Hispanic Heritage Awards

ANNOUNCER

Welcome to the 34th Hispanic Heritage Awards! Tonight, we celebrate, Salma Hayek, Ivy Queen, Coach Ron Rivera, Kali Uchis, NASA Engineers Clara O'Farrell, Christina Hernandez and Diana Trujillo and Carlos Santana! With performances by, Cimafunk, Gabriella Reyes, Leslie Grace, Kali Uchis, Black Pumas, The Mavericks, Ally Brooke, Alex Cuba and Juanes. Hosted by, John Leguizamo.

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te falta

BAND

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te gusta

BAND

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te engancha

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te mata

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te mueve

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te sube

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te arrebata

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te pone bonita Lo tengo yo Yo vengo con t P las mikis, p las frikis, p las hipis P las que les gusta el vaciln

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

P que pruebes y no te arrepientas La melcochera se form

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

T t t t t T t t t t

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

T t t t t T t t t t

GROUP

Traigo

CIMAFUNK

Caramelo para ti, caramelo con man Caramelo que te saca flow

GROUP

Traigo

CIMAFUNK

Caramelo para ti, caramelo para mi Caramelo con sabor a flow Lo que te desvela

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te endulza

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

La noche loca

GROUP

La tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Eso que te receto el doctor

GROUP

Soy yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te pone la mente inquieta

GROUP

Yo

CIMAFUNK

Que te relaja, pero te aprieta Lo que te, uy

GROUP

Lo tengo yo

CIMAFUNK

Lo que te, arrrr

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

P las mikis, p las frikis, p las hipis P las que les gusta el vaciln

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

P que pruebes y no te arrepientas La melcochera se form

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

T t t t t T t t t t

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

T t t t t T t t t t Say

GROUP

Traigo

CIMAFUNK

Caramelo para ti, caramelo con man Caramelo que te saca flow

GROUP

Traigo

CIMAFUNK

Caramelo para ti, caramelo para mi Caramelo con sabor a flow, uy Woo (scatting) (scatting) Yo, yo Ya lleg el caramelo con azucar de caa Este sabor no te engaa Sueltate el pelo y baila Celebra con el dulce Avsame si alguien te regaa P darle un poco Que este caramelo es medicina p los locos Curita para el alma con sabor a coco Y te lo traje regalo Yo te lo traje regalo Caramelooo regalo No te lo crees No te lo crees El, caramelooo, regalo Dale diente y no te distraigas Que cuando se come no se habla Uy

GROUP

Yo vengo con t

CIMAFUNK

Dale diente y no te distraigas Que cuando se come no se habla Uy

LEGUIZAMO

Yo, bienvenidos! Hola, I'm John Leguizamo and welcome to the 34th Hispanic Heritage Awards! Now, I had the honor of receiving the Arts Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in 2004 and I'm so excited to be back and this time as your host. Now as a community, we've overcome a lot throughout history. And that resilience, cultural pride and vision is on full display through the 34th Hispanic Heritage Award Honorees we're celebrating tonight. Whether it's pushing cinema or music forward, or being the vanguard for Latinos in American sports, or even expanding the possibilities of space travel, each of this year's honorees are pushing boundaries and demonstrating the value that we bring to this country and to the world. And our first honoree has been at the forefront of making an impact on ensuring our stories are being told in her 30-plus years in Hollywood, on the screen and off. Let's learn more about our 2021 Arts Award Honoree, Salma Hayek.

HAYEK

I don't like to complain about things that I didn't try to change. You have to push now so that future generations can actually benefit from it.

NARRATOR

By age 23, Salma Hayek was a household name in Mexico. But instead of remaining there, she left in 1991 to make a name for herself in American cinema.

HAYEK

At that time in Mexico, we really didn't have a film industry. And so, because I, I wanted to do film, I didn't want to do theatre, I didn't just want to do perform, I didn't want to do television. I was in love with films. And this is what brought me.

NARRATOR

After struggling in the early part of her career, Hayek broke through after drawing the attention of film director Robert Rodriguez, who cast her starring opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995 film "Desperado".

HAYEK

First it was, "You're gonna play Carolina," then, "mmm, we're not sure we're going to give it to you because they're thinking maybe Cameron Diaz is Latina because her last name is Diaz." So, by the time I got it, I did understand it was a big deal.

