Rita Indiana Releases New LGBTT Anthem “Miedo”

Rita Indiana isn’t scared…

The 43-year-old queer Dominican singer-songwriter is celebrating Pride Month with a new reggaeton track “Miedo,” which pays homage to the LGBTT community.

Rita Indiana

“For the LGBTT community, fear (miedo) is something to be conquered every day, fear of violence, rejection and injustice,” she says. “This song is for my community, for whom love has always been a heroic trait.“

Known for poignant lyrics that often tackle topics like queerness, non-conforming sexuality and class, the singer and author of the Spanish novels Papi and Tentacle, was recently signed by Warner Chappell Music.

“Rita is an artist that fearlessly speaks her mind and tackles critical issues impacting society head on through her writing,” says Lazaro HernandezWarner Chappell Music‘s vp, a&r, U.S. & Latin America. “All of us at Warner Chappell are not only fans of her music, but are also fierce supporters of what she stands for. We look forward to helping amplify Rita’s voice and message through her music.”

Rita Indiana is set to release her forthcoming album later this year, her first solo set in a decade. Titled Mandinga Times, the album was produced by fellow Warner Chappell Music writer Eduardo Cabra, a.k.a. Visitante of Calle 13.

Eduardo Cabra Partners with Vicente Garcia on New Multimedia & Music Fusion Project Called Trending Topics

Eduardo Cabra is trending

The 39-year-old Puerto Rican artist and producer,known as Visitante, has teamed with Puerto Rican singer Vicente Garcia for his first post Calle 13 solo project, called Trending Topics.

Eduardo Cabra

A single is due Sept. 14, with an album to follow later this fall.

The album will be a joint release between Sony Music Colombia and Sony Music Spain, according to Billboard, through a new deal Cabra and Garcia made with the global company that partners the two regional offices for the project.

Cabra, who has produced 13 albums for other artists, in addition to his groundbreaking work with Calle 13, previously told Billboardthat Trending Topics is a collaborative recording whose “common denominator is the production.”

In addition to Garcia, who won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2017, the album will feature Ana Tijoux, Jorge Drexler, Li Suamet of Bomba Estereo fame, Amayo from Antibalas, Pucho and Guille from Spanish rock band Vetusta Morla, and musician and producer Carlos Alomar, best known as David Bowie’s guitarist.

Sony calls Trending Topics, “an innovative multimedia, music fusion project” with music “born from the traditions of Afro-Caribbean and Caribbean cultures and rhythms – intertwined with the sounds of boundary pushing contemporary/ experimental recording techniques and timely lyrical subject matter.”

Cabra previously told Billboardthat reggaeton, approached “in a different way” will be part of the mix.

In an announcement from Sony, Cabra called Trending Topics, “a project that was made with much love and with a brutal sense of art.”

Jesse & Joy Claim Their First-Ever Grammy Award

It’s a special first for Jesse & Joy

The Mexican duo, comprised of Jesse Huerta and his sister Joy Huerta, picked up their first ever gramophone at Sunday’s Grammy Awards show.

Jesse & Joy

Jesse & Joy, six-time Latin Grammy winners, including four in 2012, took home the award for Best Latin Pop Album for their critically acclaimed album Un Besito Mas, which won Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album at last year’s Latin Grammys.

The siblings beat out strong studio efforts from Gaby Moreno, Laura Pausini, Sanalejo and Diego Torres for their first Grammy.

Kirstie Maldonado is now a three-time Grammy winner.

The 24-year-old half-Mexican, part Spanish-American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members won a gramophone Sunday night in anew category.

Pentatonix and Dolly Parton took home the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their remix of Parton’s iconic hit “Jolene.”

The five-member a cappella group had previously won back-to-back Grammys in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category in 2015 and 2016.

Chucho Valdés has earned the sixth gramophone of his career, and his first since 2009.

The 75-year-old Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, whose career spans over 50 years, picked up the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for his latest work, Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac.

Vicente Fernández has won his third career Grammy…

The 76-year-old Mexican singer, nicknamed “El Rey de la Música Ranchera,” won the Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) Grammy for his album Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo).

The first time’s the charm for Ile

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican singer, composer, and vocalist, who was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist, took home her first Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for her first solo album iLevitable, which was released in June 2016. 

For 10 years, Ile, whose real name is Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar, was the sole female singer of Calle 13, performing along with her brothers René Pérez Joglar (“Residente“) and Eduardo Cabra Joglar (“Visitante“).

The late Jose Lugo and his band Guasábara Combo won the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album for Donde Están?

Lugo died last June at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.

Giancarlo Guerrero proved to be the big winner of the night, picking up three Grammys.

The 47-year-old Costa Rican conductor, the music director of the Nashville Symphony, took home the awards for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Best Classical Compendium and Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his work on the Nashville Symphony’s Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway project.

