Mon Laferte

Mon Laferte

Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images 

News

Mon Laferte, Gabby Moreno To Highlight Immigrant Experience At Selena Concert

Facebook Twitter Email
The concert will take place in New York and will feature a line-up of Latin artists
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jul 26, 2018 - 1:17 pm

Selena continues to impact and influence generations of Latinos even after her death. Inspired by the iconic Tejano singer's legacy in music and the Latino community, a free concert will celebrate her music while bringing awareness to the undocumented immigrant experience in the U.S.

Selena for Sanctuary will be held at the Lincoln Center in New York on July 26 and will feature a lineup of Latin artists and musicians. Among them are Chilean singer and Latin GRAMMY winner Mon Laferte as well as Guatemalan Latin GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Gaby Moreno. Rock vocalist Nina Diaz, indie artist Cuco, singer/songwriter Omar Apollo, singer August Eve and DJ/producer Riobamba will also perform.

NPR's Alt. Latino's Felix Contreras will host the concert and guitarist Chris Perez, Selena's widower, will join Nina Diaz during her performance.

The music artists will "bring their own spirit to Selena's famous melodies." It will also be an opportunity for fans to get to know a variety of nonprofits that provide aid with immigration issues. The event was music manager Doris Muñoz's idea, who began the event when her parents needed help with their immigration process. Muñoz manages Cuco and August Eve.

The concert will let fans "link arms and fight the good fight. We can do this while enjoying a beautiful night of music for our immigrant communities, at a prestigious platform like Lincoln Center where our community deserves a seat at this table," Muñoz told Remezcla. "This couldn't come at a better time."

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

GRAMMYs

Selena

Photo: Pam Francis/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

News

Selena's Life And Musical Journey Gets Scripted Series

Facebook Twitter Email
No premiere date or further information has been announced
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Dec 11, 2018 - 12:12 pm

Selena famously won music lovers’ hearts and respect for a very simple reason: She was unabashedly herself: a Mexican-American young woman chasing her dream amidst two cultures. Now the iconic Tex-Mex/techno cumbia singer is getting a scripted Netflix series about her life story and how she surpassed  cultures and categories to bring her talent to the world.

Selena Wins Best Mexican-American Album

The series, described as a "coming-of-age" story, will be executive produced by Selena's sister, Suzette Quintanilla, and her father, Abraham Quintanilla, along with entertainment content production company's Jaime Davila, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Moises Zamora (American Crime) will write the script.

No premiere date or further information has been announced.

Selena rose to fame in the Spanish-language music market singing Tejano music and taking on cumbia, norteño and mariachi music. She released four successful Spanish-language albums, but ultimately, crossing over to American audiences was always the goal, music executive Jose Behar told the Recording Academy.

Behar signed Selena to EMI Latin.

"The whole thing with the Selena signing was … back then female artists didn't sell in the Tejano music market," Behar explained. "There wasn't one female artist that ever really sold or had any substantial success in Tejano music."

"But I never really signed her as a Tejano artist. I thought she was my Gloria Estefan. That was truly the emphasis on signing her," he continued. "We signed her with the vision of crossing her over, never really thinking we're going to have that huge success on the Latin side. It was always, always, always about the crossover."

Selena was born in Texas to a tight-knit Mexican-American family. Throughout her career, her family played a major role in her music. Her brother A.B. Quintanilla, now in his own group, the Kumbia All Stars, and her sister Suzette were both musicians in her band. Her father, Abraham, was her manager, portrayed as an over-protective and at times controlling in the 1997 Selena film with Jennifer Lopez. 

When Selena won Best Mexican-American Album for Live at the 36th GRAMMY Awards, she made it clear how much her family meant to her and her success.

"I’d like to thank my band, Los Dinos, my father Abraham, my brother who's the producer of my music and also my sister. Thank you for all the support ..."

Selena's Netflix series will dive into her familial relationships.

"Selena will always have a lasting place in music history, and we feel great responsibility to do justice to her memory. With this series, viewers will finally get the full history of Selena, our family, and the impact she has had on all of our lives, Selena's sister, Suzette Quintanilla, said in a statement. "We are excited to partner with Campanario and Netflix to give fans a never-before-seen glimpse at our story and highlight why Selena will remain a legend for generations to come."

