Juanes	Ivan Lins	Juan Luis Guerra

Latin Grammy favorite Juanes continued his red hot streak winning all three of the awards for which he was nominated, including Best Rock Song for "Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor," Best Music Video for "Volverte a Ver" and Best Rock Solo Vocal Album for Mi Sangre. The Colombian rocker, whose duet "Fotografía" was named the 2005 BMI Latin Song of the Year, has earned a total of 12 Latin Grammy Awards to date.

Ozomatli	Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga

Veteran Brazilian jazz singer Ivan Lins added two more trophies to his collection, including the coveted Album of the Year for his "Cantando Histórias," which also won Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album. Dominican merengue artist Juan Luis Guerra also took home two Latin Grammys, one for "Las Avispas," named Best Tropical Song, and the other for Best Christian Album (Spanish Language) for Para Ti.

Intocable	Bebo Valdés

Other BMI Latin Grammy winners included Intocable, Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga, Josue Contreras, Bebo Valdés, David Sánchez, Ozomatli, Carlos Vives, Rafa Sardina, Bacilos, Molotov, David Lee Garza, Sunny Sauceda, Joel Guzman, Elvis Crespo, Cachao, Lila Downs, Luis Miguel, Paquito D'Rivera, Lina Luna and Gustavo Santaolalla, who picked up his sixth award.

David Sánchez	Carlos Vives	Sunny Sauceda

Held November 3 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards featured an expanding range of genres including pop, salsa, reggaeton and rock, and was broadcast live for the first time exclusively in Spanish on the Univision Network.

Bacilos	Cachao

As part of Latin Grammy week, the Latin Recording Academy (LARAS) honored Mexican crooner José José as its 2005 Person of the Year at a gala dinner and concert on November 1. Known as the "Prince of Song," the legendary singer was feted for his humanitarian contributions and for his more than 40 year music career that includes album sales of over 40 million, six Grammy nominations and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy.

José José	Josue Contreras

BMI's 2005 Latin Grammy Winners:

THREE AWARDS
Juanes
Best Rock Solo Vocal Album
Best Rock Song
Best Music Video

TWO AWARDS
Ivan Lins
Album of the Year
Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album

Juan Luis Guerra
Best Tropical Song
Best Christian Album (Spanish Language)

Molotov	Luis Miguel

SINGLE WINNERS
Bacilos
Best Pop Album by Duo or Group

Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Best Banda Album

Cachao
Best Traditional Tropical Album

Lina Luna	Gustavo Santaolalla	David Lee Garza

Elvis Crespo
Best Merengue Album

Josué Contreras
Best Regional Mexican Song

Lila Downs
Best Folk Album

Joel Guzman	Lila Downs

David Lee Garza
Best Tejano Album

Joel Guzman
Best Tejano Album

Intocable
Best Norteño Album

Rafa Sardina	Paquito D'Rivera

Lina Luna
Best Latin Children's Album

Molotov
Best Rock Album by Duo or Group

Luis Miguel
Best Ranchero Album

Ozomatli
Best Alternative Music Album

Paquito D'Rivera
Best Classical Album

Johnny Lee Rosas
Best Regional Mexican Song

David Sánchez
Best Instrumental Album

Gustavo Santaolalla
Producer of the Year

Rafa Sardina
Record of the Year

Sunny Sauceda
Best Tejano Album

Bebo Valdés
Best Latin Jazz Album

Carlos Vives
Best Contemporary Tropical Album

In 2000, they signed with Warner Music Latina, and delivered a self-titled release that won fans from Latin America to Spain, garnered two Latin Grammy nominations and earned the band gold status — albeit in Colombia. Still, it was an auspicious introduction; the single "Tabaco y Chanel" hit #1 on Latin radio and a tour opening for Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz showcased them to the world.

It set the stage for the group's next album, Caraluna, which takes its title from a phrase invented by the band to mean "the face of the moon." The blockbuster album earned the threesome two awards at the 2003 Latin Grammys, "Best Tropical Song" for "Mi Primer Millon," their humorous account of trying to make it in the music industry (performed live on the show) and "Best Pop Album by a Group." Additionally, at this year's 45th Annual Grammy ceremony at Madison Square Garden, Caraluna walked away with "Best Latin Pop Album."

Cross-pollinating bossa nova, tango and flamenco with flavors of Caribbean, cumbia and ska, Caraluna reflects Bacilos' widescreen influences, while one song, "Elena," also features lyrics in English. A headlining tour concurrent with this release has taken Bacilos from New York to Bogota; Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, establishing the band as a premier concert attraction. Additionally, primary songwriter Villamizar has distinguished himself as a writer for other artists, with cuts by Alejandra Guzman and Fernando Osorio.

