Ana Bárbara Crowned as BMI Icon at 2023 BMI Latin Awards
Thania Garcia Ana Bárbara, otherwise known as “Grupera Queen,” received her flowers as a BMI Icon at the 30th annual BMI Latin Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 21. The singer — whose blended style of rancheras, norteño and Latin pop helped to define the grupero genre — became the first regional Mexican songwriter to receive the accolade for her musical career which spans over 30 years of chart-topping hits like “Bandido” and “Lo Busqué,” which dominated radio across Mexico and the United States. It was a big night for música Mexicana as Edgar Barrera, one of the most sought-after songwriters and producers of the last few years, was given the first-ever Impact award for his award-winning contributions across genres like contemporary Latin and regional Mexican. Throughout the night, he returned to the stage to accept over 10 trophies as the most recognized songwriter at this year’s ceremony. (He was also the top-nominated act at last year’s Latin Grammys.)