Reggaeton star Flex wins 8 Billboard Latin Music Awards; Santana earns lifetime achievement

Reggaeton star Flex wins 8 Latin Billboards

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Panamanian reggaeton sensation Flex won eight awards, and Spanish pop singer Enrique Iglesias took home six at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday night.

Flex’s album “Te Quiero (I Love You),” which skyrocketed to number one on Billboard magazine’s charts shortly after its release, won top Latin album of the year. The hit single of the same name won seven other awards, including hot Latin song of the year and tropical airplay song of the year.

“Wow. This award is for the one who’s larger than this world and that’s God Almighty,” Flex said. “This is also for my Panamanian public, and for my Latin American people.”

Flex later performed the winning song, wearing a black jacket and cap and dancing on stage with a group of women in silver tight outfits and net stockings.

Iglesias, who’s touring in Europe to promote his latest greatest hits album “95/08″, not only surprised audiences by accepting his first two awards of the night via satellite from Minsk, Belarus, but also performing “Lloro por ti (I’m Crying For You)” thousands of miles away.

“I’d like to give many thanks to all my fans for their support in the past 14 years,” he said, donning a dark-green cap and scarf.

“I respect Billboard magazine very much. I’ve been reading it since I was a kid — it’s the bible of music.”

The singer’s chart-climbing song “Donde Estan Corazon (Where Are You, My Heart?)” earned him top honors, including male Latin pop airplay song of the year.

Mexican guitarist Carlos Santana, whose rock, salsa and jazz fusion has reinvented the musical culture for more than 40 years, was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award. Mexican rock band Mana, which walked away with four awards, joined Santana on stage for a performance that left audiences roaring with cheer as Santana sprung on a sparkling, green guitar.

“I give thanks to God, the light in my heart,” Santana said, dressed in a white suit and hat.

But before leaving the stage, Santana reminded the audience that “before we’re Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Colombians, we are the light that comes from the mind of God.”

Bachata music group Aventura, who has taken the world by storm with its easy-swaying hit songs, won four awards.

They also snagged the Latin airplay song of the year for a duo or group for their hit single “El Prededor (The Loser)”.

The group kicked off the evening performing “All Up To You” with Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel and American hip-hop singer Akon.

Other winners included Puerto Rican singer Ivy Queen, Cuban rapper Pitbull, Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez, music group RBD and Wisin & Yandel.

Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee was also honored with the Spirit of Hope Award, in recognition of his commitment and humanitarian work through his foundation “Corazon Guerrero (Heart of Warrior).”

“I’m just an instrument from God,” the Puerto Rican singer declared. He also reached out to troubled youths who may be incarcerated by urging them that “there’s a real world outside of those bars, and you must move forward in life.”

Later, the reggaetton star performed “Pose” with the all-male dance troupe Jabbawockeez.

Yankee, wearing a pin-striped suit, swayed with the pounding music as the dancers made their way through the audience.

Action movie star Vin Diesel’s voice was nearly drowned out by the cheering audience when he said that the reason his latest film, “Fast & Furious”, is number one at the box office is because “50 percent of the people who went to see it was Latin.”

Diesel introduced reggaeton icon Don Omar, who performed his hit single “Diva Virtual.”

Other performances of the night included an acoustic presentation by music group Reik, and a pop medley by Mexican singer Gloria Trevi. Salsa legend Ruben Blades performed alongside Los Seis del Solar, in celebration of the band’s 25th musical anniversary.

Mexican singer Christian Castro performed with pianist Arthur Hanlon, the American musician who found his calling in Latin music.

Mexican songstress Paulina Rubio, wearing a tight hot-pink dress, made her first public performance of the song “Causa y efecto (Cause and Effect)” and pranced on stage with local high school students as they played instruments.

The event was hosted by television personality Alan Tacher and Telemundo novela actress Aylin Mujico. Cuban-American model and actor JenCarlos Canela, 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza and Puerto Rican salsa singer Jerry Rivera were among the presenters at the show, broadcast live on Telemundo.

The Billboard Latin Music awards ceremony, held this year at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, honors performers with the best sales and airplay as determined by Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.