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The Latin Grammys
Aired September 03, 2003 - 13:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're talking about Latin music and I just want to tell you.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: What is that, Juanes?
O'BRIEN: Can you read this? This is - can you zoom in on that? This is what they think of us right here with the pronunciations. Do you see those pronunciations there? Merengue, lum-bah-dah.
PHILLIPS: Lambada and merengue.
O'BRIEN: That's exactly what they think about our intelligence quotient here.
PHILLIPS: Do you hear Juanes? He is sexy. Bring that up a little bit. Juanes.
O'BRIEN: Juanes.
PHILLIPS: He is hot. Look at that. People in Miami are going to have plenty of time to practice their move. I'm telling you.
O'BRIEN: Okay.
PHILLIPS: That's right, we're talking about the Latin Grammy Awards.
O'BRIEN: The Latin Grammy Awards. Musicians have completed their last minute sound tracks.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
O'BRIEN: And the stage is set for the rhythm to move you.
PHILLIPS: Well, the Latin Grammys promise to be one hot ticket. Once again, can you say muy caliente?
O'BRIEN: Muy caliente. This is not for everyone.
Our Lucia Newman looks at why some of the biggest nominees won't be there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zenaida Romeo, she's the first and most famous female orchestra conductor, has lived for music all her life. But when she was nominated for a Latin Grammy this year, she discovered, like Cinderella, that she couldn't go to the ball.
The event is in Miami, home to influential Cuban exiles who say Cuban musicians like Zenaida who live in Cuba are agents of Fidel Castro.
"That's ridiculous," she says. "All I do is what three generations of my family have done, make Cuban music. What I am is an agent and promoter of Cuban culture."
She's not alone. Nearly a dozen Cuban musicians or groups, like the popular salsa group, the Van Van, won't be attending the Latin Grammy ceremony.
(on camera): Technically, it's because their visa applications to the United States was submitted to the U.S. diplomatic mission that you see behind me too late. But infuriated Cuban nominees say the Latin Grammy organizers didn't send them an invitation until it was too late to get a visa because of pressures from Cuban exiles.
FRANCISCO FORMEL, MGR., "LOS VAN" (through translator): It's indisputable that the Academy was under pressure and it seems that it caved in to those pressures.
NEWMAN (voice-over): Latin music superproducer Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria Estefan, claims music and politics don't mix. But...
EMILIO ESTEFAN: I think it would be the biggest (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to have the Grammys in Miami and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NEWMAN: Cuban nominees are angry, but insist it's not their loss.
FORMEL (through translator): To take Cuba out of a Latin music event is like trying to make bread without flour.
NEWMAN: So while music may be the universal language that's supposed to unite people, when it comes to Cuba, all bets are off.
Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 3, 2003 - 13:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're talking about Latin music and I just want to tell you.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: What is that, Juanes?
O'BRIEN: Can you read this? This is - can you zoom in on that? This is what they think of us right here with the pronunciations. Do you see those pronunciations there? Merengue, lum-bah-dah.
PHILLIPS: Lambada and merengue.
O'BRIEN: That's exactly what they think about our intelligence quotient here.
PHILLIPS: Do you hear Juanes? He is sexy. Bring that up a little bit. Juanes.
O'BRIEN: Juanes.
PHILLIPS: He is hot. Look at that. People in Miami are going to have plenty of time to practice their move. I'm telling you.
O'BRIEN: Okay.
PHILLIPS: That's right, we're talking about the Latin Grammy Awards.
O'BRIEN: The Latin Grammy Awards. Musicians have completed their last minute sound tracks.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
O'BRIEN: And the stage is set for the rhythm to move you.
PHILLIPS: Well, the Latin Grammys promise to be one hot ticket. Once again, can you say muy caliente?
O'BRIEN: Muy caliente. This is not for everyone.
Our Lucia Newman looks at why some of the biggest nominees won't be there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zenaida Romeo, she's the first and most famous female orchestra conductor, has lived for music all her life. But when she was nominated for a Latin Grammy this year, she discovered, like Cinderella, that she couldn't go to the ball.
The event is in Miami, home to influential Cuban exiles who say Cuban musicians like Zenaida who live in Cuba are agents of Fidel Castro.
"That's ridiculous," she says. "All I do is what three generations of my family have done, make Cuban music. What I am is an agent and promoter of Cuban culture."
She's not alone. Nearly a dozen Cuban musicians or groups, like the popular salsa group, the Van Van, won't be attending the Latin Grammy ceremony.
(on camera): Technically, it's because their visa applications to the United States was submitted to the U.S. diplomatic mission that you see behind me too late. But infuriated Cuban nominees say the Latin Grammy organizers didn't send them an invitation until it was too late to get a visa because of pressures from Cuban exiles.
FRANCISCO FORMEL, MGR., "LOS VAN" (through translator): It's indisputable that the Academy was under pressure and it seems that it caved in to those pressures.
NEWMAN (voice-over): Latin music superproducer Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria Estefan, claims music and politics don't mix. But...
EMILIO ESTEFAN: I think it would be the biggest (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to have the Grammys in Miami and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NEWMAN: Cuban nominees are angry, but insist it's not their loss.
FORMEL (through translator): To take Cuba out of a Latin music event is like trying to make bread without flour.
NEWMAN: So while music may be the universal language that's supposed to unite people, when it comes to Cuba, all bets are off.
Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
