Esto es lo que se vio en el escenario del Latin Grammy de Sevilla
Las cosas no se hacen precisamente temprano por estos lares. Mientras que la alfombra roja se inició después de las 6 de la tarde y terminó después de las 9 de la noche, la ceremonia oficial de premios que se transmite por televisión comenzó después de las 10 de la noche y se prolongó hasta después de la 1.30 de la madrugada.
Para quienes cubrimos el evento en vivo, la jornada fue brutal. Para otros continentes, pertenecientes sobre todo a los territorios latinoamericanos y a los Estados Unidos, la idea de que el Latin Grammy se realizara tan tarde tenía sentido, incluso cuando no se iba a transmitir en vivo por allá.
En lo que respecta a los trofeos, los resultados finales favorecieron a tres mujeres: Karol G, Shakira y Natalia Lafourcade. Cada una de ellas se fue a casa con tres premios, lo que le dio al evento una clara impronta femenina.
Karol G talks about the importance of Latinas in music after Grammys sweep
The best looks from the Latin Grammys red carpet
Latinas steal the show at Latin Grammys
For the record, 6:45 a.m., Nov. 17, 2023: An earlier version of this blog item identified Karol G as the first Latina to have a No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200. The first was Selena. Karol G is the first woman to do so with a Spanish-language album.
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Not long after scoring best urban/fusion performance for “TQG” with Colombian comadre Karol G, the inimitable diva Shakira flexed her star power once more — Spanish tax board be damned — and was awarded with song of the year.
Karol G claimed another, highly coveted trophy: album of the year. Her 2023 LP, “Mañana Será Bonito” — which was the first Spanish-language album by a woman to go No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 — beat out an arsenal of Latin Grammy veterans: Camilo, Natalia Lafourcade, Andrés Cepeda, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Fito Páez, Carlos Vives, Paula Arenas and Pablo Alborán.
As a result, this year’s Latin Grammys marks a rare alignment — where women, all Latinas, claimed all four general categories. First Joaquina for best new artist, Natalia Lafourcade for record of the year, Shakira for song of the year, and Karol G for album of the year.
As much as the Spanish tried to make 2023 their year — I’m calling it for Latinas.
2023: the year of the Latina.
-Suzy Exposito
Where is Natalia Lafourcade?
Have you seen this songstress? While Pablo Alborán and Maria Becerra pacify the audience with their light pop balladry, we see Natalia Lafourcade chatting with press in the media center for the last time all night.
Towards the end of the night, the elusive Mexican chanteuse — whose song “De Todas Las Flores” won the Latin Grammy for best singer-songwriter song, and best singer-songwriter album for her LP of the same name — is nowhere to be found when Julieta Venegas and Jorge Drexler announced her win for record of the year.
Inside the backstage media center, Laura Pausini cackles at the TV, which shows a bemused crowd, scanning each other for signs of Lafourcade. “Congratulations to Natalia,” she says, “Wherever she is!”
—Suzy Exposito
Joaquina wins Best New Artist Award
The honors for best new artist go to the 19-year-old Venezuelan pop songstress, Joaquina.
The “Los Mejores Años” singer’s breakout moment happened after a 2022 performance on Univison chat show ¡Despierta América! (It’s also worth noting that her mother is Uruguayan YouTuber and “Vida Mamá” show host Camila Canabal Sapelli.)
—Suzy Exposito
Bizarrap gets everyone moving with trio of performers
Bienvenido a Club Bizarrap!
The Argentine rookie and first-time Latin Grammy winner is given the floor to perform some standout dance tracks, featuring vocals by Argentine singer-rapper Milo J — plus an operatic singer who reinterprets the original verses of rapper Quevedo.
Neither of them can hold a candle to the third act, “Vol. 53” by the unsinkable Shakira: who “Objection”-tangoed her way into the spotlight in a tattoo-print bodysuit, tailored for revenge.
-Suzy Exposito
Karol G makes history at the Latin Grammys
Behold — another unprecedented breakthrough at the Latin Grammys — dressed in pink from head to toe, Karol G becomes the first woman to win best urban album, for her 2023 revelation, “Mañana Será Bonito.”
