‘Spanish-dominated’ Latin Grammys’ move to Seville provokes controversy

Hordes of fans wait anxiously along fenced barriers clutching their phones, itching to catch a shot of some of the world’s most famous musicians. Some scream in excitement as cars with blacked-out windows roll up outside the glitzy venues, eagerly anticipating the arrival of artists such as Shakira, Maluma, Camilo and Karol G in the run up to the ceremony on Thursday night (16 November). This is the Latin Grammys, the most prominent event recognising artists in the Latin music world – but this year, it’s far from its usual lavish Las Vegas home. Instead, the awards are taking place in the Spanish city of Seville, the first time outside the United

States in its 24-year history.

The move is the result of a threeyear sponsorship deal with Andalucía’s regional government, which has allocated €22,748,000 to the ceremony and its satellite concerts. The president of the regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno, has said that the Latin Grammys in Seville presents a “landmark moment for Spain, and for Europe”.

However, the Latin Grammys’ relocation has proven controversial given ongoing criticism surrounding the ceremony for its lack of representation. While the event celebrates music sung in Spanish and Portuguese, regardless of country, many Latin American artists feel excluded, despite continental superstars such as Bad Bunny and upstarts such as Peso Pluma and the regional Mexican music scene driving global pop innovation today. Some critics have also questioned whether Spanish artists should be classified as “Latin” in the context of Spain’s controversial colonial history.

“The Latin Grammys are from the US, they’re gringo,” said Francisco Solís

Monroy, a Chilean pop culture critic from music podcast Clase Básica who accuses the event of promoting a limited conception of Latin music. “They associate Latinidad with one that is Caribbean, Mexican, or a condensed version of South America.” He said artists from countries such as Chile, Ecuador and Peru are given little visibility at the awards ceremony, pointing out the dominance of artists from Spain.

Barcelona-born artist Rosalía has recently swept the awards, claiming a total of 14 Latin Grammys for 2018’s El Mal Quererand 2022’s Motomami. Last year, she became the first female artist to win the coveted Latin Grammy album of the year twice.

“That Rosalía wins Latin Grammys, and no disrespect to her, just feels a bit disconnected,” said Solís Monroy, who believes that the move to Seville further demonstrates this. “The ceremony doesn’t have to always be in Latin America, but maybe the correct step would have been to come here before going to Europe.”

Music historian Katelina “La Gata” Eccleston is an American of Panamanian-Jamaican descent, whose work offers a decolonised perspective on reggaeton music. While she doesn’t “advocate” for the ceremony being in Spain, she says it “makes sense”, since “Spain is pouring a lot of money into the industry”. She says critics would be better off

criticised for cancelling an appearance by the novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen after he signed an open letter criticising Israel’s military response. Several writers pulled out of events at 92Y and staff members resigned.

And the Frankfurt book fair was criticised after it postponed an event honouring the Palestinian author Adania Shibli that had been announced months before, “due to the war started by Hamas, under which millions of people in Israel and Palestine are suffering”. Shibli later said the organisers had falsely claimed she supported the postponement.

More than 1,500 authors and publishers signed a letter protesting the decision, with philosopher Slavoj Žižek using his opening speech at Frankfurt to call it “scandalous”.