Angela Alvarez is making history as the oldest nominee for Best New Artist at this year’s Latin Grammy Awards. In an interview with Billboard that was published yesterday (November 1), the Cuban singer revealed how she nabbed the nomination at 95 years old.
In the Best New Artist category, Alvarez faces competition like 15-year-old artist Yahritza Martínez of Yahritza y Su Esencia, 24-year-old Spanish pop star Pol Granch, and 25-year-old Mexican singer Silvana Estrada. In her interview with Billboard, Alvarez talked about how she is finally living out her dreams of being a musician in her nineties.
During her childhood in Cuba, Alvarez learned how to play the piano and the guitar. She was later singing and writing her own songs until her father dissuaded her from pursuing music as a career. Alvarez eventually settled down with her husband and had four children. She’s now a grandmother to nine children and a great-grandmother.
Alvarez’s grandson, Carlos José Alvarez, convinced her to record the songs that she had stowed away for decades. The project didn’t take off until last year when the Alvarezes started to work with producer Misha’al Al-Omar. Alvarez’s self-titled debut album was released that following July. The 15-track LP features Alvarez’s powerful compositions like “Un Canto A Mi Cuba,” an ode to her home country.
Alvarez’s grandson submitted her album for consideration for Best New Artist on a whim. In September, Alvarez was surprised to become the oldest nominee in category in the history of the Latin Grammy Awards.
“It was a very big but very beautiful surprise, and I thought afterwards that all my dreams came true,” Alvarez said. “At 95, but that doesn’t matter.”
Alvarez’s journey to her debut album was documented in the movie Miss Angela. Andy Garcia served as executive producer and narrator of the project. Garcia also invited Alvarez to appear in 2022 remake of The Father Of The Bride that he starred in on HBO. The 2022 Latin Grammy Awards will take place in Las Vegas on Thursday, November 17. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Univision.