Awards in 1999, but it was his show-stopping performance of "La Copa De La Vida" that same year that made it clear something big was on the horizon.

Martin's "Livin La Vida Loca" was released one month after his spectacular GRAMMY performance, and quickly became his first-ever No. 1 charting single, holding the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. 

The singer's self-titled fifth solo album — his English debut — was released two months later, and hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 almost immediately. The most successful album of Martin's career, it has gone on to sell well over 15 million copies worldwide. Needless to say, 1999 was a big year for the Puerto Rican pop star.

Leila Cobo, executive director of Latin content and programming for Billboard, was working as Miami Herald's pop music critic at the time, recalls one event that served as an interesting tell sign.

"I went to cover [the signing] and found a line of hysterical girls at 11 a.m. on a school day that went on for blocks," she says. "I had never seen anything like this, ever."

Writing for Billboard roughly a month after "Livin La Vida Loca" hit store shelves, Michael Paoletta, now executive producer, A&R and music supervision for Comma Music, commented prophetically, "In the weeks since [the GRAMMYs], it seems like every record label exec has been in a heated search for the next Latin hottie."

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez had worked as a successful dancer and actress during the '90s, notably appearing as a Fly Girl on Keenan and Damon Wayans' sketch comedy and variety show "In Living Color." In 1997 Lopez earned a huge breakthrough in the leading role as GRAMMY-winning Tejano singer Selena in the titular biopic about her life and tragic death. The Bronx native's performance in the film was lauded by critics and fans alike, putting her in the entertainment spotlight and at the same time making her ripe to become the breakout female star to help propel the Latin pop movement.

Lopez's debut single, "If You Had My Love," was released in May 1999, just a week before Martin's self-titled album hit the shelves, arriving at the perfect time to sate the appetites of stateside listeners. The single climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the best-selling singles in the U.S. for 1999. Lopez's first studio album, On The 6, released a few weeks later, also skyrocketed, debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and ultimately earning triple-platinum status.

"Waiting For Tonight," the second radio single from On The 6, would go on to be nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards.

J.Lo, Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga: 13 Iconic GRAMMY Fashion Statements

The same month that saw Lopez release On The 6 also saw another well-established Latin pop star blow up in the U.S.

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias had previously won his first GRAMMY for Best Latin Pop Performance for his first self-titled 1995 studio album. The Spanish singer also came from an impressive musical pedigree, being the son of GRAMMY-winning Latin pop crooner Julio Iglesias.

"Bailamos," the junior Iglesias' inaugural English language release, was selected for the 1999 blockbuster action flick Wild Wild West, thanks in part to a request from GRAMMY winner Will Smith. The single would top the Billboard Hot 100 and become an immense success, eventually selling more than 5 million copies worldwide.

Almost certainly the biggest success story of the 1999 Latin pop explosion, however, was to be the eponymous band led by then-52-year-old guitar god Carlos Santana.

Santana

"We connected with hip-hoppers. … We connected with middle white America, we connected with Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia. It's like the Champs-Elysées in Paris: This CD is connected to all the streets." — Carlos Santana on Supernatural, 1999

When Santana's 17th studio album, Supernatural, was released in 1999, the group had been playing live together for longer than the likes of Martin, Lopez and Iglesias had been alive. The album's lead single, "Smooth," featuring Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas, was an absolute phenomenon that year. It spent an astonishing 12 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Santana's first chart-topping song.

For The Record: Carlos Santana

Supernatural would net Santana a total of eight GRAMMYs at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album, with "Smooth" taking home Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. Commercially, Supernatural would eventually sell more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Due to its equally strong chart performance, "Smooth" would be the final song of the decade to stand atop the Hot 100.

The Latin GRAMMY Awards

Following the incredible explosion of Latin pop music in 1999, the year 2000 heralded the inception of the Latin GRAMMY Awards, hosted by the Latin Recording Academy, which was established in 1997 as a counterpart to the Recording Academy.

Nuyorican Marc Anthony would become the first artist to take home the inaugural Latin GRAMMY for Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "I Need To Know (Dímelo)," from his Top 10 1999 self-titled album.

While some later argued that the 1999 Latin explosion was a brief high-gloss blip on the pop culture radar, its impact cannot be underestimated. The 2000s and beyond have seen a steady stream of Latin artists dent the Billboard charts — including Shakira, Juanes, Luis Fonsi, J Balvin, and Nicky Jam, among others. The past year has seen the continuing dominance of Latin sounds in the modern pop scene, with crossover hits such as Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" serving as but one example.

And the Latin GRAMMY Awards has emerged as The Biggest Night in Latin Music, honoring top Latin music talent and featuring top-shelf performances that thrill millions worldwide — a testament to the staying power of Latin music.

"To have a song in Spanish, and to be in the top of the Hot 100, that's something that rarely happens," Fonsi told CNN regarding "Despacito." "I'm just very proud that Latin music has grown so much and people are just really connecting to it."

Shakira at the 7th Latin GRAMMY Awards

Shakira

Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Feature

Shakira Fixates On Latin GRAMMY History: For The Record

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Learn how the Colombian icon broke new ground with 2005's Fijación Oral Vol. 1
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Oct 2, 2017 - 3:30 pm

After the mega-crossover success of her 2001 English-speaking album, Laundry Service, it seemed logical to assume Shakira would attempt a similar effort for her follow-up. Instead, the Colombian singer/songwriter wanted to go back to her roots with a Spanish-language Latin pop project.

For The Record: Shakira

That instinct to be the right call, while adding proof that her fans are willing to follow Shakira "Whenever, Wherever" her career takes her.

Released in June 2005, Fijación Oral Vol. 1 was a milestone for the Colombian singer/songwriter. Executive produced by GRAMMY winner Rick Rubin, the album spawned four Latin singles chart hits, including "La Tortura" featuring Alejandro Sanz, which also hit the Billboard Hot 100.

With sales in excess of 157,000 in its first week, Fijación Oral Vol. 1 landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, constituting the highest debut for a full-length Spanish-language album in the chart's history — a record that still stands. The album has been certified 11-times platinum (Latin) by the RIAA.

At the 7th Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2006, "La Tortura" earned Record and Song Of The Year and Best Short Form Video honors. And the LP won Best Female Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year, topping Gustavo Cerati (a contributor on Fijación Oral Vol. 1), Chayanne, Leon Gieco, and Julieta Venegas.

Making her victory even sweeter, Shakira became the first female artist — and lone to date — to capture the coveted Latin GRAMMY for Album Of The Year.