Latin pop duo Jesse & Joy coming to Rialto

While the recognition from their peers is welcomed and boosts their confidence, the recognition and appreciation from their fans is the best reward, Joy Huerta Uecke said in a recent phone interview.

"We feel the love of the audience. We're sharing the feeling and connection," the 30-year-old Mexico City native said. 

Joy and big brother Jesse, 33, who already have five Latin Grammy awards, are in the midst of their "Un Besito Más" 17-city tour in the U.S. The tour began in 2015 in Mexico, crossed into Latin America and is now in the U.S. as they head into 2017.

Jesse & Joy will perform at Thursday's Latin Grammy awards show in Las Vegas, which will air on Univision. They are up for a trio of awards: Favorite Duo or Group—Pop/Rock, Favorite Album—Pop/Rock (Un Besito Más), Favorite Song—Pop/Rock (Jesse & Joy featuring Alejandro Sanz, "No Soy Una de Esas").

While the brother and sister are clearly enjoying the success of "Un Besito Más," the songs from that recording continues to carry deep emotions. During the period three years ago that they were writing the songs, their father, Eduardo Huerta, passed away . He was 71 and one of their two biggest fans, along with their mother.

"This didn't just happen to us, it happened to the whole band," Joy said she of her father's death.

His passing, while a huge loss, proved to be a stimulus to their work. Their grief shaved a layer from their emotions in the studio and on stage which became more raw, more visible. And they channeled their feelings into something positive, something they knew that would please their father who nurtured their love of music.

"Their were no filters," said Joy. "That got us in a definite state of mind."

The duo was introduced to their first Mexican audience by the Argentine-Mexican duo Sin Bandera, and Jesse & Joy signed their first contract with Warner, both in the same year 2005.

The future is bright for the two. Big brother Jesse plays piano and guitar, and sings backup to Joy, the lead singer who plays guitar. The two hope to find new audiences in the English-speaking world. Jesse y Joy are completely bilingual (their mother was born in Wisconsin) and have already produced one hit in English, "Echoes of Love," which has registered in England.

Joy said they sometimes write songs first in English then translate them into Spanish, like "Echoes of Love." Whatever feels right, she said. Living, writing songs and thinking in Spanish and English is the right world for them.