NARRATOR

While continuing to act through-out the 90s, Hayek also founded her own production company, Ventanarosa, in 1999 to try to fill the vacuum of Latino stories and talent in Hollywood.

HAYEK

I wanted to create opportunities for other people and to grow our little industry and to have more representation, do something about representation in front and behind the cameras. Even if you don't get things done, the fact that there is some really stubborn woman you know, going "and what about this?" "No." "But what about this?" "No." "But you have to have something," "Okay! We'll develop this one, but it's not getting on the air." You know, but the pressure, the pressure, I think it has to help for something.

NARRATOR

Hayek's pressure paid off. Her passion project, "Frida" about the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo earned two Academy Awards, as well as a Best Actress Nomination for Hayek, becoming the second Latina ever nominated in that category. And she even brought Latinos back to Primetime as an executive producer on the tv series, "Ugly Betty" earning a Golden Globe for best Comedy Series and an Emmy nomination for Hayek herself. She and her company's work continue to defy expectations for women and Latinas. With four films coming out in 2021 alone, including Marvel's "Eternals" and Netflix's "House of Gucci" and deals with HBOMax and Viacom, Hayek is poised to continue the impossible task she set out to do 30 years ago, change the face of Hollywood on screen and off.

HAYEK

So, if I'm 55 right now, imagine my shock when after knocking on every door and "hey, I can be funny, I can do comedies." "No, no you're sexy, Latina, not funny" "Hey, I can do action, I started with Robert Rodriguez," "No, no you action, no." And all of a sudden, at 54, I'm doing action, I'm doing comedy and I'm a superhero. And that was quite surprising. I had a special Latino angel that helped this happen and um that is, Victoria Alonso, who is one of the most important executives in the world and happens to be Argentinian. And so, this is what is so important, we keep stressing, "we need to be behind the cameras. We need to build careers behind the camera." If you're watching this and if you've been around my world, my career, you've seen my movies, or you've heard about me and you are of Hispanic Heritage and you are inspired by the film industry, I really would like to invite you to do your best to become a writer, a director, a technician in the film industry, or a producer, we really need a stronger, bigger and very talented community so that we can continue to advance. So, I hope that by watching me, if you were thinking about it, this inspires you to go ahead and do it, because we really need you. Thank you.

GRACE

!Hola, familia! Yo soy Leslie Grace and these are my wonderful and amazingly talented musicians. And we are so excited to perform for you here at the Hispanic Heritage Awards. This is my new song, "Bachatica," and I hope that you enjoy. Bjame tu escudo Deja ver tu amor bendito y desnudo Se que quieres mucho ms de mi Pero te asusto Cuando se te pase yo te busco y te bailo, una bachatica En Santo Domingo hasta Chicago Hasta que tus pies ya no den ms Y te canto, una bachatica Lento Derritindome en tus besos Hasta que tus labios no den mas Slvame De lo oscuro Crame las penas con tu manos entre mis piernas Sabes que me tienes donde quieras Yo quiero mucho ms de ti Y te aseguro Que cuando te entregues yo te alumbro Te bailo, una bachatica En Santo Domingo hasta Chicago Hasta que tus pies ya no den ms Y te canto, una chachacha y un tango Desde invierno hasta el verano Hasta que solo no den ms Ah Tanto amor Junta a ti se curan las heridas Todo brilla si estas en mi vida Ah Tanto amor Cada vez que te tengo de frente Tu me dices todo con la mente Te bailo, una bachatica En Santo Domingo hasta Chicago Hasta Chicago Hasta que tus pies ya no den ms Ooh Te canto, una bachatica Lento Derritindome en tus besos Hasta que tus labios no den mas Eh, ah

LEGUIZAMO

Our next honoree is known by many names, La Potra, La Caballota, La Reina. And for a long time as the only woman in reggaetn, her visionary lyricism defined a genre that's taken Latin music by storm. Let's give it up for our 2021 Vision Award honoree, La Diva Ivy Queen!

IVY QUEEN

Vengo de un gnero al cual se le daba fecha de vencimiento, se deca que no iba para ningn lado, se deca que la mujer no tena cabida, de mi aspecto y mi look se deca, que si las 500 trenzas en mi cabello, como si eso fuera un impedimento para lograr lo que ya visualmente yo saba que estaba destinado para m.

