Los Angeles prepares to host Latin Grammys after Miami decision.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

MIAMI _ When the Latin Grammys abruptly decided to head from Miami to Los Angeles for fear of unruly protests by anti-Castro exiles, the decision was decried by many in South Florida who consider the Miami area the "Latin music capital of the world."

What such critics missed is that the Los Angeles area has just as much claim to being a center of Latin music, if not more.

By moving Tuesday's show from the AmericanAirlines Arena to the privately owned Forum, Grammys chief Michael Greene picked a city that is home to the international entertainment industry's music, film and advertising arms _ in a business and cultural center that dwarfs Miami's. At the same time, he avoided the potentially disruptive political liabilities of Miami that musicians are wary of.

"Los Angeles links the world of entertainment with our cultures," said Argentine singer Alejandro Lerner, a …