The Latin Grammy was not the great night of urban music that was expected nor the best evening for Spanish artists. However, Juan Luis Guerra's great triumph, a classic among Latin classics, already hinted that nostalgia would be the dominant feeling during a gala full of performances. Indeed, it was the artist reunions, the tributes to the deceased, and some unexpected encounters that provided some of the great moments of this edition of the awards.
If classics were the theme of the night, the first presenters had to embody that. Puerto Rican Roselyn Sánchez, the host of the gala, was joined on stage by two Latin stars: Cuban singer Gloria Estefan and Cuban-American actor Andy García. And from there, in the succession of performances that followed, came the memories, nostalgia, and even some surprises.
In the name of rock, there was only one representative throughout the night, Jon Bon Jovi, who presented on stage his collaboration with Pitbull, Now Or Never, a remix of his hit It's My Life.The leader of the band bearing his name had already made a surprise appearance in September on the Florida singer's tour during a concert in New York. But yesterday was the chosen night to showcase their featuring and steal the show.
To further fuel nostalgia, memories of three of the greatest Mexican music stars were brought to the stage: José José, Juan Gabriel, and Vicente Fernández. The powerful performance of El Triste by the duo formed by David Bisbal and Carlos Rivera served as a tribute to the first of them, who still holds the record for having the best-selling album in Mexican music history. The second was given voice by Leonel García and Jesús Navarro - Reik's vocalist - with their iconic song Hasta que te conocí in a performance that was somewhat questionable by Navarro.
And who could pay tribute to Vicente Fernández if not his son Alejandro, dressed in a mariachi suit like his father. El potrillo performed the timeless No me sé rajar while photos of father and son during their different stages of life appeared on the screens together. Nostalgia in the purest sense of the term.
In addition to tributes, there was also time for reunions on stage. There appeared Marc Anthony and La India after years of enmity, with constant jabs back and forth, to perform Vivir lo nuestro. The song that catapulted them to fame in the 90s as icons of Puerto Rican music that now dominates the world. They had not reunited in 29 years.
But if the gala of these Latin Grammy Awards was about great performances, that honor this time fell on the quartet formed by One of the most anticipated moments of the night was the performance of the quartet composed of Becky G, Edgar Barrera, Ángela Aguilar, and her brother Leonardo Aguilar. The Aguilars had already presented the award for Best Traditional Vocal Album alongside their father Pepe - who has won five Latin Grammy Awards in his career - but their big moment came with the California singer in the performance of Por el contrario. A pure ranchera rhythm to round off a night with a clear Mexican flavor and nostalgia.
There was even room for a small dose of millennial nostalgia with the appearance of Joe Jonas. The leader of the Jonas Brothers took the stage for a performance with Ela Taubert, winner of the Best New Artist Grammy, of their new collaboration ¿Cómo pasó? Although it has now been released on streaming platforms, the Latin Grammy gala was the chosen place to showcase it to the world.