January 31, 2010

By By Ayala Ben-Yehuda, L.A.

Few surprises were in store Sunday in the Latin category at the 52nd Grammy Awards, with Spanish pop group La Quinta Estaci?n winning a Grammy for Latin pop album and Calle 13 winning for Latin rock, alternative or urban album. Calle 13's "Los de Atr?s Vienen Conmigo" had already won album of the year and best urban album at the Latin Grammys last fall.

La Quinta Estaci?n, which had lost out to Mexican pop group Reik in the pop album category at the Latin Grammys, bested alternative artist Natalia LaFourcade, tropical artist Francisco Cespedes, pop diva Paulina Rubio and singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona for the best Latin pop album Grammy. Salsa star Luis Enrique's "Ciclos" reprised its best salsa album Latin Grammy win from last fall by winning a Grammy for best tropical Latin album. In accepting his award, Enrique said he "came to the United States in 1978 with a bag full of dreams," running away from the civil war in Nicaragua. He dedicated his Grammy to "all the people in my country who are still struggling to make a better life."

Best regional Mexican album went to ranchera icon Vicente Fernandez' "Necesito de Ti." Best norte?o album went to perennial favorites Los Tigres del Norte for "Tu Noche Con...Los Tigres del Norte." Best Tejano album went to Los Texmaniacs' "Borders y Bailes" on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

In one upset, Lupillo Rivera's "Tu Esclavo y Amo" bested current hitmakers La Arrolladora Banda el Limon for best banda album.

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