Dino D’Santiago’s Latin Grammy Win: A Victory for Diversity
Portugal’s Minister of Culture, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, has lauded Dino D’Santiago’s recent Latin Grammy win as a “just celebration of cultural diversity,” emphasizing the global power of the Portuguese language.
The accolade was awarded during Thursday night’s ceremony in Las Vegas to the Luso-Brazilian collaborative project Criolo, Amaro & Dino. The self-titled debut album, featuring the Portuguese singer alongside Brazilian artists Criolo and Amaro Freitas, took home the trophy for Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) / Afro-Portuguese-Brazilian Music Album.
A Victory for the Lusophone World
“It is a just celebration of cultural diversity, the strength of artistic creation, and the universality of the Portuguese language,” Balseiro Lopes wrote in a congratulatory message on X (formerly Twitter). The minister also extended her personal thanks to D’Santiago, who was born in Quarteira to Cape Verdean parents, for his role in bridging international cultures.
D’Santiago used his time on stage to honor the shared heritage of the Lusophone world. “Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Portugal—thank you to this Portuguese language for making us a unique people,” he said during his acceptance speech.
A Journey from ‘Esperança’ to Grammy Gold
The award-winning project evolved from the 2024 single “Esperança,” a collaboration between the trio and Brazilian producer Nave, which previously earned D’Santiago a Latin Grammy nomination. Encouraged by that success, the artists spent months recording across Rio de Janeiro, Recife, São Paulo, and Lisbon to develop a full-length record.
According to the agency Arruada, the 12-track album is a “contemporary exercise” rooted in Afro-Atlantic traditions. By blending the rhythms of Brazil with the African diaspora, the record explores themes of “fractures, inventions, resilience, and continuities,” resulting in a sound that the agency describes as a unique shared language.
Image: Pexels – Federico Abis
