Bad news for flamenco fans: as of 2019, the Latin Grammy category for Best Flamenco Album has been discontinued. According to Latin Recording Academy President and CEO Gabriel Abaroa, it wasn’t the ongoing discourse surrounding Spanish artists that sparked the Academy’s decision. “The Latin Recording Academy follows a strict Awards …
Read More »Omar Apollo Wants to Inspire Young Latinx Musicians to 'Go Crazy'
Two years ago, Omar Apollo was sitting in the attic where he was living in the small town of Hobart, Indiana, with his guitar and laptop. He recorded a two-minute marvel of achingly tender R&B called “Ugotme,” which a friend persuaded him to upload to Spotify. The next day, the …
Read More »How Bossa Nova Is Infiltrating Rap and R&B
In March, the Brazilian style of music known as bossa nova made an unexpected appearance on one of the year’s biggest hip-hop albums: Juice WRLD‘s Death Race for Love. Thank Tommy Brown. During a recording session earlier this year with two other beat-makers, Boi-1da and Jahaan Sweet, Brown came across …
Read More »Bomba Estéreo and Systema Solar Turn Up in Street Party Anthem, 'Carnavalera'
Colombian party starters Bomba Estéreo and Systema Solar banded together on Friday to release their bouncy new stand-alone single, “Carnavalera.” Both champions of Colombian dance music in their own respects, Bomba Estéreo and Systema Solar recorded the track in celebration of Carnaval season in Barranquilla — the spiritual home of …
Read More »Ivy Queen Revamps Hit Song 'Yo Quiero Bailar' for International Women's Day
When Ivy Queen first recorded “Yo Quiero Bailar” in 2002, both she and her lyrics were total anomalies in the Latin music industry. With a title translating to “I Want to Dance,” the sweltering reggaeton cut reclaimed the club for women and championed the freedom to dance — not to …
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