Ela Taubert Reflects on Her "Best New Artist" Win at the Latin Grammys (2024)

Much like its Anglo counterpart, the Best New Artist category at the Latin Grammy has a certain air of prestige and boosts visibility for whoever takes home the trophy. Past winners have included now-household names like Juanes, Karol G, and Kany Garcia. However, there have been years when the Latin Recording Academy voters got it wrong, and the winner failed to live up to the title and went back to relative obscurity.

Despite taking home this year's award, Colombian pop singer Ela Taubert isn't feeling the pressure of what lies ahead for her. Backstage in the Kaseya Center, she's fielding questions from reporters who are aching at the chance to ask the 24-year-old after her win. She's wearing a custom dress that, on closer inspection, lists several names.

"When I got nominated, the first thing I thought was, well, How am I going to bring all my supporters? I'm going to be wearing a dress to take them with me," she tells New Times. "There are a lot of people behind me, supporting and giving everything of themselves so that this project grows. We came up with the idea of being able to leave that legacy and bring those who started with me to the red carpet. We covered the dress with all the names of the first people who believed in me. My family, my team, my friends, the fans are also there."

Home Away From Home

Taubert is speaking to New Times on Zoom from her apartment in Miami the next day. She has a ton of energy for someone who probably spent the night celebrating her win.

Taubert started her music career as part of the first group of graduates from Art House Academy & Abbey Road Institute Miami near the Roads. The school's director is Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winner Julio Reyes Copello. It also counts singer-songwriter Joaquina, last year's Latin Grammy winner for "Best New Artist," among its alums.

"Art House was my home and still is my home," Taubert says. "Julio Reyes, who was my mentor for many years, welcomed me, and it was very nice because I was 10 years old. I went to the studio to learn how a microphone works. I went once a year just to see and learn."

Eventually, she joined the school, where she says she learned a lot, mainly to listen to her instinct as a musician. There, she met her collaborator, producer Kevin Aguirre (AKA Kevn), a Berklee graduate and Colombian native.

"That year was very special; it was a year of learning and listening a lot," she explains. "It was very cool because I could just concentrate on being able to develop that universe that I wanted to share with the world before sharing it and take into detail what it was that I wanted, how I wanted it, what I wanted to say and what sounds I wanted, and everything I wanted to express in my music and concepts."

Art House founder Reyes Copello also packs an impressive résumé, having worked with artists like Kany Garcia, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Nelly Furtado.

"He always talked about many things, but there are two that left a mark on me a lot. The first was always to be messengers of beauty. That is Julio's motto and what he emphasizes the most. I always carry it in my heart because let's give the best of each other and always give a message of what is born in our hearts. The second is always the uniqueness — to focus on always giving what I am because, in the end, we are all unique."

Childhood Dream

For her performance at the Latin Grammys, Taubert linked up with Joe Jonas. The moment felt right for the singer, considering she grew up listening to Miley Cyrus and other Disney Channel stars.

Taubert and Jonas collaborated on a reworked version of "¿Cómo Pasó?" with Taubert singing in Spanish and Jonas in English. Naturally, the Latin Grammys felt like the perfect opportunity to premiere the collaboration, with Jonas being somewhat of a Miami transplant these days.

The project came together after Taubert mustered up the courage to contact Jonas, sliding into his DMs and asking if he'd like to work on some music with her.

"I remember that I was listening to his music a lot. He just released two songs that I love, and I was listening to them, and I thought, I'm going to send it one day," she remembers. "I sent him a message saying that I thanked him a lot for inspiring me to follow my dreams and that I hoped one day to be able to do something with him — so super fangirl. And obviously, well, it happened — he replied. I almost died."

It's good that Taubert didn't follow the advice of not meeting one's heroes because Jonas was as cool in person as he was over DMs.

"More than an artist, he is a human being," she adds. "I love him with a full heart; I respect him a lot. He's from another planet, and obviously, I feel infinitely grateful, in addition to being able to call him my friend right now."

After enduring her first-ever Latin Grammys week, Taubert looks back on it fondly, particularly the Best New Artist Showcase the Academy hosted on November 12.

"The Best New Artist Showcase was very moving for me. That beautiful surprise of the whole video that they made for each nominee seemed very beautiful to me," she says.

As for what comes next, Taubert is on the lineup for the Estéreo Picnic music festival in Bogotá in the spring, with new music and possibly her debut album coming sometime in 2025. She also plans to store her Grammy trophy in Colombia.

"My mom has a stand at home where she has my first trophy from when I was like 5 or 6 years old singing in the school theater," Taubert says. "I think we always aim for a place, so yes, I think I'll take it to my country, where it all started."