Dino d'Santiago, Criolo, Amaro Freitas Win Latin Grammy
The trio's album "Criolo, Amaro e Dino" took the Best MPB/MAPB Album award at the ceremony in Las Vegas.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Latin
Dino d'Santiago, Criolo and Amaro Freitas won a Latin Grammy for the album "Criolo, Amaro e Dino" in the category Best MPB/MAPB Album. The ceremony was held Thursday, 12 November 2026, in Las Vegas.
Why it matters
The award recognizes a collaborative Portuguese-language project built across several Brazilian and Portuguese cities, placing its Afro-Atlantic influences before a Latin music audience. The trio was also nominated for Best Portuguese Language Song with "No Vento De Nós".
The album has 12 tracks and was recorded in studio sessions split between Rio de Janeiro, Recife, São Paulo and Lisbon. Sales and streaming figures were not reported.
The players
Criolo
Criolo is a Brazilian rapper and singer from São Paulo known for blending hip hop with Brazilian popular music.
Amaro Freitas
Amaro Freitas is a pianist from Recife, Brazil, known for combining jazz with Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
Dino d'Santiago
Dino d'Santiago is a Cape Verdean-Portuguese singer and songwriter whose work draws on Afro-Atlantic traditions.
The details
The album grew out of the song "Esperança", released in 2024, and was released through Criolo Produções and distributed by Altafonte. Johnny Hooker's "Viver e Morrer de Amor na América Latina" won the Best Portuguese Language Song category.
Timeline
2024: "Esperança" released, the song from which the album grew.
Thursday, 12 November 2026: Latin Grammy ceremony held in Las Vegas.
13 November 2026: Inforpress carried Lusa's report on the award.
Industry Dynamics
The win extends the Latin Recording Academy's Best MPB/MAPB Album category, which has increasingly recognized Portuguese-language collaborations across Brazil and Portugal. It reflects a broader pattern of cross-border Lusophone projects gaining visibility on Latin music's main awards stage.
Listeners can find the album through the distributor Altafonte and the artists' label Criolo Produções. No streaming release dates or regional availability were reported in the published coverage.
The takeaway
The win shows how Portuguese-language music from Brazil and Portugal is gaining recognition on the Latin Grammy stage. Listeners interested in cross-border collaborations can explore the album's roots in the 2024 single "Esperança".
Further reading
Explore more Latin music coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rio Times.