NARRATOR

Before Reggaeton and Urbano Latino became the reigning genre of Latin Music, there was La Caballota, La Reina, Ivy Queen. Born Martha Ivelisse Pesante, Ivy Queen got her start in the underground rap scene of San Juan in 1995. Literally the only woman in the genre, Queen made a name for herself with her improvisation and lyricism and soon found herself as the first female member of the Noise, one of the pioneering groups of the emerging reggaetn genre.

IVY QUEEN

Del rap a mi me atrajo lo sincero, lo crudo, lo real, lo que no hay que darle vuelta para hablarlo, y las rimas. Yo me enamor de lo real, que era poder hablar con msica de fondo, y en mi caso yo esta diciendo "somos raperos pero no delincuentes" o estaba hablado de hasta cuando vas a buscar trabajo y no te lo dan por tu aspecto, tus pantalones anchos, tus trenzas y tus tenis. Entonces, siento que estaba hablando de cosas muy contundentes.

NARRATOR

Queen decided to go solo in 1996 to carve her own niche in the industry, disillusioned by the vulgar and sexist lyrics of many of her many male contemporaries. Her first two albums struggled commercially, but her third, "Diva" released in 2003, coincided with the explosion of reggaetn into mainstream Latin music and her single, "Yo Quiero Bailar" became an anthem for women's bodily autonomy and launched Ivy Queen into the stratosphere.

IVY QUEEN

Yo solo me viv, me goc mi momento de grabar "Yo quiero bailar" porque yo iba a las discotecas y vea como a las nenas que vestan su ropa entallada las agarraban sin pedirle permiso, las jalaban para la pista de baile, que no estamos diferente a los tiempos de ahora. Pero de all naci la creatividad, de irme al estudio a grabar la cancin, y ya luego, hasta el da de hoy te digo, porque me pasa, que parece que la saque ayer porque la gente la canta con la misma efusividad.

NARRATOR

With her unmistakably powerful voice, Queen's songs defined the genre. Songs that centered women, love, heartbreak, racism, homosexuality and socio-political issues. Her musical authenticity and iconic style inspiring new artists and superstars, like Karol G, Bad Bunny and even English-speaking rappers like Cardi B.

IVY QUEEN

Mi victoria mxima es que a mi se me utiliza como referente, cuando a ti te utilizan como referente quiere decir que dejaste una huella muy grande. Cuando yo veo que a mi me utilizan de referente, por ejemplo en entrevistas he visto a otras cantantes, Cardi B, Rosala, que la cua, y me dan mis honores, esa es mi mayor victoria, el que me utilicen como referente, con un respeto muy nico y muy genuino. Entonces, mi corazn me dice que vali la pena, alguien tena que agarrar los golpes, para que despus otros el camino lo tuvieran un poco ms fcil.

NARRATOR

24 years since the release of her first album and over 2 million records sold, La Reina de Reggaetn remains as secure in her title as ever. And as Urbano Latino continues to expand all over the globe, Ivy Queen's genre-defining anthems will continue to inspire young songwriters to share her vision.

IVY QUEEN

Siento un orgullo profundo que esta jbara, goajira, del oeste de Puerto Rico nunca se quit. Oh my god! Look at that pretty! Por favor, get the shot, get the shot! Esto va para mi hija porque es mi motivacin, es mi motor, los nios son una cosa tan maravillosa que no importa que t ests llorando, que tengas mal da, cuando un hijo te mira, te reinicia. Naiovy, sto es para ti. I love you so much, look at this.

UCHIS

Mmm Ooooh Ooh Quin lo dira Que se podra hacer el amor por telepata La luna est llena, mi cama vaca Lo que yo te hara Si te tuviera de frente la mente te la volara De noche y de da, de noche y de da You know I'm just a flight away If you wanted you can take a private plane A kilmetros estamos conectando Y me prendes aunque no me ests tocando You know I got a lot to say All these voices in the background of my brain Y me dicen todo lo que ests pensando Me imagino lo que ya ests maquinando Quin lo dira Que se podra hacer el amor por telepata La luna est llena, mi cama vaca Lo que yo te hara Si te tuviera de frente la mente te la volara De noche y de da, de noche y de da Ohh Ooo, ooo, oh Oo, oooh, ooooh De noche y de da Ooooh

LEGUIZAMO

Our next honoree is one of only four Latino head coaches in NFL history. He's an inspirational leader, who rose through the ranks from being a player to leading teams to Super Bowls, and through a global pandemic and even through his own personal battle with cancer. Now let's learn more about our 2021 Sports Award Honoree, Coach Ron Rivera.

