Latin Notas: New Grammy Category For Tejano Marks Its Growing Identity

NARAS RIGHTS WRONG: In a move that unquestionably will please players in the regional Mexican market, the trustees of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) have approved the creation of a Grammy Award for Tejano music (Billboard, June 6).
Previously, Tejano music was lumped with the broader regional Mexican genre in the loquaciously titled category of best Mexican-American/Tejano performance.
Musically, Tejano and regional Mexican sub-genres such as norte˜a and Mexican cumbia are close relatives. Indeed, Tejano is considered part of the overall regional Mexican field on Billboard's radio and retail charts.
But since many of NARAS' Latino members are from Texas, where Tejano music is popular, the winner of the erstwhile Mexican-American/Tejano Grammy category usually went to a Tejano act. Regional Mexican artists seldom rated a shot.
Now, regional Mexican artists have their own category, which means perennial nominees such as Fonovisa's venerable norte˜o crew Los Tigres Del Norte and Sony Discos ranchero legend Vicente Fernández finally have a solid chance of winning Grammys.
NARAS president/CEO Michael Greene says the creation of a Tejano award reflects the genres' increasing market presence.
"In terms of the number of entries we have received in recent years, both Mexican-American and Tejano continue to grow . . . so, both of these forms deserve their own category," says Greene.
In other NARAS news, the trustees also approved the allocation of $500,000 to the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS), the Latino counterpart to NARAS.
Greene says the $500,000 infusion, which followed an initial $500,000 sum earmarked last year for LARAS, will be used to cover operating costs, including the opening of a new office in Miami Beach within the next six weeks and the salaries of a three-person staff headed by Mauricio Abaroa. Part of the money also will provide salaries for project managers who are expected to be hired in the coming months in Latin America.
In addition, Greene says, the trustees have begun to take steps toward the creation of the Latin Grammy Awards, now slated to debut in 2000 or 2001. A network to broadcast the program should be selected in 1999. Voting on the Latin Grammy Awards will be done by members of LARAS; Greene says its membership is 300.
While stressing that the Latin categories in the U.S. Grammy Awards will remain with the stateside ceremony, Greene says the Latin Grammy Awards will use a totally separate voting procedure that "will not be quite as cumbersome as some of the things we experienced in the American Grammy process."
Under consideration for the Latin Grammys is the creation of a special nominating committee to