Grammy Museum Launching Shakira-Themed Exhibit in March

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Prepare for the ultimate Shakira experience…

The Recording Academy Grammy Museum is set to host a special exhibit that celebrates the 45-year-old Colombian Grammy– and Latin Grammy-winning singer and songwriter’s three-decade-plus career.

The “Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience” will go live on March 4 at the museum in Los Angeles. The exhibit is on display in the Museum’s permanent Latin Music Gallery.

“It’s an honor to have the journey of my career displayed at the GRAMMY Museum,” Shakira said in a statement. “These pieces are a testament to so many indelible moments that I cherish, and I’m so happy to be able to relive these memories with those who have and continue to support me as an artist.”

Shakira, Shakira explores the artist’s musical evolution, from her origins as a Latin rock-loving singer-songwriter in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a global superstar whose catalog spans multiple genres, from bhangra and bachata to rock and reggaetón. Early in her career, Shakira began fusing elements of her mixed ethnicity and multicultural roots, including the Lebanese heritage on her father’s side, with Arabic dancing and the mainstream pop rock that she grew up with, to construct a richly layered sonic universe that allowed her to grow as a creator while appealing to a worldwide audience. In the process, she achieved international crossover success and broke boundaries for Latin artists.

To deepen visitors’ appreciation and understanding of how these cultural elements have shaped every aspect of her songs, music videos, performances, and world tours, the first museum exhibit about Shakira features interactives that provide fresh insights into her creative process. It also includes artifacts from her personal archive, three original films, and an immersive space that draws inspiration from her El Dorado tour.

“Shakira is the rare superstar who has discovered a way to keep evolving as an artist while growing her expansive audience along with her,” said Jasen Emmons, chief curator & vice president of curatorial affairs at the Grammy Museum. “She’s a serious student of music, and the Grammy Museum is excited to offer a dynamic exhibit that reflects her intelligence and artistry.”

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The announcement comes after Shakira hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart dated January 28 with “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her collaboration with Bizarrap. Shakira now ties with Bad Bunny for the fourth-most No. 1s overall, both with 12.

Bruno Mars to Co-Chair the Grammy Museum’s Music Education Campaign

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is helping raise money for music education…

The Grammy Museum has announced a campaign for music education, featuring the 37-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer/songwriter, with the goal of raising $3 million to $5 million for their educational programs.

The funds raised over the 18-month campaign will provide free admission to the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles for everybody up to age 18 and for all college students with ID and expanded access to their music education programs across the country.

In addition to Mars, the campaign is co-chaired by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes and Rosalía.

Michael Sticka, president and CEO of The Grammy Museum, says the museum’s goal is to raise “anywhere from $3 million to $5 million – and this money goes directly to the education programs. As of [October 7] we’re at about 25% of the top end of that goal, so there’s quite a bit of momentum here.”

That money has come from foundations. The museum is now starting to reach out to labels, publishers, artists, promoters and more for additional funding. “We’ve started some of the conversations with the industry,” Sticka says.

How’s that going? “No one has said no yet,” he replies.

Has anyone in the industry said “You make a lot of money from the Grammy telecast and from the MusiCares person of the year gala. Why don’t you fund your programs yourself?”

“We always hear that,” Sticka acknowledges. “I think there’s a general confusion out there of how everything is structured. The Grammy Museum Foundation is separate from the Recording Academy, so we don’t make any money off of the telecast. We’re separate from MusiCares, so we don’t see any of the money that comes in from person of the year. That goes to their important mission. We’re all part of the same family, but we are a separate entity.

“We do receive funding from the Recording Academy. They provide a healthy percentage of our operating budget, then we go out and we raise money. This money [that we raise] doesn’t go to salaries or overhead because the Academy helps subsidize that. This money goes directly to the education programs.

“Our goal with this campaign is very simple, to do our best to democratize music education by expanding our reach into underserved communities where access to our museum and educational programs could make a huge impact, and ultimately foster the next generation of music’s creators and leaders,” Sticka said in a statement.

FKA twigs Releases New Single “Don’t Judge Me”

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

FKA twigs isn’t interested in your opinion…

The 33-year-old part-Spanish singer has released the single “Don’t Judge Me,” feauring UK drill rapper Headie One and English producer Fred again…

It’s FKA twigs’ first new single since 2019.

