Wyatt Flores to Perform at This Year’s Americana Honors & Awards

Wyatt Flores is ready to take the American stage…

The 23-year-old Mexican American country music singer-songwriter and musician will perform at this year’s Americana Honors & Awards.

Wyatt FloresThe awards will take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 18.

Flores is nominated this year in the Emerging Act of the Year category.

Other performers include Sierra FerrellNoah Kahan, Brandy Clark, Blind Boys of Alabama, Dave AlvinDwight Yoakam, Shelby Lynne, SistaStrings (who will perform with Clark), Fantastic Negrito (who will perform in a tribute to the late Rev. Gary Davis), Charles Wesley Godwin, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Jobi Riccio, Kaitlin Butts, Larkin Poe, The Milk Carton Kids, Sarah Jarosz, Turnpike Troubadours, The War and Treaty and Waxahatchee with MJ Lenderman.

The program will be filmed for broadcast on PBS in the Austin City Limits time slot in November.

Here’s the full list of nominations:

Album of the year
Brandy Clark, Brandy Clark; produced by Brandi Carlile
The Past Is Still Alive, Hurray for the Riff Raff; produced by Brad Cook
Rustin’ In The Rain, Tyler Childers; Produced by Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps
Trail of Flowers, Sierra Ferrell; Produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa
Weathervanes, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit; Produced by Jason Isbell

Artist of the year
Tyler Childers
Charley Crockett
Sierra Ferrell
Noah Kahan
Allison Russell

Duo/group of the year
Black Pumas
Larkin Poe
The Milk Carton Kids
Turnpike Troubadours
The War And Treaty

Emerging act of the year
Kaitlin Butts
Wyatt Flores
Charles Wesley Godwin
The Red Clay Strays
Jobi Riccio

Instrumentalist of the year
Grace Bowers
Maddie Denton
Jamie Dick
Megan McCormick
Joshua Rilko

Song of the year
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell; Written by Melody Walker and Sierra Ferrell
“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark; Written by Brandy Clark and Michael Pollack
“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers; Written by Geno Seale and Tyler Childers
“Jealous Moon,” Sarah Jarosz; Written by Daniel Tashian and Sarah Jarosz
“Right Back To It” – Waxahatchee; Written by Katie Crutchfield

Natalia Lafourcade Receives International Folk Music Awards Nomination for Album of the Year

Natalia Lafourcade latest homage to Mexico is earning a special honor…

The 38-year-old Mexican pop-rock and folk singer/songwriter, a two-time Grammy winner and 13-time Latin Grammy winner, is among the honorees at this year’s International Folk Music Awards.

Natalia Lafourcade

Lafourcade is nominated for Album of the Year for her latest project, Un Canto por México, Vol. 2, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano).

Lafourcade’s first installment, Un Canto por México, Vol. 1, won the Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) and Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2021.

The recipients of the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards, which are presented each year to honor the cultural impact of legendary folk music figures (in the categories of living, legacy, and business/academic) were also announced.

Accordionist Flaco Jiménez is honored in the living category.

The 83-year-old Mexican American accordionist, known for playing Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music, has been a solo performer and session musician as well as a member of the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven.

Throughout the course of his seven decade career, he has received numerous awards and honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys, Americana Music Awards, Tejano Music Awards, and Billboard magazine.

He is featured in the film This Ain’t No Mouse Music, and Hohner has even released a Flaco Jiménez Signature series line of accordions. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, The Rolling Stones, and recorded on the number one Billboard Country song “Streets of Bakersfield” by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.

Meanwhile, Eugene Rodriguez will receive the Spirit of Folk award.

The acclaimed Mexican-American musician, educator and documentary producer founded Los Cenzontles, both as a band and as a non-profit music academy and community space for Latinx artists, youth, and families in the San Francisco Bay area.

He has produced over 30 recordings of Mexican roots music and cross-cultural projects and was nominated for a Grammy for the bilingual recording “Papa’s Dream”. He has produced three documentaries for the Cultures of Mexico in California series and conceived of the film project Linda and The Mockingbirds. He serves as a board member of the Arhoolie Foundation and has received numerous awards for his cultural and community service.

Amado Espinoza will also receive the Spirit of Folk award.

