Tuesday, December 27, 2011

An open letter to Gabriel Abaroa, CEO of the Latin Grammys and President of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Dear Mr. Gabriel Abaroa:

It has been established that the Latin Grammy Award is a music award that the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS) uses  to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The Latin Grammy honors music produced anywhere around the world that were recorded in either Spanish or Portuguese. The winners of the awards have to go through a nominating and voting process, in which the selections are decided by peers within the music industry which are members of the Academy.
It has been frustrating to see that most of the artists performing during the Award ceremony for the past few years have been essentially the same and that artists that belong to major record labels continue to be winners. For example, during the 12th Annual Award festivities, most of the winners were from Sony.
From the major categories, for example, General, Pop,  Urban, Rock, Video, and Production, Sony won  11, Warner won 4 and EMI won 2. Why is it that independent record labels rarely win an award?  It has been established that You have an interest in a private Florida Corporation that deals with the download of music, Wireless Latin Entertainment (WILAEN).

See reference: http://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ConvertTiffToPDF?storagePath=COR%5C2010%5C0107%5C65090100.tif&documentNumber=P02000000068

(see January 7, 2010 Annual Report)

After some heated discussion throughout the Internet, your name was deleted from the corporate documents.

(Above link see last Annual Report)

It is well known that WILAEN has done business deals with Sony, EMI and Warner.  Is this the reason why these 3 companies have won most of the Latin Grammys?  Let’s not forget Universal, which has their Latin entertainment company for the download of music. Is that the reason why Universal did not earn many awards during the 12th Annual event?

An interesting fact is that during the 2009 Latin Grammy Award show, 16 of the artists performing or presenting were featured in your WILAEN Internet webpage. Is this a coincidence?
Another important question for you to answer is: are the Latin Grammys a fair and honest award?
Let’s begin with the “fairness”. You have graciously stated that this year there were approximately 6,000 songs submitted to the Latin Grammy award process. Do you think, in all honesty, that the Members of the Academy have enough time to listen and evaluate all of the songs submitted? Or do Academy members vote based on friendship, exchange of votes, influences, monetary incentives (voting pool) or kickbacks? The Members of the Academy should vote for the merits of the songs!
Another disturbing fact is that there are executives and employees of major record labels that sit in the
evaluating committees, to give an opinion and vote, on which category a song should be included into.
This is disturbing because it is a “conflict of interest”, as these persons will benefit their own record label and artists. It seems this practice has not changed at all and the Academy has done nothing to “purify”
this practice method.  Furthermore, it has been noted that whenever an artist criticizes the Latin Grammys , the next year, the Academy will “throw” an award at the artist; like saying: “here it is, just shut up and leave us alone!”

The article Wisin & Yandel no asistiran a los premios Grammy Latino is a perfect example of this.
En medio de la promoción de su disco “Wisin y Yandel presentan la Mente Maestra”, el dúo Wisin & Yandel reveló ayer, martes, durante una conferencia de prensa que no asistirán a los premios Grammy Latino por sentir que no se les ha tratado como merecen. (Written by: Bachata Blog ).

In 2008, Puertorican artists Wisin & Yandel criticized the Latin Grammys because they did not win a Latin Grammy. http://www.wikiton.net/aun-con-la-critica-agradecen-premio-grammy-latino

Similarly, Venezuelan singer Franco de Vita voiced his discontent with The Latin Grammy organization in several occasions.

Subsequently, Franco de Vita was  the winner of 2 Latin Grammys in the 12th Annual Award Show.

Furthermore, another famous Mexican artist, Thalia, has strongly criticized the Latin Grammys;

Tego Calderon, reggeatoner, also criticized The Latin Grammy awards;

La India , also strongly criticized The Latin Grammy organization;

“La Comay”, a Puerto Rican doll also criticized The Latin Grammys” for the way the award was handed to Gilberto Santarosa;

Another example of criticism of the Latin Grammys is provided by Puerto Rican singer Willy Colon, who explains in detail the relation of major record labels  with The Latin Grammys;

Finally, another major criticism comes from a Mexican singer –songwriter Aleks Syntek. Interestingly, he not only strongly criticizes the Latin Grammys but the process of voting, stating that in general Mexicans have anapathy toward the Latin Grammys. He goes on to say that managers should pay the artist’s fees to become members of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts so those artists can vote for him or other Mexican artists. This is sort of insinuating the creation of a “Mexican voting pool”. Where was the President of the Academy Mr. Gabriel Abaroa when Syntek did this interview? This is not a joke!
This is the same mechanism to secure votes  that has been suggested for the famous “voting pool” that already exists. It has been said that in Columbia and Venezuela, as well as other South and Central American  and Caribbean countries the “voting pool” is already established.

We have to admit that The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, guided by you, has accomplished great things. One of them is the TV partnership you have been able to arrange to help produce the Latin Grammy show. But what’s the price?  It is known that Univision actively participates
In the selection of the artists performing and hosting the show as well as the location the show will take place.

