Latin Grammys: Banda El Recodo takes another turn

He's too modest. Banda El Recodo walked away with four of the six banda album Latin Grammy trophies. At Thursday night's seventh annual Latin Grammy Awards, the ensemble is nominated again for 2005's Hay Amor .

We would love to really be the owners of that category, so that we aren't nervous about what is going to happen each time the Latin Grammy Awards come around, says Mr. Liz rraga, 35, by phone from Burbank, Calif. We are happy and we are hard workers and we feel so fortunate to be nominated.

Let's see what happens. We are the only Mexican group to have the opportunity to win four times.
The 17-member banda's only serious competition this year is fellow Mexican Joan Seb stian, up for his successful M s All del Sol.

Mr. Seb stian scored a best banda album Latin Grammy in 2003 for Afortunado.
How important are industry awards for Mr.

Liz rraga and his Recodo mates? After all, the late Don Cruz Liz rraga, the undisputed patriarch of the banda movement, founded the historic group 68 years ago. Recodo has been going strong ever since and shows no signs of slowing down, consistently releasing a studio CD a year and touring regularly.

A lot of people say that awards are no big deal, but everything is important in life, he says. The recognition of the public is the most marvelous thing. They applaud for you, they express their love for you and they aren't even family.

There are no words to express that. To win awards is like winning another medal for the uniform.
Mr.

Liz rraga, who joined Recodo in 1992, while his brother Joel, became a member in 2000, cherishes the traditions. At its core, Banda El Recodo upholds the hallmarks of the banda sound the booming tuba, hearty brass section, jaunty rhythms and songs with a ranchera feel.
Still, with youth comes experimentation.

Mr. Liz rraga and his brother have given Recodo a hip musical makeover. They frequently experiment with melodic, Latin pop balladry and tropical touches (a little bit of salsa and even merengue to go with the cumbia beat) on their discs.

It's prevalent in Hay Amor and also in the new M s Fuerte Que Nunca, which features a pop ballad ( Como Te Va Sin Mi ) and two tropical tunes ( Apreta'o, Apreta'o and Quiero Que Me Des Un Beso ) delivered within the banda framework.
The record is traditional and it's part of the banda fabric, the traditions of Sinaloa where we are from, says Mr. Liz rraga.

We want people to transport themselves to the roots when they hear our music. 'Como Te Va Sin Mi' is a ranchera, a love song. You can take a ballad to the ranchera music, to the banda music.

You can do anything as long as you feel it.
It stems from the roots, he says.
Tropical music for us is cumbia.

We have always in our records included music that is rhythmic, that has a tropical flavor. It gives it a different touch. We want people to say that Banda El Recodo is a very versatile band.

Staying fresh is important for any musical entity, even one with almost seven decades of staying power. But there's a precariously fine line between maintaining traditions alive for the purists and incorporating new styles and sounds for the next generation.
Mr.

Liz rraga and his Banda have that duality covered.
We have always been a traditional group but within that traditionalism we need to keep that freshness, he says. We are in constant evolution searching for what people want to hear.

We need to keep actualizing ourselves. Our public is of many generations. .

.. This is a work in progress.

For those keeping score of the seventh annual Latin Grammy Awards competitors, here are five nominees who command attention, either artistically or commercially. Some are shoo-ins to win, while some are just cool contenders.

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Nominations: Record of the year for La Tortura; album of the year for Fijaci n Oral Vol.

1; song of the year for La Tortura; best female pop vocal album for Fijaci n Oral Vol. 1; best short form music video for La Tortura.
Back story: She's the star of the show, no doubt, and deservedly so.

Colombia's Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (now you know why she uses only her first name professionally) crafted the best album of her career with the contemporary, expansive, smart and catchy Fijaci n Oral Vol. 1 and its irresistible single La Tortura. Expect several victories.

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Nominations: Record and song of the year for Acompa ame a Estar Solo; best male pop vocal album for Adentro; best short form music video for Mojado.
Back story: It's about time Guatemala's Mr. Arjona takes home a Latin Grammy.

Come on now, Latin Recording Academy. He's only the most consistently poetic, dramatic and melodic singer-songwriter today. These are the most nominations he's received in one year.

Adentro merits all its nods and more.

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Nominations: Song of the year for Tu Coraz n; best new artist.
Back story: Cuban newcomer wrote every song solo on her self-titled debut, including the pop-flamenco single, Tu Coraz n, a spirited duet with Spain's Alejandro Sanz.

The rest of the disc showcases her command of melody and rhythms. It's a promising debut, and the fact that she snagged two big-category nominations bodes well for her future.

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Nominations: Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) album for Segundo; best Brazilian song for Caminho das guas; producer of the year.

Back story: Last year's surprise new artist winner returns with three nominations, including producer of the year for the work on her breezy, rhythmic sophomore CD, Segundo. The best MPB award is almost surely hers, especially since she has name recognition with the Latin Recording Academy now.

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Nominations: Best new artist; best urban music album for Calle 13; best short form music video for Atr vete Te, Te!

Back story: The most talked about nominee of the year. Calle 13 is the moniker for Puerto Rico's Ren P rez Joglar a.k.

a. Residente and half-brother Eduardo Jos Cabra Mart nez a.k.

a. Visitante. The duo's debut album offers a hodge-podge of urban styles, mainly reggaeton and hip-hop, but also incorporates a loose, electronic vibe to go with playful, streetwise lyrics.