Renowned as a leading exponent of the feeling genre, Omara Portuondo has brought her artistry to numerous international stages…Buena Vista Social Club diva Omara Portuondo has added a new milestone to her musical career with the nomination of her album Eternamente Omara for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Traditional Tropical Album
According to a statement released by the Cuban Music Institute (ICM), the acclaimed performer—a source of pride for Cuba—joins a list of nominees that includes eight other Cuban artists competing for awards in categories such as tropical music, Latin jazz, instrumental music, and classical composition.
Renowned as a leading exponent of the feeling genre, Omara Portuondo has brought her artistry to numerous international stages and participated in festivals such as Cannes (France) and Orfeo de Oro (Bulgaria), where she won the award for Best Performance, the same source notes.
She lent her incomparable voice to the Buena Vista Social Club project, a venture that took her around the world and boosted her recording career with labels such as Egrem (Cuba), Nube Negra (Spain), and World Circuit (UK).
Among the productions highlighted by the ICM as crowning achievements in Omara’s career is Vida, the album that earned her the 2023 Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Album.
Her remarkable talent has garnered her numerous honors, including the National Music Award (2006), the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts from Spain’s Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Songlines Pioneer Award, and the Latin Recording Academy’s Award for Musical Excellence. These accolades are joined by a Latin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album and a Lifetime Achievement Award, received in 2009.
In this regard, the “Novia del Feeling” (girlfriend of feeling/emotional music) wrote on her official Facebook profile that she is overjoyed by this nomination—which comes at the age of 95—while also highlighting the work of pianist Roberto Fonseca, the musical director and arranger for Eternamente Omara.
“If this album were to win, I would feel deeply satisfied after so many years of work, dedication, and love for music,” the artist wrote, expressing gratitude to her family and to the collaborators who joined her on the record: Argentine singer, rapper, and songwriter Nathy Peluso (based in Spain), singer-songwriter Pablo López (from Málaga), Beninese artist Angélique Kidjo, and troubadour Silvio Rodríguez.
Link to original report on cubaahora.cu
Read our review of the album Omara Portuondo: Eternamente Omara
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