Here’s a look at the winners at the 59th annual Grammy Awards:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year25 — Adele

Record Of The Year“Hello” — Adele

Song Of The Year“Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)

Best New ArtistChance The Rapper

POP FIELD

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

Best Pop Vocal Album25 — Adele

Best Pop Solo Performance“Hello” — Adele

Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumSummertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC FIELD

Best Dance Recording“Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers featuring Daya

Best Dance/Electronic AlbumSkin — Flume

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FIELD

Best Contemporary Instrumental AlbumCulcha Vulcha  — Snarky Puppy

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Song“Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie)

Best Rock Performance“Blackstar” — David Bowie

Best Metal Performance“Dystopia” — Megadeth

Best Rock AlbumTell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music AlbumBlackstar — David Bowie

R&B FIELD

Best Urban Contemporary AlbumLemonade — Beyoncé

Best R&B Performance“Cranes in the Sky” — Solange

Best Traditional R&B Performance“Angel” — Lalah Hathaway

Best R&B Song“Lake By the Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)

Best R&B AlbumLalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway

RAP FIELD

Best Rap AlbumColoring Book — Chance The Rapper

Best Rap Performance“No Problem” — Chance the Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz

Best Rap/Sung Performance“Hotline Bling” — Drake

Best Rap Song“Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake)

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance“My Church” — Maren Morris

Best Country Duo/Group Performance“Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton

Best Country Song“Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)

Best Country AlbumA Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson

NEW AGE FIELD

Best New Age AlbumWhite Sun II — White Sun

JAZZ FIELD

Best Improvised Jazz Solo“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” — John Scofield, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal AlbumTake Me To The Alley — Gregory Porter 

Best Jazz Instrumental AlbumCountry for Old Men — John Scofield

Best Large Jazz Ensemble AlbumPresidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom — Ted Nash Big Band

Best Latin Jazz AlbumTribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac — Chucho Valdés

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD

Best Gospel Performance/Song“God Provides” — Tamela Mann; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song“Thy Will” — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family; Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband, songwriters Track from: Love Remains

Best Gospel AlbumLosing My Religion — Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music AlbumLove Remains — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family   

Best Roots Gospel AlbumHymns — Joey+Rory

LATIN FIELD

Best Latin Pop AlbumUn Besito Mas — Jesse & Joy

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative AlbumiLevitable — ile

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo) — Vicente Fernández

Best Tropical Latin AlbumDonde Están? — Jose Lugo & Guasábara Combo

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FIELD

Best American Roots Performance“House of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz

Best American Roots Song“Kid Sister” — Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers)

Best Americana AlbumThis Is Where I Live — William Bell

Best Bluegrass AlbumComing Home — O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor

Best Traditional Blues AlbumPorcupine Meat — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues AlbumThe Last Days of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito

Best Folk AlbumUndercurrent — Sarah Jarosz

Best Regional Roots Music AlbumE Walea — Kalani Pe’a

REGGAE FIELD

Best Reggae AlbumZiggy Marley — Ziggy Marley

WORLD MUSIC FIELD

Best World Music AlbumSing Me Home — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble

CHILDREN’S FIELD

Best Children’s AlbumInfinity Plus One — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

SPOKEN WORD FIELD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox — Carol Burnett

COMEDY FIELD

Best Comedy AlbumTalking for Clapping — Patton Oswalt

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater AlbumThe Color Purple — Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson, principal soloists; Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders & Jhett Tolentino, producers (Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell & Allee Willis, composers/lyricists) (New Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual MediaMiles Ahead — Miles Davis & Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual MediaStar Wars: The Force Awakens — John Williams, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kunal Nayyar), Track from: Trolls

COMPOSING/ARRANGING FIELD

Best Instrumental Composition“Spoken At Midnight” — Ted Nash, composer (Ted Nash Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella“You and I” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals“Flintstones” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

PACKAGE FIELD

Best Recording PackageBlackstar — Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition PackageEdith Piaf 1915-2015 — Gérard Lo Monaco, art director (Edith Piaf)

NOTES FIELD

Best Album NotesSissle And Blake Sing Shuffle Along — Ken Bloom & Richard Carlin, album notes writers (Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle)

HISTORICAL FIELD

Best Historical AlbumThe Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12 (Collector’s Edition) — Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Mark Wilder, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, Non-ClassicalBlackstar — David Bowie, Tom Elmhirst, Kevin Killen, Tony Visconti & Joe LaPorta (David Bowie)

Producer Of The YearNon-ClassicalGreg Kurstin

Best Remixed Recording“Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)” — André Allen Anjos, remixer (Bob Moses)

SURROUND SOUND FIELD

Best Surround Sound AlbumDutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, surround mix engineers; Dmitriy Lipay, surround mastering engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, surround producer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, ClassicalCorigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — Mark Donahue & Fred Vogler, engineers (James Conlon, Guanqun Yu, Joshua Guerrero, Patricia Racette, Christopher Maltman, Lucy Schaufer, Lucas Meachem, LA Opera Chorus & Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, ClassicalDavid Frost

CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Orchestral FieldShostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera RecordingCorigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — James Conlon, conductor; Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer & Guanqun Yu; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (LA Opera Orchestra; LA Opera Chorus)

