Listen to podcast interview with Rayroq Acosta, CEO, Wu-Tang Latino about urban Latin music

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 11, 2008

Rayroq Acosta, chief executive officer and president, Wu-Tang Latino

Photo: Wu-Tang Latino

A podcast featuring an interview with Rayroq Acosta, chief executive officer and president, Wu-Tang Latino is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses urban Latino music with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

Rayroq strives to innovate the ways Urban Latinos do business, promote and market their products. He co-launched and marketed Latinflava, a television show which evolved into a website. He also helped establish and build a non-traditional distribution and marketing system at United Box Office (UBO).

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rayroq arrived in Washington Heights, New York City with his family when he was three years old. It was in his neighborhood that he was introduced to hip hop, the music that would change his life. After graduating with a masters degree in design and marketing from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Rayroq started working in the music and fashion industry.

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Influenced by hip hop artists Run DMC, Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J, Rayroq started a career in marketing and creative consulting. He co-owned Designey Inc., a design and marketing firm in New York City that provided logos, images and marketing for companies like Sony, Epic, Wu-tang, Rocawear, LL Cool J, Razorsharp Records, Wu-wear, Avirex, Disney, A&E, History Channel, Loud Records, SRC, Persaud Brothers, Sprite and Adidas.

As a result of the rapid growth of Latinflava, Rayroq was named senior vice president of Marketing and Latin Music at UBO; he also assisted in the building of the company’s non-traditional distribution and Freedom Girls marketing system. Rayroq and a long-time friend, Rza, member of the original Wu-Tang Clan, created Wu-Tang Latino, a new record label they hope will become the Def Jam of Latin hip hip and Reggaeton.He has served as liaison between rival Latino and African-American gangs to lessen gang violence and crimes. He is co-founder of the United AIDS Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for AIDS research.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Rayroq Acosta,” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the August 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Watch video – Detroit station to offer first Spanish language baseball presentation

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 6, 2008

Greg Hammaren, senior vice president and general manager, FSN Detroit

Photos: FSN Detroit

For the first time Detroit station FSN Plus will air Spanish language coverage of a Tigers Oakland Athletics game in an effort to attract Spanish dominant viewers in the areas it serves. Broadcaster Clemson Smith Muñiz will provide a play-by-play commentary and Adrian Burgos, Jr., a Latino Baseball historian, will serve as analyst Saturday, August 9 for the Detroit Tigers annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! Night at Comerica Park. Scroll down to watch 15-second promo video in Spanish.

The Spanish-language presentation will be available to most cable and satellite households throughout the FSN Detroit regional footprint. The Spanish-language coverage is scheduled to begin at 7 pm with Smith Muñiz and Burgos, Jr. The English-language telecast of that night’s Tigers-A’s game with Mario Impemba and Rod Allen will air as usual on FSN Detroit and FSN HD. The one time effort will be promoted via FSN Detroit and local cable companies.

“This is the perfect opportunity for FSN Detroit and the ball club to reach out to an important segment of the Tigers fan base, while honoring the heritage of many fans’ favorite players,” said Greg Hammaren, senior vice president and general manager, FSN Detroit. “We are proud to provide this important piece of programming to our cable and satellite providers in conjunction with the ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration that night at Comerica Park.”

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Presenter Roger Selbert, Ph.D.

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• If the luxury Latino market is growing

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¡Fiesta Tigres! is the Tigers annual salute to the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the game of baseball. The team’s 2008 roster includes Magglio Ordoñez, Carlos Guillen, Miguel Cabrera and Armando Galarraga (Venezuela); Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, Ramon Santiago, Freddy Dolsi, Aquilino Lopez and infield coach Rafael Belliard (Dominican Republic); Edgar Renteria (Colombia); and Joel Zumaya (Mexico).

“This is a historic telecast for the Tigers, and for our ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration,” said Duane McLean, senior vice president of Business Operations for the Tigers. “We’re thrilled FSN Detroit is offering the game in Spanish-language, and joining us in honoring the contributions of Hispanic players past and present.”

The latest census data shows 4 percent, approximately 390,000, of the population of Michigan is Hispanic. The largest Hispanic communities are Grand Rapids (13.1 percent or 25,000), Pontiac (12.8 percent or 8,590), Saginaw (11.7 percent or 6,730); Detroit (5 percent or 43,500).

Broadcaster Clemson Smith Muñiz

Smith Muñiz, a native of Puerto Rico, has an extensive Spanish-language broadcasting resume, including TV play-by-play and pre- and post-game hosting for the New York Mets, Yankees and MLB International. The longtime Spanish play-by-play voice for the New York Knicks, Smith Muñiz also serves in that capacity for the New York Jets, Monday Night Football for Univision Radio, as well as Army football.

He has also worked as commentator for Super Bowl XLI and XLII, as the English and Spanish-language sideline reporter for Westwood One during the broadcast of the first NFL regular-season game in Mexico City in 2005, and as commentator during the 1997 and 1998 NBA Playoffs. A former sportswriter for the Hartford Courant, the New York Daily News and Spain’s El País, Smith Muñiz started his Spanish-language broadcast career in 1991 with ESPN International calling Australian Rules Football before graduating to major events such as the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals and World Series. He is president of Smith Muñiz Productions, a New York-based company that helps clients target the Hispanic market.

Burgos, an educator and author, is an associate history professor at the University of Illinois specializing in U.S. Latino history, African-American studies, sport history and urban history. In 2007, Burgos published Playing America’s Game(s): Baseball, Latinos and the Color Line, a book that examines the impact Latino players had on U.S. professional baseball and on baseball’s color line and racial understandings.

Adrian Burgos, Jr., a Latino Baseball Historian

Burgos, who earned his doctorate from the University of Michigan, also was a contributing author to the 2006 book Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball. He served on the screening and voting committees for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2006 special election on the Negro Leagues, and consulted on the Hall’s ¡Béisbol- Baseball!: The Shared Pastime project.

According to promotional materials FSN Detroit and FSN Plus coverage of the Tigers is available in 3.2 million cable and satellite households throughout Michigan and portions of Northwest Ohio and Northern Indiana.

Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising

Listen to song – Mexican singer releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 4, 2008

Haciendo Escándalo album cover

Photos, song: Gato Loco Music

Haciendo Escandalo! (Causing Scandal!) is Singer Diegodiego’s newest release and his second album. Scroll down to listen to Mi Castillo Azul (My Blue Castle), a single from the new album.

In Haciendo Escandalo! the singer and actor from Merida, Mexico focuses on positive messages and dance rhythms “to inspire peace and harmony.” Diegodiego composes and performs his music. His first CD was Quema Quema (Burn Burn), a dance music album. Haciendo Escandalo is dedicated to Raul Vale, his close friend and collaborator.

Diegodiego

“Raul Vale taught me a lot of things, but the most valuable advice he gave me was when he said: ‘Diego, you are nothing more or less than a scandal! Fight for what you want; you have my blessing,’” said Diegodiego. “The best thing that can happen to an artist is the pleasure of entertaining while at the same time enabling others to achieve their own aspirations.”

Diegodiego began his acting career with the television soap opera La Culpa directed by Pynkie Morris. He later competed, along with 5,000 applicants, for a much coveted role in a Disney Company production. In the end, he was one of three Latinos and one of only 60 candidates selected to perform at Disneyland in California. Click on the play button to listen to Mi Castillo Azul (My Blue Castle), a single from the new album.

Listen to song – benefit album promotes Latino vote

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 21, 2008

Voto Latino benefit album cover

Photos: Nacional Records

In an effort to inspire Latinos to vote National Records collected a previously unreleased track by Pitbull and Kurse and 14 songs by Don Omar, Aterciopelados, Aventura, David Garza and Ozomatli into Voto Latino, a benefit album. Proceeds of the album will benefit Voto Latino, a non partisan organization. Scroll down to listen to Across the Waters by Pitbull and Kurse from the Voto Latino benefit album.

The 15-track Voto Latino album was released on iTunes earlier this year and has been selling steadily for $3.99. In the previously unreleased track Across The Waters Miami-based hip-hop artist Pitbull and Kurse sing about the plight of Cuban immigrants.

“To me it’s great to have a record like Across the Waters involved with Voto Latino iTunes because it represents everything we stand for, which is the struggle for freedom and opportunity,” said Pitbull.

