The genuine humor, the salt shaker and the art of the Spaniards Los del Río conquered the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas today during the Awards for Excellence, which also honored the brilliant achievements of Lucecita Benítez, João Bosco, Ilan Chester, Víctor Heredia, Guadalupe Pineda and Cuco Valoy.
Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones, the two souls of Los del Río, took over today an event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas, which takes place one day before the Latin Grammy Awards, armed with jokes on the red carpet, smiles and carantoñas to photographers and, of course, based on singing his legendary hit “Macarena” as soon as they had the slightest option.
“Humility and simplicity is what takes you to all the places in the world, and today we are really proud here,” Antonio Romero Monge said on stage when receiving the award.
“In 1962, when we were 14 years old, we started looking for our lives at the Seville Fair, trying to collaborate with our families because they were difficult times in Spain.
Very humble family, hardworking, but very honest and very simple to which I think we owe this recognition, “he said.
Also, the singer wanted to pay tribute to Spain, which in his words “is the greatest in the world.”
“We have a fantastic gastronomy, a wonderful people, and in any town in Spain you can feel like at home, and we have to say: Long live Spain!” He proclaimed.
“What a monster talking, you are a phenomenon,” said his partner Rafael Ruiz Perdigones to unleash the laughter of the audience.
Ruiz Perdigones also stressed that this award is a “precious recognition” for being his complete career, for which he thanked “the heart of the Latin Recording Academy.
The triumph of these two illustrious Sevillians, masters of flamenco and rumba, is inseparable from “Macarena”, a phenomenon that in 1993 encouraged everyone to dance, which still sounds in the clubs of a gazillion countries and that made them in some pioneers when it comes to bringing Latin music to all corners of the planet.
“Macarena” held the record for a fourteen-week-old Hispanic song as number one in the United States until that record was broken this year with the unstoppable landing of “Despacito.”
“We tell young people not to throw in the towel and that anyone, if they have faith in what they do, can one day have their ‘Macarena’ or their ‘Despacito’.
Now we hope that ‘Despacito’ will be successful for 24 years as we are enjoying ‘Macarena’ and we wish Luis Fonsi the best, “said Romero Monge on the red carpet.
The president of the Latin Recording Academy, Gabriel Abaroa, welcomed the winners this year by underlining that this award rewards “living legends” of Latin music, “all unique and all matchless.”
The Argentine Víctor Heredia, one of the winners and a singer-songwriter always attached to committed music, said that the new artists also reflect their reality: “The kids are saying what they should and can do in a really complicated world context. humanity has always had the representatives that correspond to it, especially from music and poetry. ”
“This speaks of a trajectory, of someone who sowed seeds that gave fruit and that came to fruition.
I feel very proud to represent Mexico with that award and very grateful because they are 43 years working in music, I owe it to my audience “, said, meanwhile, the Mexican singer Guadalupe Pineda.
Also, the Puerto Rican artist Lucecita Benítez remembered her homeland, severely affected by Hurricane Maria: “I want to dedicate it to the country that suffers most, to my land, to those hands that work and continue to work to raise our country. and so that it returns to be the island that always has been “.
The Brazilian João Bosco, the Venezuelan Ilan Chester and the Dominican Cuco Valoy completed the prestigious list of distinguished musicians this time with the Awards of Excellence of the Latin Grammys.
In the same way, Jon Fausty, known for his work as a sound engineer in salsa, and Lalo Schifrin, famous composer of soundtracks, won the Board of Directors Award.
This special gala is part of the activities prior to the 18th edition of the Latin Grammys, which will be held this Thursday in Las Vegas and in which the Puerto Rican Resident, with nine nominations, leaves as the main favorite.
