NEW YORK--a coalition of musicians is requiring the Recording Academy restore more than 30 categories cut in the Grammy Awards, alleging the cuts unfairly target ethnic music and carried out without the input of its thousands of members.
A protest was planned Thursday in Beverly Hills, California, at a meeting of the academy Board. It is part of a campaign by those upset by decision of the month last to reduce fields Grammy, which this year totalled 109, at 78.
Grammy President and CEO Neil Portnow said modifications will be effective for the Grammys 2012. He urged the dissidents to work with the Academy, which would examine the effect of the changes for 2013 prices.
But the demonstrators hoped that the process can be reversed in time for the Grammy ceremony next year, if at least one member of the Commission asked the Academy to reconsider.
"It is I hope that during this time, someone will increase and be courageous enough and to do so," Bobby Sanabria, a candidate of Grammy four times in the Latin jazz category and a leader of the movement against the amendments, said in an interview Wednesday.
"He is arrogant in saying that it is written in stone, when we have a chance to get these categories restored," Sanabria of Portnow said. He called for the resignation of Portnow and the Board of Directors.
The Academy has announced changes on 6 April; the move came after a year more review of the structure of prices, the first in history of year accompanied by the Grammys. Portnow said at the time that the changes would make it more competitive Grammys, and the prices more wanted.
But the move has swept several members of the Academy, which have been taken by surprise by the announcement.
Paul Simon wrote to Portnow asking him to reconsider, in writing, in part: "I think that the Grammys were a disservice to many talented musicians combining the types previously separate music and in a tote of categories more fuzzy." ... They deserve thanks Grammy distinct that they have been given until this change eliminated them. ?
Carlos Santana and his musician wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, wrote a letter of protest to the Academy saying: "to remove the Latin Jazz and many other ethnic categories is a huge disservice to the brilliant musicians who keep the dynamic music to their fans - new and old." ... We strongly protest against this decision and we ask you to represent all the colours of the Rainbow, when it comes to music and give ethnic music a place in the hearts of lovers of music everywhere in the world. ?
Sanabria, working with musicians including Eddie Palmieri and Arturo O'Farrill, said ethnic music is unfairly targeted and called him "a subtle form of racism."
He said "the effect will be that the music will be very, very homogeneous, it already begins to sound like that already,". "Society as we know it is now very multicultural and diverse, and the Grammys still reflects that.".
Portnow, in an interview this week, said he understands the frustration of those affected. However, he denied many of the claims of Sanabria, including the idea that the categories non-mainstream suffered cuts.
"In the price of this year, at the 53rd Annual ceremony), there were 34 ordinary categories.". The next year, with the modified revision, it will be 20 regular categories. It is a significant reduction in traditional areas. Categories not mainstream... There is 71. In the coming 54th price, there will be 54, "he said, saying that the percentage-wise, public categories were made more."
"Not only non-mainstream categories have been assigned here," he said. "The facts of this case do not play that.".
Portnow also disputed with the claim of Sanabria that the changes have been made arbitrarily and in secret, saying that changes have been made by representatives of the members.
"It is a Committee consisting of members of the Academy, which include musicians and producers, engineers and experts in various fields," he said. "There were more than a year and a half discussion within this group, in this Committee." They recommended global changes to the process for the Board of Directors, reviewed carefully. ?
Portnow said the changes were already adopted and unless that "things Council to act in a manner not consistent with its rules and regulations, (these concerns) will be heard in the next cycle".
He also criticized Sanabria to what he called personal attacks against him and other members of the Council.
"It is not rational is not logical to have a discussion to ask people to resign," he said. "I think that endears their cause to members of the Council be."
After the Academy announced changes, meetings were held in the cities of chapter across the country to join the members. Portnow said it was willing to meet with members of the coalition of Sanabria.
"They have done an excellent job in the mobilization of the community to do something." If the community was mobilized, take it to the next step... a positive direction, "says.
Sanabria said: "you not to stick a sword in the back of someone and then when they are bleeding to say that we will meet."
Lack of "it respect us," he said. "It is so out of touch with everything."
Meeting of the Commission of the Academy of registration ends Friday. If it finds with the changes still in place, Sanabria is promising the boycotts of the Grammy Awards, CBS broadcast partner and sponsors of the show. He said that it will also ask people to resign from the Academy.
"We must fight against it." This is not only a question of music. It is a question of cultural diversity, "he says.
