Posted by Elena del Valle on April 11, 2006
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Tomas Cookman, president, Nacional Records and Cookman International
Photo: Nacional Records
Latin-alternative label Nacional Records and Nettwerk Music Group established Canciones Nacionales Music Publishing, a joint venture designed to increase artist opportunities and strengthen their respective niches. Initial signings include Tijuana-based electronic band Nortec Collective and Mexican singer Sara Valenzuela. As part of the agreement, Nettwerk will represent Nacional for film and television placements and release select Nacional titles in Europe via Nettwerk Europe.
The strategic partnership between Nettwerk and Nacional also extends into film and television, with Nettwerk providing placement services for Nacional acts Nortec Collective, The Pinker Tones, and Sara Valenzuela. Select titles from Nacional will also be released in Europe via Nettwerk, including the planned European summer releases of Nortec Collective “Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3” and Panoptica “Ahora Yo a Ti.”
“Nettwerk One is tremendously excited to be working with the similarly structured management,label, and publishing company Cookman International,” said Mark Jowett, vice president, International A&R/Publishing. “It has quickly demonstrated a brilliant knack for finding and developing awesome, progressive Latin Music. Nettwerk One believes that together we can expose some incredible Latin talent in the U.S., Canada and abroad, including the Nortec Collective and many other great Latin artists to come.”
“We’re very excited about working closely with Nettwerk in so many different capacities. As an artist manager and label owner, there are many parallels between my own company and that of Nettwerk,” said Tomas Cookman, president, Nacional Records and Cookman International.
Nacional Records is distributed in the United States by ADA/Warner Music and based in N. Hollywood, California. Nacional released the Grammy-nominated solo debut from Aterciopelados frontwoman Andrea Echeverri and the Nortec Collective album “Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3.” In addition, Cookman International has managed Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Nortec Collective, Aterciopelados, and La Ley. More information on Nacional Records is available online at NacionalRecords.com
Nettwerk Music Group is one of Canada’s leading privately owned record labels and artist management companies with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Nashville, London and the main office in Vancouver, B.C. Nettwerk is the label home for Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, the Barenaked Ladies, Dido, Ivy and Latin Alternative stars Kinky. More information on Nettwerk is available online at Nettwerk.com
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Posted by Elena del Valle on April 7, 2006
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Maxim en Español Rockz! cover
Photo: Dennis Publishing
Pasadena, California/New York, New York — Dennis Publishing, Inc., JMuzic, in collaboration with Maxim en Español magaine, recently released the compact disc music compilation “Maxim en Español Rockz!” in the U.S. The first brand licensing offshoot of American flagship Maxim’s successful Hispanic Americas edition, this eclectic compilation showcases the diversity of talent in popular Latin music, with acts spanning rock en Español, reggaeton, hip-hop, punk, Latin alternative, and trip hop.
Featured artists are break-out rocker JD Natasha, Grammy-nominated Andrea Echeverri, and Plastilina Mosh (whose contribution is the brand new track “Nalguita” from the band’s forthcoming Greatest Hits collection).
“Maxim en Español Rockz!” is enhanced with two music videos, “La Receta” by Kemo the Blaxican and “Amortiguador” by Andrea Echeverri, screensavers and wallpapers for download. On the pop side, Jennifer Pena makes an appearance with the song “Corazon Bandido.” Rock and punk are represented by buzz bands as Go Betty Go (“Saturday”), Lucybell (“Salvame La Vida”) and Seis Pistos (“El Punk No Morira”). Hip-Hop and urbano abound with acts such as Kemo the Blaxican of Delinquent Habits (“La Receta”), Phame (“Arriba”), and T-Weaponz (“Mira, Mira”).
Backed with an upcoming national television and print campaign, “Maxim en Espanol Rockz!” represents one of the most extensive efforts to date to represent a cross-section of Hispanic youth culture in Spanish and English on one single album.
“Maxim en Español Rockz!” tracks include: 1. “Mira, Mira” by T-Weaponz, 2. “Wepa” by C-Note, 3. “Plastico” by JD Natasha, 4. “Corazon Bandido” by Jennifer Pena, 5. “La Receta” by Kemo The Blaxican, 6. “Amortiguador” by Andrea Echeverri, 7. “Salvame La Vida” by Lucybell, 8. “Bounce” by T-Bone, 9. “Nalguita” by Plastilina Mosh, 10. “Saturday” by Go Betty Go, 11. “El Punk No Morira” by Seis Pistos, 12. “Lado Este” by Sara Valenzuela, 13. “Under My Skin” (Ocean Radio Mix) by Fhernando, 14. “Ghetto Mambo” by Peter Michael Escovedo (available on the HispanicMPR.com podcast), 15. “Libertad” by F.I.L.T.H.E.E. Immigrants, 16. “Arriba” by Phame, 17. “Loving You” by Solid, and 18. “Penumbra” by Cronicas del Eco.
