SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) – Colombian singing star Shakira and Argentine DJ Bizarrap won song of the year and best pop song at the Latin Grammys Awards in the southern Spanish city of Seville, the first time the ceremony has been held outside the United States.
Seville is the cradle of flamenco, a fiery music genre that has influenced generations of artists around the world.
Latin American female performers swept most of the top awards in at Thursday’s late-night gala. In addition to Shakira and DJ Bizarrap’s wins, Colombia’s Karol G took album of the year for “Manana Sera Bonito” (“Tomorrow will be beautiful”).
Last year’s album of the year winner singer-songwriter Rosalia of Spain kicked off the event with a flamenco-themed rendition of “Se nos rompio el amor” (“Our Love Has Broken”), drawing an ecstatic response from attendees.
“Seville is the birthplace of flamenco. Imagine representing what you have inside you and that people like it and are enjoying it. I’m very proud,” Spanish singer Omar Montes told Reuters on the sidelines.
(Reporting by Mariano Valladolid, Elena Rodriguez; writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
