Carlos Vives Named Latin Recording Academy’s 2024 Person of the Year

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is set to receive the highest honor from the Latin Recording Academy.

Twenty-five years after leading the list of nominees for the first edition of the Latin Grammys, the 62-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter and actor has been named the 2024 Person of the Year.

Vives — winner of 18 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards and a Billboard Latin Music Awards Hall of Fame inductee — “will be honored for his more than three-decade career as a multifaceted singer and composer, as well as for his continued commitment to environmental and social initiatives,” per the Latin Recording Academy.

“Carlos Vives is one of the most prolific and beloved artists of our time, whose commitment to Latin music and support for the new generations truly personifies the values of our Academy,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “We honor him as our Person of the Year for his vast contributions to our musical heritage and for his many philanthropic initiatives.”

“It’s still surprising to me,” Vives told Billboard Español this week in an exclusive interview. “It’s like a message that the Academy gives at the end, because 32 years ago I chose a path [that was unconventional]. To be successful, to be commercial, there was one way. This other path that’s cultural or has to do with your identity, that doesn’t work, [they would say].”

In Wednesday’s press release, he added: “I am honored and moved to have been chosen as the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. It is the reward for an authentic journey, for a wonderful team and, above all, it is the recognition of the musical spirits of our Latin American diversity. These spirits taught us to love and enrich our language, to take care of it and to respect it in order to exalt humanity with it.”

Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives is one of the most respected artists in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound, redefining traditional Colombian vallenato by incorporating to it pop and rock sounds. With No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts such as “Volví a Nacer,” “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta” with Shakira, among others, has become an ambassador of Colombian and Latin American culture around the world.

His commitment to good causes transcends the musical realm. In 2015, he created the Tras La Perla initiative to promote the sustainable development of Santa Marta and its ecosystem. In addition, he created the Escuela de Música Río Grande to offer artistic experiences to children and young people, and founded the record label Gaira Música Local to promote new Colombian talent. He’s also been a strong advocate and generous supporter of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation since its inception, the Latin Recording Academy highlights, and sponsored its annual Prodigy Scholarship in 2018.

His latest album, Escalona: Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, earned him his 18th Latin Grammy when it was crowned best cumbia/vallenato album in 2023. This year he was also recognized with the ASCAP Founders Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Vives will be feted as Person of the Year at a special star-studded gala and tribute concert where an array of artist and friends will perform renditions of his renowned repertoire. Details of the event, to be presented in November during the 2024 Latin Grammy week in Miami, will be announced at a later date.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors musicians and their artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts.

Past honorees are Laura Pausini (2023), Marco Antonio Solís (2022), Rubén Blades (2021), Juanes (2019), Maná (2018), Alejandro Sanz (2017), Marc Anthony (2016), Roberto Carlos (2015), Joan Manuel Serrat (2014), Miguel Bosé (2013), Caetano Veloso (2012), Shakira (2011), Plácido Domingo (2010), Juan Gabriel (2009), Gloria Estefan (2008), Juan Luis Guerra (2007), Ricky Martin (2006), José José (2005), Carlos Santana (2004), Gilberto Gil (2003), Vicente Fernández (2002), Julio Iglesias (2001) and Emilio Estefan (2000).

Jesús López to Receive Desi Arnaz Pioneer Award at the La Musa Awards

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jesús López has a pioneering spirit…

The chairman and CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula will receive the Desi Arnaz PioneerAward at the seventh annual La Musa Awards from the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

López, who is responsible for Universal Music Groupoperations in all Spanish and Portuguese-speaking territories of the world, will receive the recognition for his many contributions throughout his professional career.

The Desi Arnaz Pioneer Award was created by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in honor of the early television visionary, songwriter and entertainer, who developed the iconic comedy show I Love Lucy, which he produced and starred in with his wife, Lucille Ball.

For more than four decades, López has worked with some of the greatest artists in Latin music, including Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, José Luis Perales, Joan Manuel Serrat, Mecano and Juan Gabriel. Most recently, he has launched the careers of Karol Gand Sebastian Yatra, among many of a new generation of acts. Lopez was also behind the global hits “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and J Balvin’s “Mi Gente,” which were pivotal in the current explosion of Latin music.

Lopez’s roster of international hits also includes Los del Rio’s “Macarena,” “La Camisa Negra” by Juanes, and “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Buenoand Gente de Zona.

Previous recipients of the award include Quincy Jones, Nat King Coleand Raul Pablo Alarcon Sr.