RIVERA

I've been a lot of first, I learned very early in my career, that's really something that I've got to uphold. I do have people that do consider me a role model. And so, um, I do have to carry myself a specific way. I have to have success for their sake. I believe that. You know, my dad, his sport was baseball, coming from Puerto Rico. From my mom's family's perspective, they all played. She grew up in California, her brothers all played it and so we had uh, we had role models, people that we wanted to emulate.

NARRATOR

A child of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, his Father's Army commission kept Ron Rivera and his family moving around the world, before settling in Marina, California. His talents quickly drew the attention of college scouts and he was recruited as a linebacker for University of California Berkeley. His college performance as an All-American player earned him a draft pick by the Chicago Bears, where he would go on to play 9 seasons and become the first player of Puerto Rican descent to play and win a Super Bowl.

RIVERA

There's a tremendous amount of satisfaction that I did reach that pinnacle as a football player, being able to play in the NFL, let alone play on a Superbowl Championship team.

NARRATOR

Rivera retired from professional play in 1992, but it was a short-lived retirement. By 1997, he was rehired by his old team, this time on the coaching staff.

RIVERA

It was honestly at my wife's urging that I got back into football, because she told me, "you need structure and football is the only thing that gives that to you."

NARRATOR

Just as his playing drew serious attention, so did his coaching. Rivera would go on to coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Diego Chargers, before making history as only the 3rd Hispanic Head Coach in NFL history when he was hired by the Carolina Panthers in 2011.

RIVERA

You know, I started as a volunteer coach. I went in in the Bill Walsh Diversity Program with the mindset that I was going to make them need me. And so, I started from the bottom. I was a quality control coach, I made coffee, I made copies, you know, that's the type of work I did. I did whatever I could to make myself invaluable. As I worked my way up the chain, I tried to learn things and understand how things go. And low and behold, I was put in that position to be a head coach.

NARRATOR

After a bumpy start, Rivera quickly turned the Panthers into a competitive team, taking them to Superbowl 50 and earning himself two NFL Coach of the Year Awards. But after a change in ownership, Rivera moved on from the Panthers before the end of the 2019 season. He quickly pivoted to a new team and in 2020, was named the new Head Coach of the Washington Football Team. Between personnel changes, the COVID-19 pandemic and his own personal cancer diagnosis and treatment, Coach Rivera's first season with his new team was nothing if not tumultuous. Despite all the struggles of the past year, Coach Rivera emerged from 2020 cancer-free, with a division title, one of the most diverse staffs in the league and with his third Coach of the Year Award.

RIVERA

I was going through everything, I've been through this last year. It really was trying about building trust, you know, building trust with our new owner, with our new coaching staff, building trust with our players, with our organization, the community. You know, our fan base. I mean, they had to trust that we were going to do things the right way and we were going to put the type of team on the field that they could be proud of and that's what we're working toward. One of the things I want to do is I do want to make my impact, whether that impact is for my family, for my community for my culture. But to be recognized, that means you are doing something right. It validates who you are. It validates what you've become. And to receive something like this, this, this is special, this really is because it says I'm doing things the right way.

LEGUIZAMO

As a previous Hispanic Heritage Awardee and now a board member of the Friends of the American Latino Museum, we have proudly lifted up the American Latino narrative, stories of accomplishment, stories of sacrifice, stories of contribution to the United States. The work of shaping the narrative of Latinos in our country is more important than ever and it will be more important for our children. Because of the tireless efforts of leadership around the nation, we have ensured that our stories have a home on our National Mall as we look forward to opening the doors to a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum in the years to come. And these stories aren't just Latino stories, they are American stories. Because we are an American story. Now, to perform "America the Beautiful" joined by the American Pops Orchestra in our Nation's Capital, please welcome Metropolitan Opera Soprano Gabriela Reyes.

