Posts Tagged ‘Entertainment’

Latino Stars Take a Stand

Posted by

We read all the time about pop stars’ efforts to alleviate problems in different parts of the world: Bono has long been an advocate for Africa, Darfur and AIDS education, also a cause of concern for Elton John, Sting has taken a stand for peace, and Shakira has fought to end child poverty.

As tension rises between Colombia and Venezuela following increasing evidence that links Chavez to the FARC rebels in his neighbor to the West, a Colombian native with star power is calling on his friends to join together for peace. In a press conference this week, Grammy-award winner Juanes announced plans for a peace concert to be performed right on the border of the countries where the two Latin American powers meet. The site also is symbolic because it also is where Ecuador meets with the two — the country recently broke ties with Colombia. The concert is scheduled for March 18 and also will feature leading Latino music talent such as Juan Luis Guerra, Mana, Alejandro Sanz and Ricardo Montaner.

This A-list group is increasingly influential far beyond music. And many Latino pop artists are being more active about wearing their beliefs on their sleeves.

Read more »

| March 13th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags: · ·

Univision Music has a new owner

Posted by

Universal Music reached an agreement last week to purchase Univision Music Group for an estimated $140 million, according to an L.A. Times report. With the purchase, Universal will become the undisputed Latin music market leader with more than 50% of the U.S. Hispanic market share—a spot that Univision Music currently holds as the No. 1 selling Latin label in the country.

Read more »

| March 4th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags:

Q&A with the Houston Film Commission

Posted by

Oscar had its chance to celebrate 80 years last night, and it was the first big awards show of the season following the aftermath of the writers’ strike. In his monologue, Jon Stewart said that the Golden figurines served as a catalyst to reach an agreement. Now that the strike is behind us, what impact, if any, did it have for Latinos in Hollywood? To get more insight on that and perspective on the future of Latinos in film, Ray Fohr conducted the following Q&A last week with Alfred Cervantes, Deputy Director for the Houston Film Commission:

With the recent writers’ strike now over, how did this affect Latino writers?

It affected everyone who relies on scripted material and was devastating for some. It’s reported that the work stoppage had a more than 700 million dollar impact in loss of spending by those feature films and television productions that didn’t happen in those three months.

ABC’s Ugly Betty and CBS’ Cane are two recent examples of a Latino-branded television shows with wide appeal. Would you credit these to better-made shows or part of the rise in Latino and Latin American influence on the country?

Both. Ugly Betty has been well received by audiences and critics alike. It’s also an example of something we might see more of: successful Latin American shows being adapted for American audiences.

The crossover works both ways, what are you thoughts on American filmmakers tapping Latin America for talent and locations?

The movie ’Vantage Point,’ which opened this past weekend, was shot entirely on location in Mexico but the story was set in Spain. And it was only last year that Latino filmmakers had a great presence at the Oscars.

What’s your take on NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and the talent they showcase each year?

NALIP member and Texas filmmaker Chris Eska’s debut feature film ’August Evening’ won the John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards this past weekend. It’s a Spanish- language film that was shot in Gonzales, Texas. As a member, NALIP has been supportive of his project and instrumental in helping get the word out and finding resources. I’m a member!

What would you say are some of the drivers helping Latinos in the industry? Has there been a visible change with regards to Hispanic representation?

The success of recent past Spanish-language films and television shows bodes well for creating more [content] for receptive audiences. This in turn makes more advertisers create commercials for the same market, which contributes to the production industry creating opportunities for crew and talent.

Do you have any Oscar favorites?

Texas has a great presence this year in the Best Picture category with both ’There Will Be Blood’ and ’No Country for Old Men,’ both shot in Marfa, Texas, but I think ’There Will Be Blood’ will take it!

Editor’s note: While “No Country for Old Men” took the night’s biggest award, ’There Will Be Blood’ garnered two prizes: Best Cinematography and Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis). Congratulations also go to Javier Bardem on his Best Supporting Actor win and his candid thank you to his country and recognition of his heritage.

| February 25th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags: ·

Grammys Gloss Over Latinos

Posted by

Where is Ricky Martin when you need him? That’s what I kept asking myself while watching the Grammy Awards telecast last night.

In celebration of the awards’ 50th anniversary, the show featured performances spanning different genres (a classical violinist played with the Foo Fighters) and generations (Beyoncé joined Tina Turner for an electrifying dance number), yet was disappointingly light on Latino musicians and celebrities, with presenters Juanes, George Lopez and Roselyn Sanchez notable exceptions.

As noted previously on this blog, U.S. Latinos have made immense contributions to the U.S. music scene, with salsa and reggaeton two of the strongest examples of Latino music forms that have influenced pop culture in the last 50 years.

