'Political' Milo J puts Argentine folk music centre stage at Latin Grammys

Argentine singer-songwriter Milo J said music was inherently political and that his generation was determined to deliver a direct political message, after winning the Latin Grammy for Record of the Year on Thursday.

“I believe all kinds of music are political, whether it's a trap song or folk music. I think one way or another, it's political, and I believe my generation has come to deliver a directly political message too,” the 20-year-old told reporters after collecting the award.

Milo J won one of the night's most prestigious prizes with ‘Niño,’ a folk song in the chamamé style, which originated in Argentina's northeastern litoral region.

He beat established names including Colombian reggaeton star Karol G and Spanish singer Rosalía, who took home the awards for Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

“It's a source of pride for me,” said the Argentine.

“Competing against such great names in music and the industry, and the fact that a chamamé has been given Record of the Year ... I think it says a lot about how far this album, and folk music in general, can go,” he added.

Milo J performed at the 27th edition of the Latin Grammy Awards, organised by the Latin Recording Academy, alongside legendary Argentine composer and producer Gustavo Santaolalla and members of the Uruguayan murga group Agarrate Catalina.

‘Niño’ features on ‘La vida era más corta,, the album Milo J released last year, which emerged from a period of nostalgia in the young artist's life.

“I found myself at a point when I was really tired of life. Honestly, I was in a real ‘just let the ground swallow me up’ kind of moment. And that often makes you want to go back to the past, to remember when you were a little child and didn't think so much about things,” he said.

“Through nostalgia, I think I reconsidered my entire life backwards. It wasn't chronological or planned that way, but it ended up becoming a story that many people can identify with in different ways,” he added.

The singer arrived at this year's ceremony with seven nominations at the most important awards in Spanish- and Portuguese-language music. He converted four of them, making him one of the night's biggest winners.

– TIMES/AFP