Reyes

O beautiful, for spacious skies. For amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain. America America God shed His grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea O beautiful, for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears America America God mend thine ev'ry flaw Confirm thy soul with self-control, thy liberty in law In law

LEGUIZAMO

Each year, the Hispanic Heritage Awards present the Inspira Award to recognize a young person who's doing inspiring work as a role model for other young people in the Latin Community. And this year's Awardee is defying media expectations of what it means to be bi-cultural, bi-lingual and even bi-sexual and showing all of us that our Latinidad is complex and that complexity is what makes it beautiful. Let's meet our 2021 Inspira Awardee, Kali Uchis.

UCHIS

I feel like when I was growing up, I definitely would've loved to have had somebody like me to look up to.

NARRATOR

Nicknamed "Kali Uchis" by her father, Karly-Marina Loaiza grew up between her birthplace in Virginia and her father's home town of Pereira, Colombia.

UCHIS

I never realized that people would only listen to music in the language that they understood, because for me, that barrier didn't ever exist.

NARRATOR

Originally hoping to direct films after high school, her career pivoted after her mixtape "Drunken Babble" caught the attention of industry giants like Snoop Dogg, Diplo, Tyler the Creator and Juanes. And after a Grammy nomination in 2018 and a critically praised first album, it was her collaboration with producer Kaytranada on the song "10%" that earned Uchis her first Grammy gold earlier this year. But Uchis' reached global prominence when her song "Telepata" went viral on social media, earning millions of daily streams for the song and for her second studio album, "Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)" her first album sung almost entirely in Spanish. The album's runaway success continues to defy Latin and mainstream American music industry expectations.

UCHIS

I'm very much an artist that I believe that ambition should be an afterthought when you're creating. Everyone around me told me, "This was not going to be a good idea. Latin artists are trying to move into the American market and sing songs in English, why would you go, that's going backwards in your career," a lot of people told me. You know, all of the accolades that came later just make me even more proud to be able to open, um, to be able to open doors for other Latin artists, or other bi-cultural artists in general who might be afraid to take that leap.

NARRATOR

In addition to being bi-cultural, Uchis is openly bi-sexual, paving the way for queer people in Spanish-language music.

UCHIS

I've never hidden my sexuality, but it was really special and important for me to make a music video that highlighted it, because I felt that no one else had ever done it, especially not for a song in Spanish. I guess I just wanted to be able to show that freedom of expression and hope that it might inspire other people to also freely express themselves.

NARRATOR

As her brilliant career continues, we can't wait to see how else Kali Uchis will bend boundaries and defy conventions.

UCHIS

I would just want everyone to remember that no matter how hard it is growing up and how hard adolescence is, that your version of beautiful is what's beautiful. You don't have to look like me, you don't have to look like whoever else it is that you might see on the screen. Umm, Latina comes in every shape, color, size. And, um, whatever you're insecure or ashamed about, somebody else wants. So, find a way to own it and be proud of it. And um, yeah, that's it."

LEGUIZAMO

In February, the Perseverance Rover touched down on the surface of Mars. The largest and most advanced rover NASA's ever put on another planet, Perseverance represents a major leap forward in human space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life. And while it takes hundreds of scientists and engineers all over the world to pull off a mission like this, we wanted to highlight three Latinas who were integral in making this historic moment possible. Let's learn more about our 2021 STEM Award Honorees, Clara O'Farrell, Christina Hernndez and Diana Trujillo.

O'FARRELL

My name is Clara O'Farrell and I am a Guidance and Control Engineer working on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

TRUJILLO

My name is Diana Trujillo and currently I am a Technical Mission Manager for the Perseverance Mission. HERNNDEZ: My name is Christina Diaz Hernndez. My pronouns are she, her and ella and I am a Payload Systems Engineer on the Perseverance Mission.

O'FARRELL

I grew up in Buenos Aires. When I was in first grade, my grandma took me to Tierra Del Fuego, which is the southernmost province of Argentina to see the penguins. You know, when I got to high school, I realized that being a marine biologist was more than just playing with penguins and I realized that I really liked solving problems and I like math and physics, so I decided to become an engineer. HERNNDEZ: My parents were actually going to college when I was in Elementary school. And my dad was studying to be an engineer and he'd bring home his calculus books and all of his little wires and gizmos and I would watch him as I was doing my own homework. I loved asking, "Why?" "Why this? Why that? Well, why are we going here?" And they really helped grow that curiosity by just enabling that behavior.