Despite the group's successes, they express no interest in becoming a glossy pop band. Their hit "Me Primer Millon" may feature strings and brass, but Bacilos continues to honor their origins with real songs, acoustic instruments and unadorned harmonies, an organic approach in an ever so techno world.

For their growing legion of fans, it's a sound that is absolutely contagious.

BMI is proud to announce the launch of BMILatin.com, a new website created for Spanish-speaking songwriters, composers, music publishers and professional music users that spotlights BMI Latin writers and artists.

"BMILatin.com is an excellent resource for our Spanish-speaking affiliates, as well as for anyone interested in finding out more information about BMI's Latin songwriters and artists," said Diane Almodovar, Assistant Vice President of Latin Music at BMI.

BMILatin.com also features all the same tools as BMI's award-winning website, BMI.com, such as Online Services and the Listening Room, which includes streaming audio from the latest BMI Latin Sounds CD sampler. Access to news stories, photo galleries, a calendar of BMI Latin events, showcases and panels, and songwriter/artist profiles is also available.

Founded in 1939, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music, including such Latin Grammy winners and nominees as Intocable, Juanes, Ramon Ayala, Gloria Estefan, Gilberto Gil, Circo, A.B. and the Kumbia Kings, Shakira, Carlos Santana, Kinky and Bacilos. Through its music performance and reciprocal agreements with sister organizations around the world, it grants businesses and media access to its repertoire of approximately 4.5 million songs and compositions.

BMI singer/songwriter Juanes was the big winner at this year's 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, held last night (9/3) at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. The Colombian-born Latin rock singer, who already has four Latin Grammys, added five of the coveted statuettes to his collection, winning every award for which he was nominated. His Gold-certified album, Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), which has been on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart for a record 67 weeks (currently #10), earned him awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Solo Vocal Album, while his songs "Es Por Ti" ("It's For You") won Record and Song of the Year, and "Mala Gente" ("Bad People") was named Best Rock Song.

Juanes

Gustavo Santaolalla

Anibal Kerpel

BMI Latin rock producer Gustavo Santaolalla, also nominated for five awards this year, captured three wins including Album of the Year for producing Juanes' Un Día Normal and Record of the Year for production on the album's chart-topping single, "Es Por Ti." The Surco Records co-founder also won in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Bajofondo Tango Club, a unique collection of Latin tango/dance/electronica songs by various artists.

Paquito D'Rivera

Jorge Villamizar

Molotov

Other BMI stars who took home multiple awards included producer Anibal Kerpel, who earned two Latin Grammys for Album and Record of the Year, and Cuban jazzman Paquito D'Rivera, who won for Best Classical Album for Historia Del Soldado (History of the Soldier) and Best Latin Jazz Album for Brazilian Dreams. Latin alternative pop band Bacilos also captured two wins: one for Best Pop Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Caraluna, and the other to the band's lead singer and main songwriter, Jorge Villamizar, who earned a Best Tropical Song trophy for the album's hit, "Mi Primer Millón" ("My First Million"). Mexican rap-metal band Molotov, who received four nominations, took home the Best Music Video Latin Grammy for their controversial song, "Frijolero" ("Bean Picker").

BMI's 2003 Latin Grammy Winners

FIVE AWARDS
Juanes
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Best Rock Solo Vocal Album
Best Rock Song

THREE AWARDS
Gustavo Santaolalla
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Best Pop Instrumental Album

TWO AWARDS
Anibal Kerpel
Record of the Year
Album of the Year

Paquito D'Rivera
Best Latin Jazz Album
Best Classical Album

ONE AWARD
Atrapado
Best Grupero Album

Bacilos
Best Pop Album by a Duo or Group

Jimmy González y El Grupo Mazz
Best Tejano Album

Molotov
Best Music Video

Orishas (SACEM)
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album

Caetano Veloso
Best Música Popular Brasileira Album

Jorge Villamizar
Best Tropical Song

Juanes

Gustavo Santaolalla

Shakira

Earning four nominations each were BMI producer Anibal Kerpel and BMI Latin rock group Molotov for Record of the Year, Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Record Song and Best Music Video, while BMI Latin alternative pop band Bacilos captured three nods. The band's lead singer, BMI songwriter Jorge Villamizar, also earned three mentions.

