Taking a look at the winners in Latin music at the 2010 Grammy Awards, it looks like the Recording Academy was playing it safe. They selected Luis Enrique's Ciclos over the more challenging Bach in Havana, Vicente Fernandez over two dynamite mariachi albums by women bands, Los Tigres del Norte, a big, familiar name, over some excellent albums by less familiar names.
But that's O.K. At least Latin music has it's own Latin Grammy Awards where Latin music holds center stage.
The only problem with the Latin Grammy Awards is that since the show moved to Univision from CBS in 2004, the show is now broadcast only in Spanish (with really bad subtitles on CC3). Fans of Latin music that are less fluent in Spanish (and that includes lots of second generation Hispanics) or that don't have regular access to Univision are bound to feel excluded.
In 2010, even the press information for the Latin Grammy's will only be offered in Spanish. Strange that in a time of declining sales, decisions are being made that will make the music more inaccessible than ever.
Here are the Grammy winners in Latin music for 2010.
2010 Grammy Winners in Latin Music originally appeared on About.com Latin Music on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 00:07:15.
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If I had to name one person who has made mainstream America sit up and hear that Latin beat, it would be Emilio Estefan.
The Cuban refugee came to the U.S. with his family in the 1980s and, with an accordion and a dream, started Miami Sound Machine. He went on to become a major music producer and mentor. He opened a restaurant and helped pave the way to the creation of the Latin Recording Academy. He became part owner of the Miami Dolphins and now, at age 56, shares his story in The Rhythm of Success: How an Immigrant Produced his own American Dream.
The book talks about leaving Cuba and life with wife Gloria Estefan; he also shares some of his secrets to success.
So whether you're interested in the pointers, the gossip or just an interesting story, this sounds like a really good read. (Available in both English and Spanish).
Emilio Estefan Pens Life Story originally appeared on About.com Latin Music on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 03:23:05.
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I thought it would be fun to go back through a year's worth of statistics and see which songs readers chose to download during 2009. These download statistics are generated through the Amazon links I make available on top picks lists, cd reviews, new releases, etc. So, if you download through iTunes or other services, those numbers aren't reflected here.
So here are the standings.
In third place is NG2's "Te Regalare." NG2 consists of duo Norberto Velez and Gerardo Rivas with the assistance of an A-list back-up band. They also appear to be Puerto Rico's hot, new generational answer to El Gran Combo -- in fact, Gerardo Rivas is the son of El Gran Combo's Jerry Rivas.
"Te Regalare" can be found on their 2004 debut album, Comienzos. If you love their sound, subsequent albums Al Fin! and Con Todos Las De Ganar are also outstanding examples of the type of salsa they made Puerto Rico the genre's capital during the last decade.
Second place goes to Gloria Estefan and "Caridad." The Miami native proved once again that the rhythm is going to get you with the release of her fourth Spanish-language album, 2007's 90 Millas.
Finally, the winner. Victor Manuelle's "No Me Hace Falta" was download more than any other single song last year. "No Me Hace Falta" is from his 2004 album Travesia.
The pattern here is pretty interesting. While plenty of 2009 albums were purchased, few single songs from the year's crop of music were individually downloaded. I guess it just proves that good music doesn't have an expiration date on it and, if you haven't heard it before, it's new to you.
Looking at the top three, it's also tough to subscribe to the axiom that salsa is dead.
2009 Most Downloaded Songs originally appeared on About.com Latin Music on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 00:47:15.
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It's not that unusual for an artist to release twin CDs, although the track list is usually basically the same, sung in a different style or in a different language. In fact, Andrea Bocelli just did that very thing with his Mi Navidad /My Christmas twin releases.
It is very unusual (in that I can't remember anyone doing it) for an artist to simultaneously release two very different albums, but Alejandro Fernandez did just that.
Dos Mundos Tradicion will make ranchera fans happy as clams in a market that for years has been dominated by father Vicente Fernandez. Dos Mundos Evolucion will do the same for Latin pop ballad afficianados. But not only do the two albums contain music in very different styles, the 11 tracks per CD are all unique meaning that Fernandez is offering his public 22 new songs.
Both albums debuted at No. 1 on their respective charts (Latin Pop and Regional Mexican). On Billboard's Top Latin Album charts, Evolucion debuted at No. 2, Tradicion at No. 3. But wait! The third offering, a dual package of both discs called simply Dos Mundos debuted at No. 10.
A bravura performance made all the more satisfying by music worthy of the feat.
* Album covers courtesy Universal/Fonovisa
Review: Alejandro Fernandez - 'Dos Mundos" originally appeared on About.com Latin Music on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 03:36:51.
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