• Full list of nominees at LatinGRAMMY.com  »
  

The next decade in The Latin Recording Academy's continued evolution began today when nominations for the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards were announced at a press conference attended by national and international media at the Avalon in Hollywood, Calif.

Artists reading nominations this morning included pop/rock trio Camila, singer/songwriter Alex Cuba, two-time Latin GRAMMY winner Kany García, pop/rock group JotDog, band leader Mario Quintero Lara of Los Tucanes De Tijuana, bachata artist Prince Royce, Latin GRAMMY- and three-time GRAMMY-winning jazz instrumentalist Arturo Sandoval, two-time Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner Gilberto Santa Rosa, and singer/songwriter/producer Aleks Syntek. In a year that recognized a diverse group of music makers across numerous genres, the nominations highlight an eclectic mix of established and emerging performers and creative professionals. The 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, set for Nov. 11 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

The leaders with four nominations each are:

Mario Domm: Album Of The Year and Best Pop Album By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for Dejarte De Amar (as a member of Camila); Record Of The Year for "Mientes" (as a member of Camila); and Song Of The Year for "Mientes" (with Mónica Vélez).

Jorge Drexler: Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Una Canción Me Trajo Hasta Aquí"; Best Singer-Songwriter Album for Amar La Trama; and Best Long Form Music Video for La Trama Circular.

Juan Luis Guerra: Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Tropical Album for A Son De Guerra; and Best Tropical Song and Best Short Form Music Video for "Bachata En Fukuoka."

Alejandro Sánz: Album Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Album for Paraíso Express; and Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Desde Cuando."

Earning three nods each are:

Camila: Album Of The Year and Best Pop Album By A Duo or Group With Vocal for Dejarte De Amar; and Record Of The Year for "Mientes."

Daddy Yankee: Best Urban Music Album for Mundial; and two nods for Best Urban Song — "Descontrol" and "Grito Mundial."

Lee Levin: Album Of The Year for Alejandro Sánz's Paraíso Express; Record Of The Year for Sánz's "Desde Cuando"; and Best Engineered Album for Diego Torres' Distinto (with Paul Acedo, Rafa Arcaute, Sebastian Krys, Daniel Ovie, Sebastian Perkal, Tom Russo, Esteban Varela, Dan Warner, and Lurssen Inc.).

Tommy Torres: Album Of The Year for Alejandro Sánz's Paraíso Express; and Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year (with Sánz) for Sánz's "Desde Cuando."

Dan Warner: Album Of The Year for Alejandro Sánz's Paraíso Express; Record Of The Year for Sánz's "Desde Cuando"; and Best Engineered Album for Diego Torres' Distinto (with Paul Acedo, Rafa Arcaute, Sebastian Krys, Lee Levin, Daniel Ovie, Sebastian Perkal, Tom Russo, Esteban Varela, and Lurssen Inc.).

Bebe, Rubén Blades, Buika, Andrés Calamaro, Dori Caymmi, Gustavo Cerati, Alex Cuba, El Cuarteto De Nos, Estrella, Maria Gadú, Gilberto Gil, Jotdog, Mala Rodríguez, and Vico C. are among those with two nominations. And a wide array of established music makers and rising artists — including Pepe Aguilar, Marc Anthony, Maria Bethânia, Miguel Bosé, Céu, Chino Y Nacho, Willie Colón, Don Omar, Alejandro Fernández, Pedro Fernández, Vicente Fernández, Fonseca, Nelly Furtado, Juan Gabriel, Kany García, Enrique Iglesias, India, Intocable, Los Tigres Del Norte, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, Sergio Mendes, Laura Pausini, Prince Royce, Jenni Rivera, Poncho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Lalo Schifrin, Joan Sebastian, Aleks Syntek, Thalia, Tito "El Bambino," Diego Torres, and Julieta Venegas — also earned nominations.

"After 10 years of recognizing the best and brightest in Latin music, the Latin GRAMMY nominations continue to bring together the worldwide Latin music community and spotlight a remarkably varied and wide-ranging group of Latin music makers that reflects emerging talent as well as established artists," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "This year, it is especially encouraging to see the highest number of creative professionals to date participating in the awards process and recognizing their peers as The Latin Academy enters its next decade. We look forward to celebrating another year of excellence in recorded Latin music on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas."

