This was a year of firsts for the Latin Grammys, held yesterday at Madison Square Garden: the first year in New York, the first time a woman (Shakira) swept the top four categories, and the first time the ceremony proceeded almost entirely in Spanish. And the most spectacular victim of that last development was Mayor Mike "Boriqua" Bloomberg. The mayor had tested his Spanish at an earlier City Hall press conference, rolling out the impressive "Hoy me siento muy orgulloso al anunciar que la 7a. entrega Anual del Latin Grammy se realizará por primera vez en la Gran Manzana." Sadly, he fared a little worse at the telecast. We'll let the implacable Times tell the tale:

New York City's mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, spoke Spanish when he arrived onstage behind a chorus line of women in red, though he seemed unaware that "Hasta la vista" is a good-bye, not a greeting.

Great. Just what we need: another mayor who doesn't know how to say good-bye.

Awards Celebrate a City Pulsing With Latin Sounds [NYT]
Bloomberg press release [Univision]