(MENAFN- Arab Times) LAS VEGAS Nov 21 (Agencies): Enrique Iglesias picked up his first Latin Grammy in more than a decade Thursday winning three trophies including song of the year for his platinum hit 'Bailando' while Calle 13 set a record for most Latin Grammy wins with 21.
Iglesias accepted his awards from Paris where he was tour. 'Bailando' also won best urban song and performance beating out Latin Grammy favorites Calle 13. Iglesias won his first Latin Grammy and only one before Thursday in 2003 for best male pop vocal album for 'Quizs.' Calle 13 walked into the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as the top competitors. Eduardo Cabra of duo was nominated for 10 awards including producer of the year while the group was up for nine including album song and record of the year all of which they lost. Instead Paco de Lucia the celebrated Mexican guitarist who died earlier this year won album of the year for his final effort 'Cancion Andaluza.' The album also won best flamenco album an award de Lucia won twice throughout his career. Juanes who was originally tied with Calle 13 with 19 Latin Grammys before Thursday won best pop/rock album for 'Loco De Amor' giving him a career total of 20. Calle 13 kicked off the Latin Grammys by giving a strong performance that looked like it was inside an Irish bar and wins for best alternative song for 'El Aguante' and urban music album for 'Multiviral' their fifth album but first to be released on their own label. 'We are happy. We have 21 (Latin) Grammys and it is a dream. We never thought we would have this in our lives' Calle 13 vocalist Rene Perez told reporters backstage. A taped performance of 'Bailando' from Iglesias closed the three-hour show which aired live on Univision and was delayed about 17 minutes because of President Barack Obama's speech on immigration. 'Bailando' which features Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno has sold more than 1.2 million tracks in the United States and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is the longest-running No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs. Winner Jorge Drexler was a double winner Thursday night taking home record of the year for 'Universos Paralelos' with Ana Tijoux and best singer-songwriter album for 'Bailar En La Cueva.' Marc Anthony who got married earlier this month won best salsa album for '3.0.' He performed with reggae-pop band MAGIC! singing a Spanish version of their worldwide hit 'Rude.' The night featured a number of collaborative performances: Rockers Camila who won best contemporary pop vocal album performed with Ricky Martin; R&B singer Chris Brown sang alongside Pitbull and Wisin; and Pitbull returned to the stage to rap next to guitar maven Carlos Santana. Venezuelan singer-songwriter Mariana Vega won best new artist and the icon Joan Manuel Serrat who performed was named person of the year. Iglesias was nominated for five awards. 'Bailando' lost record of the year and his other tune 'Loco' lost best tropical song to 'Cuando Nos Volvamos A Encontrar' Carlos Vives' song featuring Anthony. Vives shared the win with co-writer Andre's Castro. Vives who was the big winner at last year's Latin Grammys also won best contemporary tropical album for 'Ms + Corazon Profundo.' Late guitar great Paco de Lucia and Iglesias won top prizes at the Latin Grammys which took a political edge as artists cheered President Barack Obama's plan to help immigrants. The top award night for the Spanish- and Portuguese-language music industry paid homage to De Lucia a Spanish legend of the flamenco guitar who died in February at age 66. De Lucia posthumously won Album of the Year for 'Cancion Andaluza' which also was declared Best Flamenco Album. De Lucia's widow said that the album was a passion for De Lucia who dedicated the last months of his life to it. Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler expressed 'massive surprise' as he won the prestigious Record of the Year for 'Universos Paralelos' a Colombian-inspired song. He dedicated the award both to Colombia and his grandfather. Immigration The Latin Grammys came with an unexpected political undertone as Obama delivered a national address on immigration just as the ceremony was set to begin. The audience at the Mandalay Bay arena watched on a giant screen as Obama who flies to Las Vegas on Friday announced plans to protect some five million undocumented migrants from deportation. While main US television networks declined to air Obama's speech Spanish-language broadcaster Univision delayed its broadcast of the Latin Grammys to US East Coast viewers to show first the president's remarks. Carlos Vives dedicated his Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album to Obama who won two elections with strong support from US Latinos but faces heated political opposition over his unilateral move. 'I've never heard any United States president speak about our Latinos as Obama has' said Vives who is Colombian. The New York-born Puerto Rican superstar Marc Anthony also paid a nod to Obama as he voiced surprise at winning the Latin Grammy for Best Salsa Album. 'Long live the Latin race!' he exclaimed as he accepted the prize for the album '3.0.' The Latin Grammys also marked the red carpet debut for Marc Anthony and his new wife Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima. The couple married earlier this month soon after Marc Anthony finalized his divorce from fellow music giant Jennifer Lopez. Obama's immigration initiative was not the only issue on the minds of the artists. Calle 13 which won for Best Urban Music Album implored Mexican authorities to resolve the case of 43 university students who are missing and feared to have been massacred. 'This is a disaster that cannot go unpunished. This is a matter of human rights' said Rene Perez the Puerto Rican duo's singer. 'We cannot tolerate this. This cannot become an example' said Perez sporting a shirt with the name of the young men's Ayotzinapa teacher-training college. The Latin Grammys closed out with a tribute to Spanish singing great Joan Manuel Serrat one day after a concert in Las Vegas honored his half-century career. Serrat accepting a Person of the Year award offered thanks to his mother his teachers and to 'the public that anonymous entity that carries us throughout our artistic life and without which we could not be.'
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