Florida Chapter Presents Heroes Awards
Juan Luis Guerra, Sam Moore and Eric Schilling honored at dinner

GRAMMY.com
Fernando Gonzalez

Last night, in an evening marked by mixed emotions — pride, the joy of triumph and the sadness of irreplaceable loss — the Florida Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, joined forces to celebrate its champions at a gala event in Miami at the Mandarin Hotel.

The Florida Chapter bestowed its highest honor, the Florida Heroes Award, on singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra, singer Sam Moore and engineer Eric Schilling. The award is presented annually to members for their contributions to music and the music community. Recipients of the Florida Heroes Award are selected in acknowledgment of the excellence and integrity embodied in their work, as well as their willingness to support and participate in programs benefiting the music community.

Earlier in the day, at a morning press conference, the Latin Academy had announced the nominations for the 4th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, to be held in Miami Sept 3. The Heroes Awards event was also a celebration for these nominees.

Soul man Sam Moore met his partner Dave Prater at the King of Hearts club in Miami in 1961 and as Sam & Dave, they went on to define an era. Hits such as "Hold On, I'm Comin'," I Thank You" and, of course, "Soul Man" were not only jukebox favorites but influenced generations of musicians.

The duo separated in 1970, although it would reunite sporadically until 1981. It took two "Saturday Night Live" cast members, Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi, to introduce Sam & Dave to a new generation of listeners with their Blues Brothers act, a tribute band that featured several members of the original Sam & Dave backing group.

Moore, currently on tour in Europe, could not attend the presentation so Dana Dowd, daughter of the late, great engineer, producer and Florida Chapter Board member Tom Dowd accepted the award on his behalf. Dana Dowd recalled how her father had worked with Moore and in fact had been the one who had nominated him for the Award. This led to a brief but touching tribute to Dowd, a beloved figure throughout the industry, but especially in Florida.

Superstar singer Gloria Estefan and her husband and producer Emilio Estefan, took the stage to introduce Eric Schilling. This was clearly far more than professional courtesy. Gloria Estefan recalled Schilling was at the controls in 1982, as the then Miami Sound Machine recorded its third album, and how he had been on the other side of the glass every year since. (She took an aside to thank Schilling "for not killing" her son Nayib who back in the days before automation, erased a day of mixing while trying his hand at the console in the studio.) Emilio Estefan, who called Schilling "my best friend," thought out loud how Schilling should speak Spanish by now "having worked with us and so many Latin artists for 25 years."

Low key and unassuming, three-time GRAMMY-winning and six time Latin GRAMMY-winning Eric Schilling has indeed worked with the cream of the crop in Latin music, from Estefan and Juan Luis Guerra to Bebo Valdes, Israel "Cachao" Lopez and Shakira. But his credits actually stretch much wider to include collaborations ranging from Quincy Jones and Janet Jackson to David Bowie, Faith Hill and Sting.

Singer, songwriter and producer Willy Chirino praised Dominican singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra as an example of how "you don't have to be vulgar to make it big on the tropical charts." He not only simply spoke of his admiration but acknowledged Guerra had forced him, as well as all his peers, to work harder.

In less than 10 years and the span of a few albums, the clasically and jazz trained Guerra set the Latin pop world on its ear. He reworked traditional styles from his native Dominican Republic such as merengue and bachata with rich, jazz influenced harmonies, crisp arrangements and smooth productions — and then added poetic lyrics, a far cry from the lewd double entendres common in those styles. A shy, deeply religious man, Guerra said a simple thanks, speaking in Spanish — but couldn't resist a quick deadpan joke referencing one of his lyrics before a quick exit. It was typical Guerra: smart, elegant and to the point.

But the night also had poignant moments.

Addressing the full room the Latin Academy Chairman of the Board, Manolo Diaz, remembered Cuban singer Celia Cruz, who had passed away last week and had been buried early in the day in New York.

He remembered her as "a true friend of both the [Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy]," and he pointed out that Cruz had been "the first performer in the very first segment of the very first Latin GRAMMY [Award show]."

And when maestro Israel "Cachao" Lopez took the stage, he opened his performance with a whisper — "voy a dedicarle unas notitas a la señora Celia Cruz" (I'm going to dedicate a few little notes to Ms. Celia Cruz) — and a poignant, a short solo.

Other performances included Miami-based Peruvian rocker Pepe Alva, saxophonist Ed Calle and Chirino.

Previous recipients of the Heroes Award include Chris Blackwell, Harry Wayne "KC" Casey, Desmond Child, Clarence Clemons, Tom Dowd, Mack Emerman, Olga Guillot, Jeep Harned, Inner Circle, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, Lou Pearlman, Arturo Sandoval, and Third World.

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