MTV Unplugged is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. From 2000 to 2009, it aired less frequently and was usually billed as MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Since 2009, MTV Unplugged specials have aired occasionally, sometimes through online or subscription only. Episodes and specials have tended to showcase one artist or group, playing a combination of their hit songs and covers.
MTV Unplugged is the first live album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 February 2000, by Columbia Records and Sony Latin. It was recorded on 12 August 1999, during her MTV Unplugged performance at the Grand Ballroom in New York City.
Maria Rita is a Brazilian singer. Born Maria Rita Camargo Mariano, she is the daughter of famed pianist/arranger César Camargo Mariano and the late Brazilian singing legend Elis Regina and sister to Pedro Mariano and music producer João Marcelo Bôscoli. Her namesake is family friend and famed Brazilian rock legend Rita Lee. She studied at New York University, and worked as a journalist at a magazine for adolescents.
Skank was a Brazilian pop rock band from Belo Horizonte. Having begun in 1991, they sold approximately 5,200,000 copies of their albums as of 2004. Initially intending to mix dancehall with traditional Brazilian styles, later the band changed its sonority to music closer to Britpop and local movement Clube da Esquina. Their last concert was held on March 26, 2023, at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte.
Maná is a Mexican pop rock band formed in 1981. Originally called Sombrero Verde, the current lineup of members is vocalist-guitarist Fher Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros. The band is considered one of the best-selling Latin Mexican/Uruguayan music artists and the most successful Latin American band of all time with over 25 million records sold worldwide. Moreover, Maná has earned four Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, six Premios Juventud awards, 19 Billboard Latin Music Awards and 15 Premios Lo Nuestro awards.
María Natalia Lafourcade Silva is a Mexican singer and songwriter who performs in genres such as pop rock, jazz, and folk music. Since her debut in 2002, she has been one of the most successful singers in Latin America and the United States. Lafourcade's voice has been categorized as a lyric soprano.
"Ojos Así" is a song by Colombian singer Shakira from her fourth studio album, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Infused with nuances of Arabic pop, the lyrics tell of the singer traveling the world but not having seen eyes like her lover's. It was released as the album's fifth single in October 1999 by Sony Music Colombia. It was written by Shakira, composed and produced by her, Pablo Flores, and Javier Garza. The song was later adapted into English by Gloria Estefan as "Eyes Like Yours" and included on her first English studio album Laundry Service (2001).
Julieta Venegas Percevault is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer who specializes in pop-rock-indie music in Spanish. She embarked on her musical journey by joining several bands, including the Mexican ska band Tijuana No!. Venegas is proficient in playing 17 instruments, including the acoustic guitar, accordion, and keyboard.
Reik is a Mexican pop rock band from Mexicali, Baja California, formed in 2003 by Jesús Alberto Navarro Rosas, Julio Ramírez Eguía, and Gilberto Marín Espinoza (guitar). The group's first five albums have been classified as Latin pop, but the group has since transitioned to a more urban-influenced sound since 2015. Reik has won a Latin Billboard Music Award, four Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica awards, and a Latin Grammy.
Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto, also known as Marcelo D2, is a Brazilian rapper and songwriter, co-founder of Planet Hemp.
"Ciega, Sordomuda" is a song by Colombian singer Shakira from her fourth studio album, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). A pop rock track, it utilizes mariachi trumpets and lyrically equates total love to a person being blind, deaf, and mute. It was released as the album's lead single on 4 September 1998 by Sony Colombia. The lyrics were written by Shakira. Its music was co-composed by Shakira and Estéfano, while produced by the singer and Lester Méndez.
Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas (IKV) is an Argentine musical duo from Buenos Aires, formed in 1991 and consisting of Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur. The duo split in 2001 to follow solo careers, but later performed together several times, and officially reunited in 2011. The duo took their name from a fictional character, the Soviet spy Illya Kuryakin in the hit 1960s TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and the Colombian football player Carlos Valderrama. Their musical style is extremely wide-ranging, including hip-hop, rock, funk, and salsa.
Os Paralamas do Sucesso is a Brazilian rock band, formed in Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, in the late 1970s. Its members since 1982 are Herbert Vianna, Bi Ribeiro (bass), and João Barone (drums). In its beginning, the band combined reggae and ska with rock, but later added horn arrangements and Latin rhythms.
Tomás Torres Carrasquillo, known professionally as Tommy Torres, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and record producer. Named "#1 Hot Latin Tracks Producer" of 2007 by Billboard magazine and Composer of the Year at 2010 ASCAP's Latin Music Awards, Torres has written and produced songs for many artists including Ricardo Arjona, Jesse & Joy, Ednita Nazario, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin and Alicia Keys.
The 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Wednesday, September 13, 2000. The big winners were Luis Miguel, Santana and Maná with 3 awards; Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Fito Páez and Emilio Estefan Jr. received 2 awards each.
Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor Ricky Martin has released four video albums and appeared in sixty-two music videos, twelve films, thirteen television programs, and several television commercials. He ranks among the greatest music video artists of all time and is regarded as a video icon.
MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends is a live album by Regional Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte. It was recorded before a live audience at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, on February 8, 2011 and released by Fonovisa Records on May 24, 2011. The album includes featured performances by Andrés Calamaro, Calle 13, Zack de la Rocha, Juanes, Paulina Rubio and Diego Torres.
Juanes: MTV Unplugged is the second live album of Colombian singer Juanes. It was recorded before a live audience at the New World Symphony Center in Miami Beach, Florida, on February 1, 2012, and was released by Universal Music Latino on May 29, 2012. The album includes featured performances by the Spanish composer Joaquín Sabina and the Brazilian singer Paula Fernandes. The album features rearranged takes on Juanes' hit songs like "Me Enamora", "La Camisa Negra" and "A Dios le Pido". The first single of the live album was released on March 5, 2012, called La Señal, which became a hit in Latin America. The second single was "Me Enamora", with new instrumental arrangements, and was released two days after of the album's release. The album featured three new songs, one of which was a collaboration with Joaquín Sabina. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart and won the 2012 Latin Grammy for Album of the Year. This was the third time he won Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys.
EMAYLA, also known as Emanuela Bellezza is an Italian-American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist, who gained popularity with her original music, after appearing on television networks MTV Très, Univision, RAI, Telefutura and TV Azteca. In 2012, she won a nationwide contest by MTV Très and was chosen by Colombian singer Juanes to sing a duet with him for inclusion on the Deluxe Edition of his album Juanes MTV Unplugged. Emayla won the contest by performing a cover of Juanes' song Fotografia. The album won a Grammy in 2013 as Best Latin Pop Album category. It also won two Latin Grammys: Album of The Year and Best Long Form Music Video. The video of their performance counts over a million and a half views on YouTube. As a result of these achievements, Emayla's song titled Ella Se Va was played in different main radios in Venezuela and reached the top 40 national music charts in the same country.
Gustavo Borner is an Argentine producer, engineer and mixer. He has worked with several artists both from Argentina like Fito Páez, Andrés Calamaro and León Gieco as well as from other countries of Latin America like Juanes, Ricky Martin and Pepe Aguilar, among others, he has also worked in several film and videogame scores such as Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Deadpool 2. For his work, Borner has received six Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards and a Cinema Audio Society Award.
