Where did merengue go?
Trouble in merengue-land has reached a new pitch as the Latin Grammys axed the Best Merengue Album category from its list of awards, starting with tonight’s show. The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences quietly regrouped the upbeat Dominican rhythm under the Best Contemporary Tropical Album category, leaving internationally known merengueros such as Juan Luis Guerra, Milly Quezada and Olga Tañón in music limbo. “It’s catastrophic. It feels like if [the Academy] was trying to erase us from the map,” three-time Latin Grammy and two-time regular Grammy winner Tañon told the Daily News on Friday. “Merengue has been an established music style for decades.” Tañon, who is Puerto Rican, won the Best Merengue Album award in 2002. Other former winners in the now-defunct category are four Dominicans, Johnny Ventura, Chichi Peralta, Quezada and Guerra — both of whom have won it twice — and a Puerto Rican, Elvis Crespo. “It’s a shame for the music industry,” added Tañon, who is up for Best C
Trouble in merengue-land has reached a new pitch as the Latin Grammys axed the Best Merengue Album category from its list of awards, starting with tonight’s show. The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences quietly regrouped the upbeat Dominican rhythm under the Best Contemporary Tropical Album category, leaving internationally known merengueros such as Juan Luis Guerra, Milly Quezada and Olga Tañón in music limbo. “It’s catastrophic. It feels like if [the Academy] was trying to erase us from the map,” three-time Latin Grammy and two-time regular Grammy winner Tañon told the Daily News on Friday. “Merengue has been an established music style for decades.” Tañon, who is Puerto Rican, won the Best Merengue Album award in 2002. Other former winners in the now-defunct category are four Dominicans, Johnny Ventura, Chichi Peralta, Quezada and Guerra — both of whom have won it twice — and a Puerto Rican, Elvis Crespo. “It’s a shame for the music industry,” added Tañon, who is up for Best C
