By Alex Veiga
Associated Press
Friday, November 9, 2007

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 8 -- Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra swept the Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday, taking home five musical honors, including album of the year, record of the year and song of the year, plus being named person of the year.

The singer and his band, 440, also won trophies for best merengue album and tropical song for "La Llave De Mi Coraz¿n" and its playful, upbeat title track. The album also garnered the award for best engineered album.

"I want to dedicate this award to the Dominican Republic," said Guerra upon being named the Latin Recording Academy's person of the year, recognizing career and personal achievements. "In recent days, we've had some difficult moments," he said of his homeland, referring to the tropical storm that killed dozens, "but we are a strong and courageous people."

Guerra, credited with popularizing the bachata dance rhythms outside the Dominican Republic, bested Miguel Bos¿, reggaeton duo Calle 13, Ricky Martin and Alejandro Sanz for album of the year.

Martin and Calle 13 each picked up two trophies.

The awards show made its Las Vegas debut, and the flavor of Sin City was evident from the get-go, when Martin opened the show with a rousing performance along with the blue-headed musical trio Blue Man Group.

The superstar performed a medley of "Lola" and "La Bomba," while Blue Man Group added their signature frenetic dance visuals. It was one of the show's several mash-ups of nominees and Las Vegas Strip staples.

Backstage, Martin praised Guerra.

"Juan Luis Guerra is . . . the father of Latin American poetry, and whoever thinks the contrary, well, get off the bus," Martin said.

The Puerto Rican superstar took home the awards for long-form music video (for "MTV Unplugged") and male pop vocal album.

Fellow Puerto Rican group Calle 13, which also started the evening with four nominations, picked up the trophy for urban music album for its politically charged "Residente o Visitante."

"We are super-thrilled, nervous -- this has been a lot of pressure," singer Ren¿ P¿rez said onstage. "To all of Mexico, Colombia, from the heart -- to all Latinos: From here, no one will remove us."

One track, "Pal Norte," in which the group highlights hardships faced by immigrants trying to illegally enter the United States, nabbed the urban music song trophy, which recognized songwriting in the genre.

Jesse & Joy, siblings from Mexico who scored a hit this year with "Espacio Sideral" off their debut album, garnered the new artist trophy.

Among the other winners, Italian singer Laura Pausini triumphed in the female pop vocal album category for "Yo Canto," and Michael Salgado won the norte¿o album trophy for "En Vivo."

Los Horoscopos De Durango picked up the banda album award; La Quinta Estaci¿n took home the award for pop album by a duo or group with vocal; Panamanian rockers Rabanes won the award for rock album by a duo or group with vocal, for "Kamikaze."

Before the televised portion of the show, when many of the Latin Recording Academy's 49 trophies were awarded, Venezuelan vocal group Voz Veis landed two Latin Grammys -- becoming the first group from their nation to be honored. Voz Veis took home the awards for short form music video for "Ven A Mi Casa Esta Navidad," and Latin children's album for "C¿mo Se Llega A Bel¿n," a collection of Christmas songs.

Among the other pre-show award winners was Sebastian Krys, who picked up the trophy for producer of the year, and Brazilian Caetano Veloso, who won in the Brazilian song category for "Nao Me Arrependo."

The ceremony was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip. The Latin Grammys were broadcast from New York last year and previously bounced between Miami and Los Angeles.