Latin Academy To Honor Iglesias

Iglesias TO BE Honored: Spanish icon Julio Iglesias will be honored as the 2001 Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS) person of the year. The recognition, awarded to the singer for his artistic and philanthropic accomplishments, will be presented to Iglesias during a tribute dinner and concert Sept. 11 in Miami, the evening prior to the Latin Grammy Awards.

Iglesias is the second LARAS person of the year. The first was Emilio Estefan Jr,, who was honored during last year's first Latin Grammy Awards (Billboard, Oct. 7, 2000).

In addition to his fertile four-decade recording career, Iglesias has worked for a series of organizations, including Farm Aid, the Muscular Dystrophy Assn., the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and UNICEF, an organization he's represented for more than a decade.

CONFERENCE NEWS: In his exclusive question-and-answer session during the Billboard Latin Music Conference April 25, singer Marc Anthony revealed that he will release two separate albums simultaneously this summer: a Spanish-language salsa disc and an English-language pop disc (Billboard, May 5).

Both albums will feature compositions by Anthony (mostly co-writes) and will yield a single released to different radio stations. Anthony, who first recorded his own music on his self-titled English-language debut album, says he's been writing his own material for years. And while his upcoming English-language disc will be more pop and "less personal," his salsa disc will veer into uncharted territory. "It has world rhythms, classical music, and old salsa," he said. "The common thread is a hit song is a hit song."

In other conference news, Billboard hosted its first-ever regional Mexican music panel, in recognition of the genre's clout in the marketplace. According to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, 51% of all Latin music album sales are under the regional Mexican/Tejano banner (Billboard, April 28).

Panelists, however, decried the generalized use of the term "regional Mexican." "This is música internacional Mexicana," said singer Lupillo Rivera, who identified the various sub-genres of the music. "And I'm making money everywhere."

But José Rosario, president/CEO of Seven Rivers Music, said that despite its numbers, regional Mexican music remains the orphan of the Latin industry. "We are a fact of business life in the U.S., but we are invisible to the Latin business because most big labels focus on pop and tropical," he said. "We are the hicks, the rednecks of Latin music."

All panelists agreed that a better understanding of regional Mexican music was needed at all levels.

OLD MEETS NEW: Folklore composer Ariel Ramírez, along with popular folk singer/songwriter León Gieco, were the top winners at the third edition of Argentina's Premios Gardel music awards April 18.

Gieco, winner of the Gold Gardel, began his career in the Argentine rock genre and has achieved worldwide status with a fusion of folk and local ethnic music that includes classic songs that have been sung by artists of all styles. Ramírez has composed landmark folk albums (including Misa Criolla, Mujeres Argentinas, and Cantata Sudamericana), which contributed to his Lifetime Award.

Rock band Divididos won three awards at the ceremony (it was nominated for five) for its BMG recording Narigón del Siglo: album of the year, best rock band, and best production (with producer Afo Verde).

Warner's Fito Páez, nominated for four prizes, won two: best rock artist and best video (for Edy Flehner's "El Diablo en Tu Corazón").

Bailanta hero Rodrigo, who died last year in a car accident and became an instant legend, also won two awards, for best tropical artist and song of the year ("Soy Cordobés").

Unexpected winners included Universal Music's Sandra and DBN's folklore singer Roxana Carabajal, who won as best new artist. Less surprisingly, Universal Music's Alejandro Lerner won best male pop artist, Leader Music's Ráfaga became best tropical group, and EMI's young Luciano Pereyra won best male folklore artist. Another favorite, folklore giant Mercedes Sosa, received an award for her new recording of the classic "Misa Criolla."

Organized by the local record industry chamber CAPIF, the Premios Gardel is the most important music award in Argentina. This third edition reviewed albums released between Dec. 1, 1999, and Nov. 30, 2000. Six hundred producers, promoters, retailers, managers, record label executives, and journalists voted for the awards.

In other Argentina news, pop group El Símbolo has been working on its upcoming album, set to be released in July in the U.S. and Mexico on Fonovisa. In the next two months, the group will be performing in a series of festivals in the U.S., Spain, and Portugal.

CHILEAN SINGER Nicole, a 25-year-old whose real name is Denisse Laval, is the first Latin American artist signed to Maverick Musica, the Latin division of Maverick Records. The Maverick contract calls for five albums.

Nicole had her first hit in Chile in 1989 when she was 12, and her rendition of the naive romantic ballad "Tal Vez Me Estoy Enamorando" was all over the airwaves. Five years later, Nicole resurfaced as a pop/rock singer, and her debut for BMG, Esperando Nada, went triple-platinum (75,000 copies). Her following album, the electronica driven Sueños en Tránsito, appeared in 1997 and was produced by ex-Soda Stereo front man Gustavo Cerati. Sueños didn't sell as well as its predecessor and was Nicole's last release for BMG. The label let her go early in 2001.

Nicole's first Maverick album is scheduled for release in September.

COREA MUSICIANS JAM: During a recent concert by pianist Chick Corea in Bogotá, Colombia, his musicians agreed to play for free during a series of free jam sessions led by Juan Sebastián Monsalve. Monsalve, a jazz bassist, is releasing his debut album, Bunde Nebuloso—a blend of Colombian rhythms, Indian music, and jazz fusion—this month. Featured on the album are Corea's sidemen, who played for free.

Assistance in preparing this column was provided by Marcelo Fernández Bitar in Argentina, Sergio Fortuño in Chile, and Gustavo Gómez in Colombia. Leila Cobo may be reached at 305-361-5279 or at lcobo@billboard.com. Material may be sent to 101 Crandon Blvd., Suite 466, Key Biscayne, Fla. 33149.