Stars undeterred by rainstorm that washed out green carpet at Latin Grammys in Las Vegas, the stars of Latin music, undeterred by a torrential rainstorm that soaked the green-carpet arrivals, gathered Thursday to anoint Guatemalan-American singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno as best new artist at the [highlight]14th annual Latin Grammy Awards[/highlight] in Las Vegas.
Moreno’s third bluesy album, “Postales,” is entirely in Spanish.
“What an honor, my first Grammy!” she said. “This award — I want to dedicate it to all my people in Guatemala. For Guate!”
Carlos Vives won song of the year for “Volvi a Nacer” and performed the song while dancers in traditional Colombian “pollera colora” waved their skirts to the delight of the audience.
Vives dedicated the award to the children of Latin America and his native Colombia. He also racked up awards for best tropical fusion album and best tropical song by the midpoint of the show.
When Sergio Garcia, a salsa producer from New York, won for best salsa album and brought his fellow nominees onto the stage with him for an impromptu chorus, the Las Vegas audience went wild and clapped along to the clave beat.
They screamed for superstar Marc Anthony and the Mexican acts: Banda el Recodito and Paquita la del Barrio’s serenade of Don Francisco from “Sabado Gigante.”
Pitbull’s “Echa Pa’lla (Manos Pa’rriba)” won for best urban performance.
“This is for all the Latinos in all the world,” he said, brandishing his golden gramophone statuette.
The Argentine funk-rock duo Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas won best urban song for “Ula Ula,” while Mala Rodriguez’s “Bruja” won best urban album.
The gala kicked off with a rendition of “Que viva la vida” by Puerto Rican reggaeton star Wisin, who came onto the stage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a dune buggy.
Last year’s big winner, the Mexican duo Jesse & Joy, sang “Llorar” with Camila’s Mario Domm.
The show also paired Ricky Martin and fellow Menudo alumnus Draco Rosa, who is touring again after being cleared of cancer earlier this year.
Two new acts, Colombia’s Maluma and Inglewood, California’s Becky G also paired up.
Singer/songwriter Pablo Alboran, who is massively popular in his native Spain but not as well-known in the United States, also performed.
The show was hosted by Mexican actress and singer Lucero.
Before the official festivities, the fashion parade on the green carpet representing Heineken as a sponsor never quite got started. Starlets in sparkling skin-tight gowns scampered indoors into the pressroom to avoid real fashion disasters from the rainstorm.
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Partial list of Latin Grammy winners announced at the 14th annual awards ceremony Thursday evening in Las Vegas:
— Album of the year: “Vida” by Draco Rosa
— Recording of the year: “Vivir mi Vida” by Marc Anthony
— Song of the year: “Volvi a Nacer” by Carlos Vives and Andres Castro
— Best new artist: Gaby Moreno
— Best contemporary vocal pop album: “La Musica no se Toca” by Alejandro Sanz
— Best traditional vocal pop album: “Lo Mejor Que Hay en mi Vida” by Andres Cepeda
— Best urban album: “Bruja” by Mala Rodriguez
— Best urban song: “Ula Ula” by Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas
— Best rock album: “Sera” by La Vida Boheme
— Best pop/rock album: “Transformacion” by Beto Cuevas
— Best rock song: “Creo Que Me Enamore” by Cachorro Lopez and Vicentico
— Best alternative album: “Mujer Divina – Homenaje a Agustin Lara” by Natalia Lafourcade
— Best salsa album: “Salsa Giants” by Sergio George
— Best tropical song: “Volvi a Nacer” by Carlos Vives
— Best tropical fusion album: “Corazon Profundo” by Carlos Vives
— Best instrumental album: “Presente” by Bajofondo
— Producer of the year: Sergio George
