By Cesar Arredondo
Artists Linda Ronstadt, Bad Bunny, Fito Paez, Natalia Lafourcade, Grupo Niche, and Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra won Grammys at the 63rd annual awards ceremony that recognizes musical achievements.
Ronstadt took home the gilded gramophone to Best Music Film for Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, an award shared with video directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and video producers Michele Farinola and James Keach. The prize recognizes concert and performance films or music documentaries.
The documentary about the legendary singer chronicles Ronstadt’s life and career from her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, through her successful decades-long career in many music genres, film, television and theatre, to her retirement a decade ago due to Parkinson’s disease. An independently-minded artist, she recorded any style of music she wanted including Mexican music in honor of her heritage. In 1987 Ronstadt released the acclaimed mariachi album Canciones de Mi Padre that went on to win the Grammy for best Mexican/Mexican-American album.
Also in the running for Best Music Film were Beastie Boys’s Story, Beyoncé’s Black Is King, Freestyle Love Supreme’s We Are Freestyle Love Supreme, and ZZ Top’s That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.
Bad Bunny received the award for best Latin pop or urban album, a category that for the first time included the urban genre. The Puerto Rican singer won the honor with YHLQMDLG, an acronym that stands for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana, or I do whatever I want. YHLQMDLG was the first of three albums released by the rapper and reggaeton singer during the pandemic, reaching number 2 on Billboard–the highest-ranked Spanish-language album at the time. Released singles from the album included Vete, Ignorantes, La Difícil, and Yo Perreo Sola.
Bad Bunny was nominated along two fellow Puerto Ricans, Kany Garcia with Mesa Para Dos and Ricky Martin with Pausa, as well as Spanish singer Camilo with Por Primera Vez and L.A.-based Costa Rican performer Debi Nova’s with 3:33.
Fito Paez won the best Latin rock or alternative album with La Conquista del Espacio. The Argentinian rocker defeated Argentinian-Uruguayan band Bajofondo’s Aura, Chilean singer Cami’s Monstruo, Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética’s Sobrevolando, and Colombian-Canadian Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia. Again, this was the first time this category did not include the urban genre, which instead joined pop music in another category.
In the best regional mexican music album category, which includes Tejano, the prize went to Lafourcade for Un Canto por México, Vol. 1. The Mexican singer prevailed over the work of some compatriots that included Alejandro Fernandez’s Hecho en México, Lupita Infante’s La Serenata, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez’s Bailando Sones y Huapangos con Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, and Christian Nodal’s Ayayay!
For their part, Colombian salsa band Grupo Niche won the Grammy for best tropical Latin album with 40. Vying for the honor in this category were: Cuban singer José Alberto El Ruiseñor’s Mi Tumbao, Puerto Rican Edwin Bonilla’s Infinito, Colombian Jorge Celedon’s Sigo Cantando al Amor, and Puerto Rican Víctor Manuelle’s Memorias de Navidad.
The Grammy for best Latin jazz album went to Mexico’s Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for Four Questions. This category recognizes recordings that blend jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music. Competing this year were Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra’s Tradiciones, Brazilian composer Chico Pinheiro’s City of Dreams, Cubans Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Aymée Nuviola’s Viento y Tiempo-Live at Blue Note Tokyo, and Mexican-American Poncho Sanchez’s Trane’s Delight.
In other awards with Latino connections, Panamanian musician Danilo Pérez won a gramophone for best jazz vocal album for his collaboration with Kurt Elling in Secrets Are the Best Stories.
Hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, the 63rd Grammy Awards took place Sunday in and around the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Featured Photo: Bad Bunny receiving award Photo Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2021 CBS