Dennis Publishing, Inc. is a media company that publishes the two modern men’s lifestyle magazines in America, Maxim (2.5 million rate base) and Stuff (1.3 million rate base). The company also publishes general interest music magazine Blender (Advertising Age’s Launch of the Year and Adweek’s Hot List), and The Week, a distillation of the week’s most important news and opinion from the U.S. and international media (Advertising Age’s A-List). Maxim Radio is broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio on channel 108. JMuzic , based in Pasadena, California, is an independent record label that specializes in signing and developing Latino talent for the U.S. bilingual market.
To listen to “Ghetto Mambo” by Peter Michael Escovedo from the “Maxim en Español Rockz!” soundtrack, scroll down on HispanicMPR.com until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “Ghetto Mambo,” hit the play button or download it 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 to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the April 2006 section of the podcast.
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Posted by Elena del Valle on April 4, 2006
Photographer George Rodriguez
Photos: George Rodriguez
Los Angeles, California – A photo exhibit, “César E. Chávez – A Reflection,” featuring photographs by George Rodriguez recently opened at the Mexican Cultural Institute located at Plaza Olvera in downtown Los Angeles. The artist, union organizer Dolores Huerta, and immediate members from the Chavez family attended the unveiling of the exhibit’s commemorative poster.
Through his collection of black and white and color images Rodriguez meant to capture the legacy of Mexican American labor leader César Chávez and his fight for social justice. The show, which includes photos never before viewed in an exhibit, will run from March 31 through April 28. The exhibit encapsulates the movement that began in the late 1960s with the leader’s struggle in the fields.
“Cesar E. Chavez at ’40 acres’, Delano, California, August 1969”
The exhibit also attempts to describe “the formidable transformation of powerless farm workers into warriors for social justice.” Chavez created a “people’s movement” that transcended the rural environment reaching urban communities and crossing the nation.” César E. Chávez – A Reflection” is presented by the Mexican Cultural Institute and Scandalo Productions with support from Latino Weekly Review, KLCS-TV/DT, and LatinoLA.com.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 3, 2006
“La Mujer de Mi Hermano” soundtrack cover
The soundtrack to one of Latin America’s most popular films last year, “La Mujer de Mi Hermano,” is set for release on Nacional Records on April 11 in conjunction with the U.S. release of the film by Lionsgate on April 14. The film and soundtrack follow the success of other influential films and soundtracks that have defined a new wave of Latin American cinema such as “Amores Perros” and “Y Tú Mama También.”
“La Mujer de Mi Hermano,” has been a box office heavyweight in Mexico and Latin America. The soundtrack features some of the latest tastemakers in Latin alternative and electronica such as Aterciopelados frontwoman Andrea Echeverri, electronic darlings Nortec Collective, Sara Valenzuela, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Pinker Tones and NYC-based up-and-comers Pacha.
Highlights of the album include Tanghetto’s new “electro tango” version of the seminal New Order favorite “Blue Monday” (available on the HispanicMPR.com podcast) and a re-working of the classic La Ley track “Mentira” by Beto Cuevas, the vocalist from multi-Grammy-winning Latin rockers La Ley (who appears in the film as a Catholic priest). The soundtrack also features original music composed by Angelo Milli.
The film, based on the novel of the same title by Jaime Bayly, features a cast led by telenovela (soap opera) stars Barbara Mori, Christian Meier and Manolo Cardona, and is directed by Ricardo de Montreuil. After almost ten years of marriage, the stunningly attractive Zoë (Barbara Mori) realizes that her marriage to Ignacio (Christian Meier) no longer carries the passion and spark it once had. Emotionally adrift, she searches for those sensations once again; she soon finds herself seduced into the arms of Gonzalo (Manolo Cardona), her husband’s brother. At first, Zoë becomes reinvigorated by the romance, but her decision soon launches a series of events that drives these three people through a gauntlet of revenge, secrecy and despair that will unravel them all. “La Mujer de Mi Hermano” is a Stan Jakubowicz production directed by Ricardo De Montreuil.
The soundtrack titles of “La Mujer de Mi Hermano,” in running order are: “Despues De Almuerzo I” by Bitman & Roban, “Blue Monday” by Tanghetto, “Regresa/Con Lacapilla” by Novalima, “TMCR Grand Finale” by The Pinker Tones, “Don’t Let Go,” by Pacha, “Olvidela Compa” by Nortec Collective, “Ya No” by Sara Valenzuela, “Dub-A El Tiempo Es Muy Largo” by Mexican Institute of Sound, “La Mujer de Mi Hermano Theme Song” by Angelo Milli, “Baby Blues” by Andrea Echeverri, “Matanza Funk” by Monareta, “Malato” by Novalima, “Transan” by Intoxicados, “Buho” by Turista, “I Drink She Smokes” by Kemo and “Mentira” by Beto Cuevas. Visit Myspace.com to preview the album.
To listen to Tanghetto’s “Blue Monday” single from the soon-to-be released “La Mujer de mi Hermano” soundtrack, scroll down on HispanicMPR.com until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “Tanghetto Blue Monday,” hit the play button or download it 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 to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the April 2006 section of the podcast.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 15, 2006
Photo: LATV
Puerto Rican-born actress Valery Ortiz joined LATV as the host of “LATV Does Hollywood.” Ortiz is currently generating a buzz with her transition to the big screen in the new 20th Century Fox release, “Date Movie.” In the romantic comedy, she stars as Jell-O, a spoof on fellow Latina actress, J-Lo. Ortiz also stars as Madison Duarte on the original half-hour teen drama “South of Nowhere,” which is entering its second season on The N, the nighttime network for teens. The N, a programming arm of MTV Networks is available in 43 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television.
Other LATV hosts and VJ’s are also making waves on the stage, on television, and as professors. LATV producer/host Giovanni Blanco leads a double life as frontman for popular bilingual funk-dance-rock act Spigga. Patricia Lopez, the host of LATV’s “M2M Live” and “Movimiento con Patricia Lopez”, is a frequent Entertainment Host on “KTLA the WB Morning News.” “LATV Late Night” host Alysha Del Valle is also a traffic reporter for ABC 7 News and a special-events host for LA’s 102.7 KIIS FM. And “Rokamole” host Josh Kun is an associate professor of English at UC Riverside. More information on LATV programming is available at LATV.com
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 8, 2006
Yahoo! en Español Premios de la Academia web page
Photos: Yahoo!
Miami, Florida — Warner Brothers signed on as the exclusive sponsor of Yahoo! en Español’s “Premios de la Academia” site, a Spanish-language entertainment destination dedicated to coverage of the Academy Awards reaching 11.1 million Hispanics. The sponsorship includes Yahoo! Entretenimiento (Entertainment) roadblocks, content integration, Yahoo! en Español home page visibility, and other placements designed to increase awareness among online U.S. Hispanics. It also marks the first time that one sponsor has exclusive rights to featured positions on every entertainment page on Yahoo! en Español. Warner Bros.’ sponsorship promotes the movies “16 Blocks”, “V for Vendetta”, and “ATL.”
“This is a great way for Warner Bros. to further extend their reach in the U.S. Hispanic market,” said Don Buckley, senior vice president, Interactive Marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures. “This placement enables us to reach the important U.S. Hispanic demographic in a medium that is engaging and that will make our movies part of their daily entertainment intake.”
Adam Chandler, national sales manager, U.S. Hispanic Sales, Yahoo! Inc.
“The U.S. Hispanic audience is already predisposed to seeking entertainment online and through Yahoo! en Español’s Premios de la Academia coverage, Warner Bros. will reach this captive audience, said Adam Chandler, national sales manager, U.S. Hispanic Sales, Yahoo! Inc. “This arrangement enables Warner Bros. to provide a branded entertainment experience to Yahoo!’s entertainment-hungry U.S. Hispanic users.”
The online U.S. Hispanic market is an attractive niche for entertainment companies. According to comScore, the number of U.S. Hispanics online grew 5.3 percent from 13.8 million in 2004 to 14.6 million in 2005. Furthermore, research shows that online Hispanics are more likely to be moviegoers (64 percent) than their offline counterparts (46 percent) and online Hispanic adults go more frequently to the movies (attending movies once a month or more) than those with no online access.**
Yahoo! en Español’s Premios de la Academia coverage features six main categories related to the Academy Awards show including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress. The site provides detailed coverage of each of the five nominees in the six categories. In addition, every page includes a newly created section called “Latin Radar,” which features Latin facts related to cinema and changes every week.
For example, a recent Latin Rader feature was news on Argentine Gustavo Santaolalla and Spaniard Alberto Iglesias who competed for an Oscar in the same category, best original score; Santaolalla for “Brokeback Mountain” and Iglesias for “The Constant Gardener.” Additional sections include: The top ten box office hits, Oscar Polls, photo gallery page, news page, community page for users to join chats or groups and discuss their opinions and thoughts on the Oscars.
Other advertisers that have bought significant sponsorships in the past include GM, Pepsi, and Verizon. Yahoo! en Español is one of the 25 worldwide properties of Yahoo! Inc. and is part of Yahoo!’s U.S. Hispanic network. According to comScore, The Yahoo! network is the most trafficked Internet destination for U.S. Hispanics,* boasting more than 11.1 million Hispanic monthly users in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Yahoo! seeks to provide online products and services essential to users’ lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users around the world. Yahoo! Inc. is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. and Yahoo! en Español is based in Coral Gables, Florida. Academy Awards ®, Oscar ®, and Premios de la Academia are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Yahoo! en Español and its coverage of these events are neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information visit Yahoo en Español.
*comScore Media Metrix, Dec 2005
** Mediamark Research, Inc., Spring 2005, wave 52. Base: US Hispanics Age 18+
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 7, 2006
La Academia USA winner Mariana
Photos: TV Azteca
Mexico City, Mexico – Following four months of hard work, Mariana from El Paso, Texas was crowned the winner of La Academia USA following the Gran Final concert that topped off 15 weeks of live concerts, intense competition, high-performance stage presentation and voice training. Mariana and runner-up Gustavo, from Santa Ana, California, were awarded recording contracts with Warner Music. Mariana also took home $25,000 in cash and a Chevy HHR.
Audience voting through SMS and Terra.com placed Mariana in first place following her interpretations of “Paloma Negra” and “Mentira.” Second place winner Gustavo, who midway through La Academia USA season considered exiting the show voluntarily because of family pressure, finished the gala evening with $15,000 in cash a a recording contract. Gustavo, described as a former car washer originally from Sahuayo, Michoacán, sang the Vicente Fernandez hit “Mujeres Divinas” and “Al Final.”
Left to right: La Academia USA winners Gustavo, Mariana and Nohelia
Nohelia, a resident of Miami of Honduran origin, was awarded $10,000 following her interpretations of “Te Quedó Grande la Yegua” and “Que Ganas de No Verte Nunca Más.” Four and fifth place winners were Afid, from Houston, Texas and Yohigei, from South Gate, California.
Special invited guest was Yahir, the runner up of the first generation of La Academia, winner of the first Desafio de Estrellas and star of the novelas Soñarás and Enamórate, who presented two songs from his triple-platinum album “No Te Apartes de Mi.” Other invited guests included Azteca talent Pedro Sicar, Aylin Mújica and Luis Felipe Tovar.
Program host Fernando del Solar presented the final concert. The judges were Adrián Pieragostino, María Conchita Alonso, Lolita Cortés and Arturo Lopéz Gavito. The top participants of La Academia USA will be gearing up for a summer concert tour that will also feature talent from prior La Academia generations. For more information, visit the official website of La Academia USA
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 3, 2006
Jeff Zucker, chief executive officer, NBC Universal Television Group
Photo: NBC Universal
Burbank, California – In a landmark move, NBC Universal Television Group signed a two-year, first-look development deal with Galán Entertainment for the production of telenovelas and other Spanish-language formats in English across its many networks. In contrast to other similar network arrangements, NBC Universal, Galán Entertainment and Telemundo will leverage the existing assets and expertise of the novela (soap opera) production system perfected by Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish language content producer in the United States, for the Spanish language market. Telemundo will license all its formats, in addition to other acquired formats, to Galán Entertainment to re-develop into English.
“This represents a fantastic opportunity to achieve many of our goals at NBCU,” said Jeff Zucker, chief executive officer, NBC Universal Television Group. “With this, we can better integrate our English and Spanish-speaking audiences in a way that no other broadcaster can do. It shows the tremendous promise we first saw when we brought Telemundo into the NBC family.”
