The Kennedy Center will celebrate two Latino artists at this year’s Kennedy Center
Honors, following a controversial year in 2012 in which the chairman of the National
Hispanic Foundation for the Arts had a tempestuous phone conversation with Kennedy
Center
Michael Kaiser about the annual ceremony’s neglect of Hispanic artists.
This year’s slate, which honors
Martina Arroyo,
Herbie Hancock,
Billy Joel,
Shirley MacLaine, and
Carlos Santana, doubles the number of Latino artists chosen for the prestigious award for artistic
excellence, which up until now had only previously been awarded to opera star Placido
Domingo and actress and singer Chita Rivera.
Following the controversy, after Sanchez said Kaiser
told him to “Go f**k
yourself,”
the Kennedy Center changed its selection process, appointing a
super-committee including
Rivera and cellist Yo-Yo Ma to oversee the final decisions.
Previous winners and artists
such as Glenn Close, Christoph Eschenbach, Alec Baldwin, Renee
Fleming, Arturo Sandoval,
and Forest Whitaker also made recommendations.
A debate over inclusiveness is presumably not what the Kennedy Center had in mind
when it launched the Honors in 1978 with a debut list that included Marian Anderson,
Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Richard Rodgers, and Arthur Rubenstein.
This year marks the ceremony’s 35th anniversary, and while it’s undoubtedly a more
diverse list of nominees than last year’s—which honored Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman,
David Letterman, Natalia Makarova, and members of the band Led Zeppelin—artistically,
it’s much more music-centric than previous years, with two rock stars, a jazz musician,
an opera singer, and an actress/singer/author.
One honoree has local ties: MacLaine spent her childhood in Washington and attended
Thomas Jefferson High School before graduating from Washington-Lee. She’s best known
for her appearances in films such as
Terms of Endearment, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1983. Her newest book,
What If, comes out November 12.
“The Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their
lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world,” said Kennedy Center
Chairman David M. Rubenstein.
“Martina Arroyo has dazzled the world with her glorious soprano voice and continues
to share her artistry with a new generation of opera singers; Herbie Hancock has established
himself as one of the most innovative musicians in the world, constantly breaking
musical barriers and redefining the art of jazz; Billy Joel’s melodies have provided
the soundtrack of our lives for over four decades, making him one pop music’s most
prolific and memorable singers and songwriters; the remarkable breadth and range of
Shirley MacLaine’s acting has left an indelible impression over a nearly 60-year career
on stage and screen; from his legendary performance at Woodstock to his sweep at the
2000 Grammys and beyond, Carlos Santana’s artistry transcends genres while entertaining
millions.”
The Kennedy Center Honors takes place December 8, and will be broadcast on CBS December
29.