“Music is the soundtrack to my life. The Voto Latino compilation is the soundtrack of a movement,” said Rosario Dawson, co-founder, Voto Latino, who recently starred in a telenovela parody public service announcement with Wilmer Valderrama.

Aterciopelados

“It encapsulates everything about the Latino drive to the polls so blast it on your way to change,” said Valderrama. “Music has proven to be an influential platform for our generation. This is the time to use it.”

Find out what multicultural kids across America think
Listen to Michele Valdovinos, SVP, Phoenix Multicultural in

“Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording

Michele Valdovinos gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about multicultural children based on a Phoenix Multicultural and Nickelodeon study of 1,300 multicultural children in 16 United States markets.

Find out about

• The Phoenix Multicultural Kids Study
• Relationship between children and their context
• Issues relating to family, technology and media, diversity, buying power, relationships in household, self perception, values, acculturation, cultural heritage, frequency of media activity, income and spending, brand preferences, the American Dream
• How many billions of dollars buying power multicultural kids children have
• Children’s spending attitudes, habits by ethnicity
• How much money a year Hispanic kids have available to spend
• Types of products Hispanic kids buy

Click here for information on “Marketing to Multicultural Kids” audio recording

The album artists and titles are: Notch, Aquí Me Quedo; Pitbull & Kurse, Across The Waters; Ozomatli, (Who Discovered) America?; Don Omar, Angelito; Los Amigos Invisibles, All Day Today; Salvador Santana Band, My One True Love; Ceu, Roda (Bombay Dub Orchestra’s Grateful Dub Mix); Aterciopelados, Cancion Protesta; Aventura, Mi Corazoncito; Chingo Bling, They Can’t Deport Us All; Ceci Bastida – Empieza A Amanecer; David Garza, There Go The Weirdos; Volumen Cero, El Mar; B-Side Players, Nuestras Demandas; Hip Hop Hoodíos, Viva La Guantanamera.

According to promotional materials, Nacional Records and iTunes are donating their proceeds from the benefit album. All proceeds will benefit Voto Latino’s voter registration, education and empowerment initiatives.

Founded in 2004, Voto Latino is a non-partisan organization that works to promote an enfranchised America by leveraging celebrity voices, the latest technology and youth themselves to promote positive change and voter empowerment throughout the Latino community. Voto Latino is targeting seven million American Latino voters aged 18-29, 18 percent of the youth vote, in preparation for the 2008 general elections.

Click on the play button to listen to Across the Waters by Pitbull and Kurse from the Voto Latino benefit album

Latin American oriented network targeting U.S. Latinos launches TV program

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 16, 2008

Carlos Calero, host, “Como en Casa“

Photos: LAETV

Latinamerican Ethnic TV (LAETV) recently launched a new a live televised magazine show, “Como en Casa” hosted by Carlos Calero, a Colombian journalist. The Spanish language program began broadcasting in April 2008 on Saturdays and Sundays on TV Colombia, RCN Nuestra Tele’s international signal distributed via satellite through DishLATINO and several cable operators.

The program will air from 8 pm to 12:30 am (Colombian time) on the weekends and be available in the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Curaçao, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.

Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising

Kurt Pflucker, president, LAETV

“We’re proud to be the sole U.S. representative of TV Colombia, RCN Nuestra Tele’s international signal which brings this innovative concept to Hispanics. The program will not only help its viewers remain connected to their roots and culture, but will provide advertisers a different space which will allow them to be more direct in their messaging and to capture the attention and loyalty of its audience,” said Kurt Pflucker, president of LAETV.

“Como en Casa” is divided into three parts. The first part of the program includes live: “The Theme of the Day,” “The Musical Scene,” “Gossip Invited Guests,” “The Cultural Scene,” “Health” and “The Invited Product.” During the last section, broadcast on Sundays only, the host will promote a Latin American product.

“We are pleased with the benefits acquired by the commercial participation on the program ‘Como en Casa,’ achieving an increase in clients at an international level and equally an increase in telephone calls from several countries and states throughout the U.S. Additionally when Carlos Calero used one of our models, the reaction from the public since then has been excellent,” said Carlos Osorio of Cocoa Jeans, an advertiser.

