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When Rene Pérez of the group Calle 13 rapped the opening number at the Latin Grammys, he had a semi-surprise guest from L.A. with him.

Right next to Pérez, on stage at the Mandalay Bay Hotel theater in Las Vegas, was none other than Gustavo Dudamel, music director and principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and budding multimedia celebrity, conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, the orchestra that Dudamel apprenticed with as a youth. It's Dudamel's biggest television audience since he guested on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno earlier this year.

Resplendent in a yellow, blue and red sash -- the colors of the Venezuelan flag -- Dudamel led his orchestra in backing Calle 13's hit song "Latinoamerica," an anthemic celebration of Latin culture and identity stetching from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego. Like Pérez and his stepbrother Eduardo Cabra, Calle 13's other half, Dudamel has made a point in his career of promoting music from all corners of Latin America -- including the music of the growing Latino presence in the United States.

He and wife, Eloisa, are pretty good salsa dancers too.

A Latin Grammy Awards show without appearances by Shakira, Maná and Los Tigres del Norte is kinda like Christmas without credit card bills. Theoretically, it could happen, but probably not.

Only an hour into what so far has been a fairly subdued ceremony dominated by soft ballads, those three sets of old pros already have performed and acquited themselves with old-school class and polish. Shakira probably deserves some sort of award simply for managing to quick-change from the ochre ballgown she arrived in into a cream-colored blouse and skirt to perform live onstage. Earlier this week in Las Vegas, the Colombian pop star received the Latin Recording Academy’s award as person of the year, in much-deserved recognition of Shakira’s extensive charitable work as well as her superstar status.

Just a few minutes ago at the awards show, the Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin (a.k.a. Juan Luis Morera) y Yandel (birthname Llandel Veguilla) ramped up the telecast's volume and the intensity with a smoking version of their song "Estoy Enamorado," a nominee for best urban song.

Even more than the Grammys, the Latin Grammys tend to be top-heavy with familiar names, so it's nice to see Sie7e, the Puerto Rican singer, take home this year's best new artist award. Get used to him: You'll likely be seeing him again at future Latin Grammys.