Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the legendary 3x GRAMMY® winning Salsa and Latin jazz band, has received a GRAMMY ® nomination for their new album Imágenes Latinas. Nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album, this dynamic record finds the iconic group traveling through a wide variety of moods and styles while paying homage to the iconic New York Latin pop group, Conjunto Libré. The 65th annual GRAMMY® Awards will take place on February 5, 2023.
Since their inception nearly 20 years ago, Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), under the direction of pianist, composer and arranger Oscar Hernández, has earned its reputation as the true voice of the barrio, with intricate arrangements and pulsating rhythms that are steeped in the authentic salsa tradition. SHO’s high-energy performances have delighted audiences across the globe from Asia to Australia, from Latin America to Europe. Grounded in the past, but with a focused eye on the future, Spanish Harlem Orchestra continues to play an integral role in ensuring salsa dura (“hard salsa”) is not just alive, but a thriving musical force.
The consistent thread in each SHO record has been the hardcore rhythm, sophisticated arrangements and a lot of care toward producing quality music with high integrity for the genre. Imágenes Latinas is no exception, marking SHO’s eighth leader release and exploration of new dimensions.
“We, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, are extremely proud to receive a nomination for this year’s Grammys. It reflects the passion and commitment we have invested in the last 20 years to represent the best of our culture and music with the highest standards of integrity. We feel committed to the history and legacy that our music represents,” Hernández shared in a statement.
Each member of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has a significant connection to the authentic salsa tradition. It begins with Hernández, who has long been considered one of the most prominent musicians on the Latin, salsa and Latin-jazz music scene. Hernández’s musical legacy can be traced back to the 1970’s, a time in which he performed with a who’s who of salsa legends including Tito Puente, Machito, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades, Conjunto Libre, and Willie Colon. Later, Hernández went on to become the Musical Director for Paul Simon as well as the orchestrator and arranger for Gloria Estefan.
With eight albums and now six GRAMMY® nominations, this powerhouse orchestra is aware that it is crucial to continually push themselves and raise the bar. Their sixth album entitled “Anniversary” won the 2019 GRAMMY® Award for “Best Tropical Album”. Now, the group returns to the category, nominated alongside the distinguished acts of Carlos Vives, Marc Anthony, La Santa Cecilia and Tito Nieves.