She also co-directed the accompanying visual with Emmanuel Adjei, which highlights Black models and dancers in utter anguish while encircling Kara Walker‘s Fons Americanus sculpture.

The fountain, inspired by the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, captures Black people’s historic plight during the transatlantic slave trade and the interconnected suffering endured by Black people from Africa, America and Europe. Twigs herself is flung across rooms and knocked down to the ground in her own twisted choreography.

“So proud to release ‘don’t judge me’ into the world. this project is very personal and special to me,” she wrote on Instagram. “It was an honour to shoot with kara walkers fountain exploring the interconnection of black history between africa, america and europe. thank you to everyone for making don’t judge me come to life.”

FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett) filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf in December over claims of sexual battery and “relentless abuse” during their relationship. She discussed it at length on the Grounded With Louis Theroux podcast Monday and suggested her allegedly abusive relationship didn’t serve as the inspiration for the upcoming third studio album she created during the pandemic.

“I spent so much time in darkness with him that in lockdown I’ve been missing my friends and going out, getting ready, and dancing,” she told Theroux.

During an interview for the Grammy Museum‘s Programs at Home series in October, FKA twigs revealed that she was finishing up her latest album. Her last album, Magdalene, which she released in November 2019, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. She also name-dropped Spanish producer El Guincho as one of her collaborators on the untitled album, as well as songwriters Billy Walsh and Ali Tamposi.

“I’ve got more collaborations and features on this album than I’ve ever had before,” she added. “The majority of the people I’ve never met in real life. We spent a lot of time with each other over FaceTime. It’s a real product of 2020.”

Poncho Sanchez Among This Year’s Grammy Nominees Featured on Grammy Museum’s Streaming Service Collection:live

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Poncho Sanchez is joining the program…

The 69-year-old Latino conguero, Latin jazz band leader and salsa singer’s music has been added to the Grammy Museum’s streaming service, Collection:live.

The Grammy winner’s music, including his latest Grammy-nominated project Trane’s Delight, nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album, is part of 20 programs involving 2021 Grammy nominees that the public can listen to on Collection:live.

Adrian Quesada’s music is also featured…

The 43-year-old Latino producer and guitarist and his Black Pumas band mates received two Grammy nominations in the major categories last year.

Quesada and the Black Pumas are up for Record of the Year for their single “Colors,” which is also nominated in the Best American Roots Performance category.

He and the band are also up for Album of the Year for the deluxe edition of their self-titled album.

Collection:live is the Grammy Museum’s new online streaming service available for $2.99/month or $29.99/year. Proceeds benefit the museum’s music education initiatives and help keep the museum’s mission alive while the physical location remains closed due to COVID-19.

Here’s a list of programs available to stream by 2021 Grammy nominees. All feature interviews and/or performances; the categories in which they are nominated are noted.

Ingrid Andress (best new artist, best country album, best country song)
Burt Bacharach & Daniel Tashian (best traditional pop vocal album—Tashian only)
Phoebe Bridgers (best new artist, best alternative music album, best rock performance, best rock song)
Black Pumas (record of the year, album of the year, best American roots performance)
Brandy Clark (best country album, best country solo performance)
Motown Records‘ Ethiopia Habtemariam and Lindsey Lanier and the artists, songwriters, and producers of Collide – Tiana Major9, EarthGang’s Olu, Benny Cassette, Kaveh Rastegar, Stacy Barthe, and Fresh (best R&B song)
Luke Dick (best country song)
Gregory Porter (best R&B album)
Haim (album of the year, best rock performance)
Jagged Little Pill on Broadway (best musical theater album)
Sarah Jarosz & John Leventhal (best American roots song, best Americana album—Jarosz only)
Bettye LaVette with producer Steve Jordan (best contemporary blues album—LaVette only)
Ashley McBryde (best country album)
PJ Morton (best gospel album
Poncho Sanchez (best Latin jazz album)
JP Saxe (song of the year)
The Secret Sisters (best folk album)
The Steep Canyon Rangers (best bluegrass album)
Tame Impala (best alternative music album)
Toots & The Maytals (best reggae album)
Rufus Wainwright (best traditional pop vocal album)
Lucinda Williams (best Americana album, best American roots song)

Manny Marroquin Among Music Talents Taking Part in the Grammy Museum’s Virtual “Grammy Career Day”

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Manny Marroquin’s ready to talk shop with the next generation of musicians…

The Grammy Museum has announced plans to host eight Grammy Career Day events for the remainder of the year, with the 39-year-old Guatemalan mixing engineer and nine-time Grammy winner among those professionals participating.

