In November 2023, the Latin Grammys leave the U.S. and come to celebrate the awards gala in Seville. The last winners in the flamenco category are in the image, Las Migas. And the nominees to collect this year’s award for best flamenco album have just been announced: Israel Fernández, D. Guerrero, Juanfe, Niña Pastori and Omar Montes.
Las Migas, Grammy al flamenco
Los Grammy son unos premios anuales de carácter mundial a la mejor música en función de unas categorías. They are something like the Oscars of cinema but in the sound section.
They were born in 1959, so they have had to remove and add categories depending on the musical evolution. In 2000, the Latin Grammys (music in Spanish or Portuguese) were created and included flamenco. Specifically, in category 35 for the best album.
Who will win the 2023 Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album?
The nomination, just published, reads as follows:
For vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% of total time recorded with new flamenco music material.
1. Pura Sangre
Israel Fernández
[Universal Music Spain S.L.U]
2. Por La Tangente
Diego Guerrero
[Diego Guerrero Sánchez]
3. Quejíos De Un Maleante
Omar Montes
[2022 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]
4. Camino
Niña Pastori
[Sony Music Entertainment España , S.L.]
5. Prohibido El Toque
Juanfe Pérez
[Youkali Music]
Latin Grammy al flamenco: ¿quiénes han sido hasta ahora los elegidos?
In that 2000 edition, in which Shakira and Carlos Santana were among the winners, the award for the best flamenco album made its debut. It was won by Camarón and Tomatito for París 87. El Lebrijano, Remedios Amaya, Juan Habichuela and Miguel Poveda were also nominated.
Paris 87 is a live recording, released long after Camarón’s death in 1992. These are performances from the cantaor’s last period accompanied by his second life-long partner, Tomatito.
Awards from 2001 to 2010
The first decade of the 20th century would bring very good news, once again, for Tomatito, who would repeat the award in 2005 and 2010.0. When he won the Grammy again in 2013 for Soy Flamenco, he became the only flamenco artist to receive this award four times.
The other lucky winners of the decade were: Vicente Amigo (2001), Antonio Núñez “El Chocolate” (2002), Pepe de Lucía (2003), Paco de Lucía (for Cositas Buenas, in 2004), Diego el Cigala (2006), Ojos de Brujo (2007), Juan Habichuela (2008) and Niña Pastori (2009).
Lucky from 2010 to 2021
This decade was dominated by Paco de Lucía. The 2004 Best Album was followed by En Vivo (2012) and Canción Andaluza (2014, posthumously). The latter was also voted the Best Album of the Year, making it the first flamenco artist to receive this double honour. Niña Pastori would win again in 2011 and 2016. The year 2015 was for Entre 20 Años: A La Música De Paco De Lucía, but the award went to the producer, Javier Limón. Vicente Amigo (2017), Arcángel (2018) and Antonio Rey (2020) would close the decade of success. Un Nuevo Universode Pepe de Lucía would be the best flamenco album of 2021.
Controversies
In 2019, there was no Grammy for anyone in flamenco. The reason, according to the organisers, is that there were not 25 works to nominate in the nominations (or, at least, of the required quality), and that is one of the rules of the competition. More than a few criticised this decision as a direct affront to the genre.
The 2022 edition also brought a little tension. It divides the programme into three cycles: ‘De peña en peña’, ‘El baile por bandera’ and ‘Málaga cantaora’.ar from the more orthodox figures of flamenco, the Grammy went to the group Las Migas for the album Libres. Estrella Morente, who was nominated, just like his brother, Kiki Morente, reacted some time later uploading to Instagram an interview with him in the Diario de Burgos with an unfortunate statement given the context: “Burgos feeds me, not the Grammy Awards.“. Then he deleted it, apologised and that’s it.
2022 Latin Adwards Moment: Las Migas win
But the award was not collected by them, as they were on tour in New Delhi (India).
Free women fighting for freedom is the essence of this album and the representative who collected the award on their behalf underlined.