Juanes’ streak ends

In a major upset, the awards winning streak for Colombia’s Juanes ended Sunday when the Grammy for best Latin rock/alternative album went to Mexico’s Mana and its cliched tropi-pop.

Mana’s bland “Revolucion de Amor� was arguably the weakest in the category. Perhaps voters split among more provocative contenders, such as Mexico’s Kinky and the Cuban hip-hop/salsa group Orishas. That’s the best spin on a disappointing outcome.

Bacilos, an interesting folk-pop trio from Miami, continued its ascending career by winning for best Latin pop album, a category unusually blessed this year with fresh new acts. Almost any choice here would have been respectable, but Bacilos stood out for its smooth harmonies and smart songwriting.

As expected, veteran Celia Cruz won for best salsa album with “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,� which forced an unconvincing modern makeover on the recently ailing superstar. The year for salsa was so lackluster, though, it was hard to care who won.

The Mexican category was no more stimulating. The award went safely to likable singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian, another veteran who’s recently struggled with health problems.

-- Agustin Gurza