Buena Vista Social Club diva, Omara Portuondo, was amongst the selection of Cuban artists nominated for the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards in the category of ‘Best Traditional Tropical Album’ with her latest album ‘Vida’(One World). It features many collaborators including Alexander Abreu, Andy Montanez, Ruben Blades, Orquesta Failde. Omara, now in her 90s, and in reflective mode has said this work “opens the doors to her farewell to the stage.”
The nominees were announced this week and the awards ceremony will be held on 16 November for the first time in Seville, Spain.
Cuban artists on the island also nominated for Best Traditional Tropical Album were: Septeto Santiaguero with ‘Y Sigo Pa’lante’ (Egrem); Orquesta Failde with ‘Danzoneando – Live From Matanzas’ (Egrem); and Septeto Acarey by Reynier Pérez with ‘En Tiempo de Son, Homenaje a las Canciones de Jorge Luis Piloto’.
Orquesta Failde:Danzoneando – Live From Matanzas – watch and listen on youtube
Septeto Santiaguero:Y Sigo Pa’lante – listen on youtube
“We just got our 7th Grammy Award nomination, now for our CD: Y Sigo Pa’lante… Enormous recognition for the music we make from Santiago de Cuba and for the world”, wrote the Septeto Santiaguero on their Facebook profile.
Other albums nominated include ‘Tierra, Songs By Cuban Women’ by Estrella Acosta and ‘Tour Sinfónico En Vivo Auditorio Nacional’, by La Sonora Santanera, founded by Cuban Reyner Perez.
‘Tierra y libertad’ (Sedajazz Records), the debut album by the ensemble Plena79, a salsa group with members from Cuba, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico, and in which top Cuban musician Alain Pérez collaborates, is nominated for ‘Best Salsa Album’.
‘Tierra y libertad’ by Plena79 feat. Alain Perez
A lesser known home grown Cuban nominee is the group ‘Fanm Zetwal’ in the ‘extended music video’ category with their documentary ‘A story of life and miracles’.
‘Fanm Zetwal’ is a music and dance ensemble composed of 16 female descendants of Haiti. They sing in creyol language and are faithful defenders of female power, gender equality and the music and dances of their ancestors. The group’s name translates as ‘star women’.
The group has emerged from the Yambambó local community project based on the outskirts of the town of Morón in Ciego de Ávila, central Cuba. The project, supported by the local branch of the Nicolas Guillen Foundation, aims to support and educate inhabitants, especially young people, to collectively and positively transform their neighbourhood, and to celebrate the cultural heritage of their ancestors, in particular to preserve African-Haitian traditions introduced to Cuba at the time of the Haiti revolution. There is a focus on maintaining Haitian practices in the community, such as weaving with yarey, playing drum rhythms, preparation of dishes, costumes and dances.
Based on report by Prensa Latina and others
Cuba 50 
You must be logged in to post a comment.