14th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Pre-Telecast Ceremony: a healthy mix of established and new talent

Mexican singer and songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, and the group Bajofondo, each received two Latin GRAMMYs, making them the most notable winners at the 14th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Pre-Telecast Ceremony held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Thursday afternoon. 

Less than a quarter of all the Latin GRAMMY categories can be presented in

Awards show.  Because of it, 37of the 48 categories are presented at a ceremony that happens before the evening’s broadcast, making it a daylong celebration of Latin music.

Thursday's Pre-Telecast ceremony, hosted by Spanish singer Pasión Vega, with help from Venezuelan singer and composer Fonseca, resulted in a healthy mix of winners including established figures such as David Lee Garza, Juan Luis Guerra, Vicente Fernández and Michel Camilo, but also promising newcomers.

Veteran Brazilian singer and composer Roberto Carlos won for Best Brazilian Song for “Esse Cara Sou Eu,” which was also nominated for Song Of the Year.

Bajofondo won for Best Instrumental Album (with Presente) and Best Alternative Song for “Pena en mi Corazón”. 

Lafourcade appeared clearly moved (and a bit surprised) for winning the Best Alternative Music Album and Best Music Video Long Form for her very creative Mujer Divina Homenaje a Agustín Lara. Brazilian singer and songwriter Caetano Veloso, who was also nominated in the Record Of the Year and Song Of the Year categories, won for Best Singer-Songwriter Album. (His Abraçaço won also Best Recording Package, an Art Director award).

Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval completed an extraordinary week by winning in the Best Traditional Tropical Album with Un Siglo de Pasión. On Wednesday, Sandoval was one of 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside figures such as President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.

The program at the Pre-Telecast Ceremony proceeded crisply and efficiently, paced by live musical performances.

The Venezuelan group La Vida Boheme, which later won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Rock Album, opened the show with an impeccable version of “Hornos de Cal,” a song nominated for Best Rock Song. The Dominican singer songwriter EliaCim, a Best New Artist nominee, sang “Quiero” with the aplomb and expressiveness of a veteran. And the Guatemalan singer and songwriter Gaby Moreno,  the eventual winner as Best New Artist, made new fans with a stunning version of “No Estoy Tan Mal” in which she incorporated to excellent effect vocal elements of blues, rock and R&B --- and it made it sound perfectly natural. 

The 14th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Pre-Telecast Ceremony was webcast live but it’s also available on demand at Latingrammny.com.