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SEPTEMBER 13, 2000

Native music afficianados might want to pay attention to tonight's broadcast of the Latin Grammys.

In a few years, or maybe more, depending on whom you ask, Bill Miller and Indigenous might be the ones accepting top honors in a Native American awards show, just as Latin music hopefuls like Shakira, a young Columbian singer, and Mana, a rock band from Mexico, might do this evening.

Once limited to a category in the Grammy awards ceremony held in February of each year, Latin music has now blossomed into its own separate event. Genres range from regional styles like the Mexican norteño to pop to jazz to rock and Brazilian music (in Portuguese, of course).

Will Native music ever get its own award show on the same scale as the Latin Grammys? Well, it already has one, thanks to the Native American Music Awards. The third annual show will be held in November in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Undoubtedly, an awards show on par with the Latin Grammys would do wonders for the Native music industry. The addition of a category for traditional Native music has been heralded by Native musicians, producers, and others as a step in the right direction.

But do Native artists want their own separate Grammy awards ceremony? That question is still up for debate, but many artists have indicated they would rather compete in the appropriate genre category in the Grammy awards than be placed in a separate show.

So, tune in tonight for the CBS broadcast of the awards ceremony. Beginning at 9PM Eastern Standard Time, the evening will also be populated by non-Latin artists and celebrities, including boy band N'Sync.

Relevant Links:
The Latin Grammys - grammy.com/laras/awards.html
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences - grammy.com
The Native American Music Awards - www.nativeamericanmusic.com
PROTIX - www.protix.com

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