Rene 'Residente' Perez of Calle 13 handing the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year to Popi Spatocco, who produced the late great Mercedes Sosa's Cantora - also nominated for Album of the Year. Great gesture.
The Laura Pausini opening number looked great - all billowing parachute silk and vaulting barechested men from the show Le Reve and Pausini rising up to the ceiling in glittery silver. Wait, what was she singing?
Again Eugenio Derbez and Lucero hosting. Derbez is funny enough - among the top five reasons the LatinGrammys switched from English (on CBS) to Spanish (on Uni) he gives "Adam Sandler and Angelina Jolie charge dollars, Lucero and I in pesos". But I'm kindof of over the hyperactive self-deprecating Latino schtick.
But I like the collage of all those absurd moments of Latin artists stumbling on English (Celia, Olga Tanon) and Americans falling down on their Spanish - oy vey Justin Timberlake.
Oh God, Alejandra Guzman looks like a red shellacked Barbie on steroids. And WHAT is that creature standing next to her? Must be from a Vegas show.
Mmmm, Alejandro Sanz, looking smooth and slick and all suited up. For a long time he was wearing ragged jeans on award shows - and red carpets. I kinda liked the shaggy look and rebellion, but he's mas guapo asi. Wonder who talked him into it? Or he decided to be a ladies man again?
Fourth award for Calle 13, a biggie - Record of the Year, for No Hay Nadie Como Tu, with the great and perrenially subversive Cafe Tacuba, the wild first song from their wild third album, Los de atras vienen conmigo. Rene Perez is working a kinda weird preppy look (now where is that in his background?) sweater over shirt and tie, white sneakers. School uniform maybe? He refrains from dissing any presidents this time - gives a nice shoutout to Mercedes Sosa and Latin America. Man can sound serious when he chooses - don't ever underestimate him. He's too smart. Four wins out of five noms so far, I think they're gonna sweep.
YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luis Enrique wins Best Salsa Album! Wow, how great for him. Really talented musician, singer, percussionist (and genuinely nice guy) who hasn't had much happening for him commercially in years, but never stopped working and writing. Go Nicos! He's a class act saying thank you too. "I share this award with all the other nominees, who I admire so much" he says. "And I thank God for letting me be here and for a return for my music."
Wow, Luis Fonsi is belting it. Aqui estoy yo. The man means it. Yo no lo doy por vencido. He's outsinging the string section. They're gonna love this.(And they do - here he is with the trophy for Song of the Year)
Enrique Iglesias, who never changes - he'll look 22 till he's 52, I think. He's working the slick and simple suit look his Dad made famous.
Oy, He's paying tribute to Juan Gabriel, Latin Grammy Person of the Year, who's looking supremely queeney - check the lip liner! The sequinned jacket! The lace neckcloth! The tearful thanks! Liberace has nothing on one of the biggest stars of Mexico - possibly the most macho country on the continent.
This Charytin "how would I spend $2 million in two days in Las Vegas" travel commercial is really cheesey. Did the city put this in the contract? Are they paying for this commercial? Yuck. Sorry, but you'd never see the American Grammys doing this. The show is supposed to be about music and pop culture. Stop!
Now we have Wisin y Yandel riding in a caddy - more commercial for Las Vegas, casinos etc - and now they're walking into the Mandalay Bay. Univision has used this film the artist outside 'arriving' at the show gimmick for years now, and it's getting old. Let's find another way to pierce the televidiente fourth wall, hey?
But they're rapping great - not something I say all the time about W y Y.
Nice split up the pole girl - on national tv too!
Ah, Derbez in a Siegfried and Roy take-off. Nice wig. Nice pajamas. Nice pigeon imitation "ladies and gentleman, now without any tricks, a pigeon will appear!"
Reik, a pop rock singer whose popularity I just don't get. Seems generic and manufactured to me.
Bummer, I thought Luz Rios would win Best New Artist. Alexander Acha is the blondest nominee. A Berklee grad, that's interesting.
I like the Mariachi de Los Angeles, all those stalwart women with violins. But this Shalia Durcal number is going to give me diabetes.
Calle 13 and Ruben Blades singing La Perla. Flock of tough looking little kids posing with Rene as he raps about growing up poor in one of Puerto Rico's worst neighborhoods. This song is a direct descendent of Van Van's Muevete that Ruben made famous shouting out to all the countries of Latin America. But why do they have those ridiculous Cirque du Soleil performers up there? Looks ridiculous, nothing to do with the song, the onda, the politics.
Whoa, Marco Antonio Solis a no-show after winning Best Mexican Regional Song.
There's Omara Portuondo, glowing and looking nervous as she reads the names of other stars - Shakira, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra - who've won Song of the Year. Like she can't believe she's up there. Wish she had a better suit.
Fonsi wins, for Aqui Estoy Yo, the song he sang with Bisbal, Aleks Syntek and Noel Schajiris. This has absolutely been his year. Nice gesture - he invites the others up onstage. Bisbal goes leaping about and kissing everyone, stop stealing the show! Guess he can't help it.
Laura Pausini wins Best Female Pop Vocal Album. I don't get Laura Pausini. Elegante, yes, but...
Ah, Luz Rios, with David Bisbal replacing Joan Sebastian on Aire. What a voice this girl has.
It must be the gringa in me - I wish there could be less show of emoting, less over the top posing, and people would just SING. PLAY. Let the music and the way it comes through them do the work, instead of working it so hard.
Oh my god, beyond dopey - Can Can dancers with Los Tucanes de Tijuana. Gay Paree a la Mexicana! Skirts up! Butts back! Yup, there's the splits. High school musical directors around the country, be inspired. No, don't, you know better.
As I watch La Quinta Estacion (coming to Miami soon), do operatic Mexican pop rock, it strikes me that this whole show feels very Mexican.
Ruben Blades, looking monklike in a black shirt, presenting a homage to Mercedes Sosa "courage and force - the great Mercedes Sosa". The great lady of Argentine and Latin American folk song passed away on Oct 4th; her album of duets Cantora 1 won for Best Folk Album and is nominated for Album of the Year. But there will be some Cubans in Miami breathing fire tonight - the lefty Sosa being honored, and the Cuban Portuondo on air.
Alejandro Sanz and Alicia Keyes singing Paraiso Express, the first song off Ale's new album of the same name. They wrote it overnight on the yacht behind Sanz' house on the Beach, recorded it at dawn/the next day. For real - Ale told me, twice. They sound great, natural, soulful. And how refreshing to see a woman looking like her beautiful unplasticized stylish self, instead of a Barbie doll. Sanz said they had musical chemistry and now I believe it.
Eva Longoria likes it.
(Years ago Keyes appeared with Arturo Sandoval on the Billboard Latin Music Awards, props to her for being culturally adventurous)
Whoa, Omara Portuondo makes history twice - appearing on the Latin Grammys, and now winning Best Contemporary Tropical Album for Gracias, her album celebrating 60 years in music. Her son and manager helps her up those shiny stairs, and she looks so bright eyed and shakey. But no politics, no statements. All she says is "Gracias, muchas muchas muchisimas gracias."
Alright, the dark Menudo, Robi Draco Rosa, the perpetually dramatic rocker and songwriter (when not helping to write and produce hits for his fellow ex Menudo Ricky you know who) wins Best Rock Solo Vocal Album. Too bad he has to accept it in front of that stupid pink bird on stilts.
The salsa number, with Gilberto Santa Rosa and Oscar D'Leon. They're great musicians, but it tells you something that the only tropical performance is by men of such definite middle age. Tho Oscar can still move it. And Gilberto can still sonear it. Even if it's a medley, oy vey, a medley, sure sign that music is nostalgic.
Nice, a couple is dancing in the aisles. There should be more.
Ahhhh Juan Gabriel. Giant voice that merits the mariachi violin section and whirl of dancers behind him. Lavender satin waistcoat and black patent shoes. Viva Mexico howls. Greets Omara from the stage, takes her hand and bows his head. A couple in evening wear jigging in the aisles. Give it up to the man, he can electrify an arena (the Mandalay Center holds 11,000 people). Audience is eating it up - and he's getting more time onstage than anyone else.
lordy, he's singing a ballad to men in jail, and slopping a glass of wine? tequila? all over the floor and himself. I thought he was going to fling the glass down.
Ah, el dia que te conoci - and they're all singing along, crying - Juan Gabriel is doing a sultry cha-cha, and when he sings he is full tilt. The maximum expression of over the top expression. Work it Juan Gabriel! Ricky got nothing on you. He's working his way through the aisles, the women are clinging, the people are dancing - evven the rockers are laughing. (Whup, I just saw Enrique Santos give him a kiss). And he just doesn't stop - what is it, 20 minutes now? Best performance of the night - way over the top, but totally real.
Go Calle 13! - Album of the Year, that makes a win for all five awards they're nominated for. And very nice gesture - handing off the gramophone to Mercedes Sosa' producer Popi Spatocco. Muy generoso.
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