Latin Grammy to Manuel Barrueco for Best Contemporary Classical Work/Composition

November 22, 2021

The Latin Grammy for Best contemporary classical work/composition in 2021 went to Cuban guitarist Manuel Barrueco for his album Music From Cuba And Spain, Sierra: Sonata para guitarra, by composer Roberto Sierra.

The original idea for this album was to explore the musical connections between Cuba and Spain, but later Barrueco deemed it appropriate to include Sierra's Sonata for Guitar, a Puerto Rican composer.

The award was presented on Thursday night in Las Vegas, United States, at a ceremony where Cubans won 6 of the coveted Latin Grammy 2021 awards.

"Patria y Vida" was the winning song on the historic night for Cuban music. Its composers took home the award for Best Song of the Year and in a parallel ceremony to the gala, at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, they were also given the award for Best Urban Song of the Year.

Another Cuban group that won a Latin Grammy was the legendary Orquesta Aragón, for Cha cha chá: Homenaje a lo tradicional as the Best Traditional Tropical Album. This album is a collaboration with Cuban musicians Alain Pérez and Issac Delgado who were also present at the ceremony.

Another Cuban award winner was Gloria Estefan who won the award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for Brazil 305.

Also awarded at the 2021 Latin Grammys was Cuban pianist, composer, and producer Iván "Melón" Lewis, with the award for Best Latin Jazz Album for Voyager. This Cuban also resides outside the island, in Spain.

Manuel Barrueco, winner of the Latin Grammy for Best contemporary classical work/composition, is an acclaimed Cuban guitarist. He was born in Santiago de Cuba and emigrated to the United States in 1967. He completed his higher music studies at the Peabody Conservatory in the city of Baltimore, where he works as a professor.

This is the third time he has been nominated for the Latin Grammys. In 2007 Barrueco was nominated for Best instrumental performance by a soloist, with his album Solo Piazzolla.

Additionally, his album Sounds of the Americas, in collaboration with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, received a Latin Grammy in 2009 for the song "Inca Dances" by Gabriela Lena Frank as "Best Contemporary Classical Music Composition".