At the Latin Grammys, there is perhaps no category as coveted as Best New Artist, a launching pad for future stars over the years. Also, there is no charge as confusion. The first winner was Ibrahim Ferrer in 2000 at the age of 72. Joaquina won it last year at the age of 18. In 2022, Angela Alvarez, 95, shared the award with 25-year-old Silvana Estrada.
And while the award has gone to relatively unknown talents as well as those with more mainstream support, the rules are clear: Nominees must release at least three singles/tracks or an album during the eligibility period . An artist who has previously released more than three albums and/or more than 15 singles is not eligible. Here are five contenders with a strong shot at earning a nomination this year.
WE GIVE
What do you get when an Argentinian bassist, a Cuban singer-guitarist and a Haitian singer come together? DARUMAS – an all-female US-based trio consisting of Aldana Aguirre, Ceci León and Vedala Vilmond – defy any stereotype of what Latin girl groups sound like. The three expert musicians play a tight mix of old-school funk, R&B and Motown, with Spanish lyrics and plenty of attitude. Named after the traditional Japanese daruma doll, DARUMAS pull no corners to enhance their sound, resulting in an act that puts musicianship at the fore.
Ivan Cornejo
Although Cornejo and Xavi support a New Mexican sound, Cornejo uses traditional Mexican instrumentation as a foundation and also leans into the electric guitar for some rock'n'roll angst. The result is a tired sound – his biggest hit is titled “Está Dañada” (“She's Damaged”) – but remarkable. (Cornejo writes all of his own material.) He has pitched 15 innings Advertising signthe Hot Latin Songs chart and his second album, Damaged, ruled regional Mexican albums for 37 non-consecutive weeks. In 2022, Cornejo became the youngest act to win New Artist of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Xavi
At 20 years old, Xavi has been making noise in the new Mexican music scene since last year. In January, “La Diabla” topped Hot Latin Songs for 14 weeks, setting a record so far this year. In May, he scored another No. 1, on Regional Mexican Airplay, with “Corazón de Piedra.” Both songs are co-written by Xavi (real name: Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez), who calls his sound tumbados románticosa hybrid of corridos tumbados with a twist of romance and heartbreak. His music has a new, rabid fan base that spans both sides of the border, but has the potential to expand much further.
Come on Taubert
Like her partner (and 2023 Latin Grammy Best New Artist winner) Joaquina, Colombian singer-songwriter Taubert is a graduate of producer Julio Reyes Copello's Art House Academy, declaring how seriously she takes her craft. The 23-year-old writes convincingly about love and loss with instantly relatable lyrics over catchy, mid-tempo pop arrangements reminiscent of Miley Cyrus. After releasing her debut EP last year, Taubert is slowly but surely gaining steam, as her new single, “Cómo Pasó?”, reached No. 12 high on the Latin Pop Airplay chart.
Latin Mafia
Recently signed to Rimas Entertainment (home of Bad Bunny), Latin Mafia balances fun — with its kiddie single covers — and mood with R&B and reggaetón touches. Comprised of twin brothers Milton and Emilio de la Rosa and older brother Mike, the trio grew organically in Mexico as a fully independent act, amassing 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, playing Coachella and pulling the ear of Rimas vs. Junior Carabaño . “I can't wait for them to write the next chapter together and make history,” he previously said Advertising sign.
This story will appear in the July 20, 2024 issue Advertising sign.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/latin-grammys-2024-best-new-artist-nominations-predictions-1235734408/
