New Genres Recognized, but Expansion Brings Confusion

The Grammy brain trust broadened Latin music categories this year to better address key genres. Gone are “tropical” and “Mexican regional,” replaced by “traditional tropical Latin,” “salsa,” “merengue,” “Mexican American” and “Tejano.”

The changes will help many deserving artists, but they also cause confusion. Example: How did Ruben Blades end up in the Latin pop category with a neo-classical work? Equally weird is a pop nod for merengue legend Juan Luis Guerra.

Furthermore, cutting-edge Carlos Vives--who delivered one of the year’s best albums, period--was mysteriously thrown into “traditional tropical” with Ibrahim Ferrer. Vives, not Blades, belonged in pop.

Another wrong-headed nomination was the Chris Perez Band in best Latin rock-alternative for an overwhelmingly English album. The slot should have gone to Colombia’s underrated Bloque. In salsa, Jose Alberto and George Lamond deserved recognition, but Jerry Rivera did not.

Also, black Latinos continue to be underrepresented. The absence of rapper Vico C is especially discouraging. The academy should recognize Latin rap and hip-hop, not just rock and pop.

Similarly, outstanding women were ignored across the board, including Nydia Rojas in Mexican American, Carolina Lao in salsa, and Ana Gabriel in pop.

The academy should change the “Mexican American” award title to something less vague. How does someone know who to nominate when it’s hard to know what we’re even talking about here? Meanwhile, maybe the tejano category should dissolve, just like public interest in that genre.

Finally, help is needed in the merengue category, which had potential for greatness but ended up steeped in the tepid (but profitable!) bathwater of Elvis Crespo. What about Sancocho, Guerra or Kinito Mendez?