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GRAMMYs

Amara La Negra 

Photo: Mike Pont/Getty Images

News
Amara La Negra On Her Afro-Latina Identity amara-la-negra-will-keep-talking-about-her-afro-latina-identity-until-things-change

Amara La Negra Will Keep Talking About Her Afro-Latina Identity Until Things Change

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Meet Amara La Negra. The Miami-bred singer is captivating music lovers with her pop-infused, hip-hop and Caribbean sound, while also challenging the mainstream pop world's notion on what a Latina looks like
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2018 - 3:39 pm

If you don't know who Amara La Negra is, you need to catch up. The singer, who was raised under the spotlight of Spanish-language media, has become the most powerful voice in the English-language pop music world when it comes to Afro-Latino identity.

Amara La Negra On Her Afro-Latina Identity

Her music is pop-infused R&B and hip-hop, with a touch of Caribbean sounds. Her songs are infectious, the kind you can find playing at clubs during the summer in cities like Miami or Los Angeles. As a cross-over artist, she is gaining fans in English and Spanish, and is challenging the cookie-cutter image of a Latina pop star in media; Latinas come in all shapes and colors and can be black too, La Negra announces with her hair and dark skin.

"My mom made sure that I always did know that I was beautiful, that there is nothing wrong with me, that there was something wrong with the people who saw me as if I wasn't beautiful enough," she told the Recording Academy's "On Location" host Charlie Travers, about growing up and being treated differently from other Latino children because of her dark features. "A lot of people think it's annoying that I keep talking about it, but I'm going to keep talking about it because I haven't seen any difference."

Amara La Negra's real name is Dana Danelys De Los Santos and was brought up in Miami in a Dominican household. As a child, she appeared on Univision's popular Spanish-language "Sabado Gigante" hosted by iconic host Don Francisco and shared the stage with GRAMMY-winning Afro-Latina salsa legend, Celia Cruz. Now as an adult and reality TV star, La Negra has been very open about her cross-over journey as an Afro-Latina, sharing the ups and the downs, including being criticized on her appearance for not fitting the typical, media-driven "Latina" look on national TV. 

"A lot of people want to see change and they just want to sit back and wait for someone to go through the struggles and go through it and make the change happen," La Negra said. "In my case, I'm willing to stand up, because I do get bashed all the time, I'm willing to take that responsibility to open doors and opportunities for other women like myself, other children like myself that have been ignored for so long."

Learn more about Amara La Negra's sound below:

"What A Bam Bam"

In this single, La Negra samples Sister Nancy's reggae hit "Bam Bam" and adds a dembow beat. The bilingual song is an anthem about being single and having fun.

"Insecure"

La Negra takes a break from having fun, to get real and personal in "Insecure." "You say I’m loca, crazy/ Said I been tripping lately/ I wanna know baby/ Does that make me insecure, mi amore," La Negra sings in one of her most vulnerable songs.

"Dutty Whine"

Using bilingual lyrics once again, La Negra's "Dutty Whine" pays tribute to the Jamaican dance of the same name. "If you do that dutty whine/Make her do that dutty low, low low/Dutty whine! Dutty low!" she sings in this dancehall, pop song released in June.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2018
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GRAMMYs
Amara La Negra 
Photo: Mike Pont/Getty Images

Amara La Negra On Her Afro-Latina Identity

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Dolores O'Riordan

Photo: Srdjan Stevanovic/WireImage

News
The Cranberries Share First Single Off Final Album cranberries-announce-eighth-and-final-album-end

The Cranberries Announce Eighth And Final Album, 'In The End'

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The Irish alt-rock band, who lost lead singer Dolores O'Riordan last year, also unveiled a new single titled "All Over Now"
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 4:02 pm

Band members of Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries have announced that they will release their eighth and final album In The End on April 26 via BGM.

"In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End,’" the band tweeted.

The announcement comes one year after the death of powerful lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who died suddenly while in London for a recording session on Jan. 15, 2018. She was 46.

In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End’. Tune into the Jeremy Vine show on @BBCRadio2 at 1:30PM tomorrow to hear ‘All Over Now’. pic.twitter.com/YT0j4Hy7Js

— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) January 14, 2019

The band also released a single titled "All Over Now" from the upcoming album. The song "blends rock, alternative and catchy almost pop-sounding melodies to deliver a classic Cranberries sound," the band said on their website.

The BBC reported in Sept. that O'Riordan's cause of death was a "tragic accident" due to excessive drinking. She was found submerged in the bath of her hotel room.

