Latin Grammys Under Fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Latin Grammy Nominees Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club, jazz pianist Chucho Valdes, salsa singer Isaac Delgado and pop singer Andres Alen are at the center of a controversy between Junta Patriotica Cubana, a Cuban American anti-Castro group, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the organization that hosts both the Grammys and the Latin Grammys.

Junta Patriotica Cubana charge that only Cuban-born artists who are supporters of Fidel Castro's communist government are permitted to participate in the event. The organization plans to mount a rally of several hundred people outside the Los Angeles Forum, where the awards will take place, on September 11th. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in Miami but was moved last month due to concern over protests.

In response to the new threat of protests, Senior Vice President/Executive Director of the Latin Recording Academy Enrique Fernandez issued a statement saying, "I personally met with protest organizers who represent different Cuban exile groups. I explained to them that we are here to celebrate excellence in Latin music, regardless of who produces it or where it's produced. They emphasized that their protest was not against the Academy or the Latin Grammys, but against the participation of Cuban artists. We at the Latin Recording Academy support everyone's right to express their views."

The Latin Grammys will be broadcast live on CBS from 9 to 11 p.m. Christina Aguilera, who is nominated for two awards, will co-host with actor Jimmy Smits. Carlos Santana, Jose Angel Hevia, Marc Anthony and Alejandro Sanz with Destiny's Child are among the performers.