Heat 2022 Awards, a gala that consecrated the urban scene in Colombia, but that set its sights on Peruvian salsa

The heat awards They have been consolidating as an event in which those talents who will become the next stars of the Latin music scene meet. The most emblematic example of this is the Colombian Carol G, who 6 years ago received in that same ceremony what would be the first trophy of his career. This was recalled by the artist’s own father, who went up to the stage on Thursday night to receive the award that the interpreter of “Provenza” won in the seventh edition and to which he could not attend because he was on a world tour that It gives proof of the boom in popularity that it is currently experiencing.

During the most recent gala of the awards, which have the peculiarity of being held on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, in the spectacular landscape offered by Cap Cana, a resort in the Dominican Republic, artists and journalists from more than 15 countries gathered. Colombia was ratified as the country that has been leading the urban movement by winning some of the trophies that generate the most expectations: Musical Promise (for Nekko) and Revelation Artist (for Ryan Castro).

Argentina, which went from being the cradle of Latin American rock to the new bastion of trap and reggaeton, was represented by Tiago PZK, a boy who jumped from cockfights to being one of the most listened to on digital platforms for songs like the one that produced his countryman Bizarrap for his famous YouTube sessions.

Tiago, 20, took home the trophies for the categories Best Artist in the South Region (where Peruvian Leslie Shaw also competed) and Best Video for “Entre Nosotros Remix”. And as happened with Karol G, the Argentine stressed that these were the first awards he received in his still short career.

The locals

The Dominican Republic, the hosts of the Heat Awards, also showed some of their best cards at the ceremony. The applause reached its maximum volume when ‘El alfa’ was announced, the main exponent of ‘Dembow’, a rhythm that has been gaining more followers in the world and that has been integrated very well into the proposals of some of the artists most heard pop today. An equally thunderous reception was also received by the Dominican Chimbala with his sticky “Esta Sí”. And the American Eladio Carrión, who has Puerto Rican descent, a resident of the Dominican Republic, was asked to go out and sing more songs while a trophy was announced after his presentation.

The hosts also allowed themselves to show some different proposals. The merengue was present with Eddy Herrera, a benchmark in the country, and the new generation of Dominican pop was represented by The Change, the proposal of the young Carmen Cambiaso.

put sauce on it

As we said, not all the focus was on the urban scene, salsa had a special space in the ceremony. Gilberto Santa Rosa received a tribute in the voice of some of his colleagues: figures such as Andrés Cepeda and Fanny Lu made versions of his songs. Then the same ‘Caballero de la salsa’ took the stage to sing.

But the genre had a greater representation, curiously, in the voices of Peruvians. Two young national artists participated in the gala with two different proposals within this genre. Álvaro Rod, known for the song “Vamos a escape”, opted for a more romantic salsa with “Escúchame, mi amor”.

Rod, who takes his first international steps with this ceremony, came out on stage after Eladio Carrión’s show and before reggaeton singers Zion & Lennox. For her part, Yahaira Plasencia took over from Gilberto Santa Rosa himself.

Plasencia was presented by the Puerto Rican YouTuber MoluscoTV, who emphasized the importance of the topic that the Peruvian promotes these days: a version very much in her style (and that of Sergio George, her producer) of “The Singer” by Héctor Lavoe .

Both Álvaro Rod and Yahaira Plasencia, who came on stage with careful choreography and visual support, were well received by the audience, which was made up of people of different nationalities. Without a doubt, a good step for both artists who are already working their way out of Peru with a festival in Colombia (in the case of Plasencia) on the agenda and foreign artists about to premiere their compositions (in the case of Rod).