If there was one word to describe both Paloma Mami and her sound, it would be "suave"—in both the English and Spanish sense. The rising singer/songwriter is confident and bold—traits she has on full display all over her Instagram—but she’s also smooth and tender, something evident in her musical repertoire; In conversation with her, it is these characteristics that shine the most. A constant across her music is her velvety voice which imbues each piece with unique softness—regardless of subject matter. (She can switch from self-love anthems like
"Mami" to trap-infused ballads about heartbreak like “Fingías'' with ease.) Once you hear Paloma’s honeyed murmurs, it’s impossible to mistake her sound.

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Born Paloma Rocío Castillo Astorga, the Chilean-American starlet chose her stage moniker when she was just getting started in the music industry and has since worn the latter part of her name as a breastplate. (Mami, an endearing term for mom in Spanish, has been popularized and most used as a slang term to compliment women.) "My name gives me a different type of personality, it makes me come out of my shell," the singer told Flaunt back in 2019. "My name turns me [into] a different person, an alter ego type thing. An empowered woman, not afraid of anything." 

It might have started as a façade, but she’s undoubtedly the mami in the Latin music industry now. The New York City-born, Santiago-based artist has been making ripples in the scene since her breakout single "Not Steady" was released in 2018. She became an instant sensation in her Chilean home turf thanks to its trappy hi-hat rhythms and her lulling vocals. As told to Genius, the song was the first she ever wrote and, with it, she became the first Chilean act to be signed under Sony. With each of her releases since then, those ripples have only expanded. In 2019, she returned with steady hits like "Don’t Talk About Me," "Fingías," and "No Te Debí Besar" alongside Spanish rapper C. Tangana. In 2020, she started to give her audience a taste of what was to come with songs like "For Ya" and "Goteo," a braggadocious track about her drip. Now, her debut album, Sueños de Dalí, is throwing listeners into the deep end. 

Inspired thematically and visually by the surrealist Spanish painter Salvador Dalí, Sueños de Dalí features 11 tracks that mix R&B, hip-hop and pop. The project is also laced with more than hints of reggaeton and even includes lullabies from Chilean folklore—as Latin music continues grabbing attention globally with its diversity of sounds, Paloma is seen as a part of its promising future. Putting songwriting at the forefront, she approaches music with artistry at heart, and it transcends. Equal parts personal and boppy, if her teenage offerings presented her to the world, Sueños de Dalí is her reintroduction—one with even more poise and calmness. "I feel like since the beginning of my career people just have not understood me," Paloma tells GRAMMY.com. "I don't think people ever will understand me, but hopefully more and more people will accept that."

GRAMMY.com caught up with Paloma Mami to discuss Sueños de Dalí, her idiosyncrasies as a Chilean-American and breaking into the U.S.

Before we get into the album, can you tell us a bit about growing up in New York and moving back to Chile in your teens? Why did you decide to move back? You live in Santiago now, right? 

I do live in Santiago but I'm currently in Puerto Rico. I think it was four or five years ago that my mom decided to move to Chile because I was rebelling, I guess you could say. We were living in New York and I stopped going to school. I just was not being obedient to her and she couldn't control me. It was just my mom and my sister and me. She was working every single day, and had no idea that I was skipping school. When she found out, she was so mad and was like, "Your punishment is you're going to have to go to Chile. That way I can look after you properly."

Did you see it as a punishment when it happened?

Oh yeah. When it first happened, I did. I was so upset, obviously. I mean, New York is like the best place ever. That's where I grew up. All my friends were. Everything that I loved was in New York. It was really sad for me to leave. I loved Chile because my family was there, but other than that I didn't like anything else from it. When I moved there and I think it was the first month where I just was like, "wow, it's actually really great here, I love it."

So, it was a blessing in disguise. It worked out in the end.

Yeah, exactly. It really was.

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Sueños de Dalí is your first album and you likened the release to a timeless painting. Why a Dalí painting? Why a surrealist painting?

Well, Dalí for me was always a huge inspiration since I was little. I would always go to his exhibitions whenever I could in New York. I always felt [his work] looked [like] a dream. There were things [in a painting] that you wouldn't expect to see together. I love the thought of that. I love that it was just so, so crazy and just so different from everything else that I had seen. The fact that he had so much controversy with it, too; that so many people just didn't know what the hell he was talking about, what his paintings meant, and had so many people confused, I love that. 

I felt it was a great way to compare my work with Dalí's because I feel like since the beginning of my career people just have not understood me. I don't think people ever will understand me, but hopefully, more and more people accept that.

So is it a bad thing if people don't understand you?

No, I see that as a positive thing. It used to not be. I don't know if it ever happens to you, but you know when you love something and then later in life you realize why you love it so much? It kind of was like that with me and Salvador Dalí.

Since the beginning, I always loved his [uniqueness] and how weird he was to everybody. In the music industry and my country and everything, I'm looked at like that sometimes. And I get that as a compliment. People told me that this album of mine was weird and different, I was like, "Thank you so much." And I didn't even know if they were saying it [as] an insult or not.

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The full album just came out, but it includes songs like "Goteo," "Mami" and "For Ya," which you released in 2020. How long have you been working on the album? Did you go back and forth on your selection of songs or did you have a picture in mind?