This year's Album Of The Year category features a diverse array of worldwide artists and musical styles: Bebe for Y.; Miguel Bosé for Cardio; Camila for Dejarte De Amar; Juan Luis Guerra for A Son De Guerra; and Alejandro Sánz for Paraíso Express.

The race for Song Of The Year features some of the most prominent names in Latin music: Descemer Bueno & Enrique Iglesias for "Cuando Me Enamoro" (Enrique Iglesias Featuring Juan Luis Guerra); Alejandro Sánz & Tomas Torres for "Desde Cuando" (Alejandro Sánz); Rubén Blades for "Las Calles" (Rubén Blades); Mario Domm & Mónica Vélez for "Mientes" (Camila); and Jorge Drexler for "Una Canción Me Trajo Hasta Aquí" (Jorge Drexler).

This year's Latin GRAMMY Awards process registered the highest number of submissions ever. However, due to low entries in Categories 22 and 39 — Best Grupero Album and Best Tropical Brazilian Roots Album — submissions in those categories were combined within other categories for consideration. Additionally, Categories 10 and 11 — Best Rock Solo Vocal Album and Best Rock Album By A Duo Or Group With Vocal — have been combined into Best Rock Album. As a result of these changes, the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will feature 46 out of 48 categories.

The 11th Latin GRAMMY Awards will be supported on radio via Univision Radio (the official Spanish-language radio network of the Latin GRAMMY Awards), and highlighted on the Internet at www.latingrammy.com and www.latingrammy.univision.com, featuring video interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from today's nominations announcement.

For media credentialing instructions and more information, please visit www.latingrammy.com. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Latin Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook. A limited number of tickets to the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be available for sale to the public starting Sept. 17, and may be purchased at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office (877.632.7400) or through Ticketmaster.

As a founding member of the National Recording Preservation Board, the Recording Academy was instrumental in lobbying and getting the board created by Congress. Now, the Library of Congress has added new treasures to the National Recording Registry, preserving masterpieces that have shaped American culture.

The 2024 class not only celebrates modern icons like Green Day’s punk classic Dookie and Biggie Smalls' seminal Ready to Die, but also honors vintage gems like Gene Autry’s "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and Perry Como’s hits from 1957. These recordings join over 650 titles that constitute the registry — a curated collection housed within the Library’s vast archive of nearly 4 million sound recordings. 

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced these additions as essential pieces of our nation’s audio legacy, each selected for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance. This selection process is influenced by public nominations, which hit a record number this year, emphasizing the public's role in preserving audio history.

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"The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry," Hayden said. "We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation with our partners this year, including a wide range of music from the past 100 years, as well as comedy. We were thrilled to receive a record number of public nominations, and we welcome the public’s input on what we should preserve next."

The latest selections named to the registry span from 1919 to 1998 and range from the recordings of the all-Black 369th U.S. Infantry Band led by James Reese Europe after World War I, to defining sounds of jazz and bluegrass, and iconic recordings from pop, dance, country, rock, rap, Latin and classical music.

"For the past 21 years the National Recording Preservation Board has provided musical expertise, historical perspective and deep knowledge of recorded sound to assist the Librarian in choosing landmark recordings to be inducted into the Library’s National Recording Registry," said Robbin Ahrold, Chair of the National Recording Preservation Board. "The board again this year is pleased to join the Librarian in highlighting influential works in our diverse sound heritage, as well as helping to spread the word on the National Recording Registry through their own social media and streaming media Campaigns."

Tune in to NPR's "1A" for "The Sounds of America" series, featuring interviews with Hayden and selected artists, to hear stories behind this year’s picks. Stay connected to the conversation about the registry via social media and listen to many of the recordings on your favorite streaming service.

For more details on the National Recording Registry and to explore more about the selections, visit The Library of Congress's official National Recording Registry page.

