Chucho Valdés wins the Latin Grammy in the Best Jazz Album category

November 15, 2019

The multi-awarded Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés expanded his long list of accolades this Thursday by winning the Latin Grammy in the Best Jazz Album category.

The legendary pianist prevailed with his album Jazz Batá 2 in a category in which the recordings Turning Pages, by Claudia Acuña; Elemental, by the trio made up of Otmaro Ruíz, Jimmy Haslip and Jimmy Branly; Dos orientales, by Hugo Fattoruso and Tomohiro Yahiro; and Rio-São Paulo, by André Marques were also nominated.

With the result from this Thursday, the renowned pianist from the Caribbean nation adds his fourth Latin Grammy, in addition to having been the winner of six Grammy awards.

Many congratulations to Maestro Chucho Valdés, another Grammy for his discography, published on its Facebook social media account the Cuban Institute of Music.

The award was presented at the pre-ceremony that preceded the main ceremony of these important honors, which took place Thursday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the U.S. city of Las Vegas.

During that previous non-televised event, the main winners were Spaniard Alejandro Sanz, Argentine Andrés Calamaro, Puerto Rican Kany García and Peruvian-American Tony Succar, with two awards each.

Valdés receives another honor this year after in 2018 he was recognized with the Musical Excellence award by the Latin Recording Academy, responsible for awarding these Grammys, which honored him along with also renowned artists Yuri, Wilfrido Vargas, Dyango, Andy Montañez, José María Napoleón and Erasmo Carlos.

It is impossible to reflect on the current state of Latin jazz without taking into account the multifaceted talent of virtuoso pianist, orchestra director and composer Chucho Valdés, that institution noted at the time.

Both in his work with the supergroup Irakere and in his work as an eclectic and prolific solo artist, the academy added, Valdés reinvented the lexicon of jazz, mixing it with rock, classical music and Afro-Cuban roots.

List of all Latin Grammy winners
Album of the year: Rosalía - El mal querer.
Recording of the year: Alejandro Sanz and Camila Cabello - Mi persona favorita
Song of the year: Pedro Capó - Calma.
Best new artist: Nella.
Best urban song: Rosalía and J Balvin - Con altura.
Best ranchera/mariachi music album: Christian Nodal - Ahora.
Best urban music album: Bad Bunny - X 100PRE.
Best contemporary/tropical fusion album: Juan Luis Guerra - Literal.
Best Christian album (in Spanish): Juan Delgado - Todo pasa.
Best Latin music album for children: The Lucky Band - Buenos Diaz.
Best classical music album: Samuel Torres & La Nueva Filarmonía - Regreso.
Best arrangement: Rodner Padilla - Sirena (Luis Enrique + C4 Trío).
Best package design: Man Mourentan & Tamara Pérez (El mal querer by Rosalía).
Best pop-rock album: Andrés Calamaro - Cargar la suerte.
Best rock song: Andrés Calamaro - Verdades afiladas.
Best rock album: Draco Rosa - Monte sagrado.
Best alternative music album: Mon Laferte - Norma.
Best alternative song: Los Amigos Invisibles - Tócamela.
Best salsa album: Tony Succar - Más de mí.
Best cumbia/vallenato album: Puerto Candelaria & Juancho Valencia - Yo me llamo cumbia.
Best traditional tropical music album: Andrés Cepeda - Andrés Cepeda Big Band (En Vivo).
Best tropical song: Juan Luis Guerra - Kitipún.
Best contemporary pop vocal album: Rosalía - El mal querer.
Best traditional pop vocal album: Fonseca - Agustín.
Best pop song: Alejandro Sanz and Camila Cabello - Mi persona favorita.
Best urban fusion/interpretation: Pedro Capó & Farruko - Calma (Remix).
Best singer-songwriter album: Kany García - Contra el viento.
Best instrumental album: Gustavo Casenave - Balance.
Best folk album: Luis Enrique + C4 Trío - Tiempo al tiempo.
Best tango album: Quinteto Astor Piazzolla - Revolucionario.
Best Latin jazz/jazz album: Chucho Valdés - Jazz Batá 2.
Best banda music album: Banda Los Sebastianes - A través del vaso.
Best Tejano music album: Elida Reyna y Avante - Colores.
Best norteña music album: Intocable - Percepción.
Best Mexican regional song: Christian Nodal - No te contaron mal.
Best Christian album (in Portuguese): Delino Marçal - Guarda Meu Coração.
Best contemporary pop album in Portuguese language: Anavitoria - O Tempo É Agora.
Best rock or alternative music album in Portuguese language: BaianaSystem - O Futuro Não Demora.
Best samba/pagode album: Mart'nália - Mart'nália Canta Vinicius De Moraes.
Best Brazilian popular music album: Gilberto Gil - Ok Ok Ok.
Best sertaneja music album: Marilia Mendonça - Em Todos Os Cantos.
Best roots music album in Portuguese language: Hermeto Pascoal - Hermeto Pascoal E Sua Visão Original Do Forró.
Best song in Portuguese language: Tiaco Iorc - Desconstrução.
Best recording engineering for an album: El Guincho, Brian Hernández, Jaycen Joshua and Chris Athens (El mal querer- Rosalía).
Producer of the year: Tony Succar.
Best music video short version: Kany García and Residente - Banana papaya.
Best music video long version: Alejandro Sanz - Lo que fui es lo que soy