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Places More Fit For the Latin Grammys That Should’ve Been Considered Instead of Spain

Credit: BELatina/BrandStar

By now, a lot of you are probably aware that the next Latin Grammy awards will be held in Spain. This is the first time the award show is leaving the United States.  

According to the Associated Press, Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud and the regional president for Spain’s Andalusia region made the announcement in Seville, Spain.  

“That the Latin Grammys will leave the United States for the first time is reason for special celebration, and what better place to hold them than Andalusia,” Abud said as per the Associated Press. 

Though no exact date was disclosed, it was confirmed that the Latin Grammys will be held in November. 

The Academy doesn’t seem to understand what this means

At this point, it feels like the Academy enjoys playing with fire or that they are trolling everyone.  

For years, the Latin Grammy Awards have been criticized for highlighting non-Latino/e artists during their ceremony. This critique comes from the definition of what it means to be Latino/e, which means that a person is from a Latin American country or region.  

The countries that solidify this classification are all the countries in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. However, Spain is not included. Spain, on the other hand, is considered a Hispanic country in Europe. This is due to the fact that the Spanish are “hispanohablantes” or Spanish-language speakers. Interestingly enough, Latin American and Caribbean regions are also considered hispanohablantes, hence also Hispanic. Of course, without erasing the fact that Indigenous languages and dialects are also well-alive. 

The Spanish-language was forced onto our ancestors’ thanks to colonization and they learned it out of mere survival. Years later, the clear regional distinction is important. The Spanish can never be Latino/es. It’s just the way it is.  

The Academy has been reminded of this time and time again, especially as they’ve recently awarded Rosalia, a Spanish artist, with several Latin Grammys.  

This is not an attack on Rosalia though. I’ll be the first one to admit that I listen to and enjoy her music – and she deserves to be recognized. However, by not being Latina, a “Latin” Grammy should not be merited. It’d make more sense if the Grammys created another category for Spanish musicians instead. 

Where to host the Latin Grammys

The irony of the new location is not lost on people. After being aware of how people continue to feel about Spanish musicians winning awards for Latin artists, the Academy still proceeded with this decision. Though the award show is always hosted in the United States, which is not considered a Latin American country, it would’ve made more sense to move the Latin Grammys to Latin America or the Caribbean.  

Perhaps they didn’t have anyone on their team giving them location options in Latin America or the Caribbean. Since they might not be aware of the multitude of beautiful locations they can host an award show, we are sharing some options. Hopefully, the Academy can take it into consideration moving forward.  

El Coliseo in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Places More Fit For the Latin Grammys That Should’ve Been Considered Instead of Spain
Credit: Moebiusuibeom-en, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot is the biggest indoor arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It hosts a number of entertainment and sports events. Locals refer to this venue as the “Choli” and it opened its doors to the public on September 4, 2004. Up to 18,500 spectators can be accommodated within it. Award shows such as Premios Tu Música Urbano are held in the Choli.  

Teatro Colón in Bogotá, Colombia

Credit: File:TeatroColonBogota.jpg|TeatroColonBogota, via Wiki Commons

According to its website, the Teatro Colón or Colón Theater was constructed between the years 1885 and 1895 in Bogotá, Colombia. It was designed by Italian architect, Pietro Cantini. A school was founded in order to carry out its construction. The school trained 162 workers. This venue has hosted a number of shows too.  

Teatro Nacional in San Salvador, El Salvador

Credit: File: Teatro Nacional de San Salvador en la noche.jpg|Teatro Nacional de San Salvador en la noche, via Wiki Commons

The Teatro Nacional de San Salvador is the oldest theater in all of Central America. Its construction began in 1911 and was finalized in 1917. It was designed by French architect, Daniel Beylard. The theater was declared a national monument in 1979. 

Teatro Municipal de las Condes in Santiago, Chile

Credit: Teatro Municipal de Las Condes, Santiago 20220619 02

Even though it is a rather young construction, this theater has proven to become a preferred venue for some of the most important entertainment and art events in Chile. Its construction counts with modern and advanced architecture. Award shows – such as the Musa awards – have been previously held here.  

Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, Mexico

Credit: Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso.jpg|Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

As per the World Monuments Fund, the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, currently a museum in the Cuauhtemoc borough of Mexico City, preserves four centuries of history. It is said that this venue contributes to the birth of Mexican muralism. This venue has hosted Premios Ariel, among other shows.  

The truth of the matter is that any location other than Spain would’ve worked. For crying out loud, the soccer field in my neighborhood in Medellín, Colombia would’ve been a better fit than Seville. The Academy needs to do better.  

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