The iconic music star, Prince, was found dead on Thursday morning and it shocked millions, including many in the Latino music scene. The icon was found dead in Paisley Park, Minneapolis at the age of 57. The cause of death has not been determined, and the investigations are ongoing. Interestingly, Prince was hospitalized a few weeks ago after his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois. A few hours after the incident, a representative told TMZ that the star had been fighting a bad case of the flu. One can’t help but wonder if these two could somehow be related.
Let’s take a step back to remember Prince’s great achievements throughout his lifetime. His 1984 album, Purple Rain, cemented him as a great artist of his generation, earning him two Grammy’s, an Oscar, and a victory over Michael Jackson at the American Music Awards. He received a total of 7 Grammy’s between 1984 and 2010 and had 32 nominations. Prince was a renowned recording artist and performer that would stretch his shows beyond the 3 hour mark and showcased his stunning guitar abilities that were an underrated part of his legacy and often overshadow by his iconic singing voice and songwriting abilities. His career was cut short and lasted over 35 years and he released 30 solo studio albums and never stopped releasing new material since late 2014. His experimentation with psychedelic rock and intergalactic funk has made him indeed legendary. He was an endlessly creative individual that has influenced countless across all genres.
Which is why it is no surprise that the Latino community was so quick to express their condolences about the tragic death of an icon. Many Latin artists took to twitter to express their heartfelt tributes to the legend. The list includes: Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Fonseca, Luis Fonsi, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Demi Lovato, Mau y Ricky, Ricardo Montaner, Prince Royce, Zion y Lennox, Alejandro Sanz, Chenoa, Sheila E., Residente, Sofia Reyes, Chiquis Rivera, Julieta Venegas, Gloria Estefan, Gaby Moreno, Sebastian Krys, Miguel, and Juanes. The countless heartfelt goodbyes from all of these artists expressed deep sadness, the influence of Prince in their lives and music, and understandably that Purple Rain was on “repeat mode.” What I love about this line up is that it is so varied in terms of genres; this is what Prince was all about. Prince has brought people together from every background, even in the Latino community. Like many have expressed, we lost a great star, but he will continue to inspire through his astounding legacy.