It has been two years in the making, technically. Everything that we chose for the album was just natural. I would finish one song in the studio and I would be like, "Oh yeah, it was cool." But I didn't put in the album. When I would put songs in the album, I knew exactly which ones, I knew at that moment, I was like, "Yeah, this one's going in the album for sure. Like, I have a good feeling from it."

You mentioned that, for example, "Mami," you re-recorded a bunch of times. Did you feel any pressure with that one in particular because it’s an homage to Ivy Queen? Were there particular songs where you felt you had to really polish them before putting them in the album?

Well, actually I polished "Mami" so much just because I felt it was such an important song to me. I wanted it to express everything that I've always wanted to say. And I have so much to say sometimes that I had to redo it so many times. I was like, "Damn, but I wanted to mention this. So, let me change this line and put this instead." That's why I re-did it so much. The Ivy Queen idea was literally one of the last versions. I had thought of that in one of the last versions that we re-did again.

I guess you could say that you blew up almost immediately when you put out "Not Steady" on the Latin market, but you've been breaking into the U.S. market with your newest releases. Do you feel there any difference between the two markets? Have you dealt with any obstacles?

I feel there always is a difference between the two, just in general. The U.S. market is kind of just now taking in Latin. They're now accepting it a lot more, which is amazing. I have been around for a while in the U.S. market, but right now it's really been really starting to take off. And I am seeing the changes. The difference in radio play five years ago in the U.S. market is crazy. Now you hear so many more Spanish songs playing. That's the [main] thing.

They're starting to catch up. And I'm excited for that because I feel that, for me, that's always been my goal with my music – to be able to transcend between the two markets and not have a specific [label.] Things like, "Oh, she's a Latin artist." I want to be known as just an artist that makes Spanish and English music.

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You've talked about this here, but as a Chilean-American, you've addressed this feeling of alienation from both sides at some points, and you mention it on "Que Wea," when you sing, "Es chilena solo cuando le conviene no más." Did you ever feel you had to change yourself to adjust and cater to the different audiences at all? How did you overcome that and learned to embrace your identity?

Honestly, yes. I felt like that in the beginning when I first started out being in the public eye immediately in Chile. It was on TV and on the radio, and it made me realize that no matter what, people definitely wanted me to change, people wanted me to act a certain way. "Oh, she's too this, she's too that." I felt like, "Wow, maybe I have to change. I guess people don't like me acting [like] this. I guess people don't like it when I mix English into my Spanish sentences."

People called me stupid for that, or people called me gringa – there's always negative things that come with it. In the beginning and I was like, "I guess I'm going to have to change my whole way, how I act, how I talk, my jokes. People don't understand me." And then I realized like, you know what? At the end of the day, I honestly shouldn't care this much. Why does it matter what these people I've never met before in my life think about me? It does not matter at all. It took me a while to figure it out, but once I did, I was like, "whatever, I don't care at all."

"Que Wea" struck me as one of the most personal ones on the album. Do you have a favorite song or a song that you feel particularly connected to?

I have a lot that I feel are super personal to me. I feel like there’s a couple that stand out. "Dreams" is one of my favorites, and "Mi Palomita" as well. I think those two are my absolute favorites because, for example, "Mi Palomita" is a song that my grandpa always sang to me. I grew up listening to it my whole entire life and it’s extremely special for me. "Dreams" as well is a touching song for me.

I know you asked on social media, but do you feel one of these will be the one to get a video next?

Well, I have videos for every single song on the album. Some are more for me, and some have a bigger production. Some I wanted to give it a kind of natural feel and kind of homey vibe with it. And "Dreams" is one of those. I feel the video really embodied everything that I was feeling and it's super mystical. I think a lot of people are going to like it.

So, you’re going for the full visual album.

Yeah.

Production-wise, you've worked with GRAMMY-nominated producers like Hit-Boy and El Guincho. How do you choose who you want to work with? 

Honestly, I've always been super metida en todo, [in everything]. I love seeing every producer. Whenever I like a song, I like to see who produced it. I'm always super interested in that because I like to work with people that I've never worked with, I've never heard of before, and people that have [a] sound just catches my attention. All the producers on my album honestly did that for me. All the producers that I’ve worked with, I knew of them before and I wanted to work with them and I'm still happy that I got to.  Hit-boy is one of the producers that I've always wanted to work with, and I was so excited when I got to work with him. El Guincho también,[too]. I loved his work with Rosalía. He has been in the industry for so long. I love his music.

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You've said that performing is one of the aspects of being an artist that you enjoy most and that you obviously miss most because we're in a pandemic. Do you have any fun interactions planned, even if they're virtual, for 2021?

I'm trying to plan a live show! I'm excited for that. Honestly, I can't wait to sing these live because I feel that's where you really get to catch a vibe with every single song. I've been singing them in my shower and every day, and I'm so tired of doing that. So, I want to finally grab a microphone and be able to sing them and have people see me and hear me that.

You have 1 billion streams global, 2 million YouTube followers, you are the first Chilean to be signed to Sony, and the first Latina to make Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list… those are a lot of feats. Do any of these put any pressure on you? Do you pay attention to those numbers and titles at all?

