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L.A. Opera Extends Domingo

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

L.A. Opera Extends Domingo
The Los Angeles Opera has announced a contract extension for nine-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Plácido Domingo, who will continue as general director of the L.A. Opera through the 2012–2013 season. The contract contains a provision for automatic renewal thereafter by mutual consent. Domingo, who will be honored as the 2010 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year in November, has served as general director of the L.A. Opera since 2003, and served as artistic advisor from 1986–2003. (9/21)

Karkwa Takes Polaris Music Prize
Montreal-based indie group Karkwa's Les Chemins De Verre was named the winner of the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. The honor recognizes the best Canadian album of the past year across all genres and includes a cash award of $19,400. Other artists nominated for the prize included Broken Social Scene, Caribou, Dan Mangan, Radio Radio, and Tegan And Sara. (9/21)
 

News

A Night At The Opera

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

By Josef Woodard

 

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Now in its 14th year, the annual GRAMMY Salute to Classical Music is one of many Los Angeles-based events leading up to Music's Biggest Night on Jan. 31. This year's honoree, presented the President's Merit Award at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif., Wednesday night, was one of those indisputable and inevitable choices: masterful tenor (and not-so-secretly, baritone), educator, administrator, and all-around musical powerhouse Plácido Domingo, with a nearly 50-year career and a gleaming global presence.

As it happened, the timing and regional positioning couldn't have been more appropriate: Domingo's now eight-year stint as general director of the Los Angeles Opera has reached a recent zenith with the company's lavish, surreal, ambitious, and long-awaited production of Wagner's Ring cycle, culminating this spring.

At presentation's end, the gracious tenor — in "street" clothes rather than his customary operatic wardrobe — alluded briefly to the current Ring factor in his acceptance speech. But on this occasion, the focus was more on the broad swath than on this season's buzzes (which would also include the singer's first U.S. performance as a baritone, in the Metropolitan Opera's recent production of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra).

Master of ceremonies and longtime classical radio broadcaster Rich Caparella led the proceedings, recounting the Domingo story to-date while stirring in current projects musical interludes. Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1941, and raised in Mexico City, Domingo made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1968 and has thus logged more than 600 performances in that hallowed hall, along with eventually establishing himself as a titan among opera figures. Along the way came the Three Tenors, directing the Washington and L.A. Opera companies, winning seven GRAMMY and three Latin GRAMMY Awards, and taking on more than 130 roles, an unprecedented achievement for an opera singer.

What would a Domingo tribute be without music? Grant Gershon, of Los Angeles Master Chorale fame, conducted a pared-down complement of players from the L.A. Opera orchestra, and four gifted young singers, some who are products of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artists Program. The 18-year-old tenor Sean Michael Plumb sang "Bella Siccome Un Angelo" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale, and baritone José Adán Pérez represented the Spanish zarzuela genre championed by Domingo (his parents ran a zarzuela company in Mexico City) with "Amor, Vida De Mi Vida" by Federico Moreno Torroba. Tenor Davíd Lomelí nailed the high notes and high emotionality of "Che Gelida Manina," from Puccini's La Boheme, and from the feminine end of the spectrum came soprano Ana María Martínez, who has worked with Domingo and is busy carving out her own international reputation, wowing with "Song To The Moon" from Dvorák's Rusalka. All the while, the kindly and approving master sat in the front row, just a thrown kiss or two away from the spotlighted singers.

At evening's end, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow did the honors of presenting the President's Merit Award. Ever the gracious legend, Domingo took the microphone and called the presentation, "A very thrilling and emotional evening. After recording for over 42 years, it is difficult to remember each one. But certainly, it's the most terrible thing to listen to them. You remember exactly what you were not doing right. I can tell you that this is absolutely true. You have to be very demanding of yourself.

"We have this privilege to make people happy. For those few hours, they can forget about their troubles. As performers, this is the greatest privilege."

(To view photos from GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music and other GRAMMY Week events, click here.)
 

Calle 13 at the 15th Latin GRAMMY Awards

Calle 13 

Photo: Rich Polk/Getty Images

List

18th Latin GRAMMY Awards: 18 Things You Didn't Know

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From Latin GRAMMY firsts to performers, hosts, and the artists with the most wins and nominations, here are 18 things you should know about the Biggest Night in Latin Music
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Sep 20, 2017 - 11:16 am

The Biggest Night in Latin Music is a big deal worldwide.

Last year's 17th Latin GRAMMY Awards broadcast reached tens of millions of viewers around the globe, while ranking as the No. 1 most social program of the day worldwide.

To get ready for the upcoming 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, here are 18 things you might be surprised to learn about the Latin Recording Academy and the Biggest Night in Latin Music.

1. 5 Cities Have Hosted The Latin GRAMMYs
The Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast has taken place in five cities in the United States: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Houston, and Las Vegas. The inaugural Latin GRAMMY Awards kicked off in Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2000; the upcoming 18th Latin GRAMMYs will mark the tenth show in Las Vegas.

The show has taken place inside 10 different venues: Staples Center, Conga Room (see No. 6), Kodak Theatre, and Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles; American Airlines Arena in Miami, Toyota Center in Houston; Madison Square Garden in New York; and Mandalay Bay Events Center, MGM Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

2. The Telecast Launched In English
The Latin GRAMMY Awards started on CBS, the longtime home of the GRAMMY Awards, in 2000 and was broadcast in English. In 2005 the Latin Recording Academy secured a deal to televise the show on Univision in Spanish, which has been the home for the show in the United States ever since.

3. Someone From The Block First Appeared On The Latin GRAMMY Stage
Following a brief intro from hosts Andy García, Jimmy Smits and Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez took center stage to introduce the first-ever performance at the 1st Latin GRAMMY Awards on Sept. 13, 2000. Lopez, who arrived with Sean "Diddy" Combs, was fresh from causing one of the biggest fashion splashes in GRAMMY history with her famous green Versace dress at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 23, 2000.

4. A Performance Debut Fit For A Mambo King
Speaking of the first performance, a troupe of all-stars teamed at the inaugural Latin GRAMMYs for an unforgettable tribute to the Mambo King, Tito Puente, who died May 31, 2000. Ricky Martin led with a medley of "Para Los Rumberos" and "Oye Como Va"/ "Guarjira" before giving way to Gloria Estefan and Celia Cruz, who performed "Quimbara" and "La Bobo." Joining in on the fun were Tito Puente Jr., Cachao, Michel Camilo, Arturo Ortiz, Dave Valentin, Arturo Sandoval, Sheila E., and David Sanchez.

Tito Puente Wins Best Tropical Latin Performance

5. And The First Latin GRAMMY Went To …
Who did the first Latin GRAMMY Award go to on the first-ever telecast? Juan Luis Guerra Y 440 took home Best Merengue Performance for "Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual."

Juan Luis Guerra Wins Best Merengue Performance

6. The 2nd Latin GRAMMY Awards And Sept. 11
The sophomore installment of the Latin GRAMMY Awards was scheduled to take place at the Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2001. In light of the tragic events of that day, the Latin Recording Academy canceled the show. The winners were subsequently honored at a special press conference on Oct. 30, 2001, at the Conga Room in Los Angeles. Spain's Alejandro Sanz earned four awards, including Record and Song Of The Year, and Colombian singer/songwriter Juanes won three awards, including Best New Artist.

7. George Lopez Hosted Two Latin GRAMMY Shows
The Mexican-American comedian presided over two consecutive shows: the 4th and 5th Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2003 and 2004. Lopez also got in on the musical fun. He jammed with Ozomatli on guitar on "Esa Morena" at the 5th Latin GRAMMYs. "This group's so ethnically diverse, that they get pulled over no matter who's driving," joked Lopez prior to the performance.

8. Juan Gabriel's Unforgettable Performance
The fabled Mexican composer and showman Juan Gabriel turned in the longest performance in Latin GRAMMY history in 2009. Juan Gabriel, who was set for a seven-minute performance, kept going for nearly 40 minutes, thrilling the audience and viewers alike. That same year, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Juan Gabriel performs at the 10th Latin GRAMMYs in 2009

9. Most Performances On The Latin GRAMMYs
Ricky Martin has performed the most on the Latin GRAMMY telecast to date, with 11 performances. Martin was among the performers for the first-ever telecast performance. He's since teamed with the likes of Blue Man Group, Draco Rosa, Miguel Bosé, and Camila for a series of unforgettable duets. Most recently, at the 16th telecast, Martin performed twice: a solo medley of "Disparo Al Corazón" and "La Mordidita" and a duet with Wisin on "Que Se Sienta El Deseo."

10. Which Group Has Won The Most Latin GRAMMYs?
Calle 13 — Eduardo Cabra (Visitante) and René Pérez (Residente) — have won the most trophies in Latin GRAMMY history. The Latin rap duo has won 22 Latin GRAMMYs to date, including a record haul of nine awards at the 12th Latin GRAMMYs on Nov. 10, 2012. That night Calle 13 won Album, Record and Song Of The Year for Entren Los Que Quieran and its title track.

Calle 13 Win Latin GRAMMY Album Of The Year

11. What About The Most Nominations?
As the saying goes, it's an honor just to be nominated. Cabra (Visitante) has been honored 37 times, marking the most Latin GRAMMY nominations to date. The Spaniard Sanz is second with 33 nominations.

12. The General Four Categories Feature 10 Nominees Each
In 2012 the Latin Recording Academy announced an expansion to 10 nominees each for the General Four categories: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist. The move, which was ratified by the Latin Academy Board of Trustees, was due in part to the fact that the Latin GRAMMY Awards process receives nominations from multiple countries around the world.

13. The Latin Recording Academy Has How Many Members?
A member-based organization, the Latin Recording Academy has grown to approximately 4,000 members as of 2017, representing diverse Fields such as Pop, Urban, Rock, Tropical, Classical, Singer-Songwriter, Brazilian, Regional Mexican, Traditional, and more.

14. The Latin Academy Membership Represents Nearly 40 Countries
A true reflection of the variety of Latin music subgenres that spans the globe, Latin Recording Academy members represent nearly 40 different countries worldwide, including Spain, Portugal, Puerto Rico and the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Panama.

15. Millions In Scholarships For The Next Generation Of Latin Music Makers
As the educational arm of the Latin Recording Academy, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation's mission is anchored by a scholarship program to students of Latin music with financial needs. Since 2015 the Foundation has committed a robust $2.5 million in scholarships. The Prodigy Scholarship program counts artist support from Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra and Miguel Bosé.

16. The Latin GRAMMY Awards Receives How Many Entries?
The Latin GRAMMY Awards currently honor recipients in 48 categories, from Record Of The Year to Best Long Form Music Video. In 2017 the Latin Academy received almost 10,000 entries for the Awards process for the 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards.

17. Special Awards For Special Latin Icons
Instituted in 2004, the Latin Recording Academy bestows Special Awards annually to performers and other creative professionals who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include icons such as Armando Manzanero, Mocedades, José Feliciano, Rita Moreno, Los Lobos, Djavan, Angélica María, and Piero; Trustees Awards recipients include notables Rafael Escalona, Yomo Toro, Simón Díaz, and Humberto Gatica. The 2017 recipients, among others, include João Bosco, Ilan Chester, Víctor Heredia, and Los Del Río.

18. The Latin Person Of The Year Represents 10 Countries
A flagship Latin GRAMMY Week event, the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors a Latin artist for their significant music and philanthropic contributions. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. A diverse roster of recipients spanning 10 countries have received the award: Emilio Estefan Jr. (Cuba), Julio Iglesias (Spain), Vicente Fernández (Mexico), Gilberto Gil (Brazil), Carlos Santana (U.S.), José José (Mexico), Ricky Martin (Puerto Rico), Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic), Gloria Estefan (Cuba), Juan Gabriel (Mexico), Plácido Domingo (Spain), Shakira (Colombia), Caetano Veloso (Brazil), Miguel Bosé (Panama), Joan Manuel Serrat (Spain), Roberto Carlos (Brazil), and Marc Anthony (United States). The 2017 honoree is Spain's Sanz.

 

 

Lido Pimienta in "La Capacidad"

Lido Pimienta 

News

Lido Pimienta Wins Canada's Polaris Music Prize

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Colombian indie-pop artist wins honor for her album 'La Papessa'
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Sep 19, 2017 - 7:55 am

Colombian indie-pop artist Lido Pimienta has won the 2017 Polaris Music Prize for her sophomore album, La Papessa.

Considered the top Canadian album of the year honor, the Polaris Music Prize is selected from a pool of 10 nominees and voted on by "journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and programmers from across Canada." The shortlist of 2017 nominees included Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker, Feist's Pleasure, Tanya Tagaq's Retribution, and Weaves' Weaves. 

Some of the honorees, including Pimienta, performed at the prize's gala dinner at The Carlu in Toronto. Pimienta picked up $41,000 for the award, which was presented by the 2016 winner Kaytranada. 

"La Papessa means "high priestess," and it's a card in the tarot that with a lot of symbolism that spoke to me at a time that I needed it the most," Pimienta told The Fader about her album in 2016. "So once I became the high priestess in my own way, the album started taking shape. It's kind of a coming of age story. It's also a story of liberation and independence."

Leonard Cohen Tribute To Feature Sting, Lana Del Rey, Elvis Costello

GRAMMYs

Ricky Martin

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

News

Ricky Martin To Appear On The Latin GRAMMYs

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Martin to appear in a special presentation to 2010 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Plácido Domingo
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

(For a complete list of 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY nominees, click here.)

Ricky Martin, three-time Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner and 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, will appear in a special presentation to three-time Latin GRAMMY and nine-time GRAMMY winner and the 2010 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Plácido Domingo at the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast, it was announced today by The Latin Recording Academy.

Additionally, nominee (for Best Norteño Album for Desde La Cantina Vol. 1) Grupo Pesado and Mariachi Sol De Mexico have been added to the stellar lineup for the Biggest Night in Latin Music.

Confirmed to present awards are current Latin GRAMMY nominees Santiago Cruz, Maria Gadú, Claudia Leitte, and Juan Fernando Velasco; actors Jaime Camil, Itatí Cantoral and Cristían de la Fuente; and entertainer and guitarist Charo. Las Vegas shows "Le Rêve" and Jabbawockeez also will be featured during the telecast, highlighting the excitement and energy of this dynamic host city, and the internationally acclaimed Argentinean dance troupe Señor Tango de Buenos Aires also will appear in a special performance. The Latin music industry's premier event is set for Nov. 11 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

Additionally, the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast ceremony will be streamed live internationally on www.latingrammy.com beginning at 2 p.m. PT. Winners in approximately 35 of the 46 Latin GRAMMY categories this year will be announced prior to the evening's telecast — kicking off a full evening of celebrating excellence in recorded Latin music from around the world. The Pre-Telecast will take place from 2–3 p.m. PT at Mandalay Bay and the live stream will remain on the site for 30 days following the event. Presenters and performers for the 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast will be announced shortly.

Latin GRAMMY winner Grupo Pesado is nominated for Best Norteño Album for Desde La Cantina Vol. 1.

Previously announced performers include Marc Anthony, Banda El Recodo, Camila, Chino y Nacho, ChocQuibTown, Aida Cuevas, Alejandro Fernández, Pedro Fernández, Juan Luis Guerra, Enrique Iglesias, Jenni Rivera, Rosario, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Aleks Syntek, Johnny Ventura, and Wisin y Yandel, as well as special performances by Prince Royce with Ben E. King and Nelly Furtado with Mala Rodríguez. Previously announced presenters feature Pepe Aguilar, Kuno Becker, Camilla Belle, Vico C, Alex Cuba, Jorge Drexler, Kany García, Ximena Navarrete, Gaby Spanic, Lourdes Stephen, Tito "El Bambino," Tommy Torres, and Alexa Vega. Actor/comedian Eugenio Derbez and actress/singer Lucero will co-host.

The 11th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be supported on radio via Univision Radio (the official Spanish-language radio network of the Latin GRAMMY Awards), and highlighted on the Internet at www.latingrammy.com and www.univisionmusica.com, including video interviews and photos, an extensive archive of past shows, and dedicated forums for fans to share their excitement leading up to the live broadcast. For access to the latest Latin GRAMMY news and photos, visit UnivisionMúsica.com on any Web-enabled mobile device.

Preceding the Awards show telecast, Univision will present exclusive "Noche De Estrellas" ("Night Of The Stars") coverage of the celebrity arrivals direct from the Latin GRAMMY Awards green carpet starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT (6 p.m. Central). Presented by "Nuestra Belleza Latina" host Giselle Blondet and "¡Mira Quién Baila!" co-host Chiquinquirá Delgado, "Noche De Estrellas" will feature live interviews and commentary on the stars and their fashions, and provide viewers an intimate and up-close look at Latin music's most glamorous gala event.

For updates and breaking news, please visit The Latin Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.