The La Musa Awards ceremony will take place on October 24 at the James L. Knight Centerin Miami. This year’s class of inductees includes Ivy Queen, Willie Colón, Michael Sullivan, Chico Novarroand Armando Larrinaga.

Carlos Named the Latin Recording Academy’s 2015 Person of the Year

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Roberto Carlos is a person of major interest this year…

The 74-year-old Brazilian singer and composer will be honored as the 2015 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Carlos, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in April and is celebrating five decades of recording in Spanish, is the top-selling Brazilian and Latin American act of all time.

He’ll be honored the eve of the Latin Grammys at a star-studded tribute concert Wednesday, November18, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

Born in in the Southern municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to a watchmaker and a seamstress, Carlos began singing and taking music lessons at an early age. At 17, he moved to Rio de Janeiro and began singing nightly in clubs, devoting himself to the rock n’ roll of the day. By the early 1960s, signed to Columbia and aided by the TV show and musical movement Jovem Guarda (Young Guard), Carlos became a teen idol and began writing with his childhood friend and former bandmate Erasmo Carlos, still his main writing partner to this day. Instead of opting for bossa nova, the sophisticated Brazilian export for which his smooth, entreating voice is particularly well-suited for, they went for romantic pop, penning some of the most enduring compositions in the Latin American songbook. Translated to Spanish and married to the subtle beauty of Carlos’ voice, they became anthems for generations of listeners to this day.

Calos recently recorded his latest album — Roberto Carlos – Primera Fila — at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The set will be released later this year.

Previous recipients of the Recording Academy Person of the Year honor include Miguel Bosé, Plácido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernández, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, Joan Manuel Serrat, Shakira, Julio Iglesias and Caetano Veloso, among others.

Serrat Celebrated with Special Career-Spanning Exhibition in Barcelona

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Joan Manuel Serrat is the subject of an extra special Spanish-style celebration.

The 71-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter, considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in the Spanish and Catalan languages, is being feted in Barcelona through a special project.

Serrat: 50 Years of Songs is the title of an exhibition that documents the life and times of Barcelona’s most famous musical son.

The show is a career-spanning homage to Serrat, the 2014 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, that highlights the singer-songwriter’s ties to Barcelona and Latin America.

The exhibition, at Barcelona’s Arts Santa Monica cultural center until September, includes photos, posters, records, Serrat trading cards and other fan memorabilia, performance videos, and, of course, music.

A parallel program of concert tributes to Serrat by other artists will run through the summer on a stage built into the exhibition, and the public will have a chance to perform their own song favorites during a series of scheduled Serrat karaoke sessions.

The show is set to travel to Montevideo’s Mario Benedetti Foundation later in the year, its first stop on a projected international tour.

“Serrat is more than a musician,” says Jaume Reus i Morro, director of Arts Santa Monica, which is housed in a former monastery. The Serrat exhibition is on display in the building’s vaulted stone chapel. “He’s part of the collective memory of several generations. Serrart has always been tied to the idea of freedom.”

Part of the show focuses on what in 1960s Spain became known as “the Serrat scandal.” Early in his career, Serrat was selected to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest. After being told he was not allowed to sing in Catalan, his native tongue, he refused to participate at all. The episode established Serrat as a symbol of Catalan pride. His clashes with the Franco regime would continue, and after making remarks critical of the government in 1975, he spent a period in exile in Mexico, beginning his lifelong relationship with Latin America and his outspoken solidarity with repression and social struggles in the region.

The exhibition also reflects the lighter side of Serrat.

“I thought of the money, and the hope of a more satisfying sex life,” an accompanying text quotes the artist as saying, explaining why he wanted to be a musician.

A number of photos capture Serrat the sex symbol, with his chest bared under an open shirt and an inviting gaze. There are movie posters recalling a short-lived film career in titles like My First Love and The Private Teacher.

“I seriously believe that my biggest contribution to cinema’s evolution was to abandon it,” he quips in a text accompanying posters and gossip magazines.

Serrat admitted to being something of a hoarder at a press conference for the exhibition, and most of the objects and ephemera in the extensive display belong to him. They include his first guitar, which his father brought home in a paper bag, so that he would no longer have to practice on a borrowed instrument.

The singer’s roots in the working class Poble Sec neighborhood are captured in vintage photos, which show Serrat accompanying a black-clad elderly widow up the stairs, and a group of young men with red capes practicing their bullfighting moves in the street.

“I don’t know if young people today can relate to him,” he said, admitting that he himself had lost touch with Serrat’s music over the years. “But he is a myth. He’s like our Frank Sinatra.”