Don Browne, president, Telemundo
Photo: Telemundo
“The deal further highlights the value of GE’s and NBCU’s investment in Spanish language television,” said Don Browne, president, Telemundo. “Nely Galán provides the perfect bridge to transport the great development, production and writing talents of the Telemundo team into English language.”
Nely Galán, president, Galan Entertainment
Photo: Galan Entertainment
“It is a dream come true to take the genre I grew up with and be able to cross it over. I expect to see novelas as a staple of American TV,” said Nely Galán, president, Galan Entertainment. “My experience producing programs in both English and Spanish will allow me to fine tune these formats and maximize their impact on the American television audience.”
As part of the deal Gálan Entertainment will re-shape Telemundo and other suppliers’ Spanish language formats for the English market, first for NBC, USA and Bravo, and then for other networks. Galán, who is the former president of Entertainment for Telemundo, has produced more than 600 episodes of television in Spanish and English. Most recently, she created the show “The Swan” for Telemundo.
The first project to be developed for production this summer will be the Telemundo production “Body of Desire,” written by Julio Jimenez. Key players in the Telemundo Studios team are Patricio Wills, head of Telemundo Studios; Marcos Santana, head of development; and Derek Bond, head of production.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 1, 2006
Méjico Máxico album cover
Photos: Nacional Records
Led by Camilo Lara, Mexican Institute of Sound, MIS, released its debut album in February. Prior to the album, MIS had collaborated on remixes for bands and friends like Placebo, Gecko Turner, Babasonicos, and Le Hammond Inferno. Described as emerging from the Mexico City underground, the new release is titled “Méjico Máxico” (Nacional Records).
Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) is a one man project helmed by music industry tastemaker Camilo Lara. An icon of the city, Lara spends his days working in a box-set office within a city of 25 million souls. When he steps out, he becomes involved with the underground music movement. He produces his electronic music with only the help of his computer, his nurturing imagination, and his extensive collection of vinyl.
Some describe his talent as his ability to carefully select and blend diverse musical references to create surprising results. Camilo Lara has distinguished himself as a musical trendsetter among his friends. His annual Christmas compilation of the year’s best tracks and unreleased MIS tracks has become a sought-after collector’s item in certain circles.
Camilo Lara
“Méjico Máxico” is “a collage featuring snippets of cumbia, cha cha chas, glimpses of Esquivel, poems by Juan Rulfo, electronica, dub and musical references spanning from the 1920’s through the 60’s” meant to reflect Mexican Institute of Sound’s unique impression of life in bustling Mexico City.
To listen to the Mexican Institute of Sound’s recently-released “Mirando a las Muchachas” song, scroll down on HispanicMPR.com until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “Mexican Institute of Sound Mirando a las Muchachas,” hit the play button or download it 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 to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the March 2006 section of the podcast.
Posted by Elena del Valle on February 17, 2006
Rosalba Verdugo, president and CEO of SGM Records
Photos: SGM Records
SGM Records Record Label & Production Company, LLC appointed Rosalba Verdugo president and chief executive officer. Prior to joining SGM Records, Rosalba Verdugo, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico was director of Contract Services and marketing manager at the Beacon Foundation in Tucson, Arizona. She started with Beacon Group as a program manager in 1993 and began her career as program manager at T.A.D.R.E. in 1988.
“I am privileged to be named president of SGM records. I am certain this will be a successful affiliation. The company has continuously made progress within the industry; I look forward to joining this group of talented people and to experience the remarkable growth” said Verdugo
Verdugo feels her strong marketing background has been key to her successful career. One of her major achievements was significantly increasing contracts with multiple businesses and being responsible for the growth of the company she represented.
Soledad Herrada, SGM Records co-founder
”SGM Records is very fortunate to have Rosalba as a member of its management team; her experience and capabilities are needed to lead the company through its next phase of growth” said Soledad Herrada, SGM Records co-founder.
SGM Records, a record label and production company, conducts digital video production specializing in music videos, TV commercials and public service announcements. It manages and promotes the career of Latin Pop singer Diana Mera who is working on her second album with Grammy award winning producer Gustavo Borner. SGM Records is a young enterprise owned and operated by Hispanic women committed to excel “in all areas of the business by working with the most competitive and dynamic professionals in each field.”
