Li Saumet of Bomba Estereo and Will Smith during rehearsals on November 18, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (2015 WireImage)
Las Vegas – Colombia and the United States will meet center stage at tonight’s Latin Grammy Awards.
Grammy-winning rapper and Oscar-nominated actor Will Smith will perform with Colombian band Bomba Estereo in their first performance of the recently released remix of “Fiesta.”
The group promises it will be electric.
“It’s going to be a total party,” Bomba Estereo founder and multi-instrumentalist Simon Mejia told Fox News Latino on Wednesday. “We are going to recreate the song’s vibe. It’s sort of like paying homage to the party, to carnival, to dance.”
He added: “We are going to try to recreate a little bit of what we did in the music video with Will and try to infect people with the happiness of the song.”
“Fiesta,” which was released digitally last month, marks Smith’s return to the music scene since his 2005 album “Lost and Found.”
The “Concussion” actor first met the group, known for its blend of Latin, tropical and electronic sounds, on a recent trip to Colombia. In the record, Smith, 47, raps in both English and Spanish.
“(This collaboration) is a sign of how music and culture in Latin America is every day much stronger and how the industry in the U.S. and Europe is increasingly looking toward Latin America,” Mejia said. “Will Smith is an example of this. He is a huge film and music star that chose to collaborate with a band from Latin America before choosing to work with a North American group.”
At the Latin Grammys, “Fiesta” is nominated for record of the year while Bomba Estereo’s album “Amanecer” is up for best alternative music album.
“It’s such a great experience being here and to be nominated and to have the chance to represent the alternative music from Latin America and Colombia,” Mejia said poolside at the MGM Grand Casino & Resort.
“Seeing the nominees over the past couple of years shows (the movement) in Latin America, that the music is not just salsa, or reggaeton or just merengue. There is a diversity of genres – from all the countries – that deserve to be recognized.”
FNL also caught up with boricua reggeaton rapper Wisin, who recently teamed up with Ricky Martin for a leg of his "One World Tour."
The 36-year-old said attending the Latin Grammys is always a lot of fun and very important because artists get to see friends they have not seen in a while and also celebrate each other’s success.
“The Latin Grammys has the opportunity to reunite so many artists and stars. I think it will be a magical night,” Wisin said. “We are working toward the same goal, which is the music.”
Wisin, whose real name is Juan Luis Morera Luna, will join Ricky Martin on stage at tonight’s show.
The 16th annual Latin Grammys will air live on Univision from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.