Listen to song – Uruguayan rocker releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on January 5, 2009

Gonzalo Yañez album cover

Photos: Nacional Records

When he was 10 years old Gonzalo Yañez had already recorded two children’s songs in Montevideo, Uruguay where he grew up. Several years later, his family relocated to Santiago, Chile and he became involved in the music scene there. By 2008, he had multiple hit singles topping the charts in South America. Recently one of his singles, Dispara, was selected Single of the Week on iTunes Latino. Scroll down to listen to Dispara, a song from the Gonzalo Yañez album.

Yañez is poised to make his success in North America following recent showcases at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in New York, LAMC Mexico and LAMC Argentina. He was invited to join Chilean rock band Los Prisioneros as the guitarist on the band’s last world tour and studio album.

Dispara was featured as iTunes Latino a week after the United States debut of his album. Described in promotional materials as a “rock troubadour with pop sensibilities,” Yañez found inspiration in 60s classics like the Beatles and Joni Mitchell. He picked up the guitar at an early age and discovered he enjoyed songwriting.

 Gonzalo Yañez

“I don’t know how to play piano or read music but songs come to me very quickly,” said Yañez. “I know that in rock, the riff is always considered more important than the melody but I prefer the latter. For me, it’s the rhythm and melody, and then, the lyrics.”

In addition to his own solo releases, Yañez has produced and written songs for several Chilean pop stars. Some believe his melodies and massive choruses have helped his solo work shine. Click on the play button to listen to Dispara, a song from the Gonzalo Yañez album.

Listen to song – Chile based artist releases new Latin electronica album

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 15, 2008

 Around the World, Señor Coconut’s new album

Photos, song: Nacional Records

Nacional Records released the latest Señor Coconut album Around the World along with a reissue of El Baile Alemán November 18. Señor Coconut, a German producer and DJ based in Santiago, Chile also known as Atom and Uwe Schmidt, produces Latin electronic music. Scroll down to listen to Corcovado from the Around the World album.

His first album, El Baile Alemán, was a Latin tribute to Kraftwerk, an electronica producer. The album was released for the first time at digital outlets and the physical disc is due to be re-issued in stores with bonus tracks.

The new album, Around the World, was designed to offer a virtual music global tour of Latin tributes to club hits. Señor Coconut reassembled and processed each track before recording with his preferred big band. Around the World features Daft Punk’s track by the same name as an intro, interlude and outro. According to promotional materials, Señor Cocount  takes an original song “from the depths of a sweaty club and places it in a Latin dancehall with a multi-layered sound of brass, double bass and an orchestra of drummers.”

Uwe Schmidt is known by his artistic name Señor Coconut

“Once Around the World had been established as the theme and motto of the album, it was clear what the selection criteria for the songs had to be,” said Señor Coconut. “The first prerequisite was that every track had to come from a different country. One track which had been in my thoughts for years for a Señor Coconut production was Sweet Dreams, purely and simply because it is rhythmically and melodically a perfect Cha-Cha-Cha. I suddenly heard certain lines of the lyrics which I had not noticed at first, and which provided a curious cross-reference to Around the World: ‘I traveled the world and the seven seas… Everybody’s looking for something.'”

Sweet Dreams is a take on the Eurythmics classic, with vocals by Señor Coconut’s frontman Argenis Brito, a Venezuelan singer based in Berlin.  Kiss by Prince was interpreted by Louie Austen. With El Baile Aleman, Señor Coconut’s idea was to transpose Kraftwerk byte-for-byte into a sound field of maracas, congas, shakers, and vibes-a-go-go.

El Baile Aleman includes takes on Kraftwerk classics Showroom Dummies, Trans Europe Express, The Robots, Autobahn and Tour de France with the percussion and effects of the originals replaced by Latin rhythms.

“I think that it’s not just a covers album,” said Coconut. “It also unveils quite a lot about the original compositions and their significance. Kraftwerk songs contain a strong musical content even if freed from their electronic arrangements. And I don’t think the band is as serious as people think they are.”

The album tracks are as follows: Around the World (Intro), Sweet Dreams, Da Da Da Ich Leib Dich Nicht du Liebst Mich, Kiss, Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars), Around the World (Interlude), Que Rico El Mambo, Pinball Chacha, White Horse, La Vida Es Llena de Cables, Moscow Discow, Around the World (Outro), Dreams Are My,  and Voodoo Dreams (Atom Remix). Click on the play button to listen to Corcovado from the new album Around the World.