For 30 years, the Cranberries blended alternative rock with pop to create a melodic sound that could be both hard and sweet. Hits like "Zombie" and "Dreams" captured the band's ability to shift their sound. The final album, which has 11 tracks and was produced by Stephen Street, is a "fitting and powerful closure," the band said.

"I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of Dolores' passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band," O'Riordan's mother, Eileen O'Riordan, said on the band's album announcement. 

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GRAMMYs

Bikini Kill

Photo: Steve Eichner/WireImage

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Riot Grrrl Band Bikini Kill Announce Tour legendary-riot-grrrl-band-bikini-kill-reunite-announce-tour

Legendary Riot Grrrl Band Bikini Kill Reunite, Announce Tour

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The "Rebel Girl" band will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles in New York City and a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the spring
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 12:24 pm

Bikini Kill, the legendary politically outspoken feminist '90s punk band that launched the Riot Grrrl movement, have reunited and announced a tour.

THIS IS NOT A TEST: Bikini Kill have announced shows in LA & NYC this spring. Tickets for all shows go on sale this Friday. More info: https://t.co/igiqXRYppM pic.twitter.com/UVYjg9zwEY

— Bikini Kill (@theebikinikill) January 15, 2019

The "Rebel Girl" band, who inspired women to express themselves via music and DIY culture, will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. that will begin in the spring.

"Bikini Kill are thrilled to announce they will be regrouping to play shows in NY and LA this spring," the band said on their website. "They will perform with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass -- along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle."

The group formed in 1990 and were based in Olympia, Wash. and Washington, D.C. Before their break-up in 1997, they recorded and released a demo, two EPs, two LPs and three singles. They toured the U.S., Japan, Europe and Australia.  

Frontwoman Hanna went on to form band Le Tigre and a solo career as Julie Ruin. The Punk Singer documentary is based on her activism and musical career and shows the singer's life and battle with Lyme disease.

Tickets for all three shows will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 18. Both NYC shows will be on sale at 9 A.M. PT / 12 P.M. ET, while the L.A. show will go on sale at 10 A.M. PT / 1 P.M. ET. For more info, visit the band's website.

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Mike Garson

Mike Garson 

Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images

News
A Bowie Celebration Announces Tour Dates bowie-celebration-announces-tour-dates

A Bowie Celebration Announces Tour Dates

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A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 14, 2019 - 4:50 pm

David Bowie's backing bands are heading out on tour to continue the GRAMMY winner's legacy for the third year in a row.

A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City until March. 

The tour is formed by Bowie's "longest-leading and most frequent band member" Mike Garson, guitarist Earl Sick, bassist Carmine Rojas, multi-instrumentalist Mark Plati, guitarist Charlie Sexton and vocalists Bernard Fowler and Corey Glover, according to Rolling Stone.

The magazine reports that the band has been joined by several guest vocalists in the past, including Perry Farrell and Evan Rachel Wood, and plays hits like "Rebel Rebel" and "Ziggy Stardust."

"One way or another, David is continuously there with us,” Garson said in a statement. “He’s on stage each night, in the audience and always in the very essence of each song. We do these shows for the fans who’ve loved David and his music, and for those who are new to his music-they’re about to get hooked. Through this process of the celebration of his music, we do these shows for David who is a constant presence in our minds, hearts and soul."

For more information on the tour see here.

Quincy Jones To Receive Special Achievement Honor From The African-American Film Critics Association

Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones 

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/FilmMagic

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Quincy Jones Honored By The AAFCA quincy-jones-receive-special-achievement-honor-african-american-film-critics

Quincy Jones To Receive Special Achievement Honor From The African-American Film Critics Association

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Music’s beloved Renaissance man and film producer Jason Blum are the latest additions to the AAFCA's 2019 honorees
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 14, 2019 - 12:24 pm

GRAMMY-winning music legend Quincy Jones will receive a Special Achievement honor from the African-American Film Critics Association, the largest group of black film critics.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jones and film producer Jason Blum are the latest additions to the AAFCA's 2019 honorees and will be honored on Feb. 6 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.

"Quincy Jones is a cultural icon," AAFCA co-founder Shawn Edwards said in a statement. "For nearly 70 years, he has helped shape pop culture as a music composer and producer as well as a film/TV composer and producer. His creative influence is unparalleled. He has molded the arts, film and music with a force that we may never witness again in our lifetime and given back all along the way."

The two will be celebrated along with the AAFCA's best picture winner Black Panther.

Netflix executive Tengo Nagenda, early jazz cornetist Buddy Bolden, searching director Aneesh Chaganty and HBO's Kelly Edwards are among other recipients who will have their own ceremony on Feb. 2.

Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Angela Aguilar On Her Culture And Family Legacy

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.