National Recording Registry, 2024 Selections (chronological order)

1. "Clarinet Marmalade" – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)

2. "Kauhavan Polkka" – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)

3. Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)

4. "Rose Room" – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)

5. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Gene Autry (1949)

6. "Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page (1950)

7. "Rocket ‘88’" – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)

8. "Catch a Falling Star" / "Magic Moments" – Perry Como (1957)

9. "Chances Are" – Johnny Mathis (1957)

10. "The Sidewinder" – Lee Morgan (1964)

11. "Surrealistic Pillow" – Jefferson Airplane (1967)

12. "Ain’t No Sunshine" – Bill Withers (1971)

13. "This is a Recording" – Lily Tomlin (1971)

14. "J.D. Crowe & the New South" – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)

15. "Arrival" – ABBA (1976)

16. "El Cantante" – Héctor Lavoe (1978)

17. "The Cars" – The Cars (1978)

18. "Parallel Lines" – Blondie (1978)

19. "La-Di-Da-Di" – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)

20. "Don’t Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1988)

21. "Amor Eterno" – Juan Gabriel (1990)

22. "Pieces of Africa" – Kronos Quartet (1992)

23. Dookie – Green Day (1994)

24. Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

25. "Wide Open Spaces" – The Chicks (1998)

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Latin music has gone global and Enrique Iglesias is one of the superstars who laid the foundation for that crossover. The Spanish pop icon's music career spans four decades of hits both in his native tongue and in English. Following his reign as Billboard’s Greatest Latin Artist of All-Time, Iglesias marks the end of an era with the last album of his career, Final Vol. 2.

Iglesias followed in the footsteps of his father, singer/songwriter Julio Iglesias, and made his own debut in the 1990s with Spanish-language love songs. He began singing in English at the end of the decade, and subsequently led an explosion of interest in Latin pop alongside acts like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and later Shakira. 

As of writing, Iglesias has a record-breaking 27 No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart, and solidified himself as a global heartthrob with an allure that defies language barriers. For his efforts, Iglesias has won one GRAMMY and five Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Enrique Iglesias will release what will likely be his final album on March 29, aptly titled Final (Vol. 2). Ahead of his final bow, here are 10 tracks that celebrate Iglesias' legacy in Latin music. 

"Experiencia Religiosa" (1995)

Iglesias made his debut in 1995 with a self-titled first album. Among the ballads on the10-track LP, the otherworldly "Experiencia Religiosa" best demonstrates the power of his charm.  

Backed by the piano with elements of gospel music, Iglesias belts his heart out about a night of passion that felt like spiritual awakening. To capture the energy of the sparks flying, an electric guitar solo rounded out his soulful yet sexy sermon. Iglesias demonstrated his knack for seamlessly blending together romance and sex appeal, which would go on to define his artistry and style.

Enrique Iglesias earned the singer his first golden gramophone at the 39th GRAMMY Awards for Best Latin Pop Performance.

"Nunca Te Olvidaré" (1997)

Iglesias proved that he was here to stay with his third album, 1997's Cosas Del Amor. The LP includes one of his signature love songs, "Nunca Te Olvidaré." 

Iglesias' voice reached angelic highs in the Spanish-language power ballad, which details  romance that left a lasting impression. No matter what happened, the love Iglesias shared with that person couldn't be forgotten — much like his impact on the Latin pop explosion that was brewing.

"Bailamos" (1999)

Proving he was so much bigger than the Iglesias last name, he crossed over into the English-language market with his 1999 album Enrique. Iglesias became a global Latin pop heartthrob with the sultry club banger "Bailamos." The song was featured on the Wild Wild West soundtrack, after Will Smith personally invited Iglesias to contribute music to the project.

Backed by the strum of the Spanish guitar with alluring synths, he invited the world to dance with him in English and Spanish. In a major moment for Latin acts at the time, the song topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. The massive success of the song led Iglesias to sign with Interscope Records, where he released his breakthrough album. 

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (1999)

One of the underrated gems on Iglesias' Enrique album is his collaboration with six-time GRAMMY-winner Whitney Houston. 

The late pop legend joined forces with him for the sensual "Could I Have This Kiss Forever," making worlds collide with an irresistible mix of Latin percussion, Spanish guitar, and R&B. Houston also sang a bit in Spanish with Iglesias. His dreamy duet with Houston (who also sings in Spanish) broke down barriers for collaborations between Latin and English-language pop acts. In the years that followed, he collaborated with superstars like Kelis, Ciara, and Usher.  

"Hero" (2001)

Iglesias' love songs in English touched the hearts of millions around the world. One of his enduring classics is the empowering "Hero" from his 2001 album Escape. 

The beautiful ballad was released in both English and Spanish. In one of most tender vocal performances, Iglesias serenades his lover with sweet lyrics about always being by her side. After the song impressively peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, Iglesias proved that his star power was here to stay. 