Iglesias’ Hit “Bailando” Nabs Three Awards at the Latin Grammys

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is bailando with good reason…

The 39-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter picked up three awards at this year’s Latin Grammys for his platinum hit “Bailando.”

Iglesias and his collaborators on the inescapable track, Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona, took home the trophies for Song of the Year, Urban Performance and Urban Song during Thursday night’s live broadcast from Las Vegas.

Iglesias accepted his awards from Paris, where he was touring, and a taped performance of his hit song closed the show.

Meanwhile, Calle 13 – comprised of stepbrothers Rene Perez and Eduardo Cabra – picked the awards for Urban Music Album (for Multi_Viral) and Alternative Song (for “El Aguante”).

With the two wins, Calle 13 set the record for the most Latin Grammys with an astonishing 21 career wins.

“We are happy. We have 21 (Latin) Grammys and it is a dream. We never thought we would have this in our lives,” said Perez backstage to reporters after the show.

Other winners included Paco de Lucia – the iconic Mexican guitarist who died earlier this year – who won album of the year and best Flamenco album for Canción Andaluza. Colombian singer Juanes won best pop/rock album for Loco De Amor, Marc Anthony won best salsa album for 3.0, and Carlos Vives won for best contemporary tropical song and album.

Venezuelan singer-songwriter Mariana Vega won best new artist and legendary singer Joan Manuel Serrat, who performed, was named person of the year.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s Latin Grammy winners:

Record of the year: “Universos Paralelos” — Jorge Drexler, featuring Ana Tijoux
Album of the year: “Canción Andaluza” — Paco de Lucía
Song of the year: “Bailando” — Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona and Enrique Iglesias
New artist: Mariana Vega
Contemporary pop vocal album: “Elypse” — Camila
Traditional pop vocal album: “Fonseca Sinfónico” — Fonseca Urban performance: “Bailando” — Enrique Iglesias, featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona
Urban music album: “MultiViral” — Calle 13
Urban song: “Bailando” — Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona and Enrique Iglesias
Rock album: “Agua Maldita” — Molotov
Pop/Rock album: “Loco De Amor” — Juanes
Rock song: “Cuando No Estás” — Andrés Calamaro
Alternative music album: “Romantisísmico” — Babasónicos
Alternative song: “El Aguante” — Calle 13
Salsa album: “3.0” — Marc Anthony
Cumbia/Vallenato album: “Celedón Sin Fronteras 1” — Jorge Celedón and various artists
Contemporary tropical album: “Más + Corazón Profundo” — Carlos Vives
Traditional tropical album: “Grandes Exitos De Las Sonoras, Con La Más Grande, La Sonora Santanera” — La Sonora
Tropical song: “Cuando Nos Volvamos A Encontrar” — Andrés Castro and Carlos Vives
Singer-songwriter album: “Bailar En La cueva” — Jorge Drexler
Ranchero album: “Lástima Que Sean Ajenas” — Pepe Aguilar
Banda album: “Haciendo Historia” — Banda El Recodo De Don Cruz Lizarrag
Tejano album: “Forever Mazz” — Jimmy González and Grupo Mazz
Norteño album: “Amor Amor” — Conjunto Primavera
Regional song: “De Mil Amores” — Marco Antonio Solís, songwriter (Marco Antonio Solís)
Instrumental album: “Final Night At Birdland” — Arturo O’Farrill and The Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra
Folk album: “Raíz” — Lila Downs, Niña Pastori y Soledad
Tango album: “Tangos” — Rubén Blades
Flamenco album: “Canción Andaluza” — Paco de Lucía
Latin jazz album: Tie: “The Vigil” — Chick Corea, “Song For Maura” — Paquito D’Rivera & Trio Corrente
Christian album (Spanish language): “La Carta Perfecta – En Vivo” — Danilo Montero
Christian album (Portuguese language): “Graça” — Aline Barros
Brazilian contemporary pop album: “Multishow Ao Vivo – Ivete Sangalo 20 Anos” — Ivete Sangalo
Brazilian rock album: “Gigante Gentil” — Erasmo Carlos
Samba/pagode album: “Coração A Batucar” — Maria Rita
MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album: “Verdade, Uma Ilusão” — Marisa Monte
Sertaneja music album: “Questão De Tempo” — Sérgio Reis
Brazilian roots album: “Amigo Da Arte” — Alceu Valença
Brazilian song: “A Bossa Nova É Foda” — Caetano Veloso, songwriter (Caetano Veloso)
Latin children’s album: “Coloreando: Traditional Songs For Children In Spanish” — Marta Gómez & Friends
Classical album: “Verdi” — Plácido Domingo; Christopher Alder, album producer
Classical contemporary composition: “Concierto Para Violín y Orquesta De Cuerdas” — Claudia Montero, composer (Claudia Montero)
Recording package: “Wed 21” — Alejandro Ros, art director (Juana Molina)
Engineered album: “De Repente” — Juber Anbín, Johnnatan García, Rodner Padilla, Eduardo Pulgar, Vladimir Quintero Mora, Jean Sánchez & Alexander Vanlawren, engineers; Germán Landaeta & Darío Peñaloza, mixers; Germán Landaeta, mastering engineer (C4 Trío y Rafael “”Pollo”” Brito)
Producer of the year: Sergio George
Short form music video: “Flamingo” — La Vida Bohème | Leonardo Gonzalez, Pablo Iranzo & Carl Zitelman, video directors; Debbie Crosscup & César Elster, video producers
Long form music video: “El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco – La Película” — Café Tacvba | Gregory Allen, video director; Café Tacvba, video producers

