Since time immemorial, Latin America has been a fount of sounds that shape global culture — and since its founding, the Latin GRAMMYs have documented, highlighted and elevated this multifarious legacy.

In honor of National Day of Salsa 2023 (Día Nacional de la Zalsa), which takes place this  Sunday, March 19, a tradition in Puerto Rico since 1984, this society of Latin music professionals has curated "Sabor Tropical," a 17-track playlist full of spectacular tracks for those who wish to immerse themselves in songs that won Latin GRAMMYs in tropical and salsa categories.

"Sabor Tropical" includes tracks from Orquesta Failde, Oscar D'Leon, Gloria Estefan, and other leading lights in this endlessly talented musical community. Enjoy the playlist below, and keep watching this space for news on everything Latin GRAMMYs!

10 Jazz Artists Blending And Expanding The Sounds Of Latin America: Miguel Zenón, Roxana Amed, Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Others

The Latin Recording Academy is whisking you away to Brazil for its second digital concert for its 2022 Latin GRAMMY Acoustic Sessions. Celebrating the next generation of Brazilian artists, the concert features exclusive performances from Latin GRAMMY nominees Giulia Be and Luísa Sonza, as well as Manu Gavassi and Agnes Nunes.

The digital concert, which premiered today, is available to view on the Latin Recording Academy’s Facebook page as well as on each participating artists’ personal Facebook page on Oct. 20 by 3 p.m. EST.

Recorded in an intimate, dreamy studio in São Paulo, the 48-minute concert also features new interpretations of Rita Lee’s classic songs, under the direction of Zé Ricardo. Lee will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Latin GRAMMY Awards on Nov. 17. The session also spotlights a special presentation from Paula Lima, a former Latin GRAMMY nominee.

​​"This acoustic session — featuring the songs of Rita Lee interpreted in new ways, by new voices — showcases our commitment to excellence in the recording arts while preserving the cultural legacy of Latin music," said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy. "These artists represent the new generation of Brazilian music creators and embody our commitment to building more inclusive spaces for musicians as we aim to bridge the gender gap within our industry."

In addition to providing intimate musical experiences centered around artists’ personal narratives, the Latin GRAMMY Acoustic Sessions highlight up-and-coming talent. The first digital acoustic session was released earlier this year in July, starring El Fantasma, Los Dos Carnales and Lupita Infante.

Watch: El Fantasma, Los Dos Carnales & Lupita Infante Perform Live From Mexico City As Part Of The 2022 Latin GRAMMY Acoustic Sessions

The 2022 Latin GRAMMYs are right around the corner, on Nov. 17 — and now we have a taste of its unique visual flair.

On Oct. 20, the Latin Recording Academy announced that Mexican muralist Quetzal Fuerte has been selected as the official artist of the 2022 Latin GRAMMYs.

Approaching this year's official Latin GRAMMY artwork with a fresh lens, Quetzal's mural for The Latin Recording Academy reflects his distinct, vibrant style, and capturesthe energy of Latin music through the use of colors.

The mural is on display in Morelia, Mexico, and a sister piece will soon be created at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles in November, in an effort to provide access to art and local enthusiasm for the upcoming Latin GRAMMYs.

Additionally, Quetzal's work will be featured prominently on collateral materials and as an exclusive NFT before and during the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Official artwork by Quetzal Fuerte for the 2022 Latin GRAMMYs | Photo Courtesy of the Latin Recording Academy

"I am grateful to The Latin Recording Academy for inviting me to join them in crossing a new frontier together through the creation of this mural in Morelia," said Quetzal Fuerte. "Art is nourishment for the soul, whether it's visual or through sound, and through this piece we have the opportunity to impact and transform the lives of those who see it here locally or in its digital form, planting seeds of thought and emotion that will hopefully inspire future creators."

"The Latin Recording Academy is proud to continue its tradition of supporting emerging artists, like Quetzal, whose vision so brilliantly captures the essence of our 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards," said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "His murals and accompanying free NFT mark a series of firsts for us at The Latin Academy, as we bridge music and visual art to make both accessible to fans around the world."

For the official artwork of the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards and accompanying mural, the artist shows a variety of musical instruments to illustrate the multifaceted Latino experience through the juxtaposition of bright and dark colors.

In partnership with OneOf, the leading Web3 platform for music, lifestyle brands and sports, The Latin Recording Academy will host the first-ever NFT collection tied to The Latin GRAMMY Awards with a series of drops celebrating Latin music through a collection of NFTs debuting with Quetzal's artwork.

The first NFT in the series is available free on OneOf's website for Latin GRAMMY enthusiasts. Users that claim the free NFT will unlock airdrops of exclusive content from the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Quetzal Fuerte describes himself as an urban acupuncturist — but instead of using needles, he uses paintbrush to bring healing to the pressure points of cities. Thus, he covers blank spaces with colorful, allusive art that depicts the highs and lows of modern life while providing residents with moments of respite.