Dolly Parton To Be Honored As 2019 MusiCares Person Of The Year

GRAMMYs

Cuco

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

News

Cuco Is Making A Different Kind Of Latin Pop

Facebook Twitter Email
Meet the 20-year-old artist making dream pop straight out of Southern California.
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 15, 2018 - 6:25 pm

"I'm like stupid emotional," Cuco says in a Genius video wearing his signature large glasses and shaggy hair. "I think art is what keeps an artist able to express their emotions and not go crazy." Cuco's music is dream pop straight out of Southern California and "stupid emotional" is exactly how you'll feel listening to his atmospheric, mellow synth, oldies-inspired beats, topped with emotional lyrics.  On "Lo Que Siento" he sings "And nobody's touch and nobody's lips can make me feel like yours do/Our hands in a lock, nuestros labios se conocen (Our lips meet)."

The Hawthorne, Calif. native is a self-produced multi-instrumentalist who grew up listening to Chicano rappers like Lil' Rob and MC Magic, both smooth rappers that jump from English to Spanish throughout their verses. MC Magic's music stands out for his use of synthesizers. You hear bits and pieces of the genre's influence in Cuco's music, who himself is Mexican-American. Other influences include Tame Impala. He launched into the spotlight with a cover of Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk" and has since garnered a following of thousands on social media.

"I will never underestimate the strength of a fan-girl ever again. They're wild," his manager Doris Munoz told the L.A. Times about the rise of his following. The 20-year-old artist's sentimental vibe connects mostly with young Latinas and thus has been dubbed a "heart-throb."

Rolling Stone captured Cuco's role in the music industry well: "In a music industry that’s been cashing in on more urban genres like reggaeton and Latin trap, acts like Cuco represent an alternative dimension of Latin pop that’s picking up steam in United States."

But, Cuco doesn't want to be pigeon-holed. "It's cool, like I'm super open to doing things for like my people, my own culture, but ultimately I make music for everybody," he told the Fader.  

Cuco is currently recovering from an accident that happened in early October and has canceled the rest of his 2018 tour.

Learn more about Cuco's sound:

"Lover Is A Day"

"Lover Is A Day" is the song Cuco is most proud of. The song "did so well like I never even though it would do so well, it kind of got me out there," he told Teal magazine.

"Lo Que Siento"

"Lo Que Siento" or "What I Feel" was inspired by Chicano rappers Lil' Rob and MC Magic. I just heard the chord progression for “Lo Que Siento” in kind of a way where it’s mixed with a lot of Chicano rap. But then there’s also that indie side of it with guitars and all that other bullshit. It was just in the moment," he told Genius.

"Amor De Siempre"

This all Spanish-language song has Cuco singing about waking up next to his lover and looking into her eyes. "When I look at those eyes, that's where I want to live/ If you kiss me, that's where I want to die."

 

GRAMMYs

Celia Cruz

Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage

News

The Latinas Of 'Women Who Rock'

Facebook Twitter Email
Sometimes Latinas are forgotten about when it comes to popular music; we look at the Latina artists who are featured in 'Women Who Rock,' a new book that celebrates female artists making contributions to popular culture
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2018 - 6:21 pm

Wearing a long blue lace gown with ruffled flounce sleeves, the late salsa music queen Celia Cruz was a powerhouse onstage during the 2002 Latin GRAMMY Awards. With her trademark smile and a towering white and blue wig that was so grand it resembled a headdress, she energetically belted "La Negra Tiene Tumbao," her 2001 hit song that was nominated for three Latin GRAMMYs that evening, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year.

Celia Cruz's Latin GRAMMY History

This moment is highlighted in Women Who Rock, a new book that pays tribute to women who have defined, continue to define and have made contributions to popular music. The illustrated book is  densely rich and written by multiple authors, all of whom are female. It features playlists picked to sonically introduce readers to the artists they read about.

It's not an easy feat to rundown the history of women in music, however pop music critic and editor Evelyn McDonnell was determined to do just that alongside a roster of diverse women.

