Juanes Wins Grammy

In addition to Juanes, other winners in the 2009 Grammy Awards included:

Latin Jazz Album: “Song for Chico,” Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (Zoho)
Latin Rock or Alternative Album: “45,” Jaguares (EMI Music)
Latin Urban Album: “Los Extraterrestres,” Wisin y Yandel (Machete Music)
Tropical Latin Album: “Senor Bachata,” Jose Feliciano (Universal Music Latino)
Regional Mexican Album: “Amor, Dolor y Lagrimas: Musica Ranchera,” Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) in a tie with “Canciones de Amor,” Mariachi Divas (Shea/East Side)
Tejano Album: “Viva La Revolucion,” Ruben Ramos and The Mexican Revolution (Revolution)
Norteno Album: “Raices,” Los Tigres Del Norte (Fonovisa)
Banda Album: “No Es De Madera” Joan Sebastian (Musart/Balboa)



Last year's Latin Grammy Awards honored legendary musicians (Gloria Estefan) and recognized rising new talent (Kany Garcia, Siggno).   The other major storyline, in an evening filled with music, was a celebration of meaningful messages. On the heels of a momentous presidential election in the United States, co-hosts Cristián de la Fuente and Patricia Manterola invited the audience to "more than ever, listen to the lyrics [and] listen to the voices of the artists."

But the night belonged to the 12-time Latin GRAMMY-winning Colombian pop rocker Juanes, who added five more statues to his mantle including the impressive trio of Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Song Of The Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Album and Best Short Form Music Video. In accepting the award for Song of The Year for "Me Enamora," Juanes graciously acknowledged the broad spectrum of his songwriting influences including tango master Carlos Gardel, rocker Gustavo Cerati of Soda Stereo fame, and Colombian salsa star Joe Arroyo. In picking up Album Of The Year, Juanes was joined by his producer

Gustavo Santaolalla, who took the opportunity to underscore that "the quality of the artist and the human being can go hand in hand."

Brazilian gospel singer Soraya Moraes also racked up three Latin GRAMMYs including Best Christian Album (Spanish Language), Best Christian Album (Portuguese Language) and Best Brazilian Song.

Also picking up two Latin GRAMMYs each were Café Tacvba,

Gloria Estefan, Kany García, Santaolalla, and

Julieta Venegas. The evening's performances were synonymous with the diversity and flavor that has become a Latin GRAMMY tradition. Juanes opened the show with a catchy and moving combination of "Me Enamora" and "Odio Por Amor."

Backed by a large mixed choir and drumming ensemble, GRAMMY-winning R&B artist John Legend then joined Juanes to perform his song "If You Are Out There," and mixed in some Spanish on the chorus: "Si tu estás ahí" ("If you are out there"). This inspired performance between two different, yet equally talented artists provided an appropriate eclectic opening.

Jenni Rivera — the only woman nominated in the Best Ranchero Album category — performed a dramatic "Sufriendo A Solas" ("Suffering Alone") accompanied by a mariachi band led by her brother Lupillo Rivera. The former Rivera was then joined by Olga Tañón and Vikki Carr for a supercharged version of "Cosas Del Amor."

One of the more interesting highlights of the evening featured an unpredictable accordion jam fusing multiple styles and traditions. The jam featured Norteño artist Michael Salgado, vallenato artist Emiliano Zuleta, and tango artists Fernando Otero (who played the melodica) and Hector Del Curto on bandoneón (a button accordion), and Tejano star David Lee Garza. This combination led into Venegas' performance of "El Presente," in which she sang and joined in for more accordion fun while Zuleta, Otero and Garza contributed brief solos.Los Tigres Del Norte offered a passionate medley that reflected the band's Mexican roots. The set led off with "Somos Mas Americanos" ("We're More American"), in which they sang about the mix of Native Americans and Spanish people that mark the heritages of both Latin America and Mexico. The medley closed with the scorching double shot of "Sangre Caliente" and “Mis Dos Patrias."

Actor/GRAMMY winner Andy García introduced Estefan, the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, as "someone who knows that success is more than selling 90 million records and filling the largest stages in the world."

In a white neo-rumbera dress, Estefan performed "Mi Tierra," the title track form her 1993 GRAMMY-winning album of the same name, and "Oye Mi Canto" before being joined on stage by the legendary pair of José Feliciano and Carlos Santana for the song "No Lloren." While her husband Emilio and family looked on, Estefan then thankfully accepted her Person of the Year award while taking time to remember two late Cuban music greats: Celia Cruz and Israel "Cachao" López.Feliciano, in accepting his award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for Señor Bachata, was touched and said, "I didn't expect this. I came here to be with my sister Gloria [Estefan] and [her husband] Emilio."

In one of the evening's more emotional moments, Alejandra Guzmán, who has battled back from a bout with breast cancer, performed a dramatic rendition of "Hasta El Final." Guzmán then picked the energy up for the provocative rocker "Soy Solo Un Secreto" — providing further evidence as to why she was once dubbed the Latin counterpart to Madonna.Singer Victor Manuelle infused a taste of the Caribbean into the show with his lively performance of "Mi Salsa."

In accepting her award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Cualquier Día, singer/songwriter García quipped, "A year ago I was at home watching this like a dream and now being here...." García also took home the coveted Best New Artist Latin GRAMMY.Mexican rockers Café Tacvba followed with the thoughtful "Esta Vez," a song about second chances and appropriate for a band, as de la Fuente pointed out, more than 20 years into its career.

In bringing the evening's theme of meaningful words and songs full circle, the closing number "No Dudaria" ("I Wouldn't Doubt") featured an all-star international supergroup of Mexican artist Belinda, flamenco singer Antonio Carmona, Venezuelan singer Jeremías, Juanes, Spanish singer Rosario, Tañón, and Puerto Rican artist Tommy Torres.The song's lyrics addressed the regret of violence: "Si pudiera explicar las vidas que quite/Si pudiera quemar las armas que use/No dudaría." ("If I could explain the lives I took/If I could burn the weapons I've used/I would without a doubt.")
With the world moving forward in a direction of change, the performance delivered an appropriate and meaningful closing message.   

Partial list of winners from the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards in Houston, Texas:

Record of the year: "Me Enamora," Juanes.
Album of the year: "La Vida... Es Un Ratico," Juanes.
Song of the year: "Me Enamora," Juanes.
New artist: Kany Garcia.
Female pop vocal album: "Cualquier Dia," Kany Garcia.
Male pop vocal album: "La Vida ... Es Un Ratico," Juanes.
Pop album by a duo or group with vocal: "Fantasia Pop," Belanova.
Urban music album: "Los Extraterrestres," Wisin y Yandel.
Urban song: "Te Quiero," Flex, songwriter.
Rock solo vocal album: "La Lengua Popular," Andres Calamaro.
Rock album by a duo or group with vocal: "Eternamiente," Molotov.
Rock song: "Esta Vez," Cafe Tacvba, songwriters.
Alternative music album: "MTV Unplugged," Julieta Venegas.
Alternative song: "Volver A Comenzar," Cafe Tacvba, songwriters.
For a complete list, visit: http://www.grammy.com/latin/9_latin/#04