NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks to Julyssa Lopez, writer for Wanderer magazine, and also NPR’s Felix Contreras, about the debate around this year’s Latin Grammys elections.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Recently the Latin Recording Academy announced its elections for this year’s Latin Grammys, and the controversy began.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MI GENTE”)
J BALVIN: (Vocal Singing in Spanish).
SHAPIRO: That’s J Balvin with his tune “Mi Gente.” He’s one of the most significant names in reggaeton. And also after the statement of the elections, he stated, the Grammys do not value us, but they need us. Reggaeton musicians are typically asked to do at the ceremony, yet there is just one award especially dedicated to the style. J Balvin urged reggaeton acts to boycott the Latin Grammys, and also Julyssa Lopez of Wanderer and also Felix Contreras of NPR Songs are adhering to the controversy that occurred. Welcome to you both.
FELIX CONTRERAS, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
JULYSSA LOPEZ: Thank you for having me.
SHAPIRO: OK. So J Balvin calls out the Latin Academy, and afterwards it sort of blows up. Julyssa, will you summarize what happened next?
LOPEZ: Yes. So this remark by J Balvin to boycott the Latin Grammys truly scrubed a great deal of musicians the upside-down, especially Residente, that is fifty percent of the duo Calle Trece. And he was actually not satisfied with this. He type of abuse the concept of a boycott. And, you understand, it’s funny originating from Residente because he actually has the most Latin Grammys in background. He explains that there are really a great deal of musicians this year that are chosen, like Myke Towers, Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny. And after that he compares J Balvin’s music to a hotdog cart and also tells him that if he would like some elections, he must look into making a far better hot dog.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RESIDENTE: (Speaking Spanish).
SHAPIRO: Yeah. He resembles, it’s grumbling you didn’t get a Michelin celebrity when you’re running a hot dog cart. So, Felix, do you think that J Balvin actually has a point below? Like, is reggaeton underestimated in the honors?
CONTRERAS: Yes as well as no, OK? I think that it took a while for the academy to catch up to what was happening with reggaeton as well as give it the kind of acknowledgment and regard that it was worthy of as it became part of the phenomena within Latin music. There have actually been, you understand, some top-level honor elections and awards within, you recognize, the primary groups in the Latin Grammys as they accompany. Now, does it control the Latin Grammys in the nominations as it does almost in Latin music? Probably not. However I can see Residente’s point in a manner.
SHAPIRO: Julyssa, what do you assume? Is this simply, like, sour grapes from J Balvin? Or is this a bigger concern that the academy ought to deal with?
LOPEZ: I assume it’s tough. I think coming from J Balvin particularly, it can appear a little like whining. You understand, I assume the last time I inspected, J Balvin has something like 30 elections and also 5 honors at the Latin Grammys. Yet there is kind of a history right here. When the Latin Grammys launched, there wasn’t even a hip-hop group. That came much later. And after that it had not been up until …
SHAPIRO: I don’t even know. When was that? Like, what year are we speaking about below?
LOPEZ: 2000. Yeah. When they first introduced, they introduced on CBS in English, actually.
SHAPIRO: Therefore not identifying hip-hop in the year 2000 is a little out of step with the times.
LOPEZ: Type of strange, best? Yeah.
SHAPIRO: Type of odd.
LOPEZ: And afterwards I assume in 2004 is when they create the best urban classification. And that’s when, I assume, a great deal of people feel that reggaeton is type of siloed off there and also does not regularly make it into the larger groups up until it begins to kind of fuse with pop music. And afterwards as soon as you have this pop style of reggaeton, that’s when you begin seeing sort of even more artists, you recognize, spread out along and also kind of the J Balvins of the globe getting honors.
SHAPIRO: We got to acknowledge that there is a racial component to this. You’re speaking about reggaeton obtaining siloed off right into kind of an urban group. Typically, city is secret language for Black, individuals of color. And yet J Balvin is white. So …
LOPEZ: Yeah.
SHAPIRO: Considered that reggaeton stemmed with Afro Latino artists, like – I indicate, here’s a track from El General called “Te Ves Buena.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TE VES BUENA”)
EL GENERAL: (Rapping in Spanish).
