ALL OVER THE MUSICAL MAP AT THE LATIN GRAMMYS.

Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer

It's a common misconception that all Latin music sounds like salsa or overproduced, grandstanding pop.

Of course, it doesn't.

For proof, tune in Univision tonight for the sixth annual Latin Grammy Awards, where oompah rhythms and syncopated jazz riffs come face to face with flamenco-tinged pop.

And that's only a glimpse of what Gabriel Abaroa, president of the Latin Record Academy, calls ``this huge universe of beautiful music'' that will be performed on stage at the Shrine Auditorium during the three-hour telecast.

With Univision taking over the helm from CBS, tonight's broadcast - spotlighting artists in 41 categories, including tango, Christian pop and classical, and featuring more than a dozen performances - is expected to be more representative of Latin music than in years past.

``Obviously, we have more freedom to bring artists that are known to (Univision's) audience; that's a fact,'' Abaroa says. ``But it's not the rule, because if that were the case, we wouldn't be able to introduce talent that may not be as known as (pioneering norteno band) Los Tigres Del Norte.''

What you can expect to see are performances by both the old guard - think great Cuban jazz-pianist Bebo Valdes jamming with an all-star ensemble that includes the legendary Cuban bassist Cachao - and younger guns - Italian pop singer Laura Pausini and alt-rocker JD Natasha.

Take Bebe, a singer-songwriter whose fusion of electronica, flamenco, hip-hop, reggae, bossa nova and pop has nabbed her the most Latin Grammy nods of the night.

Although she's still relatively unknown in the U.S., Bebe has become a big star in her native Spain on the strength of her debut album, ``Pafuera Telaranas.'' It's nominated for both Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album.

Her other nominations include Best New Artist, as well as Record of the Year and Song of the Year for ``Malo,'' which Billboard magazine calls ``an aggressive, flamenco-tinged track about domestic violence.''

Also performing is Don Omar, a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist whose ``Last Don - Live'' is up for Best Urban Music Album.

Reggaeton may have revolutionized popular Latin music, but it has little presence outside of the urban category, which surprises producer nominee Sebastian Krys.

``I thought Luny Tunes should've been nominated for Producer of the Year,'' Krys says. ``Their productions are changing the landscape of radio, of television, of everything.''

Luny Tunes is the reggaeton production duo that Rolling Stone praises for adding ``barrio-fabulous beats'' to ``Gasolina,'' the hit single by Daddy Yankee that is nominated for Record of the Year.

The album ``Barrio Fino,'' on which the single appears, is also in the urban category.

But as Abaroa explains, the Latin Grammys are not about top sales or popularity.

They're not even about putting on a show.

As he puts it, ``this is our opportunity to show a little bit of everything.''

Sandra Barrera, [phone]

sandra.barrera(at)dailynews.com

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6 photos

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(1 -- 4 -- cover -- color) Sounds eclectico

Tonight's Latin Grammy Awards spotlight many diverse styles

(5) DADDY YANKEE

(6) LAURA PAUSINI

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