Septeto Santiaguero and El Canario deserving Latin Grammy

Cuban music was once again news on the night of November 15, when the Latin Grammy Awards Gala announced that the A mi qué :tribute to the Cuban classics phonogram of the Septeto Santiaguero and El Canario was worthy of the award in the category "Best Traditional Tropical Album". 

The director of the group, Fernando Dewar, upon receiving the gramophone at the MGM hotel in the US city of Las Vegas, thanked José Alberto "el Canario" and expressed his conviction that to continue making music that should not die because it is our root. He added that this union between Dominicans and Cubans has been very good, and it is the one that has to exist among all Latinos.

In that category the productions were also finalists La fiesta continúa of the Sonora Santanera, Omara siempre of Omara Portuondo, Motivos of the Venezuelan Maria Rivas and Medoro Madera of Poeta de la Salsa. 

In addition to Septeto Santiaguero and Omara Portuondo, for Cuba they had nominations in this edition of the musical awards Diego Gutiérrez, with Palante el mambo!, in the category of Best Tropical Fusion Album; Telmary, with Fuerza Arará (Best Alternative Music Album); and Alexander Abreu and Havana D'Primera, with Cantor del Pueblo (Best Salsa Album).

Also competed for the award by avowed maestro Leo Brouwer, in the section of Best Classical Music Album, with the recording of his work El libro de los signos, double concert for guitar and orchestra by Brazil Guitar Duo (Joao Luiz and Douglas Lora) and the Delaware Symphony.

Also, the Cuban singer Aymee Nuviola, settled in the United States, was the winner of the gramophone for the Best Tropical Fusion Album with the album Como anillo al dedo.

In 2015 the Septeto Santiaguero won its first Latin Grammy along with El Canario, with the volume No quiero llanto, tributo a Los Compadres, in the category of Best Traditional Tropical Album. In that same year, they were deserving of the Excelencias Prize for being among the main exponents of Cuban traditional music and achieving recognition in particular of the traditional trova of Santiago de Cuba.