Juanes

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Juanes Named 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year: "I'm Grateful And Deeply Honored"

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The 23-time Latin GRAMMY winner will be honored for his creative artistry, humanitarian efforts, support of rising artists and philanthropic work
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 13, 2019 - 11:37 am

The Latin Recording Academy has announced its 2019 Person Of The Year: Juanes! The Colombian singer, composer, musician and philanthropist will be celebrated at a special star-studded gala featuring a heartfelt tribute concert, including renditions of his renowned repertoire performed by an impressive array of notable artists and friends on Nov. 13, 2019, at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas.

A 23-time Latin GRAMMY winner and two-time GRAMMY winner was chosen for the honor, which celebrates its milestone 20th anniversary, for his, "creative artistry, unprecedented humanitarian efforts, support for rising artists, and philanthropic contributions to the world," according to a statement from The Latin Recording Academy.

"Juanes is young, but legendary, an artist who has inspired us through his amazing music for many years and—while doing so—he vigorously campaigned for political, social, and positive change around the world," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "His leadership and his philanthropic work, in addition to his positive messages that transcend music, speak volumes about his many contributions to the community and we are truly honored to recognize him as this year’s Latin Academy Person of the Year."  

Juanes' philanthropic efforts include his work with his organization Fundación Mi Sangre (My Blood Foundation). Also, he is a co-founder of Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders), where he continues to raise awareness for the power and importance of peacebuilding with extraordinary credibility and consistency. He spoke to what this distinguished honor from the Latin Recording Academy means to him and his career.

Feb 2, 2015 – 5:04 pm

Juanes Relives When He First Became A Solo Artist

"I remember attending the Latin GRAMMY nominations announcement after my first solo album was released, and becoming so overcome with emotion from the shock of hearing my name called seven times, that I had to step outside for a moment to process how my life had just changed forever," shared Juanes in a statement. "I was blessed to win three awards that year, and The Latin Recording Academy has been a fundamental part of bringing my music to a global audience ever since. Now, I am grateful and deeply honored to learn that I will get to join such illustrious artists as Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, Caetano Veloso and more, as the Person of the Year honoree, while also helping The Latin Academy's efforts to support future generations of new Spanish-speaking artists."

For information on purchasing tickets to the Person of the Year gala, please contact The Latin Recording Academy's ticketing office at 310.314.8281 or ticketing@grammy.com.

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Juanes

Juanes

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Juanes, Luis Fonsi, Residente Among Latin Artists Sharing Support For People Of Venezuela

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As the South American country battles social and political turmoil, the Latin music community rallies in support of its people
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 25, 2019 - 3:40 pm

As Venezuela endures economic crisis, widespread shortage of basic goods and a presidential controversy, Latin music artists have taken to their social platforms to voice support for the county's people in this difficult time.

"Today I am a little Venezuelan," said Puerto Rican megastar Luis Fonsi. "Today and always, I join a country that I love so much. To a country that has suffered a lot and its people deserve to live in peace and tranquility." 

"Today's commitment as citizens of the world is to go out on the streets for the freedom and future of our Venezuelan brothers," said Spanish singer/songwriter Alejandro Sanz.

Many other artists shared sentiments of support, including Ricardo Montaner, Mau and Ricky, and Residente, who recalled his Latin GRAMMY performance backed by the Simón Bolivar Orchestra, a Venezuelan musical institution named after national hero Simón Bolivar.

Legendary Columbian singer/songwriter Juanes also offered, "Stay Strong Venezuela!! Always with you."

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Alejandro Sanz

Alejandro Sanz

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Alejandro Sanz: Stars Honor Latin Academy Person Of The Year

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A cluster of Latin stars paid tribute to the Spanish singer/songwriter with a concert for the ages
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Nov 16, 2017 - 10:47 am

On Nov. 15, esteemed GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Alejandro Sanz was honored as the Latin Recording Academy's 2017 Person of the Year for his significant artistic and philanthropic contributions to the world.

Hosted at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, the centerpiece of the star-studded celebration was a concert tribute, which featured renditions of Sanz' repertoire by notable artists and friends, including Natalia Lafourcade, Juan Luis Guerra, Mon Laferte, Jesse & Joy, Luis Fonsi, Residente, and more. The sold-out gala benefits the year-round education and preservation initiatives of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.

On to the amazing performance highlights:

Lafourcade and Manuel Medrano kicked off the evening with a performance of "No Es Lo Mismo," which earned Sanz not only Record and Song Of The Year at the 5th Latin GRAMMY Awards, but the album of the same named earned Album Of The Year honors.

