In 2001, the Latin GRAMMYs were set to play in South Florida. It didn’t happen. When the 4th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards finally hit Miami on Sept. 3, 2003, it did so with stunning force. And when everything was said and done, Juanes walked off with five Latin GRAMMYs, emerging the big winner for the evening. Meanwhile, the staging of the show in Miami marks the broadening of the Latin GRAMMYS, not only in geographic scope but in the diversity of the music.
Juanes took home Latin GRAMMYs for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Solo Vocal Album (Un Día Normal), Record and Song Of The Year ("Es Por Ti"), and Best Rock Song ("Mala Gente"). "I am from Colombia and I know people have a bad image of my country," said Juanes in accepting his Song Of The Year award. "I am here representing the 'other' country, the one that dreams and believes in the future."
Juanes wound up a terrific night with an explosive performance, sharing the stage with the alternative hip-hop quartet Black Eyed Peas for a medley of "La Paga" and "Latin Girls."
Cuban reedman Paquito D'Rivera, a classically trained jazzman, won two Latin GRAMMY Best Album awards, notable in that they came in the Jazz and Classical Fields for Brazilian Dreams and Historia Del Soldado, respectively.
Joan Sebastian won two Latin GRAMMYs for Best Banda Album (Afortunado) and Best
Regional Mexican Song ("Afortunado").
Best New Artist went to exciting Spanish star-on-the-rise David Bisbal. Bisbal has enjoyed quite a ride, from his success in Spain's "Operación Triunfo" (the Spanish "American Idol") to this Latin GRAMMY, and capped it all off with a spectacular performance that underscored his future as an entertainer — charisma, sex appeal and a voice that reaches across oceans.
Sentimental favorite Bebu Silvetti, who passed away earlier this summer, was awarded Producer Of The Year.
Another late-great artist acknowledged on the broadcast was singer Celia Cruz. The show-opening performance was a powerful, moving tribute to Cruz, who passed away on July 16. Backed by a superb band featuring greats such as flutist and percussionist Johnny Pacheco, bongocero Roberto Roena and trombonist and singer Willie Colón, a list of top Latin singers including Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, India, Olga Tañón, Oscar D'Leon, Victor Manuelle and El General tore through a medley that included classics such as "Quimbara" and recent Cruz hits such as "La Negra Tiene Tumbao."
It seemed every singer took the opportunity to work their own lyrics into the songs and the emotions electrified the hall. By the time D'Leon asked for the audience to stand up, they were already up and dancing.
At the 41st GRAMMY Awards, singer Ricky Martin sparked a Latin music revolution in the United States with a stunning performance. Tonight, interpreting "Asignatura Pendiente" from his Spanish-language release Almas Del Silencio, he took an elegantly sober, thoughtful, almost mournful approach. Still, his every move elicited shrieks of delight from the women in the crowd.
Having just won for Best Pop Album By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Bacilos gave a stirring performance — funny, tight and joyful as frontman Jorge Villamizar was beaming under his unmistakable Colombian straw hat.
Thalía, who was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Album, has accustomed
the Academy to spectacular performances (just remember last year's appearance
during which she wore a massive skirt), and she didn't disappoint. After opening
her "¿A Quien Le Importa?" standing on a platform, accompanied
by an accordionist and a violinist, she moved to the stage, reaching out to
the mosh pit revelers, as the song morphed from power ballad to dance workout.
There are acceptance speeches, and there are acceptance speeches, but the scream Olga Tañón let out as she took the statuette for Best Female Pop Vocal Album was as heartfelt and eloquent as any prepared 'thank you.'
Chanteuse Natalie Cole paid tribute to her co-presenter Jose Feliciano as the original crossover artist, but Feliciano then turned the tables, crediting her father, the great Nat "King" Cole, as a trailblazer with his Cole Español.
There was also a warm, unscripted moment as Willy Chirino joined them onstage and an impromptu descarga, or Latin jam session, broke out.
You can keep your synthesizers, samplers and drum machines, there's nothing like the power of real instruments, and Banda El Recodo made the point amply with their performance, which in turn was followed by a turbocharged cumbia version of Juan Gabriel's "No Tengo Dinero" by the Kumbia Kings. And just when the audience thought they would get a chance to catch their collective breath, Molotov exploded onstage with "Here We Kum." There were no props, no dancers, no tricks — just a furious, relentless assault. Not only did they come, but left the audience awestruck.
The closing number by the Brazilian group Tribalistas — Marisa Monte, Arnaldo Antunes and Carlinhos Brown — was a rich, elegant closing for a show that had it all — emotion, smarts, high-tech production values, tradition y sabor.
Indeed, it was worth the wait.
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