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MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 The third time may be the charm for Edgar Barrera, the Mexican composer and producer nominated for the third consecutive year for the Grammy in the category of songwriter of the year, non-classical.<\/p>\n
Barrera has competed in all but one of the years since this category was introduced in 2023. He said that it fills him with pride to be nominated for the\u00a02026 Grammys<\/a>, which will be presented Sunday in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n If Barrera wins, he’ll be the first Latino accoladed in the category, and would add this award to an impressive career that has amassed 29 Latin Grammys and one Grammy for best tropical Latin album.<\/p>\n \u201cTo open the door for the new generations and the Latin composers who are making music,\u201d he said in a video interview with The Associated Press. \u201cIt takes away that stigma that you have to write songs in English or that you have to do things a certain way to be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n The songwriter of the year, non-classical, honor is part of the Grammys’ general field, which also includes song, record and album of the year, best new artist and producer of the year, non-classical.<\/p>\n Barrera\u2019s nomination reflects the diversity of Latin music, from contemporary Mexican music with Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera’s \u201cMe Jalo,\u201d to Shakira\u2019s pop \u201cSoltera,\u201d and Karol G\u2019s fusion with \u201cMilagros.\u201d Barrera\u2019s range is especially wide, and he attributes it to his hyperactivity.<\/p>\n \u201cI get bored very quickly, sometimes when I\u2019m making a certain rhythm or working on a sound constantly. I can\u2019t spend more than two weeks doing the same thing,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, I don\u2019t want it to become like a factory.\u201d<\/p>\n His ideal, beyond musical genres or specific rhythms, is to \u201cbring out the best they have in the artist.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrera spoke from Texas, where he was working with the Colombian artist Silvestre Dangond. Just before that, he had been with Car\u00edn Le\u00f3n in Hermosillo, Mexico, where he said they recorded about 20 songs for what will be his next album.<\/p>\n Grammy week is intense, especially for Barrera, who said he often takes advantage of the gatherings of music stars to do recording sessions.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a lot of sessions in the middle of all this Grammy chaos,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Although his work style is usually relaxed, if he’s working with friends, it is better for him. He says that when he enters the studio he wants to laugh with the musicians and have a good time.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd in the end, when there is an hour left before the end of the session, we write the song and record,\u201d he said. \u201cI love that style of work.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the songs composed by Barrera that were considered for the nomination, one specially represents a career milestone \u2014 \u201cMe Retiro\u201d by Carlos Santana with\u00a0Grammy nominated Grupo Frontera.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cCarlos has been an inspiration for me for as long as I can remember,\u201d Barrera said. \u201cMy dad introduced me to music through Santana. We were at Christmas with the family, and they showed me videos of where I am playing at 10 or 9 years old, songs by Carlos Santana.\u201d<\/p>\n Santana was Barrera\u2019s first concert. His seat was in the last row of the forum, so far away that he had to carry binoculars, he said. Everything was very different last November when he performed live with Santana on the Latin Grammys stage and even more so when he began working with the star guitarist on what will be his next album.<\/p>\n \u201cI come from a town, a city, where being a composer is not a job, and it wasn\u2019t even like it\u2019s in my plans to be what I\u2019m doing,\u201d Barrera said. \u201cI\u2019m going with Santana to the studio to continue working on more music and for me it\u2019s a dream, you know? I can\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n Shakira and Karol G are two great songwriters in their own right, so delving into their universe as a collaborator was an equally pleasant experience for Barrera.<\/p>\nBarrera’s road to the Grammys<\/h2>\n