Honestly, I do pay attention to the titles because they're all accomplishments to me. They're all blessings. I'm so blessed to have everything that happened to me the way that it did in my career. I feel it was just waiting for me to put the pieces in the puzzle and everything just took off like that. I'm so blessed that it happened the way it did. I've never felt any type of pressure or anything. It's always [about] accomplishments and hoping that I'm going to get more and that I'm going to break more records, and that I'm going to put Chile on the map even more.

You said you were in Puerto Rico right now. Are you working on music?

Actually, I am. I'm always working on music. Right now, I'm going to a studio in a couple of days, so I'm going to be excited about that. I was in Miami two weeks ago, and I was also in the studio. I'm always making music, I love what I do so whenever I get the chance to see a studio or go to a studio. And besides that, I'm always just making music in my head.

So, aside from that, how have you been spending your days? What are you looking forward to non-music-wise in 2021?

I'm looking forward to clothing. I'm super into fashion and I have something in the works as well...

Big Voices, Ballads and Blockbuster Hits: How 1996 Became The Year Of The Pop Diva

Editor’s Note: Updated to add the Instagram Live video featuring Harvey Mason jr. and Stevie Mackey.

The Recording Academy continues its mission to empower music's next generation with the launch of its second specialization in the GRAMMY GO platform: "Music Production: Crafting Award-Worthy Songs."

This new course, a partnership between the Recording Academy and leading online learning platform Coursera, aims to bolster the technological and audio skills of music producers of all levels. The course, taught by Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee Carolyn Malachi, features appearances by three-time GRAMMY winner and rap icon Hit-Boy, chart-topping and GRAMMY-winning producer/songwriter CIRKUT, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman.

Enrollment for "Music Production: Crafting Award-Worthy Songs" is open now.

Mixing a unique blend of theory and practice, the course teaches music creators of all levels the advanced skills and tools to develop the mindset and confidence of an experienced producer and produce songs of the highest industry standards across all genres. Explore the wide-ranging roles of a music producer, develop critical listening and analysis skills, and master the technical aspects to create music and compositions that cut through the noise. The course's applied learning approach allows learners to sharpen their pre-production skills, utilize Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) effectively, and produce vocals, instrumentals and samples collaboratively. Through critical listening exercises and discussions, learners will refine their abilities to deliver professional-quality demos.

To celebrate the launch, the Recording Academy hosted an Instagram Live session on Tuesday in which guests Harvey Mason jr. and Stevie Mackey discussed the evolving role of music producers, strategies for working with artists, key elements of top-notch productions, common mixing mistakes, tips for keeping the creative process fresh, and enrollment details for the course.

Read more: How The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO Is Building A Global Online Learning Community & Elevating The Creative Class

Building on the success of its first specialization, "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," GRAMMY GO continues to offer industry-focused education tailored for emerging and established music creators and professionals alike. The innovative platform provides learners with real-time insights from leading music industry figures, ensuring the content remains practical and up to date. GRAMMY GO will also serve as an essential tool in the Recording Academy's global expansion into Africa and the Middle East, empowering music creators through enhanced training, bridging knowledge gaps, and fostering connections within the global music community.

Launched in April in partnership with Coursera, GRAMMY GO is the Recording Academy's first creator-to-creator platform, offering innovative courses tailored for both emerging and established music professionals. The initiative accelerates the Academy's global mission and reinforces its commitment to music education, providing a seamless bridge between all Academy initiatives.

Learn more about GRAMMY GO and the "Music Production: Crafting Award-Worthy Songs" and "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" specializations.

Watch the Instagram Live session with Harvey Mason jr. and Stevie Mackey in full below:

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Música Mexicana isn't the only sound of Mexico that's blowing up; the country's artists are now starting to make their mark in reggaeton. Imbued with the essence, swagger, and lingo of Mexico, reggaeton Mexa is the next big Latin sound that's going global.

Originating in the Caribbean, reggaeton evolved from Panama’s reggae en español and Jamaican dancehall of the 1980s. Puerto Rican acts like DJ Playero and DJ Nelson shaped the sound of reggaeton in the island's underground scene during the '90s, while Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Don Omar, and Ivy Queen pushed the genre into the mainstream at the dawn of the new millennium. 

Boricua acts Tainy, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna pushed reggaeton into the next decade, though Colombia also brought about the genre's second wind. J Balvin's success solidified Medellín as a reggaeton hotbed, spawning Maluma, Karol G, and Feid as global stars.

Learn more: The Sonic And Cultural Evolution Of Reggaeton In 10 Songs

In the 2020s, Mexico is becoming the next hub for reggaeton as artists who grew up listening to the Puerto Rican OGs  — as well as Mexican acts Ghetto Kids and Pablito Mix — are now putting their own stamp on the genre. In late 2022, Bellakath put a spotlight on reggaeton Mexa with her viral hit "Gatita"; the following year, Yng Lvcas took the sound to new heights with his "La Bebé" remix featuring Peso Pluma, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Reggaeton Mexa pulls from the genre's underground roots in Puerto Rico, infusing its songs with Mexican culture and grit. Lyrics are full of Mexican slang that reflect life in the barrios.

