The Next Latino Pop Megastars

The 12th annual Latin GRAMMY Awards are set to kick off on Nov. 10th in Las Vegas. While we already know all about nominees like Ricky Martin and Shakira (who raked in three nominations apiece this year), let’s shine the spotlight on some of the Latino community’s lesser-known performers who swept the nominations.

Heading up the 2011 list is undoubtedly Puerto Rican band Calle 13, who rocked an impressive 10 nominations with their jazz-, bossa nova– and salsa fusion–inspired fourth album, Entren Los Que Quieran. Stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez are no strangers to the Latin GRAMMY Awards, having already won 10 Latin GRAMMYs for their previous albums.

Another cantante whose career is on fire is Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solis, who cleaned up nicely with four nominations for his ninth studio album. Like Calle 13, Solis has experienced his fair share of public adoration, having sold close to 80 million records worldwide. Venezuelan singer Franco De Vita is nominated five times over for his 10th album, En Primera Fila, which along with Calle 13 is nominated for both Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

But what new artists can we expect to rock the Latino community in the next few years? Twenty-two-year-old Spanish YouTube sensations Pablo Alborán, Argentinean crooner Max Capote, Brazilian country singer Paula Fernandes, Italian operatic trio Il Volo, and Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Sie7e all made the cut for Best New Artist.

Who do you hope wins?

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