MAVERICK'S SPANISH SPLASH NEW ARTISTS ON MADONNA'S LABEL COME ON STRONG AT LATIN GRAMMYS.

Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer

When Madonna was looking for somebody to take the pulse of the shifting Latin youth culture, she tapped Bruno del Granado.

As the head honcho of Maverick Musica, Madonna's new Latin label, he ventures into the streets and suburbs of major cities to find out what the Spanish kids are listening to.

``If I want to know what the Mexicans are all about, I got to be out there in the trenches of L.A.,'' del Granado, 37, said. ``If I want to see what the Puerto Ricans or the Dominicans are into in New York or the Tri-State area, I have to be there.''

The first three artists he discovered through his travels are now in the running at Latin Grammys on Wednesday at the Kodak Theatre. But more on that later.

Right now, del Granado is on the phone from Maverick Musica's Miami-based offices nursing the flu and jet lag after an early morning flight from New York.

``I'm really burning the candles at both ends,'' he said.

But it's a job del Granado seems to have spent his whole career working toward, from his eight years at Sony Music through organizing the launch of MTV Latin America, to advising companies on how to get a piece of the Latin crossover craze that was triggered by Ricky Martin's ground-shaking Grammy performance.

Del Granado was trying to get a little of that late-'90s crossover action for Latin crooner Enrique Iglesias when opportunity came knocking. Madonna wanted to meet.

Naturally, del Granado thought she was interested in signing Iglesias. Iglesias was shopping deals with major American labels. But regardless of the purpose for the meeting, it ended with Madonna cutting a deal with del Granado.

Two years later, the artists that del Granado has signed to Maverick Musica have snagged Latin Grammy nominations and seem poised to participate in Madonna's most recent self-reinvention: a silent but plucky producer of independent music for Latin people.

``I haven't met her yet,'' said Jorge Moreno, the 27-year-old Miami singer-songwriter who was first to be signed to Maverick Musica.

Madonna doesn't run the business firsthand. She leaves that up to del Granado, who signed Moreno last year after seeing him perform.

Babaloooooo ...

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. In the midst of putting together his debut, Moreno came across an old recording of Desi Arnaz, the Cuban bandleader and lovable but temperamental Ricky Ricardo on ``I Love Lucy,'' singing ``Babalu.'' He told del Granado that he wanted to cover it.

``I thought, 'Wow! This would be interesting as a hidden bonus track,' '' del Granado said. ``Nobody's really covered 'Babalu.' And by coincidence, two days later, I'm talking to my friend at CBS and he said he's getting ready to put together an 'I Love Lucy' 50th anniversary special - this was last October - and I say, 'Are you guys going to have a musical element to it?' ''

Del Granado negotiated a slot for Moreno on the national prime-time special even as the Cuban-American's album was still in the mixing stages.

The album features the song made famous by Arnaz. ``He was very cool, a lot of charisma, and he was a genius,'' Moreno said. ``Not only was he super-talented musically - I mean, you can read about Desi Arnaz in textbooks in television production classes.

``It's very much like Madonna,'' he said. ``I like to put them both in the same neighborhood even though they have nothing to do with each other. They're both moguls in the way they have this vast talent and great business sense.''

In the case of his experience with Maverick Musica, that great business sense has paid off. His appearance on the ``I Love Lucy'' 50th anniversary special ultimately helped launch the album, ``Moreno,'' which Billboard called ``a daring and worthwhile trip.''

The album, which borrows from Afro-Cuban salsa, '60s pop and throws in a little '50s calypso, then went on to earn the neo-classic Cuban pop singer-songwriter a Latin Grammy nomination for best new artist. Nominations were also bestowed on the Chilean soul-tinged pop singer Nicole for best female pop vocal album for ``Viaje Infinito'' and Ibiza chill-out DJ-in-residence Jose Padilla for best pop instrumental album for ``Navigator.''

``With any new label, it's great to see someone really come out of the gate with back-to-back successes for sure,'' said Ron W. Roecker, director of communications for the Recording Academy. ``What Maverick Musica has done is committed to developing artists, which is refreshing because it seems to be one of the issues with the record industry - they just don't have the resources to develop artists.''

So how does Maverick Musica do it? According to del Granado, it involves taking risks and then standing behind them.

Long-distance reputation

For example, Nicole had come to del Granado by word of mouth from an acquaintance in Mexico. She had been a longtime recording artist for BMG who vanished off the radar.

``I could have easily said, 'No, not interested, next' and passed up on what I think is one of the most talented singer-songwriters not only in Latin America but potentially here,'' del Granado said. ``She's a tremendous, tremendous vocalist as well as a great songwriter.'' And beautiful.

Since the advent of MTV, looks are important for any rising young star such as Nicole, who seems to turn heads wherever she goes.

The 25-year-old is petite, wears her blond hair long and straight, and dresses with the kind of flair one might expect to see from, say, Madonna.

``Oh, that's great,'' Nicole said with a laugh, insisting her look wasn't at all prefabricated by the label. ``Nobody tells me what to wear and what to do and what to say. If they did, I'd prefer another career, because for me, it has to be honest, and Maverick respects that. This is how they found me.''

THIRD ANNUAL LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS 

What: The show will be co-hosted by Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Smits. Performers include Carlos Santana, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Juanes with Nelly Furtado, Thalia and Carlos Vives. Presenters include Nick Carter, Hector Elizondo, Daisy Fuentes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Cheech Marin, Esai Morales, Laura Pausini, Jon Secada and Justin Timberlake.

Where: CBS (Channel 2).

When: 9 p.m. Wednesday.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) shaking it up

Madonna's Maverick Musica label a force at 3rd Latin Grammy awards

(2 -- 4) Nicole, left, Maverick Musica president Bruno del Granado, and Jorge Moreno

(5) no caption (Gloria Estefan)

(6) no caption (Jimmy Smits)

Box:

THIRD ANNUAL LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS (see text)