Antonio Banderas received Premio de la Presidencia
Antonio Banderas is back to receive the Premio de la Presidencia, an honor bestowed on him by Latin Recording Academy President Manuel Abud, for advancing arts and culture in the world.
“I need music like I need to eat,” says Banderas. “I remember ‘Evita’ with Madonna. I think of all my work with ‘Shrek’ and ‘Desperado,’ and my happy years on Broadway.”
He follows by promoting Teatro del Soho, his theater in his hometown of Málaga, Spain. He also takes the opportunity to announce a new endeavor: a record label!
—Suzy Exposito
Julieta Venegas wins for Best Pop Vocal Album
The title of best pop vocal album goes to the Long Beach-born, Tijuana-raised indie goddess, Julieta Venegas, for her album, “Tu Historia.”
Released in 2022 — the same year she won best reggaetón performance for her smash hit with Bad Bunny and Tainy, “Lo Siento Bb :/” — “Tu Historia” was her first album in 7 years.
She graciously shares the stage with the album’s producer, Chilean pop artist Alex Anwandter, whose queer disco album “El Diablo En El Cuerpo” was nominated earlier tonight in the best pop/rock album category
— Suzy Exposito
Rauw Alejandro channels his inner Kurt Cobain
On this night, the best flamenco album category is fittingly televised. The winner is Niña Pastori, who receives the honors for her album, “Camino.”
Assisted by some high-octane shredding by guitar god Juanes, Rauw Alejandro catwalks into the stage ensconced with flames for a dance-metal version of his song with Bizarrap, “Baby Hello.” He accentuates the chorus with Kurt Cobain-inflected refrains of “Hello, hello” that recall “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Andrea Bocelli, Italian opera icon and frequenter of Kardashian weddings, brings us a touch of Broadway — and Eurovision kitsch — with his fantastical rendition of the 1932 song by Mexican composer Agustín Lara, “Granada.”
— Suzy Exposito
Laura Pausini: ‘Soy la Italiana más Latina’
The newly-crowned Person of the Year, Laura Pausini —a.k.a. Latin Pop’s Next Best Friend — takes the stage with a 10-person choir to rip through a theatrical medley of her greatest (and moodiest) hits. The Italian pop diva cranks up the drama with every song, kicking off with her 2023 ballad “Durar,” followed by 1993 breakthrough “La Soledad,” 2004’s “Viveme” and 2008’s “En Cambio No.”
Just when it starts to feel a little too earnest, she closes her segment with a speech-turned-standup routine — in which she jokes about how her parents skipped the movies one night to conceive her — which eventually helped fulfill her destiny of winning Person of the Year. “I feel adopted by all of you,” she said, addressing the Spanish and Latino audience. “I may not have the same blood,” she says — however, she adds — “soy la Italiana más Latina…del coño mundo!”
— Suzy Exposito
Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma join forces onstage for the first time
For the first time ever, SoCal sierreño outfit Eslabón Armado and Jalisco superstar Peso Pluma join forces onstage for a live performance of their hit regional Mexican ballad — nominated for song of the year — “Ella Baila Sola.”
In a recent interview with The Times, songwriter and Eslabón frontman Pedro Tovar said: “I wanted to see if [Peso Pluma] could [pull off] a romantic, lovey-dovey song. So I was like, ‘Step into my world!’”
Amplified by a full brass band — mysterious, masked ladies in red — the boys perform a near flawless reproduction of their song, exemplary of the current style and swagger of this new wave of regional Mexican talent.
“¡Arriba, España!” shouts Eslabón Armado singer and Latin Grammy-nominated songwriter Pedro Tovar — which might have cued an unceremonious record scratch, if he didn’t remember to course-correct with “¡Arriba, Mexico!”
— Suzy Exposito
Shakira pays tribute to her sons with a somber rendition of “Acróstico:”
With a grand piano at her side, Shakira performs a somber rendition of “Acróstico:” a song she dedicated to the happiness of her sons, Sasha and Milan. They appear not on stage, but on the big screen, for a few pre-recorded verses. (In real time, the camera cuts to them in matching white suits, fidgeting slightly in their seats.)
