Stars flood Mandalay Bay for Latin Grammy Awards show

By Sarah Feldberg

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Reggaeton, flamenco, rock and ranchero — artists from every genre and flavor of Latin music arrived in Las Vegas this week for the 10th annual Latin Grammy Awards.

The Latin Recording Academy will be doling out golden trophies in 50 categories tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Famous faces and voices will take the stage in a number of interesting pairings during the live broadcast. Twelve-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys is partnering with 14-time Latin Grammy winner Alejandro Sanz, and five-time Latin Grammy-winning Puerto Rican hip-hoppers Calle 13 will share the stage with Rubén Blades and “Mystere” cast members for a special number.

Before the red carpet rolls out and the winners are announced, here a few nominees whose names, and music, you should know:

Calle 13

Up for five awards at this year’s Latin Grammys, Puerto Rican hip-hop duo Calle 13 is made up of stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (aka Residente) and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (aka Visitante). They get occasional help from their sister, Joglar’s mother and Latin artists such as rapper Tego Calderón and rockers Café Tacuba. Elements from many Latin and international genres run under Joglar’s political and darkly humorous raps.

The group gained notoriety in 2005 for the song “Querido FBI” (“Dear FBI”) in response to the killing of Puerto Rican revolutionary leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos during his arrest. Calle 13 teamed with Orishas and Stomp at last year’s Latin Grammys, also at Mandalay Bay, and their performance of “Pa’l Norte” was a highlight of the evening.

Natalia Lafourcade

Mexican singer and songwriter Natalia Lafourcade grew up in a musical family and enrolled in the prestigious Academia de Música Fermatta in Mexico City to pursue her interests in performing. Exposed to music from all over the world, Lafourcade developed a pop vocal style influenced by artists such as Björk, Radiohead, Tori Amos and Ella Fitzgerald. Her self-titled debut album reached No. 1 on the Mexican chart. Lafourcade’s May 2009 release, “Hu Hu Hu,” is up for Best Female Pop Vocal Album.

Jarabedepalo

You may recognize this Barcelona-based band as Jarabe de Palo. After a break with its record label in 2008, the Spanish rock band was forced to change to the single-word spelling of Jarabe de Palo, which translates roughly to healing someone by beating them — very tough love. Established in 1996 by lead singer and guitarist Pau Donés, Jarabe de Palo erupted on the Latin music scene with its debut album “La Flaca.” The band’s newest album, “Orquesta Reciclando,” is nominated for Best Pop Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal.