Photo: Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
For: EFE
Saturday, November 23
J Balvin is named 'Afro-Latino Artist of the Year' and the controversy ignites
A controversy broke out this Monday in Colombia because J Balvin was chosen as “Afro-Latin Artist of the Year” at the US African Entertainment Awards (Aeausa) and welcomed the recognition, something that was criticized by colleagues who considered which is a “misplaced.”
“AFRICAN ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC AWARDS. Thank you “, wrote Balvin on his Instagram account.
The Colombian singer Goyo , vocalist and leader of ChocQuibTown , a group recognized for being a forerunner of black culture and the rhythms of the Pacific, wrote about the recognition of Balvin on his Twitter account: “If you want to know my opinion: I believe more in the Grammys than in this shit. ”
In the same vein, the singer Mabiland manifested herself, who described the singer from Medellín as a “dislocated and appropriating white Latin man”.
“How far are you willing to go to gain recognition? Nea no more! Enough of this shit. (…) Someone on your team must tell you to stop now, this is insane, it is good that one may want to go around appropriating shit and hope that nothing happens. What rubbish all this ”, the artist wrote to Balvin on Twitter.
APOLOGIZE
This controversy occurs after the Colombian artist had to apologize last October after criticism of machismo and racism caused by the video clip of “Perra”, in which two black dancers appear as if they were pets and which has already been withdrawn from official channels.
“ First I want to offer my apologies to all the people who were offended, especially women and the black community “, said the singer then in a video on his Instagram account.
The video of “Perra”, in which he collaborates with the Dominican Tokischa, provoked even a scolding from his mother, Alba Mery, who assured that this song was not by the “Josesito” that he knew.
Likewise, the “Niño de Medellín” was involved in another controversy this year after After he called not to go to the Grammys since, as he said, “they don’t value us (urban musicians), but they need us.”
The Puerto Rican René Pérez, known as Residente, criticized his words saying that they were a contempt for the new talents who were nominated for the first time and compared his music to “a cart of hot dogs.”
“Your music is like a hot dog cart, which many people or almost everyone may like. But when those people want to eat well, they go to a restaurant and that restaurant is the one that earns Michelin stars, ”said Residente.
Keep reading
• J Balvin softens the networks with his son Río
• J Balvin publicly apologizes to his mother, the women and the black community for his video clip “Perra”
• Bad Bunny says that J Balvin’s music does not deserve a Grammy