Os Garotin, Kevin Aguilar & More Light Up Miami at the 2024 Latin Grammy's Best New Artist Showcase

Now in its third year, the Latin Grammy's Best New Artist Showcase raised the bar for emerging talent, delivering an impressive night on Tuesday (November 12) at Miami Beach's Faena Forum. Hosted by Monsieur Periné's Catalina García, the event spotlighted this year's nominees for the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, each proving why they deserved their place on this prestigious platform.

The event featured a star-studded lineup of candidates, each bringing their own flavor to the stage: Agris, Kevin Aguilar, Darumas, Nicolle Horbath, Cacá Magalhães, Os Garotin, Íñigo Quintero, Sofi Saar and Ela Taubert.

The shows covered a range of genres and styles. Many artists – who each had the chance to sing two songs – chose to cover iconic performances, a move that, while risky, in some cases paid off by showcasing their vocal prowess and performance skills.

Kany García, who won the title of best new artist in 2008, introduced Monterrey's Sofi Saar, who captivated the audience with her “popteño”, reflecting a much-needed female perspective in the genre. Her performance included her soulful original work followed by a cover of Selena's “Si Una Vez,” a personal favorite of mine by the late Tejana legend.

Spain's Íñigo Quintero, who previously topped the Billboard Global Excl. US chart hit, gave a stirring performance with his trademark soft piano ballad. Brazil's Cacá Magalhães and Mexico's Agris both left strong impressions with their powerful singing abilities – the latter artist singing the all-time hit “Paloma Negra” with a haunting yet haunting vocal quality.

US-based trio Darumas – made up of Aldana Aguirre, Ceci León and Vedala Vilmond who hail from Argentina, Cuba and Haiti respectively – began with their mix of old-school funk, R&B-infused rock and a dose of riot grrrl. . However, one of the standout moments of the show was when they flawlessly sang one of the most difficult songs of the legendary Whitney Houston, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

Hands down, the highlight of the night was Os Garotin's performance. Comprised of Anchietx, Cupertino and Leo Guima, the trio from São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro set the mood with their infectious mix of funk, soul and rap, which brought the crowd to its feet and received a standing ovation. Their dance moves were also infectious which kept all eyes glued on them.

Although Barranquilla's Nicolle Horbath delivered a capable rendition of Carlos Vives' 2024 Person of the Year 'Fruta Fresca', she was a relatively safe choice that nevertheless managed to captivate the audience. Missing from the action was Mexican experimental rock act Latin Mafia – a personal disappointment, as they are one of my favorite rising stars of the year – although an intro video managed to make up for their absence somewhat.

The showcase closed with the youngest candidate, 13-year-old Kevin Aguilar, whose old voice and refreshing performance belied his youth. Accompanied by an accordion, he delivered an impassioned rendition of the runway track 'Cuando Te Cambian Por Alguien', prompting comparisons to a young Christian Nodal at the start of his career.

In an exciting turn, Aguilar switched gears to perform Luis Miguel's “La Incondicional,” infused with a polka-style norteña rhythm. His performance was flawless, hitting every note with precision and intensity that held and left the audience in awe, confirming his status as the performer of the night.

Honorable past winners and nominees such as Tiago Iorc, Joaquina, Juliana, Manuel Medrano, Nella, Mau y Ricky and Nicole Zignago also graced the event as presenters of this year's nominees.

In the words of the CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, Manuel Abud: “The Best New Artist category is very special to us, because it reflects the mission of the Latin Recording Academy, to support and promote new talent and open doors for them. “, he said from the stage. “The guys will definitely have a lot of nominations and definitely a lot of awards, but nominated for best new artist, just this one time. This makes it a very special moment and it is also a moment in which we can influence and positively influence the artist's life in a unique way. It's a turning point in their career.”

Each performance echoed Abud's sentiments during a night that not only celebrated the current crop of new talent but also set a high bar for the blossoming future of Latin music.