Latin Grammy Awards - Sept 13, 2000

Controversy

When the Latin Grammy was first announced it was hailed as another mainstream recognition of Latin American culture. Like all mainstream things, controversy must enter in. Although it took a few weeks for someone to complain about favoritism, everyone probably noticed the plethora of nominations for Emilio Estefan. Emilio, husband to Gloria, happens to be very involved with the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. He also ties for the most nominations with Colombian singer Carlos Vives, with both earning six. On top of the six nominations, Emilio also received the first "Person of the Year" award for lifetime achievement.

The next complaint was that regional Mexican artists from independent labels did not receive appropriate recognition in major nominations. They have their own categories, which are appropriate as the largest Spanish-speaking nation, but are not represented in major nominations like "Best Album". At first glance I have to wonder whether it's true, but then wonder why this should be different from the normal Grammy awards. You don't exactly hear of small independent labels setting the award nominations on fire. Genre specific labels tend to stay in their genre when nominated. Most market see a preference for certain style within the "voting Acadamies". It's always about commercial success. You don't hear of most musicians unless they are succesful at marketing. I think the Guatemalans and other less represented nations may have more of a complaint. The group who complained about regional representation also called for boycotts of the 1st ever Latin Grammy.

Celebration

My response to the controversy is - You may be right, but so what? This is the first ever of this award. First nominations, first process, first draft. File a complaint and look for a change on the second draft. When I saw the nominations, my first thought was to be pleased that so many musical forms were represented - especially the Brazilians who are often left out of the Latin American celebrations. I also thought it was excellent to point out the specific regional forms in the various categories.

This year the awards will be hosted by Andy García and Gloria Estefan (both Cuban) with Jimmy Smits and Jennifer López (both Puerto Rican). Jimmy Smits actually represents Puerto Ricans on stage, along with the seldom-mentioned Dutch-speaking heritage of Suriname in Latin America. CBS will be broadcasting the show on September 13 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), partially to make up for their blatant lack of Latino representation on their network. This will be the first prominently Spanish-language event to air on prime time television and will show in over 120 countries. The Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation will broadcast the program Spanish-language radio across the country.

If you disagree with the circumstances of the awards, watch the first one and protest to change the second year. If you don't think you like Latin music or if you like some Latin music but don't know what else is out there - watch to find out how diverse and wonderful the world of Latin Music can be. You will see a variety of influences from faces you've seen often and faces you've never seen before. It will be an excellent chance to discover a very wide world seldom explored in such detail.

Discuss in the Forum:
Who do you think will win at the Latin Grammy Awards?

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--by Richard L Vázquez--