In this Oct. 16, 2008 file photo, the Mexican rock band Cafe Tacuba arrives at the 2008 MTV Latin Video Music Awards at the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, Mexico. [Agencies]
(China Daily) Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas picked up two Latin Grammys early Thursday and was vying for two more at the Houston debut of the awards, where an electic group of nominees reflected the diversity of Latin music and culture.
Mexican alternative rock group Cafe Tacuba and Colombian rocker Juanes also each won a trophy at a pre-show prior to the nationally televised program. Most of the awards are handed out in the afternoon ceremony.
The winners of eight awards honoring Brazilian artists were scheduled to be announced at a separate ceremony in Sao Paulo, Brazil — a first for the Latin Grammys.
Venegas, who won for best long form video and best alternative music album for her "MTV Unplugged" CD, is also nominated for record and song of the year for "El Presente."
In the alternative music album category, Venegas beat out Cafe Tacuba, who led the night's nominations with six, including nods for record of the year, song of the year and album of the year.
The quartet, a fixture on the Mexican music scene for two decades, did win an early Latin Grammy in the best alternative song category for "Volver a Comenzar."
"We don't work to win awards," said Jose "Joselo" Rangel Arroyo, the group's guitarist. "We do it because of creative necessity, but receiving recognition is always a pleasure."
Juanes, another winner in the pre-show ceremony, took home short form video of the year for his love song, "Me Enamora."
The win was the 13th Latin Grammy for Juanes, a singer-songwriter from Medellin with a passion for raising awareness of land mines and other social issues, and brought him closer to tying the record of 14 set by Alejandro Sanz. Juanes was up for a total of five nominations, including album of the year, song of the year, best pop male album and record of the year.
Latin pop diva Gloria Estefan, who was honored with the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year award Wednesday night, picked up an early award for best traditional tropical album for "90 millas." Estefan was also in the running for best tropical song and best long-form music video.
Her husband and producer, Emilio Estefan, called the album an ode to legends such as Carlos Santana, Jose Feliciano and mambo pioneer Cachao, as well as a tribute to the musical traditions of Cuba, the country the Estefans had to leave as children.
This year's awards also mark the rise of a new generation of female powerhouses, such as Venegas, and Puerto Rican pop singer Kany Garcia who are both nominated for four awards.
The Latin Grammys, which are marking their ninth year, give out awards in 49 musical categories, recognizing a broad prism of musical styles — from ranchera to rock en espanol. And the show's line-up of scheduled performers also reflect that array of genres.
One of this year's highlights was expected to be a joint performance by nominee Juanes, who began his career in a metal band, and soul singer and Grammy winner John Legend. Three musical legends — Estefan, Carlos Santana and Jose Feliciano — were also set to take the stage together.
Other performers include nominees Cafe Tacuba, Julieta Venegas and Kany Garcia; merengue queen Olga Tanon; flamenco artist Antonio Carmona and Mexican banda singers Jenni and Lupillo Rivera.
The diversity theme is apt for Houston, where the Latin Grammys are seen as a chance to showcase the cultural riches and multicultural mix of the sprawling metropolis. With a population of 5.5 million, Houston is the country's fourth-largest city. About 42 percent of the population is Hispanic.
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