The career days, which launched on September 24, will take place on Thursdays at 6:00 pm ET starting through November 19.

The education program will be hosted virtually via digital conferencing for the first time.

But Marroquin isn’t the only Latino taking part in the program…

Mike Elizondo, a 47-year-old Latino producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and Grammy winner, will join Marroquin

Grammy Career Day is a nationwide education program focused on career mentorship for middle- and high-school students in music programs.

In addition to Marroquin and Elizondo, this year’s participants include music director Rickey Minor, who is coming off his second Primetime Emmy win for his work on The Kennedy Center Honors, and music supervisor Julia Michels. The line-up also includes Grammy-nominated artist Paul Jackson Jr.

Here’s the full schedule:

Sept. 24: Engineer Manny Marroquin and producer, songwriter and musician Mike Elizondo

Oct 1: Jonathan Azu, founder and CEO of the management firm Culture Collective, and music supervisor Julia Michels

Oct. 8: Jeff Greenberg, owner and CEO of The Village Studios, and Henry Alonzo, chief creative officer at Adarga Entertainment Group

Oct. 15: Songwriter, producer and video director Madison Beer and artist/bassist Sekou Bunch, who is the CEO of Ibis Music Entertainment, LLC

Oct. 22: Loretta Muñoz, assistant vice president, membership group at ASCAP, and entrepreneur and music manager Orly Marley

Oct. 29: Kiara Lanier, singer/songwriter and CEO of Hits For LifeNov. 12: Film and television composer Amanda Jones

Nov 19: Bass player, composer, producer, and music director Rickey Minor and musician, educator, and recording artist Paul Jackson Jr.

Middle school and high school students and teachers across the U.S. are invited to join these Grammy Career Day sessions. If schools want to participate, they can register via the online form.

There will be another series of virtual Career Day events in spring 2021.

Carlos Vives Launching “El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana” Documentary in Partnership with Grammy Museum

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is celebrating Colombia’s indigenous roots in music in a special way…

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is launching a special documentary, El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, this Friday, August 21 on the Grammy Museum’s digital museum.

In May, Vives released his 14th studio album, Cumbiana, which married Colombia’s past with the future. The album shed light on the indigenous roots of Colombian music in a 10-set production that includes collaborations with Jessie Reyez, Alejandro Sanz, Ruben Blades and others.

Vives decided to bring his extensive research and musical exploration to the masses via the documentary, which is directed by Carlos Felipe Montoya and produced by Isabel Cristina Vasquez from Mestiza Films.

Vives spotlights the history of the amphibian universe to better understand the origins of cumbia and vallenato music, the ancestral spirits that inspired his latest production, and the environmental challenges the Magdalena River ecosystem is facing.

“I discovered a lost world. That’s the truth,” Vives previously told Billboard.

“We’ve always spoken about our African heritage in music. We’ve always thought that the most uplifting elements of our music came from Africa or from European rhythms like polka. But it turns out it comes from Andean or indigenous music. This album highlights the joy of the fusion of African, European, and indigenous music.”

El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana, which also elaborates on the creative process of Cumbiana, will be available at 1:00 pm PT on Friday, August 21 at the Grammy Museum website for 72 hours only.

Following the screening, Vives will attend an exclusive conversation with NPR Alt Latino’s Felix Contreras to further discuss the documentary.

Francisca Valenzuela to Take Part in the Grammy Museum’s Mentorship Monday Program

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Francisca Valenzuela will be your guide…

The 33-year-old Chilean American singer, poet and multi-instrumentalist will take part in the Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program in partnership with Grammy U and former First Lady Michelle Obama‘s Reach Higher initiative.

Every Monday beginning next week through August 31, top-tier music industry professionals like Valenzuela will mentor college students and recent graduates via digital conferencing.

