Yes, I'm aware... the 2026 Grammys have concluded. However, I am reaching back to the 2025 Grammys again -- this time, for my THIRD review from the 2025 Grammys, ¡Alma, Corazon y Salsa! [In English: Soul, Heart and Salsa!] This exciting live album, recorded at the Gran Teatro Nacional in Peru, was a really amazing and unique discovery. [Note: The Latin Music Grammys are a separate entity -- though associated -- from the mainstream Grammys.]

¡Alma, Corazon y Salsa! captured the best in the Tropical Latin Music category, and features Mimy Succar and her bandleader son, Tony Succar. What would I consider unique?
Well, the unique thing is that Mimy Succor and her son are U.S. citizens of Japanese-Peruvian heritage. And as someone who appreciates Asian American history — I’m involved with an Asian American oral history project — this musical phenom definitely caught my attention. And of course, it caused me to do some deeper research dives. I was very well aware of the Japanese diaspora located in Peru and in Brazil, but this again was something very new in its contributions to the Latin American cultural sphere.

While the music is more accessible as a downloadable MP3, the video of the live concert on YouTube rounds out a deeper, more meaningful audio-visual experience. The music is definitely rousing salsa music by Tony Succar’s 16-person orchestra/ensemble. Tony Succar is upfront leading the band, working the timbales. His mom, Mimy, a very charismatic 65-year-old, belts out a parade of salsa tunes.

It may strike some peeps as a novelty of having Japanese-descendents doing some rigorous Latin music. I guess one can also describe Mimy Succar’s singing style as captivatingly robust, and it ain’t no novelty. One should catch the mind-blowing optics on YouTube.com watching Mimy Succar, this Peruvian-American woman of Japanese heritage, bellowing out tunes with gusto and authenticity -- projecting over the powerful orchestra playing behind her.

Most poignant in the live high-energy performances is Mimy partnering up with a real Japanese salsa performer, Nora Suzuki (Didn’t know there was a Japanese Latin music boom in the 1990’s--who knew?). Mimy and Nora pays a visit with “Sukiyaki”. And then a trio emerged with the renowned Peruvian singer, Bartola.

Catch them singing in their trio first with the Afro-Peruvian song of resistance “Toro Mata”, then to the highly thunderous, yet joyous “Quimbara,” which seamlessly slides to the Afro-Cuban “Bemba Colora,” a song of resilience made famous by the late salsa queen Celia Cruz. The enthusiasm of the audience was infectious. Additional performances featured are with the Colombian reggaeton-hip hop fusion duo, Cali Flow Latino; Kenyi Succar; Coti Loyola; and Jair Mendoza.

Thanks to YouTube, I had been exposed to the Japanese/Tokyo jazz music scene. For some time, this, combined with listening to the legacy music and performances by the Latin-infused rock bands like Santana, Malo, and Azteca on YouTube, whose algorithm most likely helped guide me to this point of discovery

From what I can find, the CD of this wonderful performance is mainly available through TonySuccar.com. For other options, it seems this album is only available as MP3 downloads on Amazon.com and other platforms. Either way, come and witness this live performance at on YouTube.