Best Choral PerformancePenderecki Conducts Penderecki, Volume 1 — Krzystof Penderecki, conductor; Henryk Wojnarowski, choir director (Nikolay Didenko, Agnieszka Rehlis & Johanna Rusanen; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble PerformanceSteve Reich — Third Coast Percussion

Best Classical Instrumental SoloDaugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Zuill Bailey; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony)

Best Classical Solo Vocal AlbumShakespeare Songs — Ian Bostridge; Antonio Pappano, accompanist (Michael Collins, Elizabeth Kenny, Lawrence Power & Adam Walker)

Best Classical CompendiumDaugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer

Best Contemporary Classical CompositionDaugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Michael Daugherty, composer (Zuill Bailey, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM FIELD

Best Music Video“Formation” — Beyoncé

Best Music FilmThe Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles)

Visitante Leads the Pack of Latin Grammy Nominees with 10

It’s a perfect ten for Eduardo Cabra

The Puerto Rican reggaetón singer has picked up 10 Latin Grammy nominations to lead the pack of honorees this year.

Eduardo Cabra

Cabra, commonly known “Visitante,” earned nine nominations with his stepbrother and fellow Calle 13 member René Pérez, known as “Residente.” He earned his tenth nod of the year for Producer of the Year his work as a producer on Jorge Drexler’s album Todo Cae.

Calle 13’s nominations include Record of the Year, for their single “Respira El Momento;” Album of the Year for MultiViral; and Song of the Year for their track “Ojos Color Sol” with Silvio Rodríguez.

Since 2006, when they took home the Best New Artist award, Calle 13 has won 19 Latin Grammys.

Meanwhile, Andres Castro earned eight. Tom Coyne received seven, Julio Reyes Copello and Carlos Vives each received six nominations, and Descemer Bueno and Enrique Iglesias were next with five nods each.

In the running for best new artist are Aneeka, Linda Briceno, Caloncho, Julio Cesar, Pablo Lopez, Miranda, Periko & Jessi Leen, Daniela Spalla, Juan Pablo Vega and Mariana Vega.

This year’s Latin Grammy Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony will air on the Univision from 8:00 – 11:00 pm ET.

Click here to see the complete list of nominees.

Calle 13 Recording a Documentary in Cuba

Following the band’s participation in a campaign to end child trafficking and the exploitation of children in Latin America, Calle 13 will be back in front of the cameras for another project.

The Puerto Rican reggaetón duo is currently shooting a documentary about their own experiences in Cuba, according to band member René Pérez, a.k.a. “Residente.”

“We’re filming a big documentary about C-13 in Cuba,” announced Pérez via his Twitter account, according to a report published on the government Web page Cubadebate.

Pérez said he traveled to Cuba on a motorboat and declared that it was “a great experience, a little dangerous but nice at the same time.”

Residente and his stepbrother Eduardo Cabra, known as “Visitante“—who broke the record for most Latin Grammy wins at a whopping 19 at last year’s awards show—have enlisted Puerto Rican filmmaker Lidy Paoli López to direct the documentary.

The film could include the duo’s attendance at a concert offered by Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez last Thursday at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

The band has previously filmed the 27-minute documentary “Calle 13 en La Habana“, by Lester Sibila and Frank Fernández, to serve as a record of their visit to the Caribbean country.

Calle 13 first performed in Cuba at a huge concert in Havana in 2010.

“Cuba was a mystery we wanted to discover,” said Residente during that visit. “I open the windows and look at the sea and I’m already inspired.”

Calle 13 Joins Fight to Protect Latin American Children

They’ve recently broken records at the Latin Grammy Awards. Now Calle 13’s Rene “Residente” Perez and Eduardo “Visitante” Cabra are working to end child trafficking and the exploitation of children in Latin America.

The Grammy-winning urban hip-hop duo has joined a special UNICEF campaign to raise awareness about the serious problems that youth in Latin America are facing.

Calle-13

“We want to cooperate on any campaign that helps the development of young people and Latin American countries,” said Perez. “For me, it’s very important. Latin America worries me because for us, we’re comfortable in the United States and Puerto Rico … (but) there it’s uncomfortable.”

The campaign includes a documentary entitled “Esclavos invisibles” that focuses on how child exploitation and trafficking is affecting Latin America. It was produced with UNICEF and directed by Calle 13.

The Puerto Rican group unveiled the campaign at UNICEF’s New York City headquarters and announced that it had donated the rights to Perez’s composition “Preparame la cena” for the music video to promote the first-of-its-kind campaign.

“We’ve traveled practically all through Latin America and we know about this and other problems,” says Perez. “So, I worked on the number ‘Cancion para un niño en la calle‘ along with Mercedes Sosa, which speaks about children who are exploited sexually, at work, who wind up addicted to drugs.”

The MTV Latin America and Tr3s networks on Tuesday will broadcast the “Esclavos invisibles” documentary.