— Suzy Exposito
Fonseca wins Best Tropical Song award
Fonseca’s 2023 tropipop number with Juan Luis Guerra, “Si Tú Me Quieres,” is named best tropical song.
The 22-time Latin Grammy winner and flamenco balladeer Alejandro Sanz leads a heartfelt rendition of his 1997 hit, “Corazón Partío,” with a stunning Andalusian dance troupe. They literally rock the house with the sheer force of their heels.
Rock ‘n’ roll a la americana makes an impression at this year’s ceremony; Juanes leads a supergroup composed of several best new artist nominees, while Mexican singer Carín Leon dials up the R&B in his norteño soul ballad, “Primera Cita.” His album, “Colmillo de Leche” wins the award for best norteño album!
Shakira nabs first award of the night and addresses her Spanish fans
In a not-so-shocking upset, Shakira and Argentine producer Bizarrap nab the first [televised] award of the night: best pop song for their buzzy collaboration, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” (with Shakira).
It’s the second Latin Grammy for Bizarrap tonight, whose song “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” won his first for best urban song.
It’s an especially delicious triumph for Shakira, whose Latin Grammy-winning song chronicled the ugly timeline of her separation from Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique. “I want to share this with my Spanish audience, you have seen me through the good, in the bad, and the most difficult moments.”
Ozuna and David Guetta son ‘darks’
Dressed in vampiric black leather getups, Ozuna and David Guetta pick up from where Banderas left off with “Vocation:” a brand-spanking-new, big room EDM track fit for a Latino reboot of “Blade.”
Antonio Banderas touts Andalucia at the Latin Grammys
The Málaga-born superstar we came to love in movies like “Puss In Boots” and “Spy Kids” — I’ve seen his other movies, my inner child is just taking the wheel at the moment — Antonio Banderas stokes the crowd with a rousing, introductory speech about the merits of his home, Andalucía. “It is a fertile land for artistic creation,” he exclaims. “It is the land of Federico García Lorca, Machado, Velázquez, Pablo Picasso. It is a pentagrama where you can write the song of your life!”
Not going to lie: between the music, the cuisine, and the streets lined with fragrant citrus trees, I am fully feeling the fantasy.
Rosalia kicks off Latin Grammy Awards with rousing performance
There’s no better person to kick off a Spanish get-down than Latin Grammy-winning flamenco alt-pop star, Rosalía.
Backed by a traditional Andalusian ensemble, she commands the room with her signature melismatic vocal acrobatics and a face on the brink of tears — earning a standing ovation from the audience. (Spotted: Latino Ambassador to Hollywood, John Leguizamo.)
Early scenes from the Latin Grammy Awards red carpet
I can’t believe we’re not in Vegas anymore! This year the Latin Recording Academy made an ambitious leap across the ocean to host their 24th annual Latin Grammys in the Andalusian Sevilla, Spain — and the scene at the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre is one of high glamor and utter chaos.
Sequins catch the glare of the spotlights. A certain accordionist (we won’t say who) serenades each reporter like a jolly bard in a storybook. Everyone’s laughing uncomfortably. Many of tonight’s nominees and their publicists — and yours truly — have been jet-lagged for days. Some are a little buzzed from cocktail hour. But they’re all here to win, dammit! Follow our blog for live updates from Sevilla.
What time are the Latin Grammy Awards?
The 24th edition of the Latin Grammys will bring together some of the biggest names across Latin Music and some new faces that will vie for the award for Best New Artist. This time the event isn’t taking place in Las Vegas, instead it will be hosted in Sevilla, Spain.
When, where and what time are the Latin Grammys?
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, Nov. 16 at the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones in Sevilla. It will be televised by the Spanish-language network Univision at 5 p.m. Pacific.
Who is hosting the show?
This year the Academy has chosen Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra, Mexican singer Danna Paola with an assist by Roselyn Sánchez and Paz Vega.
Who are the performers?
