Facts and Fictions (Music)
Latin Grammy Misconceptions, Cleared Up At Last
With the Latin Grammy Award nominations comes the annual onslaught of commentary from those who think the nominations are too "safe," too "eclectic" or too whatever, because it's so much fun to disagree with what other people choose.
While it is tempting to launch my own little analysis, I would rather clear up some misconceptions that, judging from multiple conversations, people still have about the Latin Grammys. Read on to see how you do.
The Latin Grammy nominations are rigged. Fiction. No, these nominees don't just pop out of somebody's BlackBerry. All submissions are compiled and sent to all Latin Recording Academy members, who can pick their top five in the general field and nine other fields. Accounting firm Deloitte & Touche tallies and comes up with the top five in most categories, but some fields are sent to specific nomination committees for final review. The process mimics the Grammy Awards' procedure.
Not everyone who should be nominated is. Fact. But then again, who can account for individual taste? I would like to see my fave five up there, but since my vote is only one of 4,000, I have to lump it.
Labels and artists lobby for Latin Grammy votes. Fact. They most certainly do. As with politics, you need to create awareness in order for people to vote for you. What the Latin Recording Academy does not condone is lobbying prior to the nominations. Sending out e-mails or any missive asking for votes is a big no-no, and members are advised of the fact. Once the nominations are announced, however, labels and nominees actively engage in PR efforts to raise awareness to their material.
The Latin Grammys are too staid. Fact. When the big guys put out records, they tend to dominate the fray. In years past, it's been Juanes and Alejandro Sanz. This time, it's Shakira. In addition, this year's main nominees—Ricardo Montaner, Ricardo Arjona, Julieta Venegas and Shakira—reflect the market. They are all stalwarts of Latin pop with worldwide impact, not only in sales, but also in touring and imaging. Even the dominant rock nominee, Gustavo Cerati, is a two-decade veteran of the scene. Why, someone asked, are there no reggaetón contenders in the main categories? Perhaps because no reggaetón production was strong or compelling enough to compete there. That, at least, is my opinion, and voters seem to concur.
The Latin Grammys are too "out there." Fact. This has been a steady industry criticism for several years. Except that this year, the nominations swung in the opposite direction. There are few surprises in the current crop of nominees, save for the always delightful best new artist category, which includes such well-promoted acts as Calle 13 and Lena alongside more obscure acts like Pamela and Céu. The biggest surprise, in my mind, is Colombian Ines Gaviria, signed to indie Respek, with nominations in the pop and best new artist categories. Someone was obviously listening to her music.
There are too many categories. Fact. The field is starting to get diluted. When only 14 entries compete for five finalist slots, as happened this year with a few categories (best rock album among them), those nominees lose importance.
Univision artists dominate the Latin Grammys. Fiction. This is by far the silliest myth surrounding the Latin Grammys. Just look at the list of nominees and performers and count by label. There is no Univision conspiracy.
No one cares about the Latin Grammys. Fiction. Hey, I'm writing about them. And 9 million people watch them.
By: Cobo, Leila, Billboard, 10/14/2006
With the Latin Grammy Award nominations comes the annual onslaught of commentary from those who think the nominations are too "safe," too "eclectic" or too whatever, because it's so much fun to disagree with what other people choose.
While it is tempting to launch my own little analysis, I would rather clear up some misconceptions that, judging from multiple conversations, people still have about the Latin Grammys. Read on to see how you do.
The Latin Grammy nominations are rigged. Fiction. No, these nominees don't just pop out of somebody's BlackBerry. All submissions are compiled and sent to all Latin Recording Academy members, who can pick their top five in the general field and nine other fields. Accounting firm Deloitte & Touche tallies and comes up with the top five in most categories, but some fields are sent to specific nomination committees for final review. The process mimics the Grammy Awards' procedure.
Not everyone who should be nominated is. Fact. But then again, who can account for individual taste? I would like to see my fave five up there, but since my vote is only one of 4,000, I have to lump it.
Labels and artists lobby for Latin Grammy votes. Fact. They most certainly do. As with politics, you need to create awareness in order for people to vote for you. What the Latin Recording Academy does not condone is lobbying prior to the nominations. Sending out e-mails or any missive asking for votes is a big no-no, and members are advised of the fact. Once the nominations are announced, however, labels and nominees actively engage in PR efforts to raise awareness to their material.
The Latin Grammys are too staid. Fact. When the big guys put out records, they tend to dominate the fray. In years past, it's been Juanes and Alejandro Sanz. This time, it's Shakira. In addition, this year's main nominees—Ricardo Montaner, Ricardo Arjona, Julieta Venegas and Shakira—reflect the market. They are all stalwarts of Latin pop with worldwide impact, not only in sales, but also in touring and imaging. Even the dominant rock nominee, Gustavo Cerati, is a two-decade veteran of the scene. Why, someone asked, are there no reggaetón contenders in the main categories? Perhaps because no reggaetón production was strong or compelling enough to compete there. That, at least, is my opinion, and voters seem to concur.
The Latin Grammys are too "out there." Fact. This has been a steady industry criticism for several years. Except that this year, the nominations swung in the opposite direction. There are few surprises in the current crop of nominees, save for the always delightful best new artist category, which includes such well-promoted acts as Calle 13 and Lena alongside more obscure acts like Pamela and Céu. The biggest surprise, in my mind, is Colombian Ines Gaviria, signed to indie Respek, with nominations in the pop and best new artist categories. Someone was obviously listening to her music.
There are too many categories. Fact. The field is starting to get diluted. When only 14 entries compete for five finalist slots, as happened this year with a few categories (best rock album among them), those nominees lose importance.
Univision artists dominate the Latin Grammys. Fiction. This is by far the silliest myth surrounding the Latin Grammys. Just look at the list of nominees and performers and count by label. There is no Univision conspiracy.
No one cares about the Latin Grammys. Fiction. Hey, I'm writing about them. And 9 million people watch them.
By: Cobo, Leila, Billboard, 10/14/2006
posted by James at 2:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home