The second part of “Como en Casa” will provide an overview of some Latin American newspapers. During this segment, viewers will be able to virtually chat with the program staff, become a correspondent and share information online. Segment participants will also be offered the opportunity to purchase classified ads, recommend a page on the Internet and participate in a virtual pageant and travel album.

The third part of “Como en Casa” includes prerecorded segments on national and international gossip, legal advice for immigrants, investment projects, cooking, nostalgia, destinations, behind the scenes and Latin American inventions.

Latinamerican Ethnic TV is a United States Hispanic cable and satellite television sales rep firm that has exclusive agreements with 14 Latin-American television networks in the United States market.

“Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

Presenters Carlos Santiago and Derene Allen

• Find out what makes 25 percent of the top 500 Hispanic market advertisers out perform the remaining companies

• Discover what questions to ask, steps to take to be a Best in Class company

Click here for more about “Best in Class Hispanic Strategies” audio recording

Watch video, listen to song – Barcelona duo releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on July 7, 2008

The Pinker Tones Wild Animals album cover

Photo, song: Nacional Records

The Pinker Tones, a Barcelona musical duo known for their electronic sounds, released a new album in early June 2008. Wild Animals, the band’s third album in the United States, was released right before the beginning of their Vans Warped Tour with more than 40 venues across the United States. The two previous albums released in the United States are The Million Colour Revolution and 2007 remix album More Colours! Scroll down to watch a music video and listen to a song from the new album.

“Our last album, The Million Colour Revolution, was about utopia, a projection for how we wanted the world to be,” said Mister Furia. “Wild Animals is about reality, our interpretation of the actual world we live in. Songs like The Whistling Song, 24 and On Se Promenait are some of our happiest and most nostalgic yet.”

Wild Animals features special vocal guests including reggae soul performer Jimmy Lindsay from Cymande on The Whistling Song, and Amparo from Spanish band Amparanoia on Electrotumbao. The first single was the track Happy Everywhere.

“Moving Beyond Traditional Media Measurement: measuring conversations and social media” audio recording

Presenter Katie Delahaye Paine, founder, KDPaine & Partners

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The Pinker Tones

Mister Furia and Professor Manso are the artistic names of the musicians that make up The Pinker Tones. In 2007, the band was featured in The New York Times, was in an A&E television special, performed on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic program, had a song featured on the TV sitcoms Ugly Betty and Entourage, and had video play on mtvU, MTV Tr3s, Mun2, and LATV.

The Pinker Tones also made an appearance at last year’s SXSW, where they performed five shows in 36 hours and at KCRW’s Sounds Eclectic Evening in Los Angeles. The Pinker Tones recent single Karma Hunters was selected by Mun2 as the theme song for Chicas Project, a reality show.

Salvador Rey, Mister Furia, performs on vocals, guitar, keyboards and flute while Alex Llovet, Professor Manso, performs on keyboards, samples and drums. They met in college in the late 1990s and formed the Pinker Tones in 2001.

Click on the play button to watch the music video Happy Everywhere.

Click here to buy Wild Animals CD

Watch video – Film about family and immigration released on DVD

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 20, 2008

Under the Same Moon DVD cover

Photo, video: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

On June 17, 2008 Fox Entertainment released Under The Same Moon (La Misma Luna) on DVD, a story about the journey of a boy from Mexico to the United States to find his mother. The 106-minute film in English and Spanish, a 2007 Sundance Film Festival Crowd Pleaser, was first released in the United States in October 2007 and again in March 2008. The DVD sells for $29.98. Scroll down to watch video trailers of Under the Same Moon.

The film stars Adrian Alonso (The Legend of Zorro), Kate del Castillo (El Derecho de nacer) and Eugenio Derbez, (Los Perplejos), Jesse Garcia (The Comebacks), Carmen Salinas (Man on Fire) and America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) in a PG13 film from first-time director Patricia Riggen.

Under The Same Moon portrays the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos (Alonso) and his mother, Rosario (Del Castillo). Hoping to make a better life for her and her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for Carlitos in Mexico. Unexpected circumstances drive Rosario and Carlitos to embark on their own journeys in an attempt to reunite. Along the way, mother and son face challenges and obstacles while maintaining the hope of being together again.

Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising

Under The Same Moon is presented in widescreen format with English, French and Spanish subtitles, and includes commentary, deleted scenes and two featurettes. Bonus content includes The Murals of Under the Same Moon Featurette and The Making of La Misma Luna Featurettes.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film News Corporation, a News Corporation company.