The song also became an anthem of hope for the U.S. following the Sept. 11 attacks, and Iglesias was invited to perform "Hero" for the broadcast special "America: A Tribute to Heroes." 

"Bailando" (2014)

After laying the foundation for the globalization of Latin music, Iglesias enjoyed one of his greatest career triumphs in 2014 — in both Spanish and English. 

The feel-good smash "Bailando" blended Caribbean rhythms with flamenco influences, bringing together Sean Paul and Cuba's Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona. The Spanglish banger peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At the 2014 Latin GRAMMYs, Iglesias and his collaborators took home golden gramophones for Song Of The Year, Best Urban Performance, and Best Urban Song. 

The success of the song also helped usher in the reggaeton music revival of the last decade. Pop and reggaeton collaborations became more commonplace with songs like "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and J Balvin’s "Mi Gente" remix with Beyoncé later following suit.  

"Beautiful" (2014)

Iglesias joined forces with GRAMMY-winning dance-pop icon Kylie Minogue for "Beautiful," a  haunting love song about a formidable romance that could withstand the apocalypse. 

The electronic ballad was co-produced by Mark Taylor, who was also at the helm of Iglesias' collaboration with Houston. Iglesias and Minogue's voices melted together in a hypnotic harmony that made this song live up to its name. The song was included on Minogue’s Kiss Me Once album and deluxe edition of Iglesias’ Sex and Love LP.  

"El Baño" (2018)

Before he became a GRAMMY-winning global star, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny teamed up with Iglesias for a freaky reggaeton romp, "El Baño." 

Iglesias first turned up the heat by singing about getting intimate with his lover in the restroom. Bad Bunny dropped in that halfway point as his wingman with a fiery guest verse. The hypnotic collaboration was included on Iglesias' penultimate album Final (Vol. 1). 

Iglesias later added a woman’s perspective to the song, bringing on Dominican reggaeton star Natti Natasha joining them on the remix. As one of Latin pop’s most daring artists, he was never afraid to push boundaries with his risque tracks. 

"Space In My Heart" (2024)

After the release of his reggaeton-heavy Final (Vol. 1), Iglesias was ready to be more adventurous with the music that followed. In 2022, Iglesias ventured into country music for the first time with "Espacio En Tu Corazón." 

To bring some more authenticity to the English-language version of the song, "Space In My Heart," Iglesias teamed up with GRAMMY-winning country star Miranda Lambert. The breathtaking country-pop ballad features Iglesias and Lambert singing passionately about winning over the hearts of their crushes. 

The song is a highlight on the last album of his career, Final (Vol. 2). And while it seems like this may be the singer's final hurrah, Iglesias told PEOPLE in 2021: "No, I'm never gonna retire! I'm gonna keep on writing songs but that doesn't mean I need to be putting out albums every so often."

"Fría" (2024)

Iglesias is going out in style with "Fría." For the most vibrant song on Final Vol. 2,  Iglesias collaborates with Cuban singer/songwriter Yotuel on a frisky and refreshing banger, which blends reggaeton beats with elements of tropical music.

Iglesias sounds like he's having a blast with Yotuel as they try to convince their partners there was no infidelity at last night's wild party. "I just went out for a cold one," Iglesias winkingly sings in Spanish. Cheers to the legacy of one of Latin pop's greater stars.  

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Los Angeles' legendary Conga Room is closing its doors, but will not go quietly into the night.

The 25-year-old venue has been home to countless Latin music performances and celebrations — including the 2001 Latin GRAMMYs — and will host its final event on March 27. The official, invitation-only closing celebration will feature a performance by Puerto Rican salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa and the Conga Kids, as well appearances from Jimmy Smits and Paul Rodriguez, both of whom were investors in the space. 

First opened in 1999 on Wilshire Boulevard by real estate entrepreneur and Latin music lover Brad Gluckstein, the Conga Room drew investors like Jennifer Lopez and Sheila E — all of whom were committed to the venue’s vision of being an upscale nightclub devoted to live Latin music and dancing. In both its Miracle Mile location and its later space at L.A. Live, the club attracted an absolutely staggering lineup of talent, including Celia Cruz, Buena Vista Social Club, Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Alejandro Fernández, Fito Paez, Jerry Rivera, Bad Bunny, and Maluma. The venue also hosted performances from non-Latinx artists like Prince, Ed Sheeran, Lenny Kravitz, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and Avicii.

