- Title: USA: GRAMMY NOMINATED ROCKERS JAGUARES TALK WITH REUTERS
- Date: 20th February 2001
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 22, 2002) (REUTERS) JAGUARES AT LOS ANGELES HOTEL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALFONSO ANDRE OF JAGUARES SAYING: "Look, it's an honour being nominated, it's really important to be recognized in this category by the academy that is so important, most of all in the United States. But at the same time, Jaguares is a band that's gott
- Embargoed: 7th March 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7WYQ80MNOXCDSEKY9470JJCMG
- Story Text: Just ahead of the music industry's biggest night,
Grammy-nominated rockers en espanol Jaguares talked with
Reuters about their bid for the Best Latin Rock/Alternative
Album prize, their plans for a new album, and their crossover
success.
Mexican rockers Jaguares are up for the Best Latin
Rock/Alternative Album prize at Wednesday's (February 27)
Grammy Awards, but it's not just their popularity in the rock
en espanol world that's gotten them recognition. Jaguares is
one of the few Spanish language bands to have successfully
crossed over into the English-speaking rock world.
Jaguares are already stars in Latin markets, known for
their guitar-driven rock with hints of Pink Floyd, the Police,
and U2. Their 1999 double album "Bajo El Azul De Tu Misterio"
(Beneath the Blue of Your Mystery") was the highest debuting
alternative rock album ever on the Billboard Latin 50 Albums
chart. That album has now sold more than 200,000 copies in
the United States and more than 500,000 units in Mexico.
Amid all their success, the band's Alfonso Andre is still
less than overwhelmed at the prospect of winning the
industry's biggest prize in a category where they are
competing against other huge crossover successes like Ozomatli
and Juanes.
"Look, it's an honour being nominated, it's really
important to be recognized in this category by the academy
that is so important, most of all in the United States. But
at the same time, Jaguares is a band that's gotten its base in
playing live and being in contact with the people. Honestly,
we haven't had any support from the radio or from the media,
either in Mexico or the United States, so an award is not
going to make or break the career of the band," Andre told
Reuters.
Jaguares have grown their North American fan base by
sharing bills with A-list English-language acts like the Red
Hot Chili Peppers and Aimee Mann. The group regularly opens
for established alternative rock bands, selling out huge
venues and travelling to cities where rock en espanol has
never gone before, like Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon,
and Atlanta, Georgia.
Latin rock has received more attention from mainstream
music fans after Latin pop star Ricky Martin made a splash
with his 1999 Grammy performance. The past three years have
seen Latin acts like Shakira and Marc Anthony explode on the
North American music scene. But rather than a huge publicity
machine pushing Jaguares onto English-language radio and MTV,
this band focuses more on touring and connecting directly with
their audiences to build a fan base.
The band's guitarist Cesar Lopez says that whatever
happens at the Grammy's they'll stick with their touring
strategy.
"The Grammy Awards, we all know, are very important, most
of all because in the music industry there are people that
don't know who we are and through this award they will turn
and look at us and they will know what we have. But then for
us, we already have a strategy that we have built through the
years," said Lopez.
Jaguares are currently on the road promoting their latest
release "Cuando la Sangre Galopa" ("When the Blood Races").
They're following up on a 25-date North American tour they
completed last fall when the album had just debuted in the #1
positions on both the Billboard Heatseekers and Latin 50
Albums chart. It's the first time a Latin alternative act has
ever achieved such success.
And Lopez says the band will continue their success with
or without a Grammys, but admits the honour couldn't hurt.
"If we don't win the Grammy, nothing happens, we continue
our way, we have it clear, and if we win, it would be good. I
think it would speed up the process of getting closer with the
people that don't know who we are," Lopez said.
The band doesn't have long to wait before the winner is
revealed at Wednesday's (February 27) Grammy Awards in Los
Angeles. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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