Thalia

Bacilos

Two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Colombian songwriter/artist Shakira earned a nomination for Best Rock Song for "Te Aviso, Te Anuncio," while Mexican songwriter/artist Thalía received a nod for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. Other BMI artists receiving nominations included A.B. Quintanilla III, India, Elvis Crespo, Kike Santander, Conjunto Primavera, Paquito D'Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, Gilberto Gil and Sebastian Krys.

The Latin Grammy's are awarded by members of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which was created by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) in 1997. The awards ceremony is scheduled for September 3 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami; CBS will air the awards live from 9-11 p.m.

BMI's 2003 Latin Grammy Awards Nominees:

5 Nominations
Juanes
Gustavo Santaolalla

4 Nominations
Anibal Kerpel
Molotov

3 Nominations
Miguel Huidobro
Bacilos
Jorge Villamizar
Carlinhos Brown (SACEM)

2 Nominations
Alex Acuña
Elvis Crespo
Paquito D'Rivera
Jimmy Gonzalez Y el Grupo Mazz
India
Luis F. Ochoa
Alexandre Pires
A.B. Quintanilla III
Caetano Veloso

1 Nomination
Alejandro Allen
Atrapado
Banda El Recodo
Gato Barbieri
Conjunto Primavera
Ray Contreras
Ry Cooder
Oscar D'Leon
Iker Gastraminsa
Gilberto Gil
Ramon Gonzalez Mora
Jimmy Greco
Noe Hernandez
Los Hijos Del Sol
Jaguares
Jaime Y Los Chamacos
Sebastian Krys
Alfonso Lizarraga
Joel Lizarraga
Lester Mendez
Luis Miguel
Eddie Palmieri
Pesado
Jay Perez
Freddy Piñero, Jr.
Rabanes (SGAE)
Ruben Ramos & The Revolution
Shakira
Kike Santander
Thalía
Los Terribles Del Norte
Nestor Torres
Los Tucanes De Tijuana]]> 2003-07-29T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/200023 Artists, Bacilos, Bee Gees, The, Blind Boys of Alabama, The, Branch, Michelle, Cachao, Crow, Sheryl, Dirty Vegas, Dixie Chicks, Eminem, Flaming Lips, The, Foo Fighters, Hancock, Herbie, Hargrove, Roy, Harris, Jesse, Hill, Faith, James, Etta, Jars of Clay, Jones, Norah, King, B.B., Korn, Lauderdale, Jim, Mardin, Arif, Metheny, Pat, Nelson, Willie, Newman, Thomas, Simon, Paul, Slutsky, Allan, Stanley, Ralph, Awards, Musical Styles, Bluegrass, Blues, Country, Dance, Folk, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Rock, Grammy Awards Norah Jones, was the big winner in February 23’s Grammy Awards Presentations at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. Jones’s sultry vocals and piano styling led her first CD to grab the coveted Recording Academy Gramophones in the top categories of Record of the Year, Album of the Year, best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. She also received the Best New Artist award. New York BMI songwriter Jesse Harris received the Song of the Year award for his “Don’t Know Why”, also recorded by Jones, and her legendary producer Arif Mardin was named Producer of the Year, non-classical, and joined Norah in receiving the Album of the Year and Record of the Year awards.

Norah Jones

Dixie Chicks

Arif Mardin

Country crossover trio Dixie Chicks scored three awards for Best Country Album (Home), Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Country Instrumental. BMI represented songwriters receiving two awards each that evening included: Eminem, The Funk Brothers, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, and Thomas Newman. Madukwu Chinwah and Rashid Lonnie Lynn shared the award for Best R&B Song (“Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop”)).

Eminem

Herbie Hancock

B.B. King

A number of BMI songwriters were honored with special Recording Academy Awards. Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel and seminal R&B artist Etta James received Lifetime Achievement Awards, while the late music historian Alan Lomax received the Trustees Award. In an emotional presentation, The Bee Gees were given the Legends Award that they dedicated to their recently deceased brother Maurice.

Jesse Harris

Thomas Newman

BMI's 2003 Grammy Award Winners

FIVE AWARDS

Norah Jones
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Best New Artist
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Best Pop Vocal Album

THREE AWARDS

Dixie Chicks
Best Country Album
Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal
Best Country Instrumental Performance

Arif Mardin
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

TWO AWARDS

Eminem
Best Rap Album
Best Short Form Music Video

The Funk Brothers
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

Herbie Hancock
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

B.B. King
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Best Traditional Blues Album

Thomas Newman
Best Instrumental Composition
Best Instrumental Arrangement

SONG OF THE YEAR

Jesse Harris
“ Don’t Know Why”
Song of the Year

SINGLE AWARD WINNERS

Santana
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Michelle Branch
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Norman Brown
Best Pop Instrumental Album

