MUSIC
Proud Philanthropist, Latinx & Queer
Gina Chávez breaks glass ceiling as Latin Grammy nominee
BY KARMINA L. FONSECA
The Latin Grammy might have, momentarily,
slipped out of the hands of
singer Gina Chávez, but her desire to
make a positive difference in the lives
of Latinx women, especially Latinx queers, continues
to gain ground.
The bilingual artist from Texas, as she defi
nes herself, received a Latin Grammy Award
nomination for her 2020 release of her fi rst album
in Spanish, “La Que Manda,” in the Best
Pop/ Rock Album category. This was the fi rst
Latin Grammy nomination for the Latin American
singer — and she was the only woman
nominated in this category and one of the few
this year overall at the Latin Grammy Awards.
If you haven’t listened to her songs, Chávez’s
music is deeply personal, and she wins praise
for her unique sound — a multi-ethnic richness
of folk-pop — and most of all, for her courageous
profi le as a married lesbian Catholic in Texas.
Chávez currently lives in Austin with her
wife, Jodi Granado. Together, they co-founded
Chicas Arriba, a college fund that offers full
Queer Women Among Grammy Finalists
Brittany Howard leads the way with half-dozen nominations
BY MATT TRACY
For yet another year, a slate of LGBTQ
individuals — mostly women — are
up for Grammy nominations ahead of
the January 31 awards ceremony recognizing
top stars in the music industry.
The nominations include some well-established
out LGBTQ fi gures, such as Kaytranada,
who is under consideration for Best Pop
Duo/ Group Performance and Best Pop Vocal
Album. But there are also LGBTQ stars getting
nods for the fi rst time, including out bisexual
rapper Chika, out gay DJ and record
producer Kaytranada, and out bisexual indie
star Phoebe Bridgers, who all received nominations
for Best New Artist.
Bridgers received two additional Grammy
nominations for her song “Kyoto,” which yielded
a nod for Best Rock Song and Best Rock
Performance, and she is also under consideration
for Best Alternative Music Album for her
song “Punisher.”
Kaytranada also got nominated for Best
Dance/ Electronic Album — as did Arca, an out
COURTESY OF THE MUSIC JOINT
Gina Chávez has released her fi rst Spanish-language album.
scholarships to a private Catholic college for
girls in Soyapango, El Salvador.
Chávez’s sound has sparked interest from
national television and radio shows in the US
REUTERS/ AARON JOSEFCZYK
Out lesbian singer and guitarist Brittany Howard is up for six Grammy
nominations.
trans woman —and for Best Dance Recording
Out lesbian Brittany Howard, who already
had more than a half-dozen Grammy nominations
under her belt, is in the best position yet to
grab her fi rst Grammy. She is being considered
such as “NPR: First Listen,” “All Things Considered,”
and “Tiny Desk Concerts.”
Just in time for the International Day for
the Elimination of Violence against Women on
November 25, Chávez released the music video
for her fi rst single “Ella,” honoring survivors
of domestic abuse. The video, featuring an international
assortment of dancers, was made
in partnership with the Austin organization
Survive2Thrive, which provides resources and
support to victims of domestic violence and
abuse.
In addition to “La Que Manda,” the artist
has released two other albums that show her
versatility as a songwriter and performer: “Up.
Rooted” (2014), and her soul/ R&B EP “LIGHTBEAM”
(2018).
I recently spoke to Chávez.
KARMINA L. FONSECA: They say that a
nomination is an achievement in itself. What
was it like to participate in the Latin Grammys?
➤ GINA CHÁVEZ continued on p.21
for a whopping six Grammy awards: Best Engineered
Album, Non-Classical, Best American
Roots Performance, Best R&B Performance,
Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song,
and Best Rock Performance.
Howard made waves last year when she rolled
out her solo album “Jaime,” as well as her single
“Stay High.”
Meanwhile, Gaga, who has collected nearly a
dozen Grammy Awards, is competing for Best
Pop Duo/ Group Performance and Best Pop Vocal
Album following the release of her new album,
“Chromatica,” earlier this year.
Out lesbian country star Brandy Clark, who
won a Song of the Year Grammy in 2014 for her
song “Follow Your Arrow,” is among those being
considered for Best Country Album and Best
Country Solo Performance as she continues to
ride the success of the album she released this
year entitled “Your Life Is a Record.”
Out lesbian singer and songwriter Brandi
Carlile received a Best Song Written for Visual
Media nomination for her song “Carried
➤ GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, continued on p.21
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