Clash Between Art and Commerce Knows No Borders

Grammy voters have the chance to reward four superlative albums in Latin music. But the year’s erratic nominations also give them the opportunity to fall prey to shallow trends and rampant commercialism.

This symbolic duel between artful exploration and commercial exploitation is particularly present in the Latin rock category.

At one end of the spectrum, you have Aterciopelados’ “Caribe Atomico,” an exquisite collection that successfully merges Anglo trip-hop influences with Latin American sensibilities. At the other end, there’s supergroup Mana’s “Suen~os Liquidos,” a pleasant pop-rock album lacking any kind of visionary spirit.

Will the voters recognize the artistry of Aterciopelados? The bet here is yes.

In the tropical category, the mistake would be to reward Marc Anthony, a graduate of the school of salsa romantica whose biggest strength is his charismatic live performances, not his choice of material. While there’s no denying that Anthony has a brilliant future, his album “Contra la Corriente” simply doesn’t have the fire of the works by veterans Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri. Of the three, Palmieri has an unrestrained rhythmic genius that should and probably will get him another Grammy for his collection.

A gross mistake in the Mexican-American category would be to neglect the masterful “Los Super Seven,” by the ensemble of the same name. Whereas all of its competitors are worthy (especially Vicente Fernandez with the strong “Entre El Amor Y Yo”), this collective of notable musicians (including two members of Los Lobos) infused its record with the same heartwarming sincerity and rootsy attitude that defined “Buena Vista Social Club,” a Grammy winner last year. It’s a safe guess that Los Super Seven will be similarly rewarded.

The Latin pop category is the least uneven one. The five nominees are all stars at their game, although only two of them clearly stretch the boundaries of the field: Ricky Martin and Juan Gabriel. Martin should have no difficulty taking home a Grammy. His album “Vuelve” showed that you can craft a million-selling pop masterpiece without insulting your listeners’ intelligence.