The list of performers includes María Becerra y Bizarrap, Feid, Kany García, Carin León, Christian Nodal, Rauw Alejandro, Alejandro Sanz, Peso Pluma and Eslabón Armado. Also scheduled to appear are Juanes, Edgar Barrera, Pablo Alborán, Camilo, Manuel Carrasco, Iza, Ozuna, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Maluma, Rosalía y Shakira, Borja, Natascha Falcão, GALE, Paola Guanche, Joaquina y Leon Leiden.
Who are the presenters?
The presenters for the awards ceremony include such names as Majo Aguilar, Anitta, Pedro Capó, Jorge Drexler, Luis Figueroa, Fonseca, Mon Laferte, Yandel, Natalia Lafourcade, John Leguizamo, Nicki Nicole, Carlos Ponce and Carlos Vives.
Conexión Divina talk about how they made it to the Latin Grammys
Angela and Pepe Aguilar talk about working together at the Latin Grammys
Photos from the dress rehearsals for the 2023 Latin Grammys
Eslabón Armado’s ‘Ella Baila Sola’ dominated the streamers. Will it conquer the Latin Grammys?
It was late September when Pedro Tovar’s mom called to tell him he was a Latin Grammy-nominated songwriter. He was still riding off the high of his band Eslabón Armado becoming the first Mexican regional act to perform on “Good Morning America.”
“It was unexpected,” Tovar said of his two nominations for Eslabón Armado’s smash hit “Ella Baila Sola,” a swooning romantic ballad featuring Peso Pluma that’s up for song of the year and regional Mexican song. The band also is slated to perform live for the first time at the Latin Grammys, taking place in Sevilla, Spain, on Thursday.
Así se vive en Sevilla el ambiente por la celebración del Latin Grammy
Esta es una ciudad hermosa. Lo es, al menos, en los lugares que hemos recorrido desde nuestra llegada del fin de semana pasado, para ser testigos de las diferentes actividades en la semana del Latin Grammy y el cierre con la gran ceremonia de la Academia Latina de la Grabación que se celebrará este jueves en el Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones (FIBES) de Sevilla, España.
Desde nuestro primer contacto con esta tierra, los encantos de la capital andaluza me alcanzaron al llegar al hotel, ubicado en el barrio de Santa Cruz, por cuyas callecitas empedradas se camina a gusto y por donde no circulan automóviles debido a sus estrecheces. Este barrio se encuentra rodeado de los inmuebles en el que se han producido ya varios eventos paralelos al Latin Grammy, como la histórica Plaza de España donde se celebró un evento dedicado al flamenco en el que actuaron celebridadades como Carmen Linares, Sara Baras, Luis el Zambo, Rafael Riqueni, Tomatito y José Mercé.
Carín León llevó la música mexicana a Sevilla con el apoyo de sus ‘compas’
SEVILLA, ESPAÑA — En estos días, Carín León (nacido bajo el nombre de Óscar Armando Díaz de León) está muy lejos de su país de origen, México, y de su natal Hermosillo.
Pero no ha dejado de lado sus costumbres, y no solo eso, sino que las ha traído a veces de manera literal en la maleta hasta la capital andaluza donde se desarrolla actualmente la Semana del Latin Grammy que concluye mañana a lo grande con la celebración de la ceremonia principal de premiación.
Nos referimos específicamente a la gran botella de tequila que llevaba en sus manos durante la presentación especial que ofreció anoche como parte del evento con invitación “La Cultura that Connect Us”, organizado por Amazon Music en Setas de Sevilla y protagonizado por él mismo.
How Conexión Divina went from meeting on the internet to the Latin Grammys in two years
The idea first came to Sandra Calixto in 2021.
Upon finishing high school, she would start her own regional Mexican band made up only of women. She would recruit two artists she‘d befriended on TikTok, they would jam together in Los Angeles and if the vibes were right, they would write and record an album together.
Released in April, the band’s debut album, “Tres Mundos” — a soul-stirring collection of sierreño folk ballads, imbued with the same melancholia of its Mexican American peers Eslabón Armado and Ivan Cornejo — earned the group a nomination for best new artist at the international awards.
The Times met with band members backstage at the Novo in downtown Los Angeles, where in October, they opened for Chicana pop idol Becky G on her recent Mi Casa, Tu Casa tour.