FEDERICO BRITOS, HUMBERTO GATICA AND CHELIQUE SARABIA TO RECEIVE THE TRUSTEES AWARD
MIAMI (Sept. 15, 2015) — The Latin Recording Academy® announces Gato Barbieri, Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel, Angela Carrasco, Djavan, El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico, and Pablo Milanés recipients of this year's Lifetime Achievement Awards, and Federico Britos, Humberto Gatica and Chelique Sarabia are the recipients of the prestigious Trustees Award. This year's honorees will be celebrated and recognized at an invitation-only ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the KÀ Theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino as part of the weeklong 16th Annual Latin GRAMMY AwardsTM festivities.
"It is a great honor to recognize and celebrate such a distinguished and dynamic group of honorees who have been the creators of such timeless art," said The Latin Recording Academy President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy. By honoring them we honor our music. They surely will continue to have an influence in both our culture and the Latin music industry."
Lifetime Achievement Awards: TThis Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers.
Argentinian saxophonist Gato Barbieri is considered a living jazz legend. Emerging from a family of musicians, Barbieri began playing professionally as a teenager, which led to his five-decade career covering virtually the entire jazz landscape, including free jazz (with trumpeter Don Cherry in the mid-'60s), avant-garde jazz and film scoring (Last Tango In Paris) to his ultimate embrace of Latin music. Barbieri created a rebellious but highly accessible musical style, combining contemporary jazz with Latin American genres and incorporating elements of instrumental pop.
Lifelong partners Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel have performed and collaborated for more than four decades, recording countless songs together and as solo artists. In the '80s the duo attained popularity not only in their native Spain but worldwide with "La Puerta De Alcalá," which reached No. 1 for seven weeks in Spain. In 2015 the duo released their latest, Canciones Regaladas (Gift Songs), which features songs written by Carlos Berlanga, Rubén Blades, Leonard Cohen, José Alfredo Jiménez, Billy Joel, and Astor Piazzolla. Ana and Víctor continue to tour and are currently performing throughout Spain.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Angela Carrasco, daughter of renowned musician and guitarist Blas Carrasco, has had a career spanning more than 30 years. Carrasco first enjoyed success in Spain for her portrayal as Mary Magdalene in the Spanish adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar. In the late '70s she gained recognition across Latin America, United States and Europe with such hits as "Cariño Mio" ("Love Of Mine") and "Quererte A Ti" ("Loving You"). Throughout her career, Carrasco has recorded more than 15 albums, immersing herself in the Latin pop, ranchera and Afro-Caribbean genres, and received numerous music awards.
Emerging from the Música Popular Brasileira movement, singer/songwriter/guitarist Djavan took the genre to a new level with a sonic stew of samba, funk, pop, and smooth jazz. Djavan gained attention and recognition after he recorded his first album, A Voz, O Violão, A Música De Djavan in 1976. He recorded
more than 30 albums, which include his best-known and acclaimed compositions "Meu Bem Querer," "Oceano," "Se...," "Faltando Um Pedaço," "Esquinas," "Eu Te Devoro," and "Serrado." His songs have been recorded by an array of artists including Gal Costa, Al Jarreau, Ney Matogrosso, Carmen McRae, Daniela Mercury, and Caetano Veloso.
Formed in 1962 by pianist Rafael Ithier, Puerto Rican salsa music orchestra El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico represents one of the country's most successful music groups. El Gran Combo sum up the restrained elegance and jazzy swing of traditional salsa, underscoring Puerto Rico's invaluable contribution to Latin music. In 2012 El Gran Combo celebrated their 50th anniversary with on a world tour across five continents. El Gran Combo, Ithier and many founding members continue to perform around the world.
Cuban singer/songwriter/guitarist Pablo Milanés is recognized as one of the founders of the Cuban nueva trova music style. In the early '50s, Milanés moved to Havana with his family to study at the prestigious Municipal Conservatory of Havana. Milanés has released more than 40 albums and collaborated with countless artists from Cuba, Spain and Latin American. "Yolanda" and "El Breve Espacio En Que No Estás," are two of his timeless anthems that evoke the poetic search of a man who took Latin music to a new level of creativity and credibility representing the essence of Cuban music.
Trustees Award: This Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording during their careers.
Uruguayan violinist Federico Britos is one of the most skillful and celebrated musicians from Latin America. Britos began playing violin at age five, has served as principal chair, soloist and concertmaster with some of the most renowned symphony orchestras in Cuba, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. He has worked with a variety of musicians, including Cachao Lopez, Bola de Nieve, Juan Luis Guerra, and Astor Piazzolla. As a composer, Britos has written and recorded countless works for orchestras, chamber ensembles, ballet, and dance. He has also composed music for film, TV and theater.
Chilean record producer and sound engineer Humberto Gatica has worked with Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Luis Miguel, Alejandro Sanz, and Shakira among others. Gatica paved the way for a new generation of Latin American professionals and continues to provide his magic touch to all his projects. Since 2014 Gatica has served as the head of the audio engineering and production department at Isina — and L.A. based mentorship program providing individuals worldwide with the preparation to excel in music through study and practice.
With a catalog of more than 1,000 songs, including the timeless Latin anthem "Ansiedad" (made famous by Nat King Cole), songwriter Chelique Sarabia become a renaissance man of Venezuelan culture. A prolific creator, Sarabia combined joropo with boleros, rancheras and jazz, creating a rich mosaic of timeless pop.
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community either directly or through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow us at: Twitter, Facebook , Instagram, Vine, Periscope, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Lourdes L. Patton /The Latin Recording Academy/310.392.3777/lourdesl@grammy.com
Nordhia Centeno/Rogers & Cowan/310.854.8284/NCenteno@rogersandcowan.com
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