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Peru's Susana Baca wins 2020 Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album

Afro-Peruvian singer-songwriter Susana Baca. Photo: ANDINA/MLM

Afro-Peruvian singer-songwriter Susana Baca. Photo: ANDINA/MLM

00:00 | Los Angeles (U.S.), Nov. 20.

Peruvian singer-songwriter Susana Baca on Thursday won the 2020 Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for her album "A Capella" (A Cappella), which was recorded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and features 17 songs and poems.


In her album, the 76-year-old Afro-Peruvian singer performs everything ranging from famous songs like "Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazon" by Argentine Fito Paez or "Gracias a la vida" by Chilean Violeta Parra, to great poems such as "El lagarto esta llorando" by Spanish Federico Garcia Lorca, and "Idilio muerto" by Peruvian Cesar Vallejo.

"A Capella" also features songs like "Drume negrita" and "Pensamiento" by Cuban Eliseo Grenet and Rafael Gomez (Teofilito), respectively, "Tonada de luna llena" by Venezuelan Simon Diaz, as well as the poem "Yamambo" by Cuban Nicolas Guillen.

Regarding the compositions by her compatriots, in addition to Vallejo's famous poem, she sings "Cardo o cenizas" and "Rosas y azar" by Chabuca Granda, "Negra presuntuosa" by Andres Soto, "Cancion de fe" by Manuel Acosta Ojeda, and "Contigo Peru" by Augusto Polo Campos.

Third Grammy win

This is the third time that former Culture Minister Susana Baca receives a Latin Grammy Award Statuette from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

In 2002, she won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album, for her album "Lamento Negro" (Black Lament).

Later, in 2011, she won a second Latin Grammy for her collaboration on the song "Latinoamerica" with Puerto Rican urban group Calle 13.

(END) JAM/RMB/MVB

Published: 11/20/2020