J Balvin named ‘Afro-Latin artist of the year’ at the US African Entertainment Awards, recognition sparks controversy

A controversy broke out this Monday in Colombia because J Balvin He was voted “Afro-Latin Artist of the Year” at the US African Entertainment Awards (Aeausa) and welcomed the recognition, something that was criticized by colleagues who considered him “misplaced.”

AFRICAN ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC AWARDS. Thank you, “wrote Balvin on his Instagram account.

The Colombian singer Goyo, vocalist and leader of ChocQuibTown, a group recognized for being a forerunner of black culture and the rhythms of the Pacific, wrote about the recognition of Balvin on his Twitter account: “If you want to know my opinion, I believe more in the Grammys than in this shit.”

Along the same lines, the singer Mabiland manifested herself, who described the singer from Medellín as a “displaced and appropriating white Latino man.”

“How far are you willing to go to gain recognition? Nea no more! Enough of this shit. (…) Someone on your team must tell you to stop now, this is insane, it is good that one may want to go around appropriating shit and hope that nothing happens. What rubbish all this ”, the artist wrote to Balvin on Twitter.

Apologies

This controversy happens after the Colombian artist had to offer an apology last October after criticism for machismo and racism raised by the video clip of Bitch, in which two black dancers appear as if they were pets and which has already been removed from official channels.

“First I want to offer my apologies to all the people who were offended, especially women and the black community,” the singer then said in a video on his Instagram account.

The video of Bitch, in which he collaborates with the Dominican Tokischa, provoked even a scolding from his mother, Alba Mery, who assured that this song was not by the “Josecito” she knew.

Equally, the Child of Medellin he was involved in another controversy this year after he called not to attend the Grammys since, as he said, “they don’t value us (urban musicians), but they need us.”

The Puerto Rican René Pérez, known as Residente, criticized his words saying that they were a contempt for the new talents who were nominated for the first time and compared his music to “a cart of hot dogs”.

“Your music is as if it were a cart of hot dog, which may be liked by many people or by almost everyone. But when those people want to eat well, they go to a restaurant and that restaurant is the one that earns Michelin stars, ”said Residente. (AND)