"I saw Prince perform in venues the world over, but his very first performance at the Conga Room was magical," says talk show host Tavis Smiley. "Of all the times I witnessed my friend on stage, from Madison Square Garden to Montreux, the Conga Room remains my favorite Prince performance."

Gluckstein says that the Conga Room was able to draw such great talent not just because it was one of the only major venues that leaned into Latin music in the United States, but because there was a mutual respect between the artists and the venue. 

"We couldn’t compete financially with [Goldenvoice or AEG], but we were able to bring an incredible amount of talent to the venue," he tells GRAMMY.com. "I was talking to Jerry Rivera’s agent the other day and I said, ‘Jerry just played in front of 10,000 people in Venezuela. Help me understand why playing in front of 1,000 people at the Conga room was so important.’ He went on for 10 minutes about what the room meant to these artists and the way we respected them, the sound system, and the way they were treated. The fan engagement, too, plus the fact that there was never really a comparable room anywhere else, even in New York."

"We provided a stage and a voice for acts that didn’t have a way of getting to their audience here in L.A., because no radio stations were playing their kind of music," says Marcella Cuonzo, the venue’s publicist. "For reggaeton, for example, the Conga Room was a pioneer in the movement around 2010. Radio wasn’t playing that music, but the Conga Room took a gamble on the sound because they saw its vision." 

The Conga Room was also the first venue in Los Angeles to host a wide-range of Cuban musical talent starting in the mid- to late ‘90s. "We had probably 50 shows," says Gluckstein. "We got everything from Bebo Valdés to [Diego] El Cigala to Pablo Milanés, who played his first show ever in the U.S. at our venue. He’s the Bob Dylan of Cuba. We brought Los Van Van, who’s probably the most famous salsa or timba group in the history of Cuba. They couldn’t play in Miami, because Miami wouldn’t allow Cuban music, so the GRAMMYs gave them their trophy [for Best Salsa Performance] at the Conga Room."  

The Latin GRAMMY Awards moved from L.A. from Miami in 2001, and the ceremony was set to take place at the Shrine Auditorium on Sept. 11. That telecast was understandably canceled following the tragic events of that day in New York, and rather than rescheduling the whole event, winners were announced at a press conference on Oct. 30 at the Conga Room. Alejandro Sanz came away with four awards, including Album Of The Year, and Juanes took home three Latin GRAMMYs, including Best New Artist.

"I remember Celia Cruz giving a beautiful speech that night in Spanish, thanking the firefighters and policemen and saying ‘this is for you, but also a little bit for us," says Gluckstein. "In later years, once we were at L.A. Live, we hosted the Latin GRAMMY nominations several times. I have footage of Andy Garcia doing them on-stage with Jimmy Smits." 

The Conga Room is closing now because, Gluckstein says, it just seems like the right time. "The pandemic, of course, played a role," he explains. "And I think the enormity of AEG and Live Nation, with how fierce the competition is, all of that has made buying talent much more expensive and has made talent more selective in terms of what's the best economic opportunity for them." 

There’s also the rising success of Conga Kids, the venue’s non-profit arm, to consider. A county-wide organization with about 100 employees, Conga Kids reaches roughly 50,000 elementary-aged kids in largely under-resourced communities every year, using dance and music from the Afro-Diaspora like salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, Charleston, and hip-hop to promote social and emotional well-being, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusivity. 

Though fans and artists will undoubtedly miss the space, energy, and community the Conga Room provided, Gluckstein says the venue’s closure doesn’t have to be sad. Instead, he says, it can be celebratory. 

"We accomplished so much," he says. "Now, the venue will just have to live on in the hearts and minds of people, instead of as a brick and mortar space." 

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Back in 2021, a song released on Marc Anthony’s record label caused a stir among salsa fans. 

It was a revamped version of the minor 1993 hit "Hasta el Sol de Hoy," and the track introduced singer/songwriter Luis Figueroa as a messenger of change. It pulsated with the languid vibes of salsa romántica, but also uncoiled a harder, more ferocious groove on the chorus. It sounded like a Marc Anthony hit, but with an added patina of 2020’s urbano slickness. Anthony loved it. 