TRUJILLO

I was born and raised in Colombia. I came to the US when I was 17. I knew very little English. I had $300 in my pocket. And at that point in my life, I was looking for, I was in a survival mode. So, I was going through my English classes, I would never look at my transcript, I would never look at my grades. And then one time an English teacher came to me and said, "you know you have really good grades?" and I said, "no I don't." And then my teacher is later on like, "no, you're not understanding. You should go and go register for honors classes and go do this other things. I was afraid of being a failure, turns out that I wasn't a failure and when she pointed that to me, I realized that I could actually learn and I could push myself and I was actually smart and I hadn't realized that. 2006, I was admitted to the NASA Academy program, which is an internship in Goddard in Maryland. We went and saw a space shuttle launch. We got together with scientists that I remember thinking, "I want your job! I want your job! I want your job!" And it opened up this idea of like, here's everything you can do with space exploration, which I used to think, like, only this people can do it. And now it's like no, there's all of this jobs.

O'FARRELL

And I happened to be here in Pasadena in 2012 when Curiosity rover landed. One of the things that I found out was that one of the main players also happened to be from Argentina. So, we talked, he gave me advice and he also believed in me and he took a chance on me and he, you know helped me, introduced me to the right people. And here I am today. HERNNDEZ: I remember the recruiter at CalPoly, my university, they said, "this is the resume of somebody who already works at JPL." And so, they gave me a shot! You know, they said, you know "We want you to come to JPL and interview," and I just really gave it my all. So, I was a part of the team, the payload team, that was basically in charge of building the seven different instruments that are now on the rover. The rover is very heavy. It weighs over 2,000 pounds and when it arrives at Mars, it's going at 12,000 miles an hour and we have seven minutes to take it from that speed to less than one mile an hour so that we can touch down safely on the surface. We designed a new supersonic parachute. It was 70 feet in diameter and it was stronger than any parachute we'd designed before. So, I was a part of the team that was tasked with testing this parachute.

TRUJILLO

Before we launch, we just need to hurry up and make it to the launch vehicle, make sure that everything is integrated. But then before we land, I switch into the Operational Readiness Test Lead, which meant that from the surface standpoint, we were putting together four huge tests where we were actually putting the team to the test. Now we're on Mars, I'm actually the Flight Director while we're trying to do the deployment, which is crazy awesome. And then after that, I had the pleasure to also be flight director for the deployment of the helicopter.

O'FARRELL

The moment that we heard that the parachute had deployed successfully, that was so exciting, but also, such a huge relief 'cause we'd been working on that for years and that feeling like, "I didn't screw it up!"

TRUJILLO

For the first time we had done the first planetary landing broadcast in Spanish. And I had the honor to have been the host of that broadcast. My culture, my heritage got to join in with the party at the right time when it was happening and did not miss anything.

O'FARRELL

I'm a regular person who's had tremendous opportunity. And who's been helped out along the way by some fantastic people. So, it's our responsibility to create those opportunities for the next generation. HERNNDEZ: This award is gonna now introduce, you know, everybody, to the next generation of Latinas and the ones that are really creating change and trying, not just to get to a place of visibility, but to bring up communities, to bring up students who believe that they don't belong.

TRUJILLO

Hopefully people will hear my story and realize, not only comes from you know the dreams and hopes when you're an immigrant and you come to a different place where you don't know anything about it, you don't have any families, but that's not going to stop you. Because we as Latinos have that in our blood. We don't give up. We don't back down. We fight through it. And fight through it means you can make it to another planet and still fight through it and keep breaking barriers. Do it in Spanish. Bring in the next generation. Do all of these things so that next time that we talk about going to another planet, it's not five or six Latinos, it's like it doesn't matter anymore because we're so many that we can all go. So, now it's truly the Blue Planet going to another planet and not just a few people.

LEGUIZAMO

In 1961, "West Side Story" was the highest-grossing film of the year. It went on to win 10 Oscars and brought Puerto Ricans and Nuyoricans into American film in a major way. And while it remains a masterpiece, it also a product of its time and it carries with it a complicated legacy for many Latin communities. On this 60th anniversary, let's look back at "West Side Story" and the ways Latinos are bringing it into the present.

