Aventura’s 9 Latin Billboard Award Trophies & the band Splits Up!

Latin music is spreading like wildfire and surfaces on a more than regular basic on the top of the Pop charts. The Latin Billboard Awards 2010 as a platform recognizes and honors the intense and hard work of iconic musicians who have revolutionized and made Latin music an integral part of the modern and mainstream pop music.

Universal Music Latin Entertainment experienced its finest hour as they received the award for Top Label of the Year. The joy continued as their genre-based and regional trademarks got the highest awards as the Latin Rhythm Airplay Label of the Year, Mexican Airplay Label of the Year and Latin Songs Label of the Year awards went respectively to Machete, Disa and Universal Music Latino.

Bachata iconic band Aventura also basked in the rain of throphies, by topping the volume of airplay in popular radio stations as well as the sales charts. These Dominicans from the Bronx (New York, U.S.A.) made Latin Music history by receiving a grand total of 9 trophies overall including the 2010 Digital Album award and the highly coveted Latin Album of the Year. The record of songwriter Espinoza Paz is very impressive to say the least. He won the Songwrter of the Year award for the third consecutive year. Arpa Musical got the Publisher of the Year award and Armando Avila took the Producer of the Year award home.   

 Aventura splits up as a group

The group has had crowds booing them offstage less than a decade ago, malcontent with Aventura’s hybrid sound: old fashioned Dominican Style ‘Bachata Tradicional’ intertwined with percussive instruments such as guiras and bongos along with the small requinto guitar and contemporary lyrics. Today, the quartet composed of  lead singer/composer/producer Romeo, singer Henry Santos Jeter (Romeo's cousin), guitarist/arranger Lenny Santos (no relation to Romeo), and bassist/arranger Max "Mickey" Agende Santos (Lenny's brother) is having its top-grossing Latin tour, topped with the group’s electrifying performance at the Garden earlier this year. Bad news for their millions of fans: Aventura’s group members announced plans to release Solo Albums once they finish next years tours. Like Michael Jordan, they are taking a break at the hight of their carreers. Aventura had brought in the country’s top selling album of 2009, “The Last”. The name of the album suggests they had planned the break up just before releasing the album. “The Last” is also the top-selling album to date (April 30, 2010).        

The unorthodox business approach of Aventura may serve as a template, or at least inspire other artists at a time when so many have taken over the control over their own careers. Romeo said during an interview with Billboard Magazine: "I believe that if each one of us have successful solo careers, it can only help the group's growth." Romeo continues: "It will allow the fans to see individual talent and make them appreciate us more. After all, we are in this for the long run and have every intention of returning with another album as Aventura."

Since 2000, Aventura has been working with Premium Latin Music. This independent and family-owned label specializes in Tropical Music in general and Dominican Music in particular. The relationship between label founder/president Franklin Romero and Romeo is like a ‘father to son’ relationship. Romero says that this level of closeness has been paramount in the group’s development. He says: "The first thing I did was believe in the artist, accept what they brought to me. I've supported everything they've done and worked shoulder to shoulder with them. They come to my house, sleep on my couch. We wake up in vans together." After guiding Aventura to their current successful and iconic status, Romero is willing to give its members their solo breaks with the condition of them coming back to Premium to record one last album as Aventura. Romero has the following to say: "This decision worries me simply because what's working now is Aventura, and only a small percentage of soloists who branch off from groups do well. But we've been together 10 years. I don't want to be an obstacle to their personal growth. They needed my consent to record solo, and I was willing to give it, provided they signed a clause that allowed them to come back [and record together]."

Romero, and all of Aventura’s fans can enjoy the group for one more year. Franklin Romero plans to release Aventura's first greatest-hits album in the fall, alongside other compilations.

The 21st Latin Billboard Awards was aired live on broadcasting network Telemundo from the Coliseo Puerto Rico de Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. State Farm organized the event in cooperation with T-Mobile. Over 20 different singing groups and solo artists gave 14 stunning performances.