Smithers’ own Alex Cuba picked up his third Latin Grammy award last week, this time for best short form video for Eres Tu.
Cuba met up with fellow Bulkley Valley resident Taylor Fox, whose company Incite Media produced the video, and Christian Bielz, the cinematographer, colourist and co-director in Las Vegas to attend the show.
“It was amazing,” Cuba said. “It was so cool to have Taylor and Christian with me there. I felt on top of the world.”
The awards show was very fancy and over the top, Fox said, and they rubbed elbows with huge international stars like Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole and Pitbull.
“It was on a Las Vegas scale,” he said. “It was huge, awe-inspiring. The scale of the show blew my mind and I think my ears are still ringing.”
What makes this Latin Grammy so special, Cuba said, is the fact a host of Bulkley Valley characters came together to produce the award-winning video.
“The whole community was involved in this,” Cuba said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Besides Fox, Facundo Gastiazoro was art director, wardrobe designer, animator, story board artist and prop designer and manufacturer, Hans Saefkow looked after lighting, Caroline Marko was the female actor and served as wardrobe design and manufacturer and makeup artist, Nicole L’Orsa was the behind-the-scenes glue that kept the production together, Mark Fisher was grip and Sarah Puentes and family fueled the production with food.
The video was also supported by the BV Community Arts Council.
This is the fourth video Fox has filmed for Cuba, and the third shot here in the Bulkley Valley. Bielz has been a part of three videos.
“We have a long history with Alex,” Fox said. “I really respect him as an artist. He’s a great musician. He’s not doing the normal thing, he’s doing his own thing and that’s something I always admire.
“[Winning the award] feels absolutely amazing. It’s a really big honour to have your work recognized. Music videos are the perfect hybrid between music and film. I find it a really satisfying art form, creatively.”
Prior to the show, Las Vegas was in the middle of a record rainfall, so the green carpet walk for media was cancelled. Despite that, Fox said he and Cuba were able to attract a fair amount of flashes.
“Walking around with Alex Cuba, you attract a lot of attention,” he said. “It’s hard to lay low. He was swarmed. Every 10 paces, someone would ask for a picture. Then he would get surrounded by a crowd.
“Everyone seems to know him because he’s been doing this awhile and he’s so well respected.”
Cuba also won Latin Grammys in 2010 for Best New Artist and in 2011 for Best Tropical Song as a Composer.