MORENO

"Amor sin barreras," "Love without barriers." That's the title they gave it in Spanish.

DEBOSE

It's about people in the margins, who are just trying to find their place in the world and hold onto love where they can find it.

NARRATOR

A musical adaptation of "Romeo & Juliet" set against a war between rival Puerto Rican and White gangs in New York City, "West Side Story" was the first musical of its time to deal with themes about immigration, cross-racial romance and graphic violence. But while its Broadway run was a success, it was the 1961 film adaptation that cemented its place in American culture.

MORENO

I thought we were going to be a flop! You know, here we are, singing in high voices, most of us in these operatic voices. There are no costumes here with spangles and stuff and bright, shiny stuff. And this kind of dancing, I've never seen this dancing in my life. I said, "I just don't know who's going to come see this."

NARRATOR

The film went on to become the highest grossing film of the year, earning 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Rita Moreno, the first Latina to ever win an Oscar.

ZEGLER

I remember my abuelita and my mom talking about Rita Moreno when I was a kid and they would talk about how, "Rita Moreno has all these awards!" And she's an EGOT winner and she's this incredible person for the Latin Community.

NARRATOR

For 60 years, "West Side Story" has had a significant cultural impact, but it's also brought with it a complicated legacy. While the music and the staging have captivated generations, the film and stage show have been criticized for relying on stereotypes. In addition to ignoring the existence of Afro-Latinos in the Puerto Rican diaspora, the film put all of its Puerto Rican characters, played by white actors, in dark make-up, except for Maria. And for a film credited with exposing mainstream America to the Puerto Rican experience in the US, Rita Moreno was the only Latino cast member. In the decades since, theatrical revivals have included Latino creatives to help correct the original shortcomings, including translating English lyrics and dialogue into Spanish, as well as ensuring racially and ethnically-conscious casting. Even the film is getting an update. Stephen Spielberg's new adaptation is taking careful efforts to work with Puerto Rican and Nuyorican cast members, creatives and organizations to ensure cultural authenticity and nuance.

ALVAREZ

We want to make sure that we bring back the background.

MORENO

The rethinking of certain things were just necessary and they were thrilling. It's become more relevant now than the original "West Side Story" because of what's happening in our times.

DEBOSE

This is the first time that you're seeing an American face like mine, who is also Puerto Rican, be allowed to tell this story and that's really exciting.

NARRATOR

As the US reckons with past depictions of Latinos in film and works to center and uplift Black members of the Latin diaspora, "West Side Story" remains an essential part of that work. For some, it will be the first-time they see themselves on stage or screen. For others, it's a reminder of the power of love in the face of hate. It remains a timeless story and with each retelling, it reminds Latinos living in the United States, there's a place for us. There always has been. There always will be.

LEGUIZAMO

Our final honoree is a 10-time Grammy Award winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Kennedy Center Honoree and global music icon. His music has transcended genres, generations, cultures and geographies, to touch the soul of humanity. I'm proud to present the 2021 Legend Award to Carlos Santana.

SANTANA

Santana's all about elevating people, into a place where you can see yourself the way God made you, not the way you were programmed by the world. Peace.

NARRATOR

Fascinated by artists like Ritchie Valens, BB King and John Lee Hooker, Carlos Santana became enamored with the guitar at age eight, playing in Tijuana nightclubs with his father's mariachi band. Soon after his family moved to San Francisco, where he began to absorb the jazz and folk music popular with the growing hippie movement of the 1960s. In 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band, later shorted to "Santana." The band's unique blend of Latin-rock, jazz, blues and Afro-Caribbean rhythms quickly gained the attention of not only the American music industry, but the whole world after the band was tapped to play at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, two weeks before the band's first album would be released.

SANTANA

I was blessed to be given the sound, resonance, vibration to be a collective conscious entity, that shows up and everything becomes one, like we did at Woodstock, or like we'll do at the next concert.

NARRATOR

Audiences were spellbound by the music. Songs like, "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways" and a re-imagining of the Tito Puente classic "Oye Como Va" kept Santana and his hypnotic blend of musical genres at the top of the musical charts.

