HAPPY BLUES: "I get crazier everyday," Argentine blues legend Celeste Carballo used to sing in the early '80s, when she became one of the hottest stars of the solid rock argentino movement. "Now I'm crazily happy," she said backstage at the 3rd Annual edition of the Latin GRAMMY Awards. Celeste Acústica, an "unplugged" collection of self-penned classics (plus a new tango song), got her a Best Rock Solo Vocal Album nomination and put her on

the international map of Latin alternative two decades after she earned her reputation as a top-notch singer-songwriter.

"This is my first album in the USA, and things could not have been better for me," said Carballo. "To write and sing is my mission, my love. It is a special album that marked a new beginning in my life. I feel more Latin American now."