"I realized that there was an open door —the opportunity to add a fresher sound to salsa for a younger audience," Figueroa, 34, tells GRAMMY.com.

Since then, the Philadelphia native of Puerto Rican origin has become one of the few artists who consciously chose the somewhat forsaken mystique of salsa and turned it into a viable pathway for critical and commercial success. His latest recording – a fiery EP of urbano-styled salsa titled Voy A Ti — is nominated for Best Tropical Album at the 2024 GRAMMYs, alongside genre giants such as Rubén Blades, Grupo Niche and Omara Portuondo.

"Salsa is the music that I grew up with, and it was always a natural choice," he says. "I guess I was taken by the passion and purity of the many salsa songs that focus on real love."

Figueroa was just 9 years old when he began singing "music that is meant to be enjoyed mostly at nightclubs," and met many genre legends. Graciela and Joe Cuba became his mentors. It was at that point that he envisioned himself following in the footsteps of Marc Anthony, Eddie Santiago — his sister’s favorite singer — and also his mother’s choice salseros: Frankie Ruiz and El Gran Combo.

"Because I was involved in music at a very young age, people called me el niño mimado de Filadelfia [Philadelphia’s pampered kid]," he recalls. "Artists like Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez and Michael Stuart would come to the city for salsa fairs and they all wanted to meet the young kid who was singing their music. I got to perform [‘90s mega-hit] 'No Vale La Pena' onstage with Johnny Rivera."

It was only natural that Figueroa would gravitate to the salsa romántica sound that was prevalent at the time. "My all-time favorite singer is Jerry Rivera, so clearly I have a weakness for the romantic side of tropical music," he agrees. "Luis Miguel’s bolero album Segundo Romance (1994) was also an influence."

But then, Figueroa got the chance to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he discovered the complexity of R&B and other genres. A stint touring as backup vocalist with Romeo Santos allowed him to observe the bachata mega-star’s songwriting process. Just like Santos had updated and revolutionized the way bachata was supposed to sound, Figueroa thought that salsa could also benefit from a makeover.  

"I realized that I wanted to partake in the evolution and revolution of this traditional genre," he recalls.

Compared to the other nominees, Figueroa sounds like a salsa modernist on Voy A Ti. Its lead single, "La Luz," kicks off with a digital loop and a vocal line that could belong in a straight-ahead reggaetón track, before it morphs into salsa and the singer’s impressive soneos anchor the chorus on traditional Afro-Caribbean territory. At times, the melody has subtle points in common with Karol G’s "Tusa," the 2019 urbano anthem. The dramatic pyrotechnics of "A Escondidas," on the other hand, with its smoldering trombone riffs and high-octane emoting, stems from the Marc Anthony school of thought. 

Not surprisingly, Figueroa became a Latin GRAMMY regular. In 2022, his self-titled album and the song "Fiesta Contigo" were nominated (he lost both to label boss Marc Anthony.)  Voy A Ti was also nominated for a Latin GRAMMY a few months ago.

These accolades confirmed the prophetic worlds of salsa diva India, who met Figueroa at the beginning of his career and hailed him as a future star.

"She invited me onstage at the end of a festival," he recalls. "I remember the bright lights and the smoke machines; the electricity of the moment. The keyboardist started playing the intro to 'Dicen Que Soy,' and people were singing the chorus before she stepped onstage. It was an epiphany, because at that moment I envisioned what I wanted my career to look like: to have, one day, people singing along in my own concerts."

Now, Figueroa has become the latest in a distinguished line of salsa singers with boricua roots. From Tito Rodríguez and Héctor Lavoe to Cheo Feliciano and Ismael Miranda, the contribution of Puerto Rico to the salsa mystique is staggering — a reality that baffles the first time GRAMMY nominee.

"I don’t really know how to explain this phenomenon," he says. "Is it something in the water? Is it the air? Is it the privileged location? If you ever understand it, please let me know." [Laughs.] 

While Figueroa craved the acceptance of Puerto Ricans who live on the island, he eventually realized  that many salsa icons were born outside of it, including his idols Marc Anthony, India, and Frankie Ruiz. 

"Creativity flows naturally in Puerto Rico, it stems from the heart and the soul. We have so many great singers and composers, poets, boxers, tattoo artists. Such a small island, too. It’s one of the great mysteries of the world," he says.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List