I went to the Latin Grammys, but I didn’t see the show.

36 hours after the Latin Grammys ended, I am still trying to determine how I should present my experience. I feel like I need to write something but I want to avoid being overly negative. I am trying to be balanced. However, I think my title is actually quite accurate. That says it all (the good and bad). I went but didn’t see the show.

First off, I want to congratulate all the artists who either won or were nominated. Keep on creating! Plus, I thought from a logistical and production standpoint that the Latin Grammy people did a great job. I can’t even imagine how much work is involved.

However, I am a blogger not a journalist. Perhaps, I see things differently. I went in with no notion of how my freshly minted press credentials would play out. This was in many ways a watershed moment for me in terms of HispanicTips and access. Or so I thought. As I didn’t get to see the show, I can only present you with my experience, a kind of limited behind the scenes view, a blogger’s view. If you want to know who won what etc I am sure I will be posting the press release with all those details soon.

Highlights

• Natalia Jiménez of La 5ª Estación looked better than I have ever seen her. I thought she was dazzling as she addressed the press where I was stationed
• Dayanara Torres imploring the press not to ask her about the divorce or being divorced after she was asked an idiotic question about sibling problems. I thought she was most eloquent and spot on. I hope the reporter who asked that question felt bad at least.
• The pre-party at an art gallery put on by NaCo and MTVTr3s. It was a lot of fun and I got to see/hear Mala Rodriquez up close. I stayed out way past my bedtime, though. Check out the photo to the right of a tripped out VW Beetle. My kudos go out to both of these companies.
• Meeting Maegan la Mala from VivirLatino.com - I swear Hispanic bloggers should be considered an extremely endangered species there are so few of us. We had a great time and I doubt I would have been able to handle the long day if not for her.
• Seeing all the artists - to numerous to list but is was great to see Juan Luis Guerra with all of his awards.
• Orishas and Calle 13 act for the cameras (see below)

Observations

Before I go into my observations, let me give you a mental picture of where I was. Media, I guess, was separated by some system. I was in a room for radio-print-tv (notice no web). This room was situated somewhere close to backstage but truthfully I wasn’t sure of direct relationship. There were 8 or 9 rows of tables with typical hotel chairs as well as the name on the media outlet designating assigned seating. There were TV sets around the room for watching the show. It had a White House press corp feeling combined with a bunker. At least, we were provided lunch and beverages.

• Where was the English-speaking media? I didn’t see any but I didn’t have access to the wire services so I must assume they were there. Last night, I managed to catch the 2 minute segment that Extra! had on the Latin Grammys. Please note that it wasn’t a lead off story but buried in the middle and I don’t believe that it made even one mention of winners and that includes Juan Luis Guerra, the night’s big winner. What did they talk about? JLo’s pregnancy and a couple of other things.
• Was the show good? I must ask because I hardly got to see any of it. First off one 60 inch plasma would have been better than all of the cruddy TVs they had in the room. Plus they didn’t have CC3 so no English translation for the press. However, what was most annoying was that every time they brought a presenter or artist before this room of press, they cut out the audio of the show. So what do I focus on, the artist before me or the muted show? They had the audacity to say that there was one small tv in the back that had CC3 and the show audio during this time. Thanks but isn’t that rude to the artist?
• I was in this room for 10 hours and 9 of those hours were as boring as hell. I am not sure how anyone could have maintained a good attitude. Artists were whisked in and whisked out while we stagnated in this room. Don’t get me wrong it was great to see up close Juan Luis Guerra, Ricky Martin, Laura Pausini and others but after 8 hours sitting on my duff in this lifeless room, I had had it.
• Did I mention that I was there 10 hours without the internet because to get internet I would have had to pay $1200. Luckily, I know how to twiddle my thumbs. I was prepared for this and had figured out how to post to HispanicTips using my cell phone. I even had aspirations of interviewing someone. However, I only did this until I read the back of my badge (more on this below). This one thing offended me almost more than anything else except for…
• I didn’t exactly feel comfortable or invited there. It felt more like I was tolerated and that I should be damn grateful that I even got this. I say this because of this pervasive feeling of control that exuded out of the event. I am including a picture of the back of my press credential. I felt sullied by this and by the fact that I had to wear it around my neck. I would rather have been escorted out than let them search me. And what is the point of having the press there if the can’t use cameras. (I saw the staff putting their hands in front of journalists cameras as they were trying to take pictures). Yet they let everyone use audio recorders even though the pass specifically said not to. If they went by the letter of this badge of dishonor then the mighty pen would have been banned as well for it in the hands of a human being is the oldest of recording devices.
• I felt like I was trapped in a capitalist Orwellian nightmare. Yeah, you can attend as press but pay $1200 to access the internet and don’t take pictures because we want you to use the wire services images ($$$$$) and if you piss us off we are going to treat you like a criminal. Hip hip hooray for America. If this is how they treat the press how did they treat the public I wonder?
• I am a blogger not a journalist or traditional media. Maybe this is the norm. I don’t know. All I know is that I didn’t feel good there and that even after 36 hours of letting my jets cool, I still had to write this. I assume I am inclined to think like this. After all, I am doing what I do with HispanicTips because of my passion for informing and celebrating all things Latin, Latino or Hispanic. I am independent by nature and the zealous control that I experienced runs against everything that I want or think human beings deserve.

Constructive Criticism

• It should be called Los Grammys Latinos. None of the press in my location asked questions in English. Only the staff spoke English. Most everything else was conducting in Spanish. This event is for the Spanish speaking world as evidenced by Extra’s coverage.
• Let us have the internet. What do you gain by charging us so much money?
• Have someone to greet us when we come in and tell us where we should sit.
• Give me dress code. I wore a suit not knowing what to expect but I could have worn jeans and a t-shirt.
• Don’t pass out hard copies of the winners. Give it to me digitally on a CD or flash drive (brand it if you want)
• Give us a tour of the location. I would have loved to know where I was just the box I was allowed to stay in as a rat in a maze.
• Let us take pictures
• Figure out how we can see the show. I think it common sense that the happier we are the better your chances of getting great press. As it was, there was on excitement, no vida.
• Don’t invite only some of the press to your party and not the others. We talk amongst ourselves and it doesn’t look good. In fact, I was invited to only one party and they were a highlight. What a concept!
• Live stream the event and the pre-telecast for media only and let us submit questions via e-mail - go virtual it is already 2007.

Conclusions

Would I go to next year’s Latin Grammys? I don’t know right now. I do know that my experience of the day of the event left me questioning what I was doing there. I had a great time until I actually went to the show that I went to see but didn’t get to see. Funny, if anything I thought it would be the opposite.

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