Click here to buy Under the Same Moon

WSBS to launch home made vampire mini series in September

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 17, 2008

A scene from Gabriel in Venice

Photos: WSBS

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. will release Gabriel, its first mini series, in September 2008. Filmed in Miami, Venice and Puerto Rico, Gabriel is 12 hours long and will be broadcast in10 episodes. DirecTV Más will co-produce the project which was filmed in high-definition with 3-D animation.

Two well known personalities will be part of the series, Chayanne and José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma.” Chayanne plays Gabriel, a modern-day vampire in the network’s first miniseries produced by Megafilms, the company’s new entertainment division. Rodriguez plays Pizarro, another vampire.

Mexican actor Angelica Celaya as Eva

The female lead is played by Mexican actor Angelica Celaya as Eva. In Gabriel, Eva is a beautiful and dedicated nurse who works at an Emergency Room. A direct bloodline descendant of Gabriel’s former wife, Eva is the reincarnation of Gabriel’s lost love. Her mysterious nightly dreams about her ancestry are heightened when Gabriel appears in her life.

Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising

José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma”

Laura Ferretti plays Maribel Delgado, Eva’s best friend and roommate. Maribel studies psychology and works nights as a waitress at a bar in Miami Beach to pay for her college tuition. In her spare time she studies the tarot cards and explores the occult.

Sebastián Ligarde, a Mexican actor, is Santori, a religious investigator and fanatic commissioned by the Vatican to destroy the bloodthirsty Pizarro. Additional cast members include Julián Gil, Laura Zerra, Freddy Viquez, Juan David Ferrer, Alvaro Ruiz, Marcos Miranda, Leonard Krys and Camila Banus.

Megafilms, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SBS, was created in 2008 to produce Spanish-language full-length features, miniseries, telenovelas, documentaries and filmed entertainment for domestic and international distribution.

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded Hispanic-controlled media and entertainment companies in the United States. SBS owns and operates 20 radio stations located in Hispanic markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico. The Company also owns and operates Mega TV in Miami.

Listen to Cesar Melgoza discuss

“Changing Latino Landscape” audio recording

Presenter Cesar Melgoza, managing director, Latin Force Group

Find out about

• How demographic, social, political and economic factors affect Latinos
• Number of Hispanics in U.S.
• Hispanics as a percent of the mainstream population
• Number of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico
• Hispanics, including Puerto Rico, as a percent of U.S. mainstream
• Number of Asians and African Americans
• Estimated size of Hispanic market by 2012
• Percentage growth of new Hispanics per year
• Number of counties where Latinos are majority
• Areas of significant Latino growth
• Area of U.S. with a 950 percent Latino growth
• Role of acculturation
• Hispanicity segmentation

Click here for information on the Changing Latino Landscape

Xenon Pictures releases Spanish language telenovela on DVD

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 6, 2008

Maria la del Barrio DVD cover

Photo: Xenon Pictures

Xenon Pictures, in association with Lionsgate Home Entertainment, recently released the telenovela Maria la del Barrio on DVD. The Spanish language soap is part of a three part series in actress Thalia’s Maria Trilogy. The other serialized program, MariMar, was released earlier this year and the third part, Maria Mercedes, is due for release on DVD this summer.

Some fans consider that this series launched the famed Mexican soap actress into international stardom. Maria la del Barrio was also the first starring role for Fernando Colunga, described in promotional materials as the only actor to have starred in five successive hit telenovelas. Maria la del Barrio also stars actress Iran Eory and Itati Cantoral, whose portrayal of the evil Soraya earned her the 1996 TVyNovelas magazine award for Best Villain.

“Beyond the 30 Second Spot” audio recording

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Panelists Ivan Cevallos, Hunter Heller, Kitty Kolding and Cynthia Nelson

Our panel of national experts discuss

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Filmed in Las Lomas de Chapultepec in Mexico City, Maria la del Barrio was written by Ines Rodena (Marimar, Marisol) and directed by Beatriz Sheridan (La Intrusa, La Usurpadora). The soap opera like series aired initially on prime time in 1996 in the United States and 119 other countries.

