Last night, The Latin Recording Academy® celebrated its 2024 Person of the Year Gala honoring Carlos Vives, with moving renditions of some of Vives’ renowned repertoire, featuring past and current Latin GRAMMY® nominees including Edgar Barrera, María Becerra, David Bisbal, Rubén Blades, Martina Camargo, Camilo, Pedro Capó, Silvestre Dangond, Emilia, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Fonseca, Luis Fonsi, Kany García, Vicente García, Gente De Zona, Goyo, Grupo Frontera, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Carín León, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Víctor Martínez, Niña Pastori, Antonio Rey, Arturo Sandoval, Alejandro Sanz, Tato, Tonada, Julieta Venegas, Wisin and Sebastián Yatra.
Vives, a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY® winner, was honored for his more than three-decade career as a multifaceted singer and composer, as well as for his continued commitment to environmental and social initiatives.
The star-studded gala and tribute concert — which marked the 25th anniversary of the recognition — was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center , where six previous Person of the Year honorees kicked off the festivities with exhilarating opening numbers: Rubén Blades (2021) and Juan Luis Guerra (2007) performed “Dejame Entrar”; Gloria Estefan (2008) sang “Mil Canciones,” accompanied by Emilio Estefan (2000) on the conga; Alejandro Sanz (2017) performed “Un Pobre Loco,” accompanied by Arturo Sandoval on the trumpet; and Juanes (2019) performed a version of “La Gota Fría”.
The evening’s other eagerly awaited musical performances also featured an international group of artists across a variety of genres, creating unexpected musical moments that aligned with Vives’ style, which often fuses styles but always maintains a focus on musical roots and authenticity. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs performed “Carito”; Julieta Venegas and María Becerra sang a folk version of “Cumbiana,” with Venegas on the accordion; Carín León, Grupo Frontera and Edgar Barrera performed “Volví A Nacer”; Wisin, Emilia and Goyo showcased an urban medley of “Tu Amor Eterno,” followed by Wisin and Luis Fonsi with a version of “Bailar Contigo”; Niña Pastori and guitarists Antonio Rey and Víctor Martínez performed a flamenco rendition of “La Cumbia De Todos,” accompanied by the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music students; Pedro Capó and Vicente García performed a reggae/blues version of “Santa Marta-Kingston-New Orleans”; Kany García performed “Voy A Olvidarme De Mí”; Martina Camargo, Tonada and Tato performed “Rosa”; David Bisbal and Gente De Zona performed “Fruta Fresca”; and Vives closed the show with his songs “Pa’ Mayte” and “La Tierra Del Olvido,” followed by a medley of “Quiero Verte Sonreir,” “El Amor De Mi Tierra,” “Amor Sensible,” “El Cantor De Fonseca,” and “La Cañaguatera,” along with Camilo, Silvestre Dangond, Fonseca and Sebastián Yatra.
The highly-anticipated gala preceded the 25th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, which will air live from the Kaseya Center in Miami on November 14 via Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).
Latin Academy Senior Vice President of Production Ayleen Figueras and Macarena Moreno served as executive producers of the gala, with Latin GRAMMY-nominees Janina Rosado as Musical Director, and Daniel Flores as Musical Supervisor.
As a first ever multi-year sponsorship for The Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year Gala, Live Nation served as co-presenting sponsor with the Gary Nader Art Centre.
