The 2023 Latin Grammy nominations were announced last week and it took me this long to listen to all the contenders. I’m listing the Tropical music categories below, with a bit of commentary and some videos of my favorites. The titles are in bold, my comments in italics.

Which ones do you think will win?

Category 19 – Best Salsa Album

• Niche Sinfónico – Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional De Colombia – [PPM USA]

I love this album. The orchestra does something really beautiful to songs that we have known forever. Perhaps the best example is “Sin Sentimiento.”

• Tierra Y Libertad – Plena79 Salsa Orchestra Featuring Alain Pérez y Jeremy Bosch – [Sedajazz Records]

Great CD! Plena 79 is a Salsa band in Valencia, Spain. Multiple songs in this album are great. Some are rearranged covers. Alain Perez is featured on “La Habana Me Llama” and “Marcando la Distancia” and he simply can’t be ignored.

• Debut Y Segunda Tanda (Deluxe) – Gilberto Santa Rosa – [B2B Music]

This album is lovely as Santa Rosa’s usually are. A song like “Enamorate Bailando” should be a dance floor favorite. “Si te Cansaste de Mi,” however, broke my heart. He has this song as a ballad with Yolanda Monge (below) and also reworked as a Salsa. The lyrics are just so beautifully sad.

• Catarsis -Daniela Darcourt – [Independent] – 

Darcourt is Peruvian. For me, it’s about the lyrics in “Vienes y Me LLoras,” which start with “Compararte con la mierda no es igual, pero es casi lo mismo…” So, just imagine the rest of the song… 

• Voy A Ti – Luis Figueroa – [2023 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC/Magnus Media LLC]

My favorite song is “Por Tu Amor.” I think it’ll be really nice on the dance floor. He’s also worked it into a bachata. I’m posting both below for comparison.

• Cambios – Willy García – [L Y L  Producciones]

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Category 22 – Best Traditional Tropical Album

• En Tiempo De Son… Homenaje A Las Canciones De: Jorge Luis Piloto – Septeto Acarey De Reynier Pérez – [ONErpm]

This is my favorite out of the group. The charm is that it puts the writer of all these fabulous songs in the spotlight. Jorge Luis Piloto is writer to songs that great performers like Tito Nieves, Luis Enrique, and Gilberto Santa Rosa have made famous, but often we sing and dance to them without knowing the brain that composed them. Septeto Acarey is directed by Cuban born, of Peruvian citizenship Reynier Perez, and Piloto has written multiple songs for this band as well. The song below features Piloto as singer.

• Tierra, Songs By Cuban Women -Estrella Acosta -[eStar]

• Y Sigo Pa’lante – El Septeto Santiaguero – [Egrem/El Cerrito Records]

• Tour Sinfónico En Vivo Auditorio Nacional – La Sonora Santanera – [CHR Records]

• Danzoneando (En Vivo Desde Matanzas) – Orquesta Failde – [Egrem/El Cerrito Records]

• Vida – Omara Portuondo – [One World Records]

When searching for this album on Spotify, it says “escucha mi nuevo album” directing you to the tour dates. So, this one I didn’t get to listen to.

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Category 24 – Best Tropical Song

• Ambulancia – Édgar Barrera, Camila Cabello, Camilo & Juan Morelli, songwriters (Camilo & Camila Cabello) – Track from: De Adentro Pa Afuera – [2022 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC/Hecho A Mano Music (HAMM)]

I’m a fan of Camino more than I am of bachata, but I like this one a lot. It’s part of Camilo’s DE ADENTRO PA AFUERA album, which is also listen in the “Album of the Year” category.

• Día De Luz [ 80 Aniversario ] – Pablo Milanés, songwriter (Pablo Milanés Featuring Juanes) – [Universal Music Spain S.L.]

