Angela Aguilar, Gloria Estefan, Lenny Tavárez, Enrique Bunbury & More Celebrate Songwriting at La Musa

The 12th annual La Musa Awards, presented by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, took place this year at the Flamingo Theater in Downtown Miami on Thursday (Oct. 16). The venue’s intimacy, coupled with a more informal, speakeasy vibe, permeated an award ceremony that was notable for its moments of laughter and easy congeniality.

It was also notable for its star power. Those in attendance included Gloria and Emilio Estefan, with Gloria presenting the La Musa Founders Award to Mike O’Neill, president and CEO of BMI and a major supporter of Latin music, who Gloria praised for his “genuine heart and unwavering dedication.”

Alex González, drummer for Mexican rock band Maná, introduced new inductee Enrique Bunbury, the eclectic Spanish rocker.

Angela Aguilar gave a heartfelt speech accepting the La Musa Elena Casals award, and Lenny Tavárez, the reggaetón star who’s written major hits for many different artists, confessed that just a year ago, he’d sat in the audience yearning for an award. He accepted the La Musa Triunfador award from producer Sergio George.

As La Musa cofounder Rudy Pérez noted, George was one of three producers present that evening who made it onto the Top Producers of the 21st Century on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs Chart list. The other two were Pérez himself, landing at No. 2, and Emilio Estefan, the No. 1 producer on the list. And although Estefan himself wasn’t honored last night — he came to support BMI’s O’Neill — he got a second shout-out from inductee Jorge Luis Piloto, who recalled how, as an up-and-coming writer, Gloria Estefan had recorded one of his songs. At the time, he said, Emilio played a yet-unreleased “Conga” for him.

“You really think Americans will go for this?” Piloto recalled asking Estefan.

“They’ll eat it, with French fries,” Estefan replied, to which the room burst with laughter.

Other inductees of the evening included producer Andrés Castro, who was presented by Jorge Mejía, president and CEO of Sony Music Publishing Latin America, and his longtime publisher.

The Ralph S. Peer Publishers award was presented by Marti Cuevas to Juan Hidalgo and Nelson Estévez, the founders of indie tropical label, distributor and publisher J&N, a pioneering music company devoted to tropical music of all origins.

Charles Fox received the Desi Arnaz Pioneer Award, and José Alfredo Jiménez Medel received the song of all time award for “El Rey,” the enduring hit penned by his father, the late great José Alfredo Jiménez.