Dirty Vegas (PRS)
Best Dance Recording

Sheryl Crow
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance

Foo Fighters
Best Hard Rock Performance

Korn
Best Metal Performance

The Flaming Lips
Best Rock Instrumental Performance

Take 6
Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal

Madukwu Chinwah
Best R&B Song

Rashid Lonnie Lynn
Best R&B Song

Faith Hill
Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Willie Nelson
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Jim Lauderdale
Best Bluegrass Album

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boy
Best Bluegrass Album

Eric Tingstad
Best New Age Album

Nancy Rumbel
Best New Age Album

Pat Metheny Group
Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Diana Krall
Best Jazz Vocal Album

Michael Brecker
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Roy Hargrove
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Dave Holland Big Band
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Caribbean Jazz Project
Best Latin Jazz Album

Jars Of Clay
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album

The Jordanaires
Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Album

The Light Crust Doughboys
Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Album

The Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album

Bacilos
Best Latin Pop Album

Bebo Valdés Trio with Israel “Cachao” López & Carlos “Patato” Valdés
Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album

Solomon Burke
Best Contemporary Blues Album

Doc Watson & David Holt
Best Traditional Folk Album

Lee “Scratch” Perry (PRS)
Best Reggae Album

Jimmy Sturr
Best Polka Album

Riders In The Sky
Best Musical Album for Children

Robin Willliams
Best Spoken Comedy Album

Allan Slutsky
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

Dave Grusin
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist

Dave Evans
Best Album Notes

Don Letts (PRS)
Best Long Form Music Video

David Glasser
Best Historical Album

Sheryl Crow

Eminem

Norah Jones

Other BMI writers who received multiple nominations included four each for country darlings the Dixie Chicks, producer Arif Mardin and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger (including Record of the Year for the Nickelback smash "How You Remind Me"). Newcomer Vanessa Carlton picked up three. Fellow BMI pop divas Pink, Britney Spears and Michelle Branch garnered two nominations each, as did blues legend B.B. King, film composer Thomas Newman and gospel giant Fred Hammond.

BMI's 2003 Grammy nominees:

FIVE NOMINATIONS

Sheryl Crow
Eminem
Norah Jones

FOUR NOMINATIONS

Dixie Chicks
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)

THREE NOMINATIONS

Vanessa Carlton
Floetry (Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart)
Arif Mardin
Pat Metheny

TWO NOMINATIONS

Michelle Branch
Michael Brecker
The Chieftains
Madukwu Chinwah
Natalie Cole
Dirty Vegas (PRS)
Foo Fighters
Carlos Franzetti
Kenny G
Pat Green
Herbie Hancock
Nellee Hooper (PRS)
B.B. King
Diana Krall (SOCAN)
Rashid Lonnie Lynn
Nappy Roots
Willie Nelson
Thomas Newman
Nickel Creek
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dolly Parton
Pink
Britney Spears
Ralph Stanley
3 Doors Down (Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, Matt Roberts)
Doc Watson
John Williams