Another important thing You have been able to accomplish is to harass people who promote artists such as Moses;

Herein is an excerpt from the blog :
“So… It seems officials at The Latin Grammys have taken issue with my First Amendment rights. You may remember that several weeks ago I emailed you about a client of mine, named Vayo. He is a hard working artist who is not using any major PR machinery to help bolster votes in the Grammy Awards theater. I asked you, as one of my readers, that you consider him for several categories. Many of you emailed back that his music was phenomenal. He thanks you.
But, instead of embracing this artist’s rights activist’s desire to help a solid professional talent with some good old-fashioned, 100% American, grass roots word of mouth hyping, LARAS’ president, Gabriel Abaroa, chose instead to threaten me for tainting the “organic” voting process.
“Solicitation of votes is not condoned by us,” said Abaroa in his angry email to me. Adding, “you have gone too far.”

Really!?! I’ve gone too far?!?! Imagine that. Ironic considering that LARAS is an organization claiming to be all about helping artists express themselves. Why is the idea of an artist that does not make headlines getting on the ballot a threat to NARAS’ little brother?
Do they actually want me (and the rest of you) to swallow the propaganda that NO ONE solicits votes for the Grammys?

So… no one EVER, emails people to suggest that they consider a nominee? Ever? Managers never try to raise awareness for their clients? Really? What kind of managers are they? Producers don’t ask peers to vote for nominated artists they worked with? Really?
If LARAS is serious about this policy then perhaps they should start by automatically eliminating ANYONE who whispers about a nominee. And NARAS, their big brother, should do the same.

Certainly, Abaroa’s position is simple. Abaroa is wasting his precious time in sending an e-mail to Moses, but on the other hand, Abaroa’s peers do not need to advertise because they are already in the “inner circle”. For example, do you know how many artists from Warner Music have won the Best New Artist Category in the past 4 years ? THREE (3). Does this have to do with “inner circle” influence?  Obviously!  Well, guess who is Warner Music manager for new artist development? Your younger brother, Alejandro Abaroa.
Mr. Gabriel Abaroa continues with deceptive commentaries during an interview with the LA Times:
“The academy remains a relatively lean operation, however, said its president, Gabriel Abaroa. Each year, he said, its core staff of 10 people relies heavily on a group of about 350 volunteers to listen to and classify all the recordings. The more money the organization saves on overhead costs, said Abaroa, the more it can focus on promoting new talent.” http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/05/entertainment/et-latin-grammys5

Promoting new talent? I did not know that one of the duties of Mr Abaroa and the Academy of Recording Arts was to “promote” new talent. For the past few years, I have been able to observe the artists participating during the Award show are usually the same. To mention a few: Shakira, Paulina Rubio, Mana, Tigres del Norte, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Trevi, Belanova, Belinda ….and so on. The great majority are Mexicans and definitely not “new talent.”

During the past, 12th Annual Award show, I noticed a few unusual circumstances. The first one was the opening of the show with Calle 13 and the National Venezuelan Band. It is well known
that Calle 13 and Gustavo Dudamel (director of the Band) are Hugo Chavez’s puppets. The general public believes that the opening of the show by these radical, leftist personalities was of bad taste. It is well known throughout Latin America, that Hugo Chavez “buys” everything he can with money. So, my question is: did Chavez, in any way, influence  Calle 13’s  nine Latin Grammy wins? I would not doubt it!

I think that The Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Univision should be ashamed of this situation. This is completely unacceptable. It is known that The Latin Grammy has an award show coordinating committee which deals with the choosing of the presenters and performers and that Univision has a lot of power in the selection of who participates.

In recent years, I have noticed an increased percentage of leftist nominees and winners. I doubt the Members (in general) of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts have anything to do with this because most of them suffer from apathy towards the Academy. And most of them do not vote.
Maybe that is why you were recently in Mexico trying to convince artists that belong to major record labels to become members of LARAS.

Interestingly, and even though I personally do not like Calle 13 and the genre of Regeaton, I think what Univision and the Academy did to Calle 13 was disrespectful. When Calle 13 mentioned “payola”, the TV cameras and microphones were changed to the presenters.
But again, what can we expect from Univision and The Latin Grammys. Years ago Univision had to settle a lawsuit with the Federal Government because of the “payola.”

 Despite of the settlement, “payola” continues and it is known that most of the Univision entertainment programs request payment to present artists. Oh, and do not forget Mr. Abaroa’s private company Wireless Latin Entertainment, which in 2009, was featuring 16 artists that were also participating as presenters/performers during the Latin Grammy Award show. The way I see it, there are different kinds of “payolas”, not necessarily involving money, but perhaps favors and kickbacks as well.

Mr. Abaroa, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts is going through a major crises; a crises of
deception and apathy ! The Academy needs to change the process of  music selection, the process of “voting” ( if voting in the Latin Grammy can in reality be called a “vote”), and most importantly the process of disclosure ( “ conflict of interest” issues- like the one you personally
have with Wireless Latin Entertainment). Unless the Academy takes critical steps to change
“modus operandi”, The Latin Grammys will continue to be tainted and cannot be considered a prestigious organization.