Caetano Veloso (RD/Kabik/Retna Digital)
If there was ever a doubt in Caetano Veloso’s mind of how much he is loved by his peers in the music industry, all hesitation was put to rest Wednesday during the Latin GRAMMYs Person of the Year ceremony, where Veloso was the shining star.
The gala took place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel.
During the tribute event to the Brazilian musician, artists of all parts of Latin America joined forces with the Latin Recording Academy to highlight Veloso’s songs as well as his philanthropic and political achievements.
“[Caetano] is somebody who is legendary, iconic, whose music is known by many,” Neil Portnow, president of the GRAMMY Recording Academy told Fox News Latino.
Read Related: 10 Top Latino Artists & How They Climbed to the Top
“[It is] somebody who is innovative and brought new ideas to music and he certainly has done that. We also like someone who gives back,” he said, adding that Veloso is known for being “a very giving man” with his non-profit organization focused on helping this with HIV/AIDS in Brazil.
“Caring about his people, his culture” is something that Portnow says Veloso “has made a personal sacrifice to do it.”
International musician Nelly Furtado, who has dominated both English and Spanish markets with her music, told Fox News Latino that Veloso’s music “is like an act of heroism.”
“It’s beautiful, it’s sensitive,” said the Portuguese-Canadian artist, who later in the evening took the stage to perform one of Veloso’s songs and said she hoped she would “not faint” when seeing Veloso in person.
“When I listen to his music I just listen to real beauty… I love a lot of his stuff from Tropicalismo,” she added. “When Caetano recorded Island of Wonder, a song on my second album, he recorded his part with a Portuguese accent! So generous. It was a surprise for me.” Read the full article on FOX NEWS Latino.