Listen to podcast interview with Reinaldo Padua, AVP, Coca-Cola North America about effective marketing to Latinos

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 8, 2008

 Reinaldo Padua, assistant vice president, Coca-Cola North America

Photo: Coca-Cola North America

A podcast interview with Reinaldo Padua, assistant vice president, Hispanic Marketing, Coca-Cola North America is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Reinaldo discusses effective marketing to Latinos and his company’s efforts to target United States Latinos with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

He is responsible for leading the Hispanic marketing strategy and program execution for Coca-Cola North America. Reinaldo joined The Coca-Cola Company in his current capacity in January 2008.

Reinaldo started his marketing career at Procter & Gamble in marketing research. He has more than 12 years of experience in multicultural marketing, general marketing strategy, product management and market research in global consumer package goods and telecommunications.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, he was a managing consultant for Wendy’s International, The Coca-Cola Company, and ConAgra Foods at Zyman Group.  Prior to joining Zyman Group, he was senior marketing manager with BellSouth Corporation Internet Access Products. Before BellSouth, he was a category brand manager with Kraft Foods in Venezuela.

Born and raised in Venezuela, Reinaldo received an MBA degree from Duke University and bachelors degrees in Systems Engineering and Business Administration from the Universidad Metropolitana, where he was Class Valedictorian in 1994. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Reinaldo Padua,” 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 December 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Listen to podcast interview with Aldo Quevedo, president, Dieste Dallas about reinventing the Hispanic agency

Posted by Elena del Valle on December 1, 2008

Aldo Quevedo, president, Dieste Dallas

Photo: Dieste

A podcast interview with Aldo Quevedo, president, Dieste Dallas is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Aldo discusses reinventing the Hispanic agency with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

Aldo began his creative career in advertising in 1990 as a copywriter with Ogilvy & Mather Mexico. Starting in 1996, Aldo has helped establish Dieste as one of the leading agencies in the Hispanic market.

Several national and international award committees have recognized his work. He was the first Mexican to win a Cannes Lion and the Grand Award at the New York Festivals.

His work has received several Best of Show at the ADDY Awards, two Best of Show Awards at the Advertising Age Hispanic Awards, and several SOLES at the Festival Iberoamericano de Agencias de Publicidad in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 1999, 2000 and again in 2002, LatinSpots, an advertising industry magazine in Latin America, chose him as the top Hispanic Creative Director in the USA. In 2004, Aldo was inducted into the Hall of Achievement of the American Advertising Federation (AAF).

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Aldo Quevedo,” 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 December 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Listen to song – Popular Colombian band releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 17, 2008

Rio album cover

Photo: Nacional Records

In the recently released Rio album, Aterciopelados singer Andrea Echeverri and her music partner Hector Buitrago offer a prayer for their city’s polluted river to the beat of funk rock. Scroll down to listen to Rio from the Rio album.

“When I was growing up, the Bogota River was considered a mythic and iconic place, and now it’s a tiny stream,” said Echeverri. “Musically and lyrically, the track Río is unlike any previous Aterciopelados song. I’m even singing in a different way than in the past. With this one, we reached an entirely new place.”

Oye, a previous album, won them a Latin Grammy and Premio Lo Nuestro. Rio, the new album was recorded in the band’s hometown of Bogota and mixed by Héctor Castillo (Brazilian Girls, David Bowie, Gustavo Cerati) in New York City. It is described in promotional materials as “an impassioned, socially conscious record with the group’s signature organic rock sound.”  The album’s opener and first single is the title track which coincides with a proposed Colombian constitutional referendum that declares the country’s bodies of water deserve basic rights.

Hector Buitrago and Andrea Echeverri of Aterciopelados

Before the official release October 21, the album was available for special iTunes pre-order where fans would receive an exclusive track, entitled Errante Diamante (Wandering Diamond), and Rio, the album’s first single. Errante Diamante is the theme song behind Destierro y Reparacion (Exile and Reparation), a Colombian project focused on educational and cultural activities designed to generate social consciousness about the implications of forced displacement and its effects on society. On Bandera (Flag), Aterciopelados speak out on immigration.