The Latin Academy will host the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards on Thursday, November 17, 2022, from the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The telecast will air live on Univision beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central). For airing times in additional countries, please consult local guides. 

For more information and the latest news, visit the official Latin Recording Academy site at www.LatinGRAMMY.com.

2022 Latin GRAMMYs Performers Announced: Rauw Alejandro, Chiquis, Jesse & Joy & More

"Three years ago, I was lost completely in Los Angeles," Juanes says at the top of his acceptance speech for Album of the Year at the 4th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards.

In that relatively short amount of time, the Columbian singer-songwriter went from feeling lost to accepting one of his five Latin GRAMMY wins of the night. Watch Juanes emotionally bounce between English and Spanish to show his appreciation to his family, peers and home country in the newest episode of GRAMMY Rewind.

In addition to winning the Latin GRAMMY for Album of the Year in 2003, Juanes also took home awards for Best Rock Solo Vocal Album, Best Rock Song, Song Of The Year, and Record Of The Year at the 4th Latin GRAMMYs. The Colombian singer-songwriter has won 26 Latin GRAMMYs throughout his career, dating back to his first win in 2001 and his most recent win in 2020.

Relive one of Juanes' Latin GRAMMY wins above, and check below to revisit more GRAMMY moments.

And make sure to watch the Biggest Night in Latin Music later this month: The 2021 Latin GRAMMYs Awards, officially known as the 22nd Latin GRAMMY Awards, take place Thursday, Nov. 18. 

2021 Latin GRAMMYs Awards: Lupita Infante, Jon Secada, Luedji Luna, Zoe Gotusso & More Confirmed As Performers For Latin GRAMMY Premiere

When formulating the ingredients that would create Timelezz, Jhay Cortez had one objective in mind. "My main goal was not to make an album, it was to create an experience," he proclaims.

Cortez's second full-length album arrives over two years after his wildly successful debut, Famouz, where he solidified himself as one of the most exhilarating up-and-comers in Latin trap and reggaetón. The record featured one inescapable single, "No Me Conoce," whose remix, starring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, accelerated Cortez to global stardom. "That's when everyone gave me a chance … but that's just the start of it," he tells GRAMMY.com.

Cortez's star ascended further when he featured in Bad Bunny's whirling hit "Dákiti" late last year. The song, which is currently nominated for Best Urban Song at the 2021 Latin GRAMMYs, landed in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100, and debuted at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs, among other chart achievements. Cortez, alongside Bad Bunny, even performed "Dákiti" in at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show. "It was something that I never imagined," he muses. "To be the first [Latin artist to sing in Spanish at the GRAMMYs] from this decade is super impressive for me."

Born in 1993 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Jesús Manuel Nieves Cortez split his childhood between his native island and Camden, New Jersey. While on the East Coast, young Jhay got schooled in hip-hop, taking lessons from some of the movement's most formidable rappers. He traced his roots in the Caribbean, where he immersed himself in the hotbed of reggaetón. "I have many different roots and inspirations from different [places]," he points out. "That is what really helped me to be able to create all these different things."

On Timelezz, Jhay Cortez turns up the heat, maneuvering between slinky and hard-hitting rhythms alchemized by producers Tainy, MVSIS, Taiko, and Cortez himself, among others. He shoots for the stars with EDM brilliance ("En Mi Cuarto," featuring Skrillex), then manages to hang from somewhere in the aether with trap-mospheric pop alongside indie darlings Buscabulla. Meanwhile, Cortez narrates stories of heartache, lust, and nights of debauchery. "It was really about evolving Jhay Cortez," he says.

GRAMMY.com caught up with the multi-hyphenate artist a day before he performed at J Balvin's NEON event in Las Vegas, also starring Karol G, Rauw Alejandro, and Tainy, where he offered a glimpse behind the scenes on what it's like to live in the shoes of Jhay Cortez.

This interview was conducted in Spanglish and translated to and edited in English for clarity.

What were some of the main goals you had when creating your new album, Timelezz?

One of my main goals was to evolve from Famouz. Not to make a better album, or to compete with it, but trying to make another part of myself. I felt like I was in a great moment where I [had] really good control over my voice. I have found my flow. My verses are better. The production and my mixing engineers are a lot better. So it was really [about] evolving Jhay Cortez. I have found myself now that I have total control of how I want to look visually, stylistically, and how I want to sound. Now it's about paying tribute to all of those things that helped me excel. Don Omar was the artist that inspired me to be an artist, to make music. I finally got [creative] control to play with everything that I loved growing up. My main goal was not to make an album, it was to create an experience.

You also step beyond reggaetón, like when you produced an EDM song alongside Skrillex. How did that collaboration come about?