SANTANA

Somehow, I was able to have a sound that is, is, is, is identified as the Universal Sound. I could go to Ireland or Africa, or anywhere, South America, New Zealand, Japan and not be a tourist. I'm a part of the family because they all grew up in the living room with "Samba Pa Ti" or you know or "Supernatural" the songs.

NARRATOR

The group saw a decline in their commercial success through the 80s and 90s and many saw Santana and the band's best years as behind them, even as Santana was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. But they were proven wrong after record executive Clive Davis approached Santana with an idea to record an album with some of the hottest names of the 90s. A year later, Santana released the 15-time platinum album "Supernatural" introducing his iconic guitar and fusion style to a new generation, while reigniting the magic for his long-time fans. It went on to win eight Grammy's and the lead single "Smooth" with Rob Thomas became Billboard's number two most successful song of all-time.

SANTANA

God's grace allows me to be at the right place at the right time with someone like Bill Graham or Clive Davis. What it is for us is that people are flowers, music is the water, I'm a host. All I did was focus on being gracious, being present and honor everyone who gets in front of me. It's all about the songs. If the songs are correctly with them, then they know that I'm going to do my best to compliment their spirit and their hearts.

NARRATOR

Over five decades after forming the band, Carlos Santana continues to touch the human spirit. Even in his 70s, Santana still tours and regularly releases new music, including two albums produced during the coronavirus pandemic. And through his Milagro Foundation, Santana has given over $8 million in grants to nearly 400 organizations around the world.

SANTANA

Thank you for this! I really, really treasure it. It means, it means the world because, you know there's a lot of people who pick up the food, they, they clean the sheets, clean toilets, they babysit, there's a lot of invisible people. I'm one of them. I am the voice of the voiceless. And when I show up and I get something like this, I'm representing them. We want to change the world into a place where we, where we can get beyond fear. We need to put fear aside and really celebrate the beauty of variety. And it may sound far out, but it ain't far out to me.

LEGUIZAMO

And now to celebrate our Legend Honoree, please welcome Black Pumas, The Mavericks, Alex Cuba, Ally Brooke and Juanes.

BURTON

I've got a black magic woman I've got a black magic woman I've got a black magic woman got me so blind I can't see That she's a black magic woman trying to make a devil outta me Oh, don't turn your back on me, baby Don't turn your back on me, baby Don't turn your back on me, baby Stop messing 'round with your tricks Don't turn your back on me, baby you just might pick up my magic sticks Oh (guitar solo) Su turno, Mavericks

GROUP

You've got to change your evil ways, baby Before I stop lovin' you You've got to change, baby And every word that I say is true You've got me runnin' and hidin' all over town You've got me sneakin' and a peepin' and runnin' you down This can't go on Lord knows, you've got to change, baby Baby, when I come home, baby My house is dark and my thoughts are cold You hang around, baby With Jean and Joan and a who knows who I'm gettin' tired of waiting and fooling around I'll find somebody that won't make me feel like a clown This can't go on Lord knows, you've got to change, baby Baby

CUBA

Oh, Maria, Maria She remind me of a "West Side Story" Growin' up in Spanish Harlem She livin' a life just like a movie star Maria, Maria She fell in love in East L.A. To the sounds of the guitar, yeah Played by Carlos Santana (guitar solo)

BROOKE

Tell me just what you want me to be One kiss and boom you're the only one for me So please tell me, why don't you come around no more? 'Cause right now, I'm crying outside the door of your candy store It just takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that It started with a kiss, now we're up to bat A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain I'm telling you my babe, it's all in the game of love Oooh, let's play the game of love Ooh It just takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that It started with a kiss, now we're up to bat A little bit of laughs, a little bit of pain I'm telling you my babe, it's all in the game of love

JUANES

Oye cmo va mi ritmo Bueno pa' gozar, mulata Oye cmo va mi ritmo Bueno pa' gozar mulata (guitar solo) (guitar solo) (guitar solo)

LEGUIZAMO

I want to congratulate all of our honorees and performers! Because each of their talents and triumphs reminds us that with some ambition, perseverance and the support of our communities, we Latinx can change the world. So, thank you to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for having me and be safe and get vaccinated. Goodnight! (music plays through credits).