At the Latin Grammy Awards: 'Despacito' takes home 4 trophies; a performance in honor of 'Dreamers'

Alejandro Sanz, the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year, performed his hit "Corazón Partío" with a chorus of DACA recipients at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Los Angeles Times

Nov. 16, 2017 1:25 PM PT

It was not the most nominated song of the night, but it nonetheless managed to take home the most trophies and own the show.

“Despacito,” the smash pop-reggaeton jam by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, received four nominations — for record of the year, song of the year, short form music video and urban fusion remix — and it won in every single category in which it was nominated, making it the top winner at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday night.

“What a privilege to make songs, to communicate through music,” said Fonsi in his acceptance speech at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “Long live music in Spanish.”

Singer Luis Fonsi and Erika Ender, who co-wrote the song, accept Song of the Year for 'Despacito' at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Puerto Rican alt-rapper Residente, a critical darling whose eponymous album explored a panoply of global sounds, and who had entered the awards show with a whopping 9 nominations, ended up taking home only two: one for urban music album; the other for urban song.

He kicked off the show with a heartfelt rendition of his song “Hijos de Cañaveral,” a jazzy rap number he dedicated to Puerto Rico. “Puerto Rico doesn’t need to rise up,” he stated, “because Puerto Rico has always been on its feet.”

Dominican singer songwriter Vicente García, known for his low-key, bachata-inflected pop, was also one of the top winners of the evening. He took home three Latin Grammy Awards, including best new artist, singer songwriter album and tropical song (for his single “Bachata en Kingston”).

Vicente Garcia, winner of three Latin Grammy Awards, including best new artist, performs on the telecast.

Ruben Blades, a veritable statesman of salsa (and a regular on “Fear the Walking Dead”) won two awards for the album “Salsa Big Band,” which he recorded in collaboration with the Panamanian big band Roberto Delgado & Orquesta.

Most surprising was Blades’ win for album of the year — a competitive category that featured works by high profile acts such as Residente, Juanes, Shakira and Nicky Jam.

No one seemed more surprised than Blades himself, who took a few seconds to compose himself before walking up to the stage to accept the award. As the members of the orchestra celebrated around him, he said, “Success is never the work of just one person. I have the common sens, to work with people who know more than me and who are better than me.”

Overall, the show, hosted by actors Jaime Camil and Roselyn Sanchez, didn’t deviate from the Grammy formula of copious pop medleys punctuated by the awarding of a few trophies.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few moments of drama.

Spanish crooner Alejandro Sanz, named the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year, dedicated his award to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), an Obama-era immigration program that allowed young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to remain in the country.

“They are dreamers, they are our children, they are from our community,” he stated. “This goes to them.”

He followed the speech with a performance of his 2004 smash hit “Corazón Partío” backed by a chorus of DACA recipients wearing t-shirts that read: “We have one dream.”

Of that performance, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was in attendance at the Latin Grammys to receive the President’s Merit Award, tweeted: “Not a dry eye eye in the house after @AlejandroSanz #DreamActNOW.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda accepts the Latin Recording Academy president's merit award at the 18th annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Upon receiving his own award, Miranda made a plea for Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September. He called on viewers to turn out for the Unity March For Puerto Rico to be held in Washington, D.C. on Sunday — “to remind the White House and Congress that we are human.”

“This is for Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico,” he added forcefully.

And, in fact, Puerto Rico very much appeared to be on everyone’s mind throughout the course of the show.

The 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards opened and closed with Puerto Rican acts. Closing out the show was Fonsi singing his smash “Despacito” — a medley version that included the deejay Diplo, Colombian electronica duo Bomba Estéreo and salsa singer Victor Manuelle.

As the song began to fade and the credits rolled, Fonsi called out to the crowd: “May god bless you Puerto Rico!”