The Bolivian multi-instrumentalist, composer and instrument maker has called Kansas City home since 2014. Amado specializes in the Charango and Andean flutes, performs with multiple ensembles, and is the co-founder of Resonation Music and Arts, using educational programming to inspire curiosity and respect for world cultures through music, dance, and storytelling.

He’s a Charlotte Street Foundation Performing Arts Fellow, Lighton International Artist Exchange recipient, TedxKC presenter, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Student Theatre Department at UMKC.

The awards, produced by the Folk Alliance International, will be held during the opening evening of the Folk Alliance International’s annual conference on May 18 in Kansas City, Mo., and will also broadcast online.

Here’s the list of nominations:

Album of the Year:
They’re Calling Me Home (with Francesco Turrisi) by Rhiannon Giddens
Wary + Strange by Amythyst Kiah
Un Canto por México, Vol. 2 by Natalia Lafourcade
Outside Child by Allison Russell
The Fray by John Smith 

Song of the Year:
“On Solid Ground” by Reggie Harris
“Painted Blue” by Sarah Jarosz
“We Believe You” by Diana Jones
“Call Me A Fool” by Valerie June
“Changemakers” by Crys Matthews 

Artist of the Year:
The Longest Johns
Kalani Pe’a
Allison Russell
Arooj Aftab
John Francis Flynn

Warner Bros. to Release Eduardo Minett’s “Cry Macho” in October

Eduardo Minett will be shedding tears this fall…

Warner Bros. will open Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, starring the young Mexican actor in his English-language debut, on October 22.

Eduardo Minett,

Eastwood, a multi-Oscar winner will star in and direct the feature based on N. Richard Nash’s novel.

The film will hit theaters and HBO Max day-and-date.

Eastwood stars as a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who, in 1978, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man’s young son home and away from his alcoholic mom. Crossing rural Mexico on their back way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman may find his own sense of redemption through teaching the boy what it means to be a good man.

Nick Schenk and Nash co-wrote the screenplay.

Eastwood stars with Minett and Dwight Yoakam.

Eduardo Minett to Make English-Language Film Debut in Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho”

Eduardo Minett is switching tongues…

The Mexican actor will make his English-language feature film debut starring opposite Clint Eastwood in Warner Bros.’ Cry Macho, which Eastwood will also direct.

Eduardo Minett,

Natalia TravenDwight Yoakam, Horacio Garcia Rojas and Fernanda Urrejola are also on board.

Eastwood has shown a knack for finding fresh new talent to share the screen with over the years including his 2008 drama Gran Torino, when he tapped newcomer Bee Vang as his co-star.

The production is currently wrapping filming in New Mexico.

Based on the underlying book written by N. Richard Nash and a screenplay written by Nash and Nick SchenkCry Macho stars Eastwood as a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who, in 1978, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man’s young son home and away from his alcoholic mom. Crossing rural Mexico on their back way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman may find his own sense of redemption through teaching the boy what it means to be a good man.

While this is Minett’s U.S. debut, he has had roles in a handful of Mexican television shows including Como dice el dichoVeteran actor-singer Yoakam is best known for roles in Panic Room, Sling Blade and most recently Logan Lucky. Traven was most recently seen on the AMC series Soulmatesand Rojas was recently seen in Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico.

Jimenez Inducted Into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

Flaco Jimenez’s name will appear in the Austin City Limits history books…

The 76-year-old Mexican American Conjunto, Norteño and Tejano music accordionist and a member of the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornadoswho received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year, has been inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.

Flaco Jimenez

During the 2nd annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame concert on Thursday, Jimenez was inducted with a class that included Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Asleep at the Wheel and the late Townes Van Zandt.

Jimenez’s short but sweet acceptance speech prefaced an upbeat six-song set earlier in the night with conjunto band Max Baca & Los TexManiacs featuring David Hidalgo of Los Lobos on guitar and vocals. Midway through, Dwight Yoakam came aboard to sing lead, with Jimenez’s colorful accordion accents propelling the extended cast on “Streets of Bakersfield” and Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita.”

The green room was jam-packed just moments earlier with friends, family and fellow musicians who just wanted to be close to Jimenez, who received the loudest reception of the night. He beamed recounting how Yoakam had mentioned his military service as an Army artilleryman during the Korean War.

“I was proud to serve my country,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez, a five-time Grammy winner, has enjoyed a successful career that has spanned more than six decades. In that time, he’s collaborated with artists like Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Doug Sahm and Carlos Santana.