In addition to Valenzuela, mentors include artists Sam Fischer, Tikyra “TK” Jackson, Ledisi, three-time Grammy winners Little Big Town, Melanie Pfirrman and Sasha Sloan, as well as Recording Academy members.

The sessions will give students an opportunity to connect with established music industry professionals and creatives, and will serve as a valuable tool for information, advice and exploration within a wide variety of music careers and topics as they pursue their own careers.

“The Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program exemplifies the Museum’s mission to uphold music’s value in our lives through education and collaboration between professionals and aspiring creatives,” said Michael Sticka, president of the Grammy Museum. “I’d like to thank Reach Higher and Grammy U for helping make this program a reality.”

“Reach Higher is excited to partner with the Grammy Museum to bring mentorship to students this summer.” said Eric Waldo, Executive Director of Reach Higher. “Music helps us hear each other more fully and to share ourselves with one another authentically. Now more than ever is a wonderful time for professionals and artists to harness the unifying and uplifting power of music to support students as they explore and pursue educational and career opportunities in all facets of the recording industry,”

While the sessions are currently invitation-only, a selection will be released in the future as part of Reach Higher’s Beating the Odds Summit, and a selection of public-facing mentorship sessions will be available via Instagram Live.

Valenzuela released her latest album, La Fortaleza, in January.The album consists of 14 tracks, including the singles “Tómame,” “Héroe” and “Flotando.”

Enrique Bunbury Taking Part in Grammy Museum’s Instagram Live Event

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Bunbury is going live…

The 52-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter, Spain’s biggest rockstar, will be featured in a Grammy Museum event on Instagram Live on Friday, May 29.

The event will be hosted by Raul Campos, a music host on KCRW and on his podcast Pili, Raúl & La Música.

It’s the Grammy Museum’s second bilingual Instagram Live event. The first, earlier this month, was in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

Bunbury has released nine studio albums and eight live albums since 1997.

Last fall, the Grammy Museum opened a Latin music gallery in collaboration with the Latin Recording Academy. Since the museum was forced to close its doors in March until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has posted virtual Latin exhibits on its site, including Jenni Rivera, La Gran Señora and Deep Heart: Roots, Rock & The Music of Carlos Vives.

The Bunbury event is slated to air on Instagram @grammymuseum on Friday, May 29 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm PST/3:00 – 4:00 pm EST.

Camila Cabello’s “Señorita” with Shawn Mendes Appears on “Grammy Nominees 2020” Album

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is the Señorita of the Grammys…

The 22-year-old Mexican and Cuban American singer appears on the compilation album Grammy Nominees 2020, which is set for release on January 17 through Warner Records.

Cabello’s collaboration with Shawn Mendes, “Señorita,” appears on the album. The track is nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category.

Slightly more than half of the tracks on the album (11 out of 21) made the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Seven of them reached No. 1 on that chart, including Cabello’s “Señorita.”

All eight nominees for record and album of the year are represented on the collection. So are all five nominees for best pop duo/group performance, best pop vocal album, and best country duo/group performance.

Song of the year nominees that are missing from the collection are Lady Gaga‘s “Always Remember Us This Way” from A Star Is Born, Tanya Tucker‘s “Bring My Flowers Now” and Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.”

Best new artist nominees not represented are Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Rosalía,Tank and the Bangasand Yola.

The Grammy Nominees franchise is in its 26th year. A portion of album process will benefit the Grammy Museumand MusiCares.

Here’s the complete track listing for Grammy Nominees 2020.

Billie Eilish, “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”
Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Lizzo, “Truth Hurts”
Khalid, “Talk”
H.E.R., “Hard Place”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, “Señorita”
Ariana Grande & Social House, “boyfriend”
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber, “I Don’t Care”
Post Malone & Swae Lee, “Sunflower”
Taylor Swift, “Lover”
Jonas Brothers, “Sucker”
Vampire Weekend, “Harmony Hall”
Bon Iver, “Hey, Ma”
Beyoncé, “Spirit” (from Disney’s The Lion King)
Lana Del Rey, “Norman F***ing Rockwell”
Little Big Town, “The Daughters”
Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
Maren Morris feat. Brandi Carlile, “Common”
Brothers Osborne, “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)”
Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs, “Brand New Man”

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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