And on this year’s list of nominees, Latino musicians and artists were well represented in many categories, including: best duo (Shakira and Beyonce), best comedy album (George Lopez), best female pop artists (Christina Aguilera), best picture score (Gustavo Santaolalla for Babel), as well as in the eight categories now devoted to Latin music (click here to see the winners).

So why weren’t there more Latinos on stage last night? I would have loved to see Santana jamming with Brad Paisley, Shakira singing with Sheryl Crow and Daddy Yankee dropping rhymes with Kanye – as I’m guessing the rest of this country’s fastest-growing demographic might have, too.

| February 11th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags: ·

6 Futbol Questions for Bernardo Fallas

Posted by

With the highly-anticipated upcoming game between Mexico and the U.S., we decided to go to futbol blogger Bernardo Fallas for some insight on the match and a few other topics. Fallas is a writer for the Houston Chronicle and his city is hosting the game at Reliant today.

Chron_bernardo_fallas_screen_shot_3

The following is a Q&A with Bernardo Fallas.

1. First question on the big buzz here and south of the border: what do you expect from the highly-anticipated match between Mexico and the U.S.?

Read more »

| February 6th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags:

Rumbo a las elecciones

Posted by

While the importance of Latino voters to the elections has been widely reported, one group you don’t seem to hear much about is young Latino voters, many of whom are voting for the first time.

A few organizations, including youth-oriented TV networks, are embarking on efforts to change that by getting young Latinos registered and engaged in the decision process. For example, last year Telemundo and mun2 jointly launched the “Vota por tu futuro” or Vote 4 UR Future initiative.

Another organization looking to attract the attention of this segment is Voto Latino, co-founded by the actress Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Petersen, who see Latino voters between the ages of 18 and 34 as “the ones that will make the difference [in this election].”

In 2006, Voto Latino released a series of bilingual PSAs, in partnership with Telemundo and mun2, featuring such celebrities as Cameron Diaz, Nina Sky, Chingo Bling, Don Dinero and Jeremias.

This week they followed up on their creative celebrity-driven spots with the release of the “La pasión de la decisión,” a four-part telenovela broadcasting on Voto Latino and YouTube and aimed at encouraging young Latinos to register and vote.

Using celebrities is a powerful way to reach teens and young adults, so it makes sense that “La pasión de la decisión,” features major Latino stars in front of and behind the camera, including Wilmer Valderrama, Tony Plana, Mayte Garcia, and of course, Rosario Dawson.

The first episode is absolutely hilarious and a smart play on the beloved telenovela genre, featuring a wedding proposal, a love triangle, a medical tragedy and sibling rivalry – all in under four minutes. Of course, there’s also a register to vote message woven into the plotline, but I won’t reveal how that happens. You’ll have to see it for yourself, and watch for the final three episodes.

| January 29th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags: · ·

Latino Arts

Posted by

The arts are an important part of any culture, and the U.S. Hispanic arts scene is incredibly vibrant and thriving. New shows, books, and music are being introduced everyday and other big offerings are planned for 2008.

That Hispanics have begun to carve out their own artistic identity in this country is nothing new. The New York arts movement of the 50s and 60s, that led to the creation of El Museo del Barrio and later saw the birth of the Nuyorican Poets Café in the 70s, and the Chicano movement of the 60s and 70s, all spawned great poets, musicians and writers.

But what seems new to me is the rise in the number of Latino arts organizations such as comedy troupes, theaters, and film festivals, and the opportunities they present for influencing popular culture and reaching U.S. Hispanics.

From the Refried Fridays Latino comedy nights at the Hollywood Improv to Chicago’s all-Latina Teatro Luna to the Teatro Stage Fest in New York, examples of strong, emerging Latino arts organizations abound.

Some of these names may not seem familiar to you, but chances are that one day they will. Latino comedians such as George Lopez and Carlos Mencia, pioneers of Latino-themed TV shows, got their start on stages like the Hollywood Improv and are proof that Latino artists, with Latino themes, can make it to the big time and make a stamp on popular culture.

2008 is already proving to be a strong year for Latino artists. In the first few weeks alone we’ve seen Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer-winning Anna in the Tropics staged in Spanish in Miami, Chilean Ariel Dorfman’s Widows premiered in New York for a short run, and the musical Celia (in honor of Celia Cruz) going strong on Broadway.

For marketers who wish to reach U.S. Hispanics, sponsorship and support of Latino productions and arts organizations are great ways to connect to the community. Artists are always looking for funding and visibility, and helping them reach for the stars makes good business sense. Because there’s no telling how high Latino artists will soar.

| January 28th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags: · · ·

20 Years and Counting

Posted by

Late last year, Univision announced the list of nominees to the 2008 edition of Premio lo Nuestro– the 20th anniversary edition of the Latino awards show. The list of nominees is great. Many artists who have populated the pages of the top Spanish-language magazines, have dominated the air waves and have captured the dial, MP3 and CD players, computers and even mobile devices of millions of fans. Every year, more of the names on the list also compete for more mainstream awards like the Grammys. A few interesting nominees include Beyonce– competing on ‘artista revelacion’ yeah on Lo Nuestro; Mana, with 3 of the 5 Rock Song of the Year nominations and Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony- competing in two different categories.

But looking at other recently announced award lists, the story gets more interesting. Shakira, a nominee to Lo Nuestro, is in the running for a Golden Globe for one of her tracks on the movie Love in the Times of Cholera. And, she also is in the running for a Grammy for her duet with Beyonce…

The most interesting part is that this awards show, a ratings champ for Univision, is decided by the people and voting is currently taking place at Univision.com, and ends this week.

Latino music is very rich, diverse and contagious. Some Latino artists can go head to head with the best of the rest. Shakira, and others like her, deserve all the nods they get from listeners worldwide. As for Lo Nuestro, if it serves as a platform to recognize our own– please keep on rocking 20 and more years on!

| January 7th, 2008 No Comments »
Tags:

Does the Future of Soccer in the US Have Latin Flavor?

Posted by

David Beckham arrived in the MLS this past summer with much hoopla and hopes of drawing in fans that will finally propel professional soccer to the upper tier of sports in the United States. But, with much less fanfare, several developments in recent months point to Latin American players taking on a more significant role in the growth of the sport in our country.

Last week, the MLS’ deputy commissioner stated that Beckham’s transfer to the LA Galaxy was not the biggest event to happen in the league this year, but rather it was the addition of star imports from South America who made a huge difference on the pitch and in the stands. Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio of DC United led the league in scoring and was named MVP. The other finalists for the award were also newcomers from south of the border: Colombian Juan Pablo Angel and Mexican Cuauhtémoc Blanco. In addition to boosting the Chicago Fire’s record, Blanco is a marketing marvel. It has been reported that average attendance at home games rose by 5,000 fans after he joined the team – a not trivial figure in the world of the MLS.

Yet maybe even more telling was the appointment last month of Wilmer Cabrera to lead the US U-17 men’s national team and US Soccer’s Residency Program, the crown jewel of the Federation’s youth development efforts. You see, Cabrera is a Colombian national taking over a position that has featured a string of coaches schooled in the English and German style of play.

Whether all these developments are driven by the goal of finding greater success on the field of play or to make the US game more attractive to the large number of Latino fans who still place their loyalties with teams from their home country is hard to tell. Either way, if this trend continues, it promises to change the face of a sport that in the United States until now has reflected a decidedly Northern European influence.

| December 3rd, 2007 No Comments »
Tags: ·

Love in the Times of Cholera

Posted by

Our blog features a quote from the beloved, brilliant, Nobel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez– a literary figure who has influenced the imagination of Latin America and the world with his universe of fantastic characters. On Friday, theaters across the U.S. will bring the lifelong love story of Florentino and Fermina to the big screen with the debut of Hollywood production Love in the Times of Cholera.

Javier Bardem is the lead. The director is an Englishman. The story: universal. But that seems to be debatable according to some reviews. For those who have read the novel in Spanish, we know too well that Garcia Marquez has a way with the language that can’t be replicated, is enriched by the imagination and is as if it was made solely for the written page– he is after all one of the fathers of magical realism. His imagery, however, can be very cinematic and he has done a lot to promote film in his native Colombia– though he has said his masterpiece Cien Años de Soledad can never be brought to the screen. This site has an interesting recap of his works with the medium: http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_film.html

Some have said the film should have been in Spanish. When posed the question during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Bardem had this to say: ’I felt, like, yes, of course, you want to do it in Spanish, but one thing I learned with ’Before Night Falls’ is that if the movie works, people don’t bother about the language after five minutes. If the movie doesn’t work, the language will be a barrier, a problem.’

Now, all this said, one can only hope the movie does well at the box office. It has been promoted as the love story it is and support has been rallied among the Hispanic and general market audiences: the movie closed the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood and the book is the #1 best selling paperback in the U.S., partly due to the Oprah effect after she chose it as a Book Club title last month. The film also will have a premiere in Colombia, slated for the end of the month after the primary cast was unavailable for the original date set for last week, and it’s been promoted through Hispanic media– though I believe Hispanic audiences will really need little prodding to support a story for a beloved and revered writer, with a top notch Latino cast, and even some music by Shakira. I know I plan to go see it.

| November 14th, 2007 No Comments »
Tags:

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »