Sunday, September 20, 2009

Luis Fonsi, Gian Marco Among Miami Natives Nominated for Latin Grammys

By Christopher Lopez in News Friday, Sep. 18 2009 @ 10:00AM
You know here at Crossfade we like to give you guys plenty of locally relevant music news. Like cool goings on having to do with some of your favorite local acts, MP3s you can download for your own listening pleasure, the skinny on concerts in town and other fun stuff you can get down with, or reviews of some of those same concerts, where one of our talented writers most likely committed a few important notes to their phone or memory before turning their attention to the nearest bar. What I'm trying to say is, we're Miami-centric, and rightly so.

Well, this particular post has got nothing at all to do with our local music scene or any artists coming to town for a live show. Although, a few of these artists are 305 residents.

So, the news in question: the nominees for the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards have been announced. Who's up for the coveted little golden phonograph, you ask?

The genre-bending Puerto Rican group known as Calle 13 leads the pack with five nominations, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year (for "No Hay Nadie Como Tu") and Best Short Form Music Video (for "La Perla" featuring Ruben Blades).

El Caballero de la Salsa Gilberto Santa Rosa, reggaetoneros-turned-MTV niche hip-poppers Wisin y Yandel, whom you may have caught at the AAA last night (if you weren't watching The U beat up on G-Tech), and Jorge Luis Piloto, who's not only a Miami native but composer of some of the Latin pop's biggest hits, all nabbed three nods.

Ricardo Arjona, Babasonicos, Caf� Tacvba, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and a couple more Miami natives (pop icon Luis Fonsi and powerhouse Salsa producer Sergio George) grabbed two nominations.

And among the other nominees, that Cuban songstress you know we love, CuCu Diamantes, the legendary Jose Feliciano, Mexican rocker groups Jaguares and Kinky, the Latin Billy Joel Franco De Vita, Fito Paez, Carlos Vives, and yet another Miami native, Peruvian singer-songwriter Gian Marco.

So there you have it, impress your friends and co-workers around the water cooler or at the nearest watering hole with your expansive knowledge of the Latin recording industry using lines like, "Hey, did you see Andres Cepeda was nominated for Album of the Year?" or "Who do you think will win for Best Urban Music Album? My money's on Calle 13, but Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Wisin & Yandel are all stiff competition." Won't they be impressed? Tags: Babasonicos, Cafe Tacvba, Calle 13, CuCu Diamantes, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Fito Paez, Franco De Vita, Gian Marco, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jaguares, Jose Feliciano, Kinky, Luis Fonsi, Ricardo Arjona, Ruben Blades, Sergio George, Wisin y Yandel

10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Nominations Represent a Broad Spectrum of Worldwide Artists

Friday, September 18, 2009
From Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas

Nominations for the 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards were announced today at a press conference attended by national and international media at the Conga Room at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. Artists reading nominations this morning included GRAMMY and two-time Latin GRAMMY winner Beto Cuevas, Spanish pop singer Shaila Durcal, salsa vocalist Luis Enrique, Latin pop singer Luis Fonsi, actor and GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Andy Garcia, Latin pop singer Luz Rios, actor/comedian Paul Rodriguez, Emmy winner Jimmy Smits, and reggaeton artist Tito "El Bambino." In a year that recognized an array of performers and creative professionals across numerous styles, the nominations celebrate and spotlight a unique mix of established and emerging artists. The milestone 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, set for Nov. 5 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). For a complete list of nominees, 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: www.twitter.com/latingrammys, www.facebook.com/latingrammys.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080819/LATU001LOGO)

Calle 13 leads the nominations with five. Ivan Lins & The Metropole Orchestra, Jose Lugo, Jorge Luis Piloto, Ivete Sangalo, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Caetano Veloso, and Wisin y Yandel garnered three nods each; Ricardo Arjona, Babasonicos, Bebe, Cafe Tacvba, Andres Cepeda, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Luis Enrique, Luis Fonsi, Sergio George, Saul Hernandez (Jaguares), Laura Pausini, Luz Rios, Marco Antonio Solis, Mercedes Sosa, and Tito "El Bambino" are among those who received two nominations. And a wide array of established music makers and rising new talent -- including Vicente Amigo, David Bisbal, Ruben Blades, Beto Cuevas, Franco De Vita, Cucu Diamantes, Shaila Durcal, Jose Feliciano, Vicente Fernandez, 50 Cent, Jaguares, Kinky, Sebastian Krys, Natalia Lafourcade, Alejandro Lerner, Los Amigos Invisibles, Gian Marco, Fito Paez, Omara Portuondo, Reik, Aleks Syntek, Nestor Torres, Bebo Valdes, Chucho Valdes, Carlos Vives, and Bernie Williams -- also earned nominations.

"Latin music is very much alive and well and in this, our milestone 10th year, the Latin GRAMMY nominations continue to reflect and represent a considerably diverse, eclectic and comprehensive worldwide Latin music community that includes established music makers as well as emerging talent," said Gabriel Abaroa, President of The Latin Recording Academy. "With so many music professionals participating in the awards process, it's gratifying to see so many creators, performers, producers, albums, and songs getting due recognition from peers. On Nov. 5 in Las Vegas, we look forward to spotlighting this year's nominees and celebrating a decade of recognizing the best and brightest in Latin music."

This year's Album Of The Year category features a diverse array of worldwide artists and musical genres: Puerto Rico's Calle 13 for Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo; Colombia's Andres Cepeda for Dia Tras Dia; Nicaragua's Luis Enrique for Ciclos; Brazil's Ivan Lins & The Metropole Orchestra for Regencia: Vince Mendoza; and Argentina's Mercedes Sosa for Cantora 1.

The race for Best Urban Music Album is tighter than ever with some of the biggest names in the genre: Calle 13's Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo; Daddy Yankee's Talento De Barrio; Don Omar's Idon; Tito "El Bambino"'s El Patron; and Wisin y Yandel's La Revolucion.

Calle 13's five nominations include: Album Of The Year and Best Urban Music Album for Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo, Record Of The Year and Best Alternative Song for "No Hay Nadie Como Tu" (with Cafe Tacvba), and Best Short Form Music Video for "La Perla" (with Ruben Blades).

Earning three nods each are: Ivan Lins & The Metropole Orchestra for Album Of The Year and Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album for Regencia: Vince Mendoza, and Record Of The Year for "Arlequim Desconhecido"; musician/producer Jose Lugo for Record Of The Year ("Si No Vas A Cocinar," featuring Gilberto Santa Rosa), Best Salsa Album (Guasabara), and Producer Of The Year; songwriter Jorge Luis Piloto with two nominations in the Song Of The Year category (Luis Enrique's "Yo No Se Manana" with Jorge Villamizar, and Andres Cepeda's "Dia Tras Dia" with Yoel Henriquez), and one in Best Tropical Song ("Yo No Se Manana" with Jorge Villamizar); Ivete Sangalo for Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album and Best Long Form Music Video for Pode Entrar, and Best Brazilian Song ("Agora Eu Ja Sei," with Gigi); Gilberto Santa Rosa for Best Salsa Album (Contraste En Salsa), Best Traditional Tropical Album (Una Navidad Con Gilberto), and Record Of The Year ("Si No Vas A Cocinar," with Jose Lugo Orchestra); Caetano Veloso for Best Singer-Songwriter Album (Zii e Zie), Best Brazilian Song ("A Cor Amarela"), and Best Long Form Music Video (E A Musica De Tom Jobim); and Wisin y Yandel for Best Urban Album (La Revolucion) and two nominations in Best Urban Song ("Abusadora," with Marcos Masis "Tainy" and "Mujeres In The Club," with 50 Cent, Ernesto F. Padilla "Nesty La Mente Maestra").

The 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will feature 49 categories and will be supported on radio via Univision Radio (the official Spanish-language radio network of the Latin GRAMMY Awards), and highlighted on the Internet by latingrammy.univision.com (the official Spanish-language Web site for the 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards), featuring video interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from today's nominations announcement. Visit Univision.com online or on a mobile device for the latest Latin GRAMMY scoop and photos.

A limited amount of tickets to the 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards are available to the public and may be purchased at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office (877.632.7400; www.mandalaybay.com) or through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

The Latin Recording Academy is an International, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit www.latingrammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/latingrammys, and a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/latingrammys.