SHAPIRO: Considered That Afro Latino artists were the source of this category, what do you make of the fact that J Balvin, a white Latino man, is the one leading the cost of anti-reggaeton discrimination right here?
LOPEZ: Exactly. I indicate, I believe that’s type of the huge elephant in the room. Balvin is not discussing race. Yet, you understand, the commercial sound that he’s known for is the noise of merengue, and that tends to be a far more whitewashed noise with whiter artists.
(SOUNDBITE OF TUNE, “IN DA GHETTO”)
J BALVIN: (Rapping in Spanish).
LOPEZ: Reggaeton is a style of music that’s rooted in Black communities in Panama and also Puerto Rico, as well as the pioneers of the genre have actually had a truly tough time getting acknowledged at the Latin Grammys. You have a person like Tego Calderon, that’s a Puerto Rican leader – you understand, has seven nominations and just one win.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PAYASO”)
TEGO CALDERON: (Rapping in Spanish).
LOPEZ: And after that someone like Ivy Queen, who’s a, you recognize, huge reggaeton leader and among minority women in the genre – she just has three nominations and no success.
(SOUNDBITE OF TUNE, “QUIERO BAILAR”)
IVY QUEEN: (Vocal Singing in Spanish).
SHAPIRO: Felix, enter right here.
CONTRERAS: Taking a go back and also looking at the bigger picture of this, you understand, there is a parallel to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, when, you know, you had all these African American artists generally developing the genre. And then someone like Elvis comes. While he recognized some of that, you recognize, he took off with it. He obtained all the document sales. He got all this things. So there is a little bit of that. You know, fast-forward …
SHAPIRO: Are you stating J Balvin is the Elvis of reggaeton?
CONTRERAS: No, I really did not claim that.
(LAUGHTER)
CONTRERAS: Not going there, bro.
(LAUGHTER)
SHAPIRO: Julyssa, you spoke to the CEO of the Latin Recording Academy. What do they state regarding this?
LOPEZ: So the Latin Recording Academy simply obtained a new CEO, Manuel Abud, that began in August. He claims there’s area for enhancement. As well as he says that they have actually been working to reach out to various communities and also obtain even more entries. But there’s really no call for any kind of large, major adjustments. He states he does not see any radical changes, though, you recognize, it’s an inquiry if points are mosting likely to look any kind of various.
SHAPIRO: Inevitably, when you have actually obtained a style as big as reggaeton, as effective, as preferred, as prominent that is dilating enormous hits like – I do not recognize – Bad Bunny’s “Dakiti”…
(SOUNDBITE OF TRACK, “DAKITI”)
NEGATIVE RABBIT: (Vocal Singing in Spanish).
SHAPIRO: … Does it matter whether it obtains recognized by the Latin Recording Academy? What’s in fact at stake below?
CONTRERAS: I think it does matter. I assume that in the very early days, when it did not identify – when it didn’t even recognize hip-hop, you recognize, I assume that it does matter that it is acknowledged because it reveals that the academy is staying on par with what’s going on – right? – due to the fact that you don’t wish to seem like you’re out of touch.
SHAPIRO: So you’re stating it matters for the academy more than maybe it matters for reggaeton.
CONTRERAS: For reggaeton, you know, it’s difficult to claim since they’re acquiring these substantial views on YouTube, the streams. You understand, it’s nearly like they don’t need it, however they would certainly like the recognition.
SHAPIRO: Sure.
CONTRERAS: That’s my interpretation.
LOPEZ: Yeah. I suggest, I think, you know, it possibly doesn’t make a significant difference in terms of – reggaeton artists are mosting likely to continue to be really, preferred as well as really readily successful. However I assume the exposure issues, right? I think it is necessary to see artists from all sorts of traditions being recognized as superb by the academy. I think to some people, it’s not going to matter. To others, it’s truly essential.
SHAPIRO: Julyssa Lopez is a writer with Wanderer magazine, as well as Felix Contreras organizes the NPR podcast Alt.Latino, where the discussion about Latin songs continues. Thanks both for joining us.
CONTRERAS: Thanks, Ari.
LOPEZ: Thanks, Ari.
(SOUNDBITE OF TUNE, “TU ME DEJASTE DE QUERER”)
C TANGANA: (Speaking Spanish).
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