On Wednesday, November 18th, stars will gather for a tribute to four time Latin Grammy and Grammy winner Roberto Carlos, who has been selected as the 2015 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. The internationally acclaimed Brazilian performer and singer/songwriter will be honored at the South Pacific Ballroom of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Los Angeles.
Chosen for his important artistic and social contributions to Latin music and culture, the tribute will feature songs from Roberto Carlos’ vast catalog, all performed by an array of notable artists and friends of Carlos.
“To speak of Brazil is to speak of Roberto Carlos,” said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “His immense talent, passion and dedication to his art has made him one of the greatest voices and songwriters in Latin music. It is with great pride that we honor such a musical treasure and we look forward to celebrating his career and his indelible musical legacy.”
With a career spanning more than 55 years, the Brazilian musician and singer/songwriter’s passion for music began at age nine when he first sang on national radio. Since that time, he has gone on to amass 500 accredited songs as a composer. He is the only Brazilian singer to sell more records than the Beatles or Elvis Presley with more than 120 million albums sold in Latin America alone.
While his early years were devoted to the youth rock movement of the time, as Roberto Carlos entered the ’70s and ’80s he established himself as one of the most prolific romantic artists in Latin America with such chart-topping hits as “Detalles,” “Emociones,” “Amada Amante,” “Amigo,” “Propuesta,” “Lady Laura,” and “Mujer Pequena.” He has since gone on to record songs in Spanish, Italian, English, and French resulting in international crossover success. The result of his hard work and determination has made him the only artist in history to release an album a year for 48 consecutive years while simultaneously releasing albums in Portuguese and Spanish for more than three decades.
Aside from his standing as one of the most iconic singers of his time, he has appeared in several highly rated TV programs and has starred in not one, not two, but THREE successful films. He has toured the globe several times over to sold out audiences across the Americas; continuing to demonstrate his artistic prowess, and he recently recorded Roberto Carlos – Primera Fila at London’s illustrious Abbey Road Studios, which will be released later this year.
As the 2015 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Roberto Carlos joins a distinguished list of past recipients that includes Miguel Bosé, Plácido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernández, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, Joan Manuel Serrat, Shakira, and Caetano Veloso.
A significant portion of the net proceeds from the gala will benefit the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, which provides scholarships, fellowships, grants, and educational programs year-round. This charitable tribute event will precede the 16th annual Latin Grammy Awards, also taking place in Las Vegas, and being broadcast live on Thursday, November 19th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
