The Boisterous, the Bland, the Beautiful

It’s unlikely that the Grammys will go to the most deserving artists in the Latin music categories. Still, there is some consolation in the fact that a new category has spotlighted four albums that rank among last year’s most stirring.

It was about time that rock en espan~ol was recognized as a field worth being rewarded, especially in a year when Aterciopelados, Cafe Tacuba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Molotov released captivating records.

The Grammy should go to the Cadillacs for their masterful “Fabulosos Calavera.” But that record may just be too specialized and experimental for the average voter. Most likely, the academy will select Cafe Tacuba’s “Avalancha de Exitos,” a “covers” record that achieved the perfect balance between art and commerce.

In the Latin pop category, the question is not who’s the best of the bunch, but who produced the least syrupy collection of bland songs. The releases by Luis Miguel, Cristian, Julio Iglesias and Enrique Iglesias demonstrate the sorry state of affairs in the genre, where artists sell records based largely on their looks and the music seems to be permanently stuck somewhere in Michael Bolton Land. If anything, Alejandro Fernandez’s “Me Estoy Enamorando” is a more heartfelt effort than the rest. But he is unlikely to take home the Grammy.

The category that will seriously put the voters’ judgment to the test is best tropical performance. One can only hope that the academy will avoid the obvious choices (the overexposed India and Albita) and instead acknowledge the humble genius of guitarist Ry Cooder, who by taking a trip to Cuba and recording “Buena Vista Social Club” revealed the tenderness of the Hispanic soul as no Latin artist did in 1997.