SINGLE NOMINEES

Aaliyah
Will Ackerman
John Adams
Christina Aguilera
Darol Anger
Audio Adrenaline
Bacilos
David Balakrishnan
Charli Baltimore
Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Jeff Bass
Daniel Bedingfield (PRS)
Big Tymers
Eddie Blazonczyk
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Kevin Bond
Ryan Bowser
David Bowie (PRS)
Brandy
Norman Brown
Solomon Burke
Burning Sky
R.L. Burnside
Gary Burton
Gary Calamar
Michel Camilo
Cam’Ron
The Canton Spirituals
Capleton (PRS)
Caribbean Jazz Project
Cee-Lo
Lauren Christy
The Clinch Mountain Boys
Andy Colver (PRS)
Commissioned
Common
Creed
Bill Cunliffe
The Charlie Daniels Band
Diamond Rio
Michael Doucet
Dave Douglas
Don Edwards
Danny Elfman
Enya (PRS)
Faith Evans
Tommy Flanagan
The Flaming Lips
Béla Fleck
Michael J. Fox
Allison Brewster Franzetti
The Funk Brothers
Peter Gabriel (PRS)
David Lee Garza y Los Musicales
Osvaldo Golijov
Gov’t Mule
Al Green
Grits
Dave Grusin
Deitrick Haddon
Fred Hammond
Roy Hargrove
Jesse Harris
Don Henley
Faith Hill
Dave Holland Big Band
David Holt
Intocable
Etta James
Jars of Clay
JaRule
Jay-Z
Maxi Jazz (PRS)
Little Joe & La Familia
Elton John (PRS)
The Jordanaires
Juanes
John P. Kee
Salif Keita (PRS)
R. Kelly
Kinky
Kitaro
Jennifer Knapp
Knoc-Turn’Al
Korn
Dave Koz
Jeff Koz
Alison Krauss
Femi Kuti (SACEM)
kd lang
Jim Lauderdale
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Don Letts (PRS)
Lonestar
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
The Light Crust Doughboys
Limi-T 21
Israel “Cachao” López
Taj Mahal
Lloyd Maines
Maraca
Martina McBride
Delbert McClinton
Freddie McGregor (PRS)
Lee Thomas Miller
Mingus Big Band
Moby
Charlie Musselwhite
Meshell Ndegeocello
The Neptunes
Newsong
Nickelback (SOCAN)
*NSYNC
The Oak Ridge Boys
Makoto Ozone (JASRAC)
Lee “Scratch” Perry
Pharrell
Queens of the Stone Age
Busta Rhymes
Riders In the Sky
Peter Rowan
Nancy Rumbel
Nicky Ryan (PRS)
Roma Ryan (PRS)
Mingo Saldivar y Sus Tremendos Cuatro Espadas
Santana
John Santos and the Machete Ensemble
Al Schmitt
The John Scofield Band
Earl Scruggs
Wayne Shorter
Jon Sidel
Siggno
Allan Slutsky
Arthur Smith (PRS)
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Scott Spock
Ralph Stanley II
Sting (PRS)
Angie Stone
Omar Sosa
Luciana Souza
Jimmy Sturr
Take Six
Susan Tedeschi
John Tesh
The Temptations
Eric Tingstad
Tobymac
Trick Pony
Kathy Troccoli
Los Tucanes De Tijuana
McCoy Tyner
Jai Uttal
Bebo Valdés
Carlos “Patato” Valdés
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Scott Wenzel
Kenny Werner
Lucinda Williams
Robin Williams
Dean Wilson (PRS)
BeBe Winans
The Roland White Band
Pete Woodruff
Yellowjackets
Joe Zawinul

Gustavo Santaolalla

Kike Santander

Juanes

Other BMI artists who earned Latin Grammy nominations include Aterciopelados, Gilberto Gil, Gustavo Santaolalla and Caetano Veloso, who each earned three nominations, Bacilos, who received 2 nods, and Albita, Banda Arkangel R-15, Ram�n Ayala y Sus Bravos Del Norte, Banda El Recodo, Banda Machos, Hector Buitrago, Oscar D’Le�n, Dominguinhos, Paquito D’Rivera, Charles Dye, Estefano, Carlos Franzetti, David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, Javier Garza, Pepe Garza, Jimmy Gonz�lez y El Grupo Mazz, Grupo Atrapado, Carmen Jara, Sebastian Krys, Limite, Los Super Seven, Mariachi Sol De Mexico, Luis Miguel, Mojado, Marisa Monte, Eddie Palmieri, William Paz, Chichi Peralta, Dan�lo Perez, Freddy Pi�ero, Jr., K.C. Porter, A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings, David S�nchez, Kike Santander, Sideral, Joel Someilan, Thalia, Los Tigres Del Norte, Nestor Torres, Oscar L. Trevi�o, Los Tucanes De Tijuana and Enrique Valencia.

K.C. Porter

Los Tigres Del Norte

This year's Latin Grammys will be held on September 11 in Miami. The show will be broadcast by CBS (9 to 11 p.m. EDT/PDT) and carried on radio via the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation worldwide in more than 120 countries.

Thalia

Villamizar also co-wrote Fernando Osorio's (WEA) just-released debut single, "Vivir". "Writing with Fernando was very special for me," says Villamizar. "I grew up listening to his work, and the fact that he is using a song we created together as his first single definitely makes my day."

Villamizar's band, Bacilos, is one of the "must see" live shows of the Miami live-music scene. At their Marlin Hotel shows, you can feel the internationalization of Latin music. Blending with the crowd is easy; languages vary on stage and on the dance floor, and it becomes hard to tell who is from Brazil and who is from Michigan.

It was in one of these shows that Bacilos was discovered by WEA, which is preparing to release their first album, Madera. This recording is a perfect introduction to Villamizar's unique songwriting style, which smoothly blends his Latin roots with world beats and pop.

"Y2K is definitely my year; it's just starting and I've already got lots of good things going for me, especially getting signed and launching my first album. Things have been tough, in the past, but now the effort is paying off . . ."