When we completed the "Dákiti" video, I started producing "En Mi Cuarto." I had this whole idea and melodies for it. Then, one day, I was scrolling down Instagram and I came across Skrillex's profile, and I realized I wasn't following him. I'm like, "Shit, why am I not following Skrillex?" He was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. So when I saw his profile, it said, "follow back," and I went crazy. I wrote to him saying, "Respect. You were a big inspiration to me." Then he told me that he really liked my music too. Reggaetón is mostly my base, but I knew that if I wanted to take that record ["En Mi Cuarto"] to the next level, I had to give it to somebody that knows what to do. And who better than Skrillex? So, I sent that out to him. He really connected with it, and we just started working on it.

You mention Bad Bunny's "Dákiti," which you famously star in. It's a tremendous multi-record breaking hit, and you performed it at the 2020 GRAMMYs in Los Angeles. What was it like performing at one of the most important events in music?

It was something that I never imagined. Obviously, I had dreams of singing at the GRAMMYs, Latin GRAMMYs, or even singing at Premios Juventud or the Billboard [Music Awards]. But to perform at the actual GRAMMYs? I think the last [Spanish-singing] Latino [performing] was Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee [with "Despacito" in 2018], and then Ricky Martin. But to be the first from this decade is super impressive for me. I'm really grateful and feel blessed that I went through all these barriers as a Latino, and being able to get to places that no one imagined previously.

In your new album, you step into atmospheric pop by incorporating trap elements alongside New York-Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla in the outro track "Eternamente." What was that collaboration like?

They're one of my favorite bands. One day, somebody asked them on Instagram if they listened to urban music, and if they did, who. They wrote "Jhay Cortez." That really surprised me because I was already a fan of them. So I hit them up and invited them over to my house. I thought it was a great idea to have them on my album, because this album is everything that I like and have liked before. I knew then and there that I wanted to genuinely click with them. It's not all about me. It was really about making the moment, and if it was a vibe, and they agreed to it, then we would collaborate. But thank God that everything went better than we thought, and we did more than one song. We got to work on different things, so that for me is a dream come true.

You were born in Puerto Rico, but grew up in Camden, New Jersey. How did the geographical and cultural shift and getting exposed to an entirely new environment shape your creativity at such a young age?

That is what really helped me to be able to do all these different things. I have many different roots and inspirations from different [places]. I used to listen to Eminem, then 50 Cent, Don Omar, Arcángel, Drake, and then The Weeknd. I like salsa, and I like reggae group Cultura Profética. I have so many inspirations from so many different places that it's impossible not to take the best things out of each one of them and make cool things in reggaetón. That is one of the most important things that has helped me be able to emulate [my idols].

That's inspiration from across the board, from different genres and generations. So, for Timelezz, what music were you most influenced by?

I would say reggaetón's golden era, like Luny Tunes' Mas Flow, Don Omar, Hector El Father, Tego [Calderón], Wisin & Yandel. That's the era that I grew up in, when I really dreamed of making music like that. So it was a moment of being able to do what I always wanted to do as a kid, but having the ability to do it a little bit better — not better than them, just better in this era, better than anybody in this era. There's not a lot of people that know how to really mix, I would say, different eras of reggaetón and make it sound super dope. I was really just having fun.

Before you became a vocalist, you were a songwriter. You wrote hits for Zion & Lennox and Tito El Bambino as a teen, then Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee.

Yeah, I started [songwriting] when I was 17 because I didn't work. I needed to make money somehow, so I said to myself, "Yo llego a donde quiero llegar" ("I'm going to where I want to go"). I had to make money and eat, so I started working. That was also my way to network and make connections. That also really helped me at the end.

Several years ago, you started blowing up, particularly with "No Me Conoce." That song has continued to resonate in my Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick since it was released over two years ago. That song was a massive moment for you.

That's when everybody gave me a chance, like, "Okay, he has something and maybe we should pay more attention to his music." I think that's how you prove yourself en este género ("in this genre"), in this music. It's all about the competition, how well you can do, and how big you can do it. That was my first big global hit. And that was just the start of it. But that's always going to be a special record for me because it was my first one.

Well, enjoy the rest of your time in Vegas. Are you also planning on checking out the city and gambling?

I'm not a big gambler — well, I gamble with clothes. I love buying clothes and shoes, so after this, I'm going to the mall. I've got to buy stuff for tomorrow's performance [at NEON]. I'm going to the studio, and I have a car, so I'm driving around. I'm definitely having fun in Vegas.

The 2021 Latin GRAMMYs, hosted by Ana Brenda Contreras, Carlos Rivera and Roselyn Sánchez, will air live on Univision on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT). It will also air on cable channel TNT at 19.00 (MEX) / 20.00 (PAN-COL) / 21.00 (VEN) / 22.00 (ARG/CHI), and on Televisa on Channel 5. Learn more about the 2021 Latin GRAMMYs Awards via the Latin Recording Academy's official website

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