“We have toured across the world many times, yet every time, certain countries give us so much trouble when entering,” said Echeverri. “My problems with traveling are so small compared to others across the world but I thought I could give all these people a voice.”

Album guests include rapper Gloria “Goyo” Martínez (of Colombian hip hop act Choc Quib Town) on 28; the Andean group Kapary Walka on Madre and Agüita. Echeverri’s daughter, Milagros, also made an appearance on Ataque de Risa. The band completed a European tour this past summer and plans to tour the United States to promote Rio in early 2009.

Aterciopelados is a rock band co-founded by Echeverri who is responsible for vocals and guitars and Hector Buitrago who handles bass, arrangements and production.

Click on the play button to listen to Rio from the Rio album.

Listen to podcast interview with Brian Requarth, CEO, Bilingual Marketing Group about the Hispanic home buyer market online

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 10, 2008

Brian Requarth, CEO, Bilingual Marketing Group

Photo: Bilingual Marketing Group

A podcast interview with Brian Requarth, chief executive officer, Bilingual Marketing Group is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses the Hispanic home buyer market online with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast. Scroll down to listen to the interview.

Brian is also cofounder of Bilingual Marketing Group, a real estate media company that operates the VivaReal Network. Brian founded ColConnect in 2004, a company focused on providing bilingual web solutions and translation services to real estate professionals targeting the United States Hispanic market.

He recently wrote an e-book, in English and Spanish, about blogging for the Hispanic real estate market. Over the last decade Brian has spent five years living, working and studying in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Portugal, Spain and Argentina. In addition to English, he speaks Spanish and Portuguese. He and his wife live half the year in Northern California and the other half in Bogota, Colombia.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Brian Requarth,” 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 November 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Listen to podcast interview with Manuel Delgado, chief executive officer of Agua Marketing about Hispanic holiday shopping patterns

Posted by Elena del Valle on November 3, 2008

Manuel Delgado, chief executive officer, Agua Marketing

Photo: Agua Marketing

A podcast interview with Manuel Delgado, chief executive officer, Agua Marketing is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses Hispanic holiday shopping patterns in light of Hispanic cultural elements and based on a national survey with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

After years as account planner at JWT Advertising in Venezuela, Manuel started his United States career in 1997, when he was recruited by Compaq in Houston to start the company’s Latin America Internet efforts. Under his leadership, Compaq became a pioneer in the Latin American Internet and was the first computer manufacturer to launch websites and start eCommerce efforts in the region.

After two years in Latin America, he was tapped to lead the deployment of worldwide eCommerce capabilities for Compaq. Manuel launched online stores and retail kiosks in Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Puerto Rico.

In 2003, Manuel founded Agua Marketing named to reflect the multicultural markets in the United States: ever changing and vital. Agua Marketing clients include Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard, Dixie and the Boy Scouts of America.

Manuel holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. Manuel is a former board member of the American Marketing Association, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the Houston Interactive Marketing Association. He is also one of the founders of NewSpring, a business incubator for low income Hispanic entrepreneurs.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Manuel Delgado,” 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 November 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Listen to podcast interview with Luis Martinez, CEO, Punto Rojo Sports Marketing Group about European athletic brands targeting U.S. Hispanics

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 27, 2008

Luis Martinez, CEO, Punto Rojo Sports Marketing Group

Photo: Punto Rojo Sports Marketing Group

A podcast interview with Luis Martinez, CEO, Punto Rojo Sports Marketing Group is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses how European athletic brands plan to target U.S. Hispanics via sports marketing ventures with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

Luis, originally from Mexico, has to his credit over 25 years of experience in Hispanic marketing and advertising in the U.S. and Latin America. During his career, Luis has supported the efforts of companies such as General Motors, Greyhound Lines Inc., Frito Lay Inc., Coors Brewing Company, Alaska Airlines, Intel, Pedro Domeq Wines and Spirits, Pepsi Cola, Kellogg’s, Tabasco, AT&T, and Western Union.

His experience includes major general market advertising agencies with their Hispanic assignments such as WONGDOODY Advertising, Momentum World Wide and Bozell & Jacobs. Luis has a B.A. from University of Texas and a M.A. from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Luis Martinez,” 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 October 2008 section of the podcast archive.

Listen to song – Colombian electronic duo releases new album

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 20, 2008

Monareta’s new album Picotