Latin Grammys

Is rock making a comeback? It kind of did on the Latin Grammy stage. There was Pitbull and Bon Jovi with their rock/dance anthem. And then, there was Mexican rock trio The Warning, made up of sisters Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra, performing their high-octane power rock song “Qué Más Quieres” in a traditional rock trio format of guitar, drums and bass. It’s an unusual sound in Latin music and definitely an unusual sight on a Latin Grammy or any Latin award stage. A refreshing shift from a band full of attitude and chops.

Fonsi celebrated his 25^th anniversary and the lasting legacy of “Despacito” with a medley of songs, beginning with his early mega-hit and power ballad “No me doy por vencido,” which reminds us of what a fantastic singer he is. Seeing everyone on the front row, including Karol G, singing along was a reminder of how entrenched his songs are in our psyche. But of course “Despacito,” accompanied with a platoon of dancers, continues to be a crowd pleaser.

Newcomer Ela Taubert (who won Best New artist) held her own singing alongside veteran Joe Jonas in “Cómo Pasó?,” a catchy, uptempo pop dance track. While unsurprising, it was an impressive debut.

The eclectic funk trio is powerful live. With “Francotirador,” their debut on the Latin Grammy stage (after scoring a Best new artist nomination) they displayed considerable performance chops and attitude, especially for their first award show.

The 2024 Latin Grammys kicked off with a nod to the future of Latin urban music with DJ Khaled presenting mini performances by Eladio Carrión, Quevedo and Myke Towers. It was three very different musical and aestehtic approaches: Quevedo, dressed in white (with a small black ribbon in solidarity with Spanish flood victims) performed his more pop-friendly hits with attitude and panache. Towers had backing from dancers for his global hit “LaLa” and Carrión pulled on all emotions with an ambitious performance of “Mama’s Boy,” even bringing mom onstage for a teary hug.

Venezuelan’s Ocean, Puerto Rico’s Díaz and Argentina’s Trueno showcases three very different musicals in this medley of up and comers. But unlike their female counterpart performance (from Elena Rose, Kali Uchis and Emilia), the boys’ set felt a little disjointed. Still, it was a solid trio of hits, with Trueno a standout in a new market with “TrankyFunky.”

Barrera, who won producer and songwriter of the year, also produced and co-wrote this contemporary mariachi ballad, performed with full mariachi plus a string orchestra (made up mostly of women), with Aguilar and Becky G decked out in red for maximum impact. It was soulful and beautiful.

The Texas group performed a no-frills version of their hit “El amor de su vida,” but they didn’t need much to make an impact. Singer Payo has one of those voices that compels to listen, and this group is tight and locked, melding traditional sounds with contemporary edge.

Did someone once say there couldn’t be a party without Pitbull? On Thursday, the Miami icon turned the Kaseya Center into his own nightclub, with Bon Jovi by his side singing the chorus of “It’s My Life,” now remixed into the pair’s newly released “Now Or Never.”  Dressed in black and accompanied by Pitbull’s batallion of dancers, they performed with an unapologetically year 2000 vibe that closed the night. We all need some 2000 spirit in our lives!  

Anitta displayed a very different artistic side with a bossa nova version of “Mil Veces” and a tribute to Sérgio Mendes with “Mas Que Nada,” performing both alongside the wonderful Tiago Iorc on guitar. With both seated in side by side stools, they brought rare intimacy –and a beautiful touch of Brazil– to a big stage, with elegance and quality.

Vives, this year’s Person of the Year, began the award ceremony singing one of his most beloved songs, ‘Fruta Fresca,” then continued with a medley of favorites including “La bicicleta,” and “La Tierra del Olvido.” Overjoyed, he introduced the members of his band, La Provincia. At over seven minutes long, it was a long medley. But when the roster of hits runs so deep, it was worthwhile, and Vives seized the moment, jumping into the audience and culminating with his Colombian compass –Juanes, Silvestre Dangond, Camilo, Sebastian Yatra and Kapo—jumping onstage with him. Hard to match the enthusiasm.

The evening’s big winner delivered a high energy performance of “Mambo 23” that required some tongue twisting on his part and some virtuositic playing from his band, moving quickly through a series of successive rhythmic changes. It was absolutely fun and thrilling. Too bad we couldn’t all get up and dance.

The Mexican stars, along with Spaniard David Bisbal, paid homage to three great Mexican voices: Juan Gabriel (“Hasta que te conocí,” performed by Reik and García), José José  (“El Triste” performed by Rivera and Bisbal) and as the grand finale, Fernández performing “No me se rajar,” one of his dad’s biggest hits. It was a medley that went in crescendo: Bisbal and Rivera were masterful, but Fernández, looking particularly hot with his new beard, brought the house down with his macho swagger, big voice and big presence.

Feel free to call these three the future female stars of Latin music. All three boast very different styles: Uchis is atmospheric alt, Rose is soulful funk with a message and Emilia is straight ahead dance pop. But all three are stars onstage. From Uchis’ “Te Mata,” to Rose’s emotioanl “Caracas en el 2000” and Emilia’s “No_Se_Ve.mp3,” this performance gives us hope.  

Wow, Carín León. The Mexican singer’s star continues to rise with every passing month. León, who has been a pioneer in collaborating with country acts, chose a full gospel choir to back this rendition of his hit “Despídase Bien.” A rock ballad set in 6/8 time (the Rhodes organ was a great touch) it became contemporary Mexican in León’s impressive voice. The result was wow. This is the future of the genre.

This marriage of tradition and new generation was the perfect balance. A rejuvenated looking and sounding Tito Nieves kicked off with Christian Alicea before Grupo Niche took over, then Oscar D’León (extraordinary at 81)  and rising star Luis Figueroa. The grand finale was courtesy of two powerhouses, La India and Marc Anthony, belting their hit “Vivir lo Nuestro” together for the first time in 25 years. With backing from a band led by Sergio George playing on a second floor onstage, this medley was a tour de force.