"Reggaeton Mexa is reminiscent of the sounds of the '90s and 2000s from Puerto Rican DJs like Playero and Joe," El Mallila, one of the reggaeton Mexa leaders, tells GRAMMY.com. "The songs, the beats, and rhythms are more or less similar to that flow. The difference here is the Mexican jargon. Reggaeton Mexa is spicy. We play with Mexican profanities without being offensive."

The emerging genre has gained traction among the larger reggaeton community with Jowell y Randy, Maldy, and J Balvin recently featuring on their songs. Following the success of Yng Lvcas, Bellakath, and El Malilla, Mexican acts like Peso Pluma (who dedicated part of his Éxodo album to reggaeton) and pop star Kenia Os are embracing the wave. As the tide continues to rise for reggaeton Mexa, GRAMMY.com is highlighting seven of the sound's leading artists.

Guadalajara, Jalisco native Yng Lvcas noted that no one around him could name a Mexican reggaeton artist, so he decided to fill that void.

An early encounter would make for auspicious beginnings. As he was signing a record contract with Warner early last year, Yng Lvcas crossed paths with Peso Pluma. The música Mexicana star's first foray in reggaeton was with Yng Lvcas and their global hit, a sensual remix of "La Bebé." Their collaboration became the first reggaeton song by Mexican artists to enter the Hot 100 chart.

Last October, Yng Lvcas released his album Super Estrellas to put a spotlight on more reggaeton Mexa acts. The LP included songs with El Malilla and El Bogueto. Puerto Rican OG Maldy later teamed up with Yng Lvcas for the hypnotic "Diviértete."

The first artist to get the global conversation started about reggaeton Mexa was Bellakath. After earning a law degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Mexico City native became a social media personality. Bellakath leveraged her following to start her music career, which exploded in late 2022 with the frisky "Gatita." The song went viral on TikTok and the music video has over 144 million views on YouTube.

In the male-dominated reggaeton Mexa scene, Bellakath is continuing to keep women on top. Last year, she released her debut album Kittyponeo with the hit "Reggaeton Champagne" featuring Dani Flow. After signing with Warner in May, Bellakath dropped "Sandunguea," which sampled the reggaeton classic "Mayor Que Yo" by Luny Tunes. On July 15, Bellakath released her second album, Sata 42, where she ventured into dembow music with artists from the Dominican Republic. 

Learn more: 5 Women Essential To Reggaeton: Ivy Queen, Natti Natasha, Karol G, Ms Nina & Mariah Angeliq

El Malilla proudly represents the chakalones (Mexican slang for "bad boys") in reggaeton Mexa. Hailing from Valle de Chalco, El Malilla remembers his first encounter with reggaeton as a teen came from the pirated CDs that were sold at the tianguis, or open-air markets.

Now, El Malilla is bringing Mexico's version of reggaeton to the forefront. He recently released his debut album ÑEROSTARS, which includes his viral hit "B de Bellako" with Yeyo. Back in May, Puerto Rican OGs Jowell y Randy jumped on a remix of the quirky banger. 

El Malilla also wants to make reggaeton Mexa more inclusive. Reggaeton has historically excluded LGBTQIA+ folks, though queer artists such as Young Miko, Villano Antillano, and La Cruz are changing that tune. On the Mexican front, El Malilla wanted to be an ally to his queer fans with the 2000-inspired "Rebote" music video, which was shot at the gay club Spartacus with Mexican drag queens. 

Within his album, El Malilla is also stretching the bounds of his artistry by exploring merengue in "Coronada" and experimenting with house music in "Todo Tiene Su Final." "ÑEROSTARS is a call to all the reggaeton Mexa artists to dare themselves to make new music and try different sounds," he says. "Don’t stay in your comfort zone just making perreo."

Veracruz native Yeri Mua is keeping a high heel firmly planted on the neck of the genre, holding it down for the women in reggaeton Mexa.

Mua started out doing makeup tutorials on YouTube and later grew a massive social media following. Last year, she launched her music career on Uzielito Mix's reggaeton romp "Línea del Perreo," which has over 103 million streams on Spotify. In songs like "Chupon," Mua brings a fierce femininity to reggaeton Mexa while flipping the genre's explicit lyrics from a woman's perspective. In April, Kenia Os tapped Mua and Ghetto Kids for her reggaeton Mexa banger "Mamita Rica." With a laugh, Os told GRAMMY.com at the time, "[Mua] sounds very sexy and makes noises like meowing. It felt very great to work with her." Last month, Mua signed a record contract with Sony Music México.

Alongside El Malilla, El Bogueto is one of the OGs of reggaeton Mexa. The Nezahualcóyotl native has scored a number of hits since 2021, including "Tu Favo" and "G Low Kitty," which has nearly 60 million streams on Spotify.

The title of El Bogueto's 2023 debut album Reggaetoñerito is an amalgamation of the words reggaetonero and ñero, which is Mexican slang for a person from the hood. El Bogueto has continued to rack up millions of streams with his LP, which include hits like the freaky reggaeton romp "Piripituchy" and "Dale Bogueto." In May, J Balvin gave his co-sign to El Bogueto and the reggaeton Mexa scene when he jumped on an all-star remix of "G Low Kitty."