In Maria la del Barrio, María Hernández (Thalia) is a poor and beautiful 15-year-old girl, forced to scavenge food to support herself and her elderly godmother. When her godmother dies, she goes to live with the wealthy Don Fernando de la Vega (Ricardo Blume). While she lives there she is resented by his new wife, Victoria (Eory), and her niece, Soraya (Cantoral).

María falls in love with the handsome but drunken son of the house, Luis Fernando (Colunga), arousing the jealousy of Soraya. He falls in love with her as well and asks her to marry him. Their happiness is cut short when a misunderstanding separates them. In her grief María gives up their child for adoption. although Luis Fernando returns and they adopt a child together she maintains hope of one day finding the son she gave up for adoption.

The 3-disc DVD set of Maria la del Barrio, with 12 hours (700 minutes) of content, is in Spanish with English subtitles. It is rated TV-PG. Maria la del Barrio has a suggested retail price of $24.98.

Click here to buy Maria La del Barrio and Mari Mar on DVD

Listen to song – Tijuana electronica band releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on June 2, 2008

Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine album cover

Photo, song: Nacional Records

Tijuana’s electronica band Nortec Collective released a new album, Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine (Nacional Records), in early May 2008. According to promotional materials, these musicians created and perform Nortec, a style of music they invented, as a fusion of Norteño (Spanish for from the North) and techno; to document the collision between the style and culture of electronica and traditional Mexican music. Scroll down to listen to the first single off the new album the title track, Tijuana Sound Machine.

“With Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, we focused on fusing vocoders, synthesizers and drum machines with the Norteño flavor,” said Pepe Mogt (Fussible). “This time around, we really relied more on the acoustic sound. We tried to achieve a better balance between the acoustics and the electronics. While some tracks on Tijuana Sound Machine aren’t even a month old yet, others have been around for a couple of years. We actually wrote many of these songs while on the road promoting Tijuana Sessions .”

Make your ads resonate with Hispanics
Listen to C&R’s Research Director Liria Barbosa in

“Hispanics’ Perspective on Advertising” audio recording

Liria Barbosa gives a presentation and participates in an extended Q&A discussion about

• Type of ads Latinos prefer
• Latino top media choices
• Percent of Latinos who tried products because of ads
• Percent of Latinos who purchased products because of ads
• What makes an ad “Hispanic”
• If ad language is important for bicultural Latinos
• What to keep in mind when targeting bicultural Latinos with ads

Click here for information on Hispanic Perspectives on Advertising

Following the launch of Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, Nortec Collective toured internationally, performing in Latin America, United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. They presented at Vive Latino (Latin America’s Coachella), Rokslide Festival (Denmark), Sonar Festival (Barcelona), Smithsonian Institute and Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) and Bellas Artes Museum (Mexico City). An extensive U.S. tour featuring Bostich and Fussible is planned to coincide with the new release.

“In every place we have toured to, whether it is Australia, Japan or the U.S., crowds respond differently,” said Fussible. “Even in Mexico, the response changes from town to town. But when it comes down to it, they are coming to our shows for the music, no matter whether they found it through a friend or online. So they are super enthusiastic either way. The real fun challenge comes when we play at festivals with audiences that are hearing our music for the first time.”

Bostich and Fussible

In 2005, Nortec Collective received two Grammy nominations for Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package. The group’s music has appeared in commercials for Volvo, Dell, Fidelity Mutual, Edwin Jeans and Nissan.

Tracks from Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3 can also be heard in HBO’s “Big Love,” NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” and the movies “Fast Food Nation” and “Babel” as well as the video games, FIFA Soccer and FIFA Street 2. An interactive coffee table book, Paso del Nortec- This Is Tijuana dedicated to the Nortec phenomena, was published in the United States, Mexico and Europe.

Five artists, Fussible, Bostich (Ramón Amezcua), Panóptica (Roberto Mendoza), Clorofila (Jorge Verdín) and Hiperboreal (PG Beas) make up Nortec Collective. Bostich and Fussible’s are touted as the masterminds of the band’s previous tracks Tengo La Voz, Tijuana Bass, and Tijuana Makes Me Happy off the double Grammy-nominated 2005 album Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3.

Click on the play button to listen to Tijuana Sound Machine from Nortec Collective Presents Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine album.