A bilingual evening with many high points.
One thing you cannot say about the 2024 Latin AMAs, which aired live Thursday night (April 25) on the Univision network, is that it lacked guts. Beyond its 21 performances on the evening, the awards featured many up-and-coming acts, as well as a group of hosts that included two music stars, Thalia and Becky G. Perhaps most interestingly, these hosts spoke in both English and Spanish, making this the first Latin music awards show in memory that was fully bilingual.
While we definitely appreciate the effort — and while we get Becky G’s much-touted 200% concept (as in, she is 100% American and 100% Latina) — the mix of Spanish and English sounded just too pat or downright forced. Yes, many of us do Spanglish, but because it comes naturally, not because someone made us do it.
Still, we have to applaud the willingness to experiment — which leads us to the performances themselves. When you feature 21 performances in a single evening, it’s a lot to digest, and also, a lot of quality to maintain. The challenge is bigger considering that many of these performances featured multiple acts simultaneously on stage. This took a lot of choreography. Still, the Latin AMAs managed to do an excellent job of keeping the pace flowing and the show moving at a fast clip — and in terms of staging and production, many of the performances were very pared down and simpler than, say, the Latin Grammys.
That didn’t detract from the show. On the contrary, it was refreshing to see acts like Marc Anthony and Morat simply perform and deliver without all the bells and whistles. However, in a sea of 21 performances, encompassing a huge range of genres, ages and styles, some things were definitely more compelling than others.
Here are all 21 performances, ranked from our least to most favorite.
The Academy (Sech, J Quiles, Lenny Tavarez, Dalex, Dimelo Flow)
Sech, J Quiles, Lenny Tavarez and Dímelo Flow, all stars in their own right, record together as The Academy, and recently released their second album, Segunda Misión. While the set works as an ensemble piece, the live performance felt formulaic and run-of-the-mill. Haven’t we seen this before? Actually, yes.
Gabito Ballesteros
At only 24 years old, Gabito Ballesteros is a thrilling live performer. On Thursday night, despite playing live with his full band, that excitement didn’t quite translate for his renditions of hits “LouLou” and “El Boss.” The music was solid, but Ballesteros, usually exuberant on a stage, looked constrained within this performance space.
Wisin and Mora
All those beautiful pink outfits notwithstanding — plus the scaffolding, which gave extra drama to the opening of the song — Wisin and Mora’s rendition of “Bien Locos” sounded and felt predictable.
Farruko and Ky-Mani Marley
Farruko is so enormously talented that it’s really a joy to watch him sing almost anything. At this point, however, we just know that any performance of his at an award show will exhort those watching to live a higher life and to turn to God. Specifically, “Confía” is a call to do better that questions reliance on material, unimportant things. Farruko performed it soulfully and passionately — but we knew it was coming, and the message loses effect when repeated so often. Adding Ky-Mani Marley to the mix for a rendition of “Rasta Reggae” was a good idea, but this performance would have been better with just that one song.
Chino Pacas
Chino Pacas is just 18 but he packs a punch. His “El Gordo Trael el Mando” and “Tunechi” had attitude, and his band, playing on a dark, hazy stage, gave extra drama. The performance was too long for our taste; one song would have been enough to leave us wanting more.
Becky G and Oscar Maydon
So much potential in this pairing: Maydon, one of the rising stars of the new Mexican music movement, debuted at the Latin AMAs sounding and acting assured, but this performance came later in the show, after other, similar songs. Becky G’s participation, appearing near the end of the song, felt a little like an afterthought. Still, it’s nice two see young Mexican artists bring different sounds together.
Anitta and Brray
On the eve of her new album’s release, Anitta was edgy and funky in her renditions of “Double Team” and “Sabana,” the second along Brray. The staging in the middle of the number, with Brray and Anitta on opposite sides of a metal fence, was cool and unexpected. But, the performance would go up a notch with new choreography or perhaps a new approach that doesn’t incorporate an abundance of twerking. It’s really not required.
Yng Lvcas
The Mexican reggaetonero is definitely coming into his own. While “Jimmy Choo” may be run-of-the-mill, Yng Lvcas looked and sounded very assured and totally commanded the stage. This is an artist whose growth has been steady and consistent and leaves us eager to see more.
Venesti, Nacho and Milo Beat
it was refreshing to see Venesti, a new artist, getting a spot on the Latin AMAs, and in the finale, no less. Together with Nacho and Milo Beat, he performed “No es normal,” which sounds very much like Chino y Nacho’s “Mi niña bonita.” It was sweet and refreshing, but perhaps not the best show-ender.
Thalia and Deorro
The Latin music queen opened the Latin AMAs with a campy, over-the-top rendition of “Te Va a Dolor,” with DJ Deorro providing the backdrop for her performance (along with a battalion of dancers). The norteño arrangements, mixed with a little rap, plus Deorro’s beats, was plain fun. Not to mention Thalia’s futuristic outfit, leotard and all. Few artists can pull this off.