Among the artists on this list, Yeyo is the freshest one on the reggaeton Mexa scene, but he's fast becoming one of the genre's brightest stars and the go-to artist for a hit collaboration. The Zacatepec, Morelos native is a protege of Ghetto Kids' Luis Díaz, who also serves as his manager.

Yeyo's playful and infectious flow as a Mexican reggaetonero has translated into million of streams in songs like "B de Bellako" with El Malilla and "Mami Chakalosa" alongside Bellakath. He has also flexed a romantic side to his distinct voice in Ghetto Kids' recent hit "En El Ghetto #5 (La Discoteca)." Yeyo has also shined on the electronica-leaning reggaeton of "Maldad" and the sensual "Tentación."

Many of the songs mentioned in this list wouldn't have been possible without Uzielito Mix. Following in the footsteps of Ghetto Kids and Pablito Mix, the Mexico City-based producer has become the backbone of the sound of reggaeton Mexa. Uzielito Mix produced Yeri Mua's hits like "Línea del Perreo" and "Brattiputy." He also co-produced El Bogueto and El Mallila's "G Low Kitty" with DJ Rockwell, which J Balvin later hopped on. 

In his stellar collaborations, Uzielito Mix is known for uniting many of the reggaeton Mexa stars. He continues to push the sound of the genre into the future like in the spooky "Espantan" remix with El Bogueto, Alnz G, Dani Flow, and Tensec. In 2022, Bad Bunny tapped Uzielito Mix to open his World's Hottest Tour stops in Mexico City. 

Let’s not bury the lede here: Café Tacvba’s Re is one of the pantheon rock albums in the Spanish language. And arguably one of the greatest rock albums in any language. 

Since its release 30 years ago on July 22, it’s been held up as one of the most ambitious and eclectic albums of its time, elevating the standard by which almost every rock en español band would be held to ever since — including its own creators. As a song cycle, Re is a whirlwind, with genre exercises and mini-suites scattered seemingly at random. Many pop critics liken its sonic diversity to the Beatles’ White Album, which is true if you’re just counting musical styles. But whereas the Fab Four were indulging their personalities within the group context, Café Tacvba conveyed solidarity in putting together an almost sui generis collection of madcap melodies. 

As a whole, Re was a great leap forward for Latin American rock music, and a landmark for Mexican music in general.

It's important to consider the context of Café Tacvba in 1994. Despite its large population and long history as a Latin American cultural center, Mexico City lagged in establishing serious rock acts aside from outliers such as El Tri. Part of this is due to the politics of the age — including the Mexican government’s notorious crackdown on public rock concerts after several clashes between rock fans and police during the '70s — leaving the majority of Mexican rock bands resigned to playing in shady, underground clubs. 

However, the 1980s saw the birth of BMG’s "Rock de tu Idioma" marketing blitz, and Mexican record companies finally began to put efforts into finding a national equivalent to South American-born stadium bands like Soda Stereo and Los Enanitos Verdes. On their second album, El Circo, Madilta Vecindad brought Mexico City to the forefront of the modern rock en español movement with their innovative mix of rock n’roll and ska crossed with pachuco subculture. Other bands that emerged around this time — from the gothic Caifanes (whom the band is currently touring with across the United States) to the arena rockers Maná — began building large audiences across the continent, but the scene still lacked a singular act that could elevate Mexican rock to the forefront. 

Read more: Revisiting 'El Nervio Del Volcán' At 30: How Caifanes' Final Album Became A Classic In Latin American Rock

Enter los Tacvbos. Aligning based on their shared passion for English new wave music, Café Tacvba was formed in the late '80s by college friends Rubén Albarrán and Joselo Rangel, who would serve as vocalist and guitarist, respectively. In time, they were joined by Joselo’s brother (and bassist) Quique and the multi-instrumentalist Emmanuel "Meme" de Real, choosing to name their band after a historic Mexico City café. Café Tacvba spent the late '80s evolving from a college garage band into one of Mexico’s most exciting live acts. After the release of their seminal 1992 self-titled debut — a frantic collection of ska-punk mayhem and colorful pop songs — expectations were high that the band could deliver a follow-up that would mirror their electric live show. What the band delivered would end up altering the entire scene completely. 

Re is impactful and unique for many reasons, the first and most immediate being its adventurous studio production. Working again with rock en español superproducer Gustavo Santaolalla, Café Tacvba decided against continuing with the ska-punk foundations of El Circo and their own debut and embraced their own eclecticism. You can hear it from the jump with the huapango-via-jarana opening chords of "El Aparato," a sound previously unheard of on a pop record. Within its three-and-a-half minute runtime are layers of percussion and synthesizers complemented by glorious indigenous chants and one of Albarrán’s greatest vocals, rising and falling as the song demands. The movement in the final 45 seconds is ethereal, with its sheer sonic force sounding more apropos for the end of the world than the beginning of a double album.  

Santaolalla revealed to Rolling Stone that he challenged the band, who responded with two batches of new songs for a sprawling double disc. Re is where a song like the sophisti-funk of "El Ciclón" is followed by two minutes of unadulterated thrash in "El Borrego." "24 Horas," meanwhile, mixes Beach Boys harmonies, Latin American lounge music, and post-punk beats. And that’s not even getting to the pure WTF of "El Puñal y El Corazón," with its multiple sections finding the middle ground between Pedro Infante and the Beatles, albeit with a merengue coda thrown in. 