• El Merengue – Edgar Barrera, Nico Cotton, Gale, Marshmello, Miguel Andres Martinez Perea, Juan Diego Medina Vélez, Julián Turizo Zapata & Manuel Turizo, songwriters (Marshmello & Manuel Turizo) – [2023 Joytime Collective under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

• La Fórmula – Marc Anthony, Edgar Barrera, René David Cano Ríos, Sergio George, Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra, Maluma & Justin Rafael Quiles, songwriters (Maluma & Marc Anthony) – [2023 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

I have a feeling this one will win, because it’s Marc Anthony and Maluma, and because it’s pretty good. It’s also listed in the “Record of the Year” category.

• Que Me Quedes Tú – Techy Fatule, songwriter (Techy Fatule) – [La Oreja Media Group, Inc.]

• Si Tú Me Quieres – Fonseca, Yadam González & Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra) – [2023 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

This one is also listed under the “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” categories, so could it win over “La Formula”?! 

Category 36 – Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album

• Unánime – Roxana Amed – [2022 Roxana Amed, Under Exclusive License To Sony]

• Flying Chicken – Hamilton De Holanda Featuring Thiago Rabello & Salomão Soares – [Sony Music Brasil]

• Bembé – Iván “Melon” Lewis & The Cuban Swing Express – [Cezanne Producciones]

This is a nice listening album. My favorites are with invited guests Alain Perez and Lucrecia.

• Semblanzas – William Maestre Big Band – [Universidad El Bosque]

• I Missed You Too! – Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera (with Reunion Sextet) – [Paquito Records/Sunnyside/Comanche]

I’m thinking this one will win, I mean, it’s two icons of Latin Jazz. My two favorites are “Mozart a la Cubana” and their dreamy version of  “El Dia Que Me Quieras.”

Category 20 – Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album

• Leandro Díaz Special Edition – Silvestre Dangond – [Sony Music Entertainment Colombia S.A.]

• El Favor De Dios – Ana Del Castillo – [Diatónica Inc]

• Cumbia Del Corazón – Los Ángeles Azules – [OCESA Seitrack]

This is my favorite of the group. Los Angeles Azules have wonderful collaborations with the likes of Carlos Vives and Nicki Nicole, but my absolute favorite is the one with Juanes because it amused me so much. Do you know anyone who’s been swapped for a dog? (literally or symbolically… it’s still funny).

• Hombre Absurdo – Gregorio Uribe – [Independiente]

• Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así – Carlos Vives – [WK Records LLC /Gaira Musica Local]

This album is also listed in the “Album of the Year” category… so I have a feeling…

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Category 21 – Best Merengue/Bachata Album

• Cuatro26 -Manny Cruz -[La Oreja Media Group, Inc.]

• Road Trip – Manny Manuel – [La Oreja Media Group, Inc.]

He has an interesting voice tone, and while he’s listed under this category, my favorite from this album is the pop/rock track “Falta Tanto.” Great sound plus lovely lyrics.

• Trópico, Vol. 2 – Pavel Núñez – [La Oreja Media Group, Inc.]

• Fórmula, Vol. 3 – Romeo Santos – [2022 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

Long CD of 21 songs all of them with the Romeo Santos sound we’ve come to expect. Most enjoyable for me were the collaborations – “El Panuelo” with a gorgeous introduction by ROSALIA, “Sin Fin” with Justin Timberlake, good for those of you who look forward to English lyrics in your favorite music, and “Me Extrano” with Mexican performer Christian Nodal, which is more a ranchera than a bachata. Good stuff all around.

• A Mi Manera – Sergio Vargas – [J&N Records, LLC]

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Category 23 – Best Contemporary Tropical Album

• Contigo – Mike Bahía – [Warner Music México, S.A. de C.V.]

• 5:10 am – Luis Fernando Borjas – [CAE Group – Machine Media Group]

• Intruso – Silvestre Dangond – [2022 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

• 24/7 – Gusi – [Gaira Música Local]

• Otro Color – Ilegales – [Dotel Productions, Inc./La Oreja Media Group, Inc.]

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OK, who wants to guess the winners?

For the complete list of Latin Grammy nominations in all categories click here.

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