Guerra graced the stage next with a cover of "Desde Cuando," which earned a Record Of The Year nod at the 11th Latin GRAMMY Awards for 2010.

This was followed by a performance of "El Alma Al Aire" by David Bisbal. El Alma … earned Sanz not only the Latin GRAMMY for Album Of The Year for 2001, but the title track also took home Record and Song Of The Year honors that year.

Niña Pastori delivered a lovely rendition of "La Fuerza Del Corazon," which was followed by a passionate version of "Mi Soledad Y Yo" by Laferte.

Guitarist Jose Antonio Rodriguez and dance company Siudy Garrido with El Carpeta brought a little flamenco flare to the stage with their performance of "Manhattan De 2 Frontera."

Rosalía took on the Latin GRAMMY-nominated hit "Cuando Nadie Me Ve" with expert pizazz.

Brother and sister duo Jesse & Joy hit the stage next for a version of Sanz' "Siempre Es De Noche."

Santiago Cruz, Gian Marco and accordionist Jimmy Zambrano gave an excellent performance of "La Musica No Se Toca."

Fonsi, of "Despacito" fame, took on a version of "Amiga Mia" to honor Sanz.

Next up, Nick Jonas Calle 13's Residente and Anitta had a blast performing "Looking For Paradise." Sanz' original performance of the hit song features GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys.

Alejandro Fernandez brought to life Sanz's 1997 hit "Y ¿Si Fuera Ella? "

Juanes and Camila Cabello teamed for an exquisite rendition of "Quisiera Ser," leading into the big finale.

To close out the night, Sanz, along with guitarist Jose Antonio Rodriguez, gave an emotional performance of his 1997 smash "Corazón Partío" — the perfect finish to an amazing celebration.

Xiami Music

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China Gets MQA Studio-Quality Audio Streaming With Alibaba's Xiami Music

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Xiami will be the first streaming service in China to adopt MQA, a technology already in use by Tidal and Deezer to stream hi-res music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 18, 2019 - 12:33 pm

In the latest high-res audio victory heard 'round the world, Alibaba Group's Xiami Music announced plans to become the first music streaming service in China to adopt MQA studio-quality audio. Implementation of this pioneering technology will make Xiami the audio quality leader in China.

True to its name, MQA delivers "master quality authenticated" music in a file small enough to stream, and is already in use by Tidal and Deezer. MQA decoders can be found in high-end equipment the world over; its technology enables the highest quality playback of the original recording on all devices, from smartphones to high-end home audio systems.

Long Yang, Director of Xiami Music said in a statement, "We are very proud to be the first music service in China to offer MQA, as we continue to push the technological boundaries in pursuit of improved sound quality to benefit our music fans and all musicians on our platform."

MQA will be introduced into the SVIP tier of Xiami Music iOS and Android apps, and all users will be offered a free trial for a limited period to kick the tires before subscribing. Even before this high-quality audio streaming becomes an option, China had already become the fourth largest market for sales of MQA devices. Plus, Xiami has attracted over 40,000 independent musicians, and its library contains over 500 million playlists and 20 million songs the platform's new offering will have immediate impact.

Mike Jbara, MQA’s CEO, added, "MQA is a consumer-centric technology company, driven by a commitment to deliver the master recording all the way through to the music fan, wherever and however they choose to listen – and it was clear from our first meeting that the Xiami team shared our vision."

China's revitalized recorded revenue market currently ranks seventh in revenue internationally, due in part to the efforts of streaming services like Xiami. The country also ranks fourth in terms of music streaming income, behind only the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. Now, with high-quality streaming options becoming available to Chinese consumers, the digital revolution will sound better than ever for millions of music fans.

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Chance The Rapper

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Chance The Rapper's Debut Album Is Coming Soon... Prepare For 'The Big Day'

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Chance took to television to announce the follow up to his 2016 GRAMMY-winning mixtape 'Coloring Book' will arrive July 26
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 17, 2019 - 6:35 pm

GRAMMY winner Chance the Rapper appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon recently, where he revealed plans for his debut album, The Big Day. The album, which will drop July 26, is the follow up to his third mixtape, 2016's Coloring Book. 

Chance also showed the world the album artwork for his new project and, after some negotiations with Fallon, revealed the album title. 

Coloring Book earned the Chicago rapper a whopping six GRAMMY nominations plus a nod for Best New Artist, a category he won, along with Best Rap Performance for "No Problem" and Best Rap Album. 

The Big Day is currently available for pre-order via Chance's website, where you can also pick up his three mixtapes newly released on vinyl and pre-sale for his upcoming world tour.

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