Luis Jiménez Set For Latin Grammy Double With LAGOS & Mesoneros: “It's Double the Joy”

When Luis Jimenez arrives at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday (November 14), she'll have to play a double-header: She'll walk the red carpet twice, speak to the same media twice, and may have to break up for the festivities. The reason? The two bands of the singer and musician from Venezuela, HARE and Los Mesonerosthey're both nominated this year — and in the same category!

Both are nominated for Best Pop/Rock Song: LAGOS for “Blanco y Negro” with Elena Rose, and Los Mesoneros for “December”.

LAGOS are also nominated for Best Pop Song for “Dime Quién”. The pop duo, formed in 2019 by Jiménez and Agustín Zubillaga, already won best pop/rock song last year with Lasso's “Ojos Marrones,” which they co-wrote. But this time they are competing as performers for two songs from their second album Alta Fidelidadreleased in May under Warner Music México.

As for Los Mesoneros, the rock band, active since 2006, had already received several nominations in the past, including for best new artist (2012), best rock album (in 2012 for Indelible2020 for Pangeaand in 2021 for Los Mesoneros Live Desde Pangea), as well as Best Pop/Rock Song (in 2020 for “Últimas Palabras”). Now they are competing with a song from their album Nuestro Añowas released in April independently.

“It's the first time the bands' timings have been synchronized,” says Jiménez Billboard Español. “When Pangeathe third record of Mesoneros, and ClassicLAGOS' debut album came out, not that it wasn't challenging — but compared to the size of projects today, it was very easy.”

He adds: “Now, without a doubt, the challenge is to find the time and the state of mind to be able to work creatively and also to be able to separate those editorial lines. It's getting more and more complicated. But I like a challenge.”

On its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammys will be broadcast live from the Kaseya Center in Miami on Univision, Galavisión and ViX starting at 8 p.m. (Eastern time). A few days later, on November 21, Jiménez will perform with Los Mesoneros for the first time at the iconic National Auditorium in Mexico City, where he lives.

Luis, how did you feel when you found out that you were nominated with your two bands in the same category?

A very strange, very special feeling. Obviously, first and foremost the joy is two-fold — “Oh, how crazy, we've been proposed!” At the time, this was a possible scenario and I didn't think much about what I would do if it happened. it was just, “Well, let's send all these songs, these albums, and whatever has to happen happens.” Getting this news was really cool, it's definitely special for me because it's the first time they've ordered Los Mesoneros and LAGOS at the same time, and to have the honor of being with all of them in this class is something great.

The two albums were released only a month apart. How has this year been for you?

It was a titanic challenge. It's really hard. I understand why nobody does it, because it's too complicated to manage time, but also to do things with excellence like this, in this format. But I think I'm very fortunate and fortunate to have colleagues in every project who support me in everything and who are incredible partners and who also know how to handle this and help me make everything go well and go well, and do the with the standards we have and help me survive the effort.

Did you record with both bands at the same time? How was that process?

Actually, thank God it wasn't parallel, because that would have been too harsh. Yes, there were a lot of moments in the composition process, like sometimes I was writing with LAGO and suddenly locked with Mesonero, but it wasn't so much that I was one day here and one day there. but rather taking a few weeks or a month with the HARE and then the same with the Mesonero. But the recording was clear. LAGOS was recorded Alta Fidelidad about seven months before the Mesoneros album, or at least the second half. Although there were singles sneaking in.

Any specific anecdotes that try to balance things out with both teams?

Man, all the time, all the multitasking is crazy. I remember, for example, two or three years ago at the Latin Grammys, I also had to be there with Mesonero and LAGO. LAGOS was there because we were going to play a Warner party, and Mesoneros was nominated, and I had to shoot all over Las Vegas, and even retake some interviews – “Oh, you're back!?” And I said, “Yes, but no.” And well, what's going to happen now in Miami is also going to be pretty funny, because even in the dressing room it's a challenge. It's a game of trying to be in two places at once. It's provocative, it's fun, and well, now we're talking about it — walking the red carpet twice. It's pretty special.

You started rock with Los Mesoneros and then pop with LAGOS. Which genre do you most identify with today?

It's very difficult to answer that — because it's like being asked, “Who do you love more, your mom or your dad?” or “Which child do you love the most?” Each has its own and they fulfill me in different ways. Obviously I've always had a rock soul, but even from a young age I've always been a pop fan. People who know me starting with Los Mesoneros never knew I had this pop side, but actually it's always been there. And now with LAGO I succeeded [get to] this result and the place where I can also show this side — but they satisfy me and make me happy in different ways.

As a performer, when you started with LAGOS, how difficult was it to find your own pop sound after years of rocking with Los Mesoneros?

It's always a challenge, and I think that's the challenge, to be in those scenarios. But I think LAGOS is very interesting because when it came out, in 2019, Agustín and I were writing songs for other artists for a while and we were doing more pop music. And I was very happy about it, people just didn't imagine it. For me it was also an adventure to get involved in something that had nothing to do with what I was doing, but also to discover other aspects of myself.

Then when we launched our LAGOS project, it was time [ask ourselves]”What is our voice, what is our sound, how do we do it?” And that involved a bit of research and a bit of trial and error — but luckily Agustín and I already had this very advanced working chemistry. And in a very crazy way – from Agustín with his influences, and me with my more alternative, more rock side – on paper it didn't have to work, but it worked amazingly. I think this gave the RABBIT its identity.

What do your colleagues from both bands say? You've said they support you, but now with the nominations, is there a rivalry? Pride; Both;

I truly believe it was a miracle. I think a lot of project colleagues probably couldn't stand that kind of dynamic — because it's one thing to maybe take turns, but to do it in parallel is a level beyond. That timing was the interesting thing, and I think I'm very lucky — because it was really a great source of support for me. I think they also see the level of dedication, effort and sacrifice I make to give my 100% to both projects, and they've actually been allies and a critical part of making it work. They are even complicit.

Now that you've experienced it side by side this year, is it possible to maintain both bands in the future?

I think we had to change a lot over time. Like, I also had to learn to let go of a lot of things. I'm so neurotic when I produce, write, arrange, edit… I've also learned to adapt to growth and see more and more where I add more value [by giving] up roles. Yes, I want to keep doing it in parallel. Maybe obviously now, after this year that's been so intense, we have to adapt to delegating more… I think now the challenge will be to get a schedule that's a little less synchronized, but I see it as a project that can go on and on more.

If you win, who do you want to go on stage with to receive the award?

Look, I can walk away happy with a scenario where the HARE wins in the stand-alone category, and the MIDDLE wins in the one that includes both. I think everyone ends up happy there. But in reality, what has to happen does happen. I feel like with so many albums and so much music coming out every week these days, it's crazy to be on such a short list, that the Academy considers it one of the five best songs of the genre — and that those five include both bands — to me is an incredible achievement.