Fri, February 06, 2009
The roster of Latin acts vying for Grammy awards on Sunday is surprisingly balanced, including big sellers, critically acclaimed but commercially middling projects and also some dark horses.
Traditionally, for the critically acclaimed, Grammy wins have resulted in . . . more Grammy nominations. And big sellers don't really reap much -- besides prestige -- from a Grammy nomination or even a win, unless they perform on the telecast -- a long shot. But do the left-field names really gain from a nomination or win? Not in immediate sales. But if properly utilized, the prestige of the Grammy name can translate into press, at the very least, and valuable sponsorship in the best-case scenario.
Back in 2002, Latin fusion group Bacilos, whose popularity was just taking off thanks to the single "Mi Primer Millon," was the surprise winner in the Latin pop album category with "Caraluna," which also won a Latin Grammy Award. The follow-up, "SinVerguenza," wasn't commercially successful but still won a Latin Grammy in 2005. Then, the group disbanded.
"I think the Grammys you win are useful to the degree that you let everybody know you won them," says lead singer Jorge Villamizar, who is now a solo artist. "Bacilos used that information, but we weren't intense enough with the message. Bacilos always was a band that was -- and wasn't -- in the mainstream. We never did a clear job of presenting our image. And it was funny that within that disorganization, we would have won a Grammy."
However, Villamizar adds, the Grammy name undoubtedly carries clout in corporate America, which increasingly has a role in developing artists. In the group's case, the award opened the doors for national advertising campaigns, including one with Chevrolet and one with Twix.
"For an American businessmen, being able to say that a band is a Grammy winner carries a lot of clout," Villamizar says.
This year, the list of nominees includes another Miami-based fusion band, Locos Por Juana, which is up in the best Latin rock/alternative album category for "La Verdad." The group has a devoted following thanks to its live performances and several albums, but hasn't scored a radio hit, like Bacilos did in its time, or sell massively. And although the act previously earned a Latin Grammy nomination, this nod took it utterly by surprise.
The timing, lead guitarist Mark Kondrat says, was impeccable. Locos, which has existed for eight years, signed its first major-label deal, with Machete, in 2006, and has been largely self-managed. Within days of the Grammy news, the band was asked to showcase the new Gibson Dark Fire guitar and inked a deal with the management company BigWig Entertainment, which is looking to invest in the group.
"We've been really grass roots and we're looking to be more mainstream," Kondrat says. "The nomination gave more motivation to the management team to start working with us."
Although BigWig's Karen Alexander says the nomination had nothing to do with her company's decision to sign Locos, they are investing in taking the group to the Grammy ceremony before starting a tour February 18. At the very least, lead singer Itagui says, "These nominations help certain people believe more in the music."
(Agencies)
