Rosario Flores, Amanda Miguel shine in Latin Grammy awards

Las Vegas, United States, Nov 16 (EFE).- Spanish singer Rosario Flores and Argentina’s Amanda Miguel shone at the reception of the award for Musical Excellence awarded annually by the Latin Recording Academy, organizer of the Latin Grammys, held Wednesday in Las Vegas in the United States.

Along with Flores and Miguel, Italian-Venezuelan singer-songwriter Yordano and Brazilian rock icon Rita Lee were also recognized, as well as Spain’s Manolo Diaz, Cuba’s Paquito D’Rivera and Mexican-American Abraham Laboriel with the Board of Directors Award.

Both the award for Musical Excellence and the Board of Directors Award honor Latin music figures with a long career linked from different fields, such as performance, composition or production, each year.

Close friends of the protagonists, in addition to other artists, reacted with special affection and resounding applause to the speeches of Flores and Miguel after holding the honorary gramophone.

“I live and breathe for the duende, blessed be it. This is the result of the musical dedication of a lifetime,” said the representative of Catalan rumba, three decades after her emergence in the elite.

Minutes earlier, the audience had also welcomed the words of the Argentine Latin pop singer Amanda Miguel with a standing ovation.

The artist who became an international phenomenon in the 1980s with the song “He Lied to Me” wanted to remember her late husband and stage partner, the Argentine Diego Verdaguer, who died of coronavirus earlier this year.

“Music serves to express the inexpressible (…) I must remember my husband because he was my biggest fan and it is a responsibility for me to continue singing our songs,” said the composer, whose award was presented by her own daughter, pop singer Anna Victoria.

The gala held on the eve of the 23rd edition of the Latin Grammys also served to pay tribute to figures as renowned as the Mexican-American bassist Abraham Laboriel and versatile Cuban saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera.

Laboriel, who has collaborated with artists such as Quincy Jones or Ray Charles – among many others – gave a short speech in an amusing tone urging fans to “leave fear aside” and enter the world of music.

“And if you don’t know how, call us, maybe one of us here can help you,” he added.

D’Rivera also chose to celebrate his honorary award by pulling comic turns, and his outburst was the funniest moment of the ceremony.

“Oh, oh, oh, how many people do I see here who owe me money!” He said, adding that it is “lucky” to receive an award for “the only activity with enjoyment: music.”

But there were also more emotional moments in this private gala in which the attendees witnessed how Chilean singer-songwriter Myriam Hernandez spoke with a broken voice and almost burst into tears.

“Hopefully many other Latin artists can receive this great award. Thank you, God, for giving me this gift,” Hernandez said.

Yordano also had to stop and calm down before addressing the public after being presented with an award that “in an incredible way” comes to a man who “sings what is difficult for him to speak.” EFE

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