"I didn't want it to just be my taste. Or my opinion," shared McDonnell. "I wanted to have this pool of experts…and I really sought diversity of expertise among those writers."

One of those writers, Michelle Threadgould knew "there would be this mad dash [to feature mostly] white rock and roll female musicians." So she pitched and ultimately penned pieces spotlighting Cruz, Selena Quintanilla, Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux, Los Angeles punk rocker Alice Bag and other Latina artists featured in the book.

"I pitched…artists that I really wanted in the book and that I did not think the majority would pitch," she shared. "I have an essay in there that's about Alice Bag. Alice Bag has definitely not had pages dedicated to her in a book like this," Threadgould said.

Representation of Latin Women in Music

"I feel like [Latinas tend] to get left out of a lot of discourses," McDonnell said. "Beginning with Celia Cruz, who's someone I think is so amazing and sometimes not acknowledged enough outside the Latino community."

"There's so many interesting things about Celia," Threadgould said. "I think the hardest thing is things that you leave out."

Threadgould begins Cruz's chapter with her 2002 Latin GRAMMY performance and goes into the Afro-Latina's musical style describing "her call-and-response improvisations." She also explores on her exile from Cuba, which played a crucial role in her professional and personal life.

The book also tells the story of Selena Quintanilla, the popular cumbia and Tex-Mex singer who was tragically killed in 1995 at the age of 23. In the past two decades the singer, who made history when she won Best Mexican-American Album at the 1994 36th GRAMMY Awards, has transcended the Latino community, garnering nods from the likes of rapper Drake and pop group Haim.

Although a film adaptation of Selena's life was released in 1997, starring a then relatively unknown Jennifer Lopez, was met with critical acclaim, Threadgould digs deeper into her life before and after her death. "I was also really tired of her being portrayed as this good daughter that [re-affirmed] patriarchal machismo values that were bullsh**, because that really wasn't her life," she said. "That absolutely was not. I guess it was sort of like a reframing of Selena that was important to me."

Why This Narrative Is Important To All Women

It was Selena's ability to defy her obstacles as a woman, and the resilience of all the other artists in the book that overcame their own boundaries that at the end of the day, both McDonnell and Threadgoud, hope women can draw from the book and use as encouragement in their own lives.

"It's a really tough time right now, because I think that everything that's in the news is triggering for so many women, right. It's hard. It's really hard," McDonnell said. "I'm going through that emotionally, myself. I hope that this book can be a point of inspiration."

Threadgould added: "What I think is really important is this whole idea of owning your rage, owning your ugliness, owning these aspects of yourself that aren't accepted by the patriarchy and claiming them and researching them, and not being afraid of them," she said. "Every single person that I dig was like a rebel in her own way. That's what I really hope women are inspired to be is like to be their own rebel."

Women Who Rock is available now.

GRAMMYs

Dolores O'Riordan

Photo: Srdjan Stevanovic/WireImage

News

The Cranberries Announce Eighth And Final Album, 'In The End'

Facebook Twitter Email
The Irish alt-rock band, who lost lead singer Dolores O'Riordan last year, also unveiled a new single titled "All Over Now"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 4:02 pm

Band members of Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries have announced that they will release their eighth and final album In The End on April 26 via BGM.

"In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End,’" the band tweeted.

The announcement comes one year after the death of powerful lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who died suddenly while in London for a recording session on Jan. 15, 2018. She was 46.

The band also released a single titled "All Over Now" from the upcoming album. The song "blends rock, alternative and catchy almost pop-sounding melodies to deliver a classic Cranberries sound," the band said on their website.

The BBC reported in Sept. that O'Riordan's cause of death was a "tragic accident" due to excessive drinking. She was found submerged in the bath of her hotel room.

For 30 years, the Cranberries blended alternative rock with pop to create a melodic sound that could be both hard and sweet. Hits like "Zombie" and "Dreams" captured the band's ability to shift their sound. The final album, which has 11 tracks and was produced by Stephen Street, is a "fitting and powerful closure," the band said.

"I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of Dolores' passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band," O'Riordan's mother, Eileen O'Riordan, said on the band's album announcement. 

Coachella 2019 Lineup Revealed With Extended YouTube Live-Stream Partnership