Bonnaroo, one of the largest mixed-genre festivals in the United States, announced its complete 2010 lineup a few weeks ago, but has now just unveiled its plans for its newest creation, the Latino Alternativo tent.

Coming off the success of past specialty tents for jazz, the music of New Orleans and "Africa!," the Latino Alternativo tent will be filled with music from the likes of Los Amigos Invisibles (USA/Venezuela), Aterciopelados (Colombia), the Nortec Collective present: Bostich + Fussible (Mexico), Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico), Bomba Estereo (Colombia), and headliners Ozomatli (Los Angeles). DJ sets and visual elements will be on hand as well as the party rages all Saturday long. Sounds like a good time to me.

Bonnaroo happens from June 10-13 at a huge farm in Manchester, TN. Tickets are available at the festival's website.

More on Bonnaroo:

• Folk Artists to Watch
• Comedians Invade Bonnaroo

Taking a look at the winners in Latin music at the 2010 Grammy Awards, it looks like the Recording Academy was playing it safe. They selected Luis Enrique's Ciclos over the more challenging Bach in Havana, Vicente Fernandez over two dynamite mariachi albums by women bands, Los Tigres del Norte, a big, familiar name, over some excellent albums by less familiar names.

But that's O.K. At least Latin music has it's own Latin Grammy Awards  where Latin music holds center stage. 

The only problem with the Latin Grammy Awards is that since the show moved to Univision from CBS in 2004, the show is now broadcast only in Spanish (with really bad subtitles on CC3). Fans of Latin music that are less fluent in Spanish (and that includes lots of second generation Hispanics) or that don't have regular access to Univision are bound to feel excluded.

In 2010, even the press information for the Latin Grammy's will only be offered in Spanish. Strange that in a time of declining sales, decisions are being made that will make the music more inaccessible than ever.

Here are the Grammy winners in Latin music  for 2010.

I love salsa and timba. But when I first sat down to decide which albums should go on my 'best of' list,' I admit to getting pretty depressed. All the big names were letting me down. There weren't as many albums released as there have been in other years. Maybe the music was getting stale, maybe salsa was dying and I was just in denial.

Then I sat back, threw away all pretensions and preconceptions, and thought about the music that had brought a smile to my face and had me out of my comfortable chair and on my dancing feet. Suddenly, the job was a piece of cake.

It's just that I had been looking in the wrong places and, maybe, using the wrong standards.

So here's my list and these are all dynamite albums. The artists are from Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico and talented immigrants to the U.S. And they include two very talented salseras.

I'm still smiling thinking about salsa, timba, and how that music is evolving  in the hands of a younger, more energetic generation.

If I had to name one person who has made mainstream America sit up and hear that Latin beat, it would be Emilio Estefan.  

The Cuban refugee came to the U.S. with his family in the 1980s and, with an accordion and a dream, started Miami Sound Machine. He went on to become a major music producer and mentor. He opened a restaurant and  helped pave the way to the creation of the Latin Recording Academy. He became part owner of the Miami Dolphins and now, at age 56, shares his story in The Rhythm of Success: How an Immigrant Produced his own American Dream.

The book talks about leaving Cuba and life with wife Gloria Estefan; he also shares some of his secrets to success.

So whether you're interested in the pointers, the gossip or just an interesting story, this sounds like a really good read.  (Available in both English and Spanish).