Bosé to Pay Tribute to This year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Joan Manuel Serrat

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Bosé is heading back to this year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute event.

The 58-year-old Spanish musician/actor, last year’s honoree, is among the performers set to pay tribute to this year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Joan Manuel Serrat.

Bosé joins a roster of performers that includes Panamanian salsa singer Rubén Blades and Puerto Rico’s Calle 13.

The Barcelona-born Serrat will also be in the company of other fellow artists including Peruvian songstress Tania Libertad and singer/songwriter/poet Joaquín Sabina who will gather during a gala and tribute dinner on November 19 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

The tribute dinner and concert is being executive produced by Jose Tillan, with Greg Fera serving as the event’s producer. Dan Warner will be the night’s musical director and Gustavo Borner is the audio/mix supervisor.

Last year Bosé was the person of the year and was given musical tributes by Laura Pausini, Ricky Martin, Carlos Vives, Carlos Santana, Juanes and Alejandro Sanz, among others.

Other previous honorees include Shakira, Plácido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Gilberto Gil, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, and Caetano Veloso.

Serrat Named the 2014 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Joan Manuel Serrat is preparing to receive an honor befitting a music legend…

The 70-year-old Spanish singer/songwriter has been declared the 2014 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

He’ll be feted during a special gala event on November 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The Barcelona-born star started playing music as a teenager as he learned the craft both as a songwriter and performer. In 1965, he landed a record deal after singing on the Spanish radio show Radioscope.

Serrat then released two EPs and a full-length debut album and went on to perform live on stage at the Palau de la Música Catalana. That showcase propelled him to become one of the pioneers of the Nova Cançó movement in Spain’s Catalonian region.

Known as a politically outspoken performer, Serrat once refused to follow dictator Francisco Franco‘s orders to perform a song in Spanish instead of Catalan during the Eurovision song contest in the late ’60s. He was banned from performing in Spanish media for five years. In the ’70s, he went into a self-imposed exile in Mexico after speaking out against the Franco dictatorship. He did not return to Spain until after Franco’s death in 1975.

“As a profound and brilliant songwriter, a true poet in Spanish and Catalan and a sensational performer, Joan Manuel Serrat’s lyrical style and magnificent talent make him a treasured and timeless musical figure,” said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president/CEO of the Latin Recording Academy. “Through his talent, artistry, passion, and dedication to his craft, his work has spoken to music fans all over. It is a privilege to recognize a man with such an illustrious and socially conscious career, and we look forward to celebrating his creativity and legacy.”

Serrat released Dedicado A Antonio Machado, Poeta in 1969 in honor of the Spanish poet, and the album received critical acclaim throughout Spain and Latin America. For the last two decades, the singer has had a prolific songwriting, recording and touring career.

In 2006 he released Mô, his first album recorded completely in Catalan after nearly a decade. In 2008 he collaborated with Spanish singer/songwriter Joaquín Sabina and released Dos Pájaros De Un Tiro, followed by 2012’s La Orquesta Del Titanic. The 2013 documentary El Símbolo Y El Cuate chronicled their tour.

“Joan Manuel has become a true symbol for freedom, coherence, quality, and perfect use of our language, and a reference that we all have in reaching our goals,” said Latin Grammy and Grammy winner Shakira, who was the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year in 2011.

In addition to Shakira, Serrat joins an impressive group of artists who have received the Person of the Year honor that includes Miguel Bosé, Plácido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Gilberto Gil, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, and Caetano Veloso.

The Latin Grammys will be held a day after the Person of the Year festivities on November 20 and will broadcast live on the Univision at 8:00 pm ET.

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