Perhaps the best testament to Santaolalla's production is "El Baile y El Salon," Re’s most popular song (and frequent concert encore for the band). It’s one of a string of great duets from Albarrán and Meme, perhaps the most earnest song in the band’s catalog with sweetly sincere lyrics. Santaolalla lets the music aid the storytelling: Meme’s vocals ride against stomping percussion and a grooving bass line, while Albarrán sings against a wave of synthesizers. In lesser hands, the song would be an easy paint-by-numbers arena rock anthem. Thankfully, Café Tacvba leaned into their own indulgences, and came out with something immortal.

Another important theme across Re is the band’s sense of discovery for their home country. Indeed, one of Café Tacvba’s intentions for Re was to showcase the sounds that they heard while touring through Mexico in support of their debut album. As Albarrán told the podcast "La Vida Circular," the band wanted to deepen their relationship with traditional Mexican music and infuse it with the punk, metal, and funk rock that they were already experimenting with.

The most striking example comes in the form of lead single "La Ingrata." With a bouncy rhythm and tweaked time signature inspired by norteño, the song is a common tale of desperation and heartbreak  with a spiteful edge bled over from Café Tacvba’s punk roots. The fan favorite is also one of the band’s most influential songs, as it presaged a number bands combining norteño and alternative music — from Tijuana’s Nortec Collective at the turn of the century, to the contemporary corridos tumblados resurgence. Café Tacvba decided to stop performing the song in concert in 2017, due in part to the harsh lyrics about its female subject, and the escalating waves of violence against women within Mexico during this period. Albarrán noted around that time that "We were very young when it was composed and we were not as sensitive to this problem as we all are now."

Re did not sell well in Mexico upon release, though the band fermented interest during a sold out tour of Chile and Argentina. This, along with exposure from the recent launch of MTV in Mexico, was the major catalyst for the album’s fortunes taking an upturn. As the Mexican music listening public soon gathered, Re had something for everyone: From the smooth bolero of "Esa Noche," the frenetic banda of "El Fin de la Infancia," and the glittery Mexican pop of "Las Flores." Lyrically the band was speaking to its compadres, most notably on "El Metro," a bizarre short story of a lovelorn man trapped inside the Mexico City subway.

Despite its madcap sound and unabashed orgullo Mexicano, Re’s deepest theme is about the cyclical nature of life. There’s an obvious hint to it within the album art’s spiral conch shell, and more allusions in the song title "El Ciclón" and the reflexivity of "Pez" and "Verde," which bleed in-and-out of each other.

But dig deeper and the album is rife with references to life, death, rebirth, and natural law. "Ixtepec" sounds like a buoyant pop number but is really a cryptic tale about Death coming to collect his bounty, underlined with the refrain that "life is a cycle." Multiple songs, including "Trópico de Cáncer" and closer "El Balcón," reference reclamation of their birth land from the conquistadors, with the former song in particular telling a heartbreaking story of a civil engineer encountering the ecological damage to which he’s complicit. And there’s also the understated elegance of "El Tlatoani del Barrio," which recounts a love story in a pre-Columbian world soundtracked by Indigenous chants and a disco boogie.

Unlike many bands in a similar position, Café Tacvba never tried to replicate the magic of Re. Their next release was the covers album Alalancha de Éxitos, itself born out of their label’s reaction about Re’s lack of commercial hits (this bet paid off; the album was nominated for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Performance at the 40th GRAMMY Awards). Their visionary, hyper-experimental 1999 release Revés/Yo Soy, solidified their critical standing by winning a Latin GRAMMY for Best Rock Album and earning a GRAMMY nod. Today, it's a cult item currently unavailable on any streaming service due to label in-fighting.

After the turn of the century came Cuatro Caminos, a much more traditional sounding rock album, which led them to new critical and commercial heights, including their only GRAMMY win for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, and their career ever since has seen them find their groove as the thinking person’s favorite Mexican rock band. But within their exceptional catalog, Re remains a glorious outlier.

Even if Café Tacvba had never released another record after Re, their legacy would have remained secure. Re was among the major catalysts for the second wave of Mexican alterna-rock, which saw the likes of Julieta Venegas and Kinky elevating the genre with new sounds and perspectives. All modern rock owes a debt to the freewheeling spirit of Re, and the album’s continued influence and critical accolades are proof-positive of that. 

In a sense, it’s almost poetic that Café Tacvba — a band formed through their shared idolization of David Bowie, the Clash, and the Cure — ended up proving to be as essential and venerable to rock history as any of their influences.

The Latin Recording Academy today announced its 2024 Special Awards recipients: Albita, Lolita Flores, Alejandro Lerner, Los Ángeles Azules, Draco Rosa, and Lulu Santos will receive this year's Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award as part of its annual Special Awards Presentation. Additionally, Ángel ‘Cucco’ Peña and Chucho Rincón will receive the Latin Recording Academy's Trustees Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities. The Trustees Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to Latin music during their careers in ways other than performance. Both distinctions are voted on by the Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees.

“It is with great pride that we honor these musical legends — who continue redefining our Latin music and heritage — and we look forward to celebrating them as part of our Latin GRAMMY 25th anniversary festivities in November,” Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud said in a statement.

The honorees will be celebrated during a private event as part of Latin GRAMMY Week on Sunday, Nov. 10, in Miami, ahead of the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. Alex Hadad will serve as executive producer of the Special Awards Presentation, working under the direction of the Latin Recording Academy’s production team led by Ayleen Figueras.

The 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, officially known as the 25th Latin GRAMMY Awards, will take place Thursday, Nov. 14, in Miami at Kaseya Center. The three-hour telecast will air live on Univision, Galavisión, and ViX on Thursday, Nov. 14, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT), preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Nominations for the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs will be announced Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The 2024 Latin GRAMMYs mark the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards. This year, the Latin GRAMMYs will debut a new Field and two new Categories: Best Latin Electronic Music Performance, housed within the new Electronic Music Field, and Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album (Regional-Mexican Field).

Ahead of the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, the Latin Recording Academy will host the official Latin GRAMMY Week 2024, which includes multiple events throughout Miami-Dade County, including marquee events like Leading Ladies of Entertainment, the Best New Artist Showcase, Special Awards Presentation, Nominee Reception, Person of the Year, and the Premiere Ceremony preceding the telecast. This year, 18-time Latin GRAMMY winner and two-time GRAMMY winner Carlos Vives will be honored as the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. More details on the official Latin GRAMMY Week 2024 events and calendar will be announced in the coming months.

Learn more about the Latin Recording Academy’s 2024 Special Awards recipients below:

2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

Albita (Cuba)

One of the most exuberant ambassadors of Latin culture in the United States, Latin GRAMMY-winner Albita has championed the rollicking beauty of Cuban music since the release of her debut album in 1988. The daughter of a popular folk duo, Albita Rodríguez was born in Havana in 1962. Noted for the fiery combustion of her vocal cords and a precise understanding of Cuban musical tradition, Albita reignited her career after she left Cuba and moved to Miami in 1993. Her breathtaking live performances at Florida nightclubs resulted in a recording contract with Emilio Estefan’s Crescent Moon label. 

Released in 1995, her U.S. debut, No Se Parece A Nada, included one of her biggest hits: the brassy tropical anthem “Qué Manera de Quererte,” as well as a velvety bolero — a genre in which she also excels. A prolific songwriter, Albita built up a prodigious discography of original material, fusing the essence of son cubano with traditional trova and balada. The hostess of a highly successful television show, “La Descarga Con Albita,” she also showcased her formidable acting chops in productions of the Broadway musicals “The Mambo Kings,” “Carmen La Cubana,” and “Havana.” Albita continues actively recording new music and performing in front of enthusiastic audiences all over the world. 

Lolita Flores (Spain)

María Dolores González Flores was born in Madrid in 1958 and was only 17 when she released a hugely successful debut album, Amor, Amor. In 1976, her second album featured the smash “No Renunciaré,” an impossibly nostalgic balada marked by an ornate arrangement and her gritty performance. During the 1980s, Lolita became a beloved pop star throughout the Americas, and in the 1990s, she developed a parallel career as an award-winning actress and television presenter. The daughter of singers Lola Flores and Antonio González ‘El Pescaílla’ and sister of Rosario and the late Antonio Flores, Lolita found a distinctive personal approach anchored on the gorgeous texture of her vocals and an eclectic repertoire that never ceases to surprise. In 2001, the album Lola, Lolita, Lola triumphed with an irresistible cover of the Cuban standard “Sarandonga,” which her father had recorded in 1966. In later decades, Lolita expanded her palette with sophisticated albums such as 2007’s Sigue Caminando, which veered into bossa nova, jazz, and pop-rock.

Alejandro Lerner (Argentina)

A thoughtful singer/songwriter anchored on his impeccable keyboard technique, Alejandro Lerner is the most covered Latin artist of his generation. Born in Buenos Aires in 1957, Alejandro Federico Lerner began his career as a teenager, playing with various legends of 1970s Argentine rock. Released in 1982, his solo debut, Alejandro Lerner Y La Magia, showcased the qualities that would soon garner him millions of fans: solid musicianship, the raw honesty of his lyrics, and a natural gift for evoking delicate, nocturnal moods. Inspired by Argentina’s return to democracy, 1983’s “Todo A Pulmón” was recorded by Spanish star Miguel Ríos and became an international hit. The mutual admiration that he shared with Mexican balada icon Armando Manzanero resulted in several successful tours together. Alternating between his native Argentina and Los Angeles, Lerner collaborated with Carlos Santana on the 2002 album Shaman and toured with the guitarist. He has also worked with Carole King, Luis Miguel (on the 1996 mega-hit “Dame”), Celine Dion, Air Supply, Gino Vannelli, Paul Anka, Alan Parsons, and Barry Gibb, among many other luminaries. In 2005, he was enlisted by Disney to perform the songs in the Spanish version of Chicken Little and to compose an original song for the closing credits of the animated film. A tireless performer, Lerner is still active in the recording studio and tours sold-out venues across the Americas.

Los Ángeles Azules (Mexico)

Founded in the Mexico City municipality of Iztapalapa in 1976 by the siblings of the Mejía Avante family, the group released their debut album in 1982. But it was in 1996 that the orchestra became a fundamental part of Mexican cumbia with “Cómo Te Voy A Olvidar.” Noted for their openness to collaborate with artists from other genres, Los Ángeles Azules revolutionized their sound — and the Latin music business — in 2013 by teaming up with legends from the Latin alternative field: Caifanes’ Saúl Hernández, Fabulosos Cadillacs’ Vicentico, and Ximena Sariñana, to name a few. Subsequent duets with Natalia Lafourcade (the retro charm of “Nunca Es Suficiente” in 2018), Argentinian artists (the brilliant fusion of De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo in 2020), and Carlos Santana (2023’s funky single “A Todos Los Rumberos,” with Panteón Rococó) solidified the band’s reign as one of the most beloved acts in all of Latin music.

Draco Rosa (Puerto Rico)

The remarkable musical career of Draco Rosa encompasses many facets — from boy band superstar to iconic rock en español pioneer and global hitmaker — all of them informed by his virtuoso vision and protean talent. Born in Long Island, New York, in 1969 to Puerto Rican parents, the Latin GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Robert Edward Rosa Suárez got his first taste of fame as a member of Menudo. After a brief stint with rock band Maggie’s Dream, Rosa released two fundamental albums that shaped the 1990s wave of Latin American rock: 1994’s Frío and 1996’s Vagabundo. Delving into the pop machinery with the desire to subvert any and all expectations, Rosa co-wrote “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and other pop smashes for former Menudo bandmate Ricky Martin and also produced songs for Julio Iglesias. Always invested in exploring new ground, he developed a solo career that switches effortlessly from epic alternative rock (2018’s Monte Sagrado) to soulful ambient sonics (2021’s Sound Healing 1:11). This year marked the release of Reflejos de Lo Eterno, a transcendent covers collection of Latin alternative classics.

Watch: Draco Rosa Talks On Tour Backstage Must-Haves | Herbal Tea & White Sofas

Lulu Santos (Brazil)

A prodigiously talented guitarist, singer, and composer able to infuse an ethereal sense of romance into every song he touches, Lulu Santos has spent the past five decades carving a distinguished path in Brazilian music. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1953, Luiz Maurício Pragana dos Santos abandoned his studies in favor of the hippie movement and a music career. After founding the ambitious progressive rock outfit Vímana, Santos launched a solo career in 1982 with the album Tempos Modernos. The jangly self-titled track and the lush “De Repente Califórnia” epitomized the MPB aesthetic of the time: sunny pop-rock chords, oblique melodies, and echoes of new wave. His third LP, 1984’s Tudo Azul, established him as one of the key Brazilian rockers of the decade. Still, Santos’ tireless quest for novel forms of expression found him incorporating dance, funk, and R&B into his 1990s output. A passionate champion of fellow musicians, Santos released poignant albums revisiting the songbooks of fellow legends Roberto and Erasmo Carlos (2013) and Rita Lee (2017). He remains active in music, having recently released a new EP of remixes — Atemporal — in May 2024. 

2024 Trustees Award Honorees

Ángel ‘Cucco’ Peña (Puerto Rico)

Marc Anthony. Celia Cruz. Willie Colón. Gilberto Santa Rosa. These are just a few of the many stars whose work was enhanced by the talent of composer, producer, and orchestrator Ángel ‘Cucco’ Peña, a living legend of Puerto Rican music. Born in Santurce in 1948, Peña attended Puerto Rico’s Conservatory of Music and later sharpened his skills as a performer with tropical ensemble Orquesta Panamericana. His ability to infuse his Puerto Rican roots into every recording he touched cemented his sterling reputation as a sympathetic collaborator of other artists. In 1993, he co-produced Willie Colón’s classic LP Hecho en Puerto Rico, including the salsa anthem “Idilio.” The late 1990s were a time of fiery creativity for Peña. He produced Marc Anthony’s third album, Contra la Corriente, took over the musical direction on Gilberto Santa Rosa’s live album En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall, and contributed to albums by Ricky Martin (the pop blockbuster Vuelve), Chayanne and Celia Cruz. The Latin GRAMMY winner has worked extensively in film, advertising and television specials and remains an active ambassador of Latin music.

Chucho Rincón (Mexico)

A prolific composer, producer and label executive, Latin GRAMMY winner Chucho Rincón is a pioneer of the Mexican recording industry and a guiding light within Latin music. Born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, in 1937, Jesús ‘Chucho’ Rincón Cárdenas grew up in Michoacán and learned to play the guitar at a young age. After moving to Mexico City and taking acting and voice lessons, he became the lead vocalist for the soulful Trío Los Aguilillas in 1956. Rincón left the band in favor of a solo career and began writing songs in 1962. His charismatic presence and musical expertise facilitated a transition into a musical director with several labels. Working for Capitol, he signed many artists, including a young Joan Sebastian, whose career he would continue to shepherd decades later. In 1988, Rincón moved with his family to Spain where he became the musical director of the Orfeón label. He has produced over 300 albums by stars such as Alejandro Fernández, Chavela Vargas, and La Sonora Santanera and composed more than 200 songs, including the mega-hit “Quén Pompó.” Rincón continues producing music as part of a creative team with his son Fabián.