Carin León
The man can definitely sing. And in the now-crowded world of mainstream Mexican music, the fact that he’s into more melodic fare makes him stand out even more. Singing initially from his perch on a couch, surrounded by a smaller version of his band, León was confident and emotional, and the lyrics to “Cuando la vida es trago” –narrating the story of a ne’er do well– certainly kept us engaged. It was a nice respite in a very up-tempo show.
Noel Schajris and Jennifer Nettles
The fact that this was a pre-taped performance, filmed at a rooftop with Schajris playing the piano and singing along with Nettles, doesn’t detract from its beauty. Nettles provided the “crossover” element to the awards, which for all its bilingual hosting, lacked bilingual performances. Such an intimate performance, though, would have benefitted from a more intimate setting.
Marc Anthony
Let’s start by saying Marc Anthony can do no wrong, especially when he’s singing live, as he does on all award shows. So, watching him do his new single, “Ale Ale,” backed by a full band (directed by Sergio George) and with a battalion of dancers, is a thrill. It would be a bigger thrill if “Ale Ale” didn’t sound so similar to “Vivir Mi Vida,” but we can live with that.
Ryan Castro
The Colombian reggaetonero wins major points for going beyond his comfort zone. His new album, El Cantante del Ghetto, channels his inner Hector Lavoe, as did his performance of the title track, backed by a full salsa band. Part two, the single “Quema,” went more urban, but still with that big salsa sound. It was a new and different mix for the singer. Bravo.
Yandel feat. Feid, Farruko and Jay Wheeler
Yandel, honored with the Pioneer award, performed a medley of hits with a wildly divergent cast of characters: Feid, Farruko and Jay Wheeler. It highlighted the veteran artist’s history, as well the depth of his repertoire. There were ups and downs here, of course, but overwhelmingly, there was heart and respect and emotion, and that carried through.
Jay Wheeler and Zhamira
Jay Wheeler premiered his new album today, but at the Latin AMAs he chose to sing “Extrañándote” with his wife Zhamira. What a pleasant surprise: We know, of course, that one of Wheeler’s claims-to-fame is he has a beautiful voice steeped in soul and R&B. But he really brought it home in this power ballad performance, with Zhamira’s sweet vocals providing a sincere and heartfelt contrast. Plus, we deeply appreciate hearing a song from beginning to end, rather than breaking every single thing up into a medley.
Danny Ocean
Wow Danny Ocean, you have really grown. The Venezuelan star delivered a high-energy performance that was unexpected in its mishmash of styles, its troupe of male dancers, its edginess and its self-affirming lyrics. Ocean pointing out the July 28 date on his t-shirt –election day in Venezuela– gave an unexpected (and appropriate) touch of activism.
Morat
We’ve placed Morat high on our list, not just because we loved their performance, but also because we applaud the Latin AMAs for having a pop-rock act perform a full song on their show. Morat is a tight band with rock attitude that benefits from great songwriting. They brought anthemic pop rock to the Latin music award show space with “Faltas tú,” and we are grateful for that.
Ricardo Montaner with Thalia, Manuel Medrano, Silvestre Dangond and DJ Adoni
The legacy Award winner was the definition of legacy during his performance, delivering a medley that kicked off with Sergio George on the piano and Manuel Medrano in tow to sing “Yo Que Te Amé.” Then, he transitioned to a salsa version of “La Cima del Cielo” with Thalia and ended with the ’90s classic “Vamos Pa’ La Conga,” a song he often plays live in concert, with Silvestre Dangond and DJ Adoni joining the party. The variety underscored Montaner’s versatility — salsa, ballad, conga! — but also his still-gorgeous voice. This was a well-deserved award accompanied by a top-rate performance.
Peso Pluma and Arcangel
How cool was this? You thought Peso Pluma was going to perform a corrido tumbao, right? But no: Leaning into his love of urban, Peso Pluma went trap, alongside Puerto Rican veteran Arcangel. Turns out Peso’s raspy, distinctive voice works very well in this format. Coupled with the simple, but very cool staging — the singers performed atop a two-story scaffolding — and the black outfits, the resulting performance of “Peso Completo” was surprising and effective.
Banda MS with Carin León, Los Dos de la S and AB Quintanilla
Banda MS, honored with the Latin AMA Legacy award, hit a home run with a performance that honored both legacy and future. Banda MS, one of the most venerable bands in Mexican music, made no bones about celebrating their traditions, clad in the matching outfits that have defined their look for decades. Their music was rich and powerful and unapologetically Mexican, and their entourage of guests — Los de la S, Carín León, and finally, AB Quintanilla, all in a rousing cumbia– were fun, but at their core, authentic. This was not an easy performance to stage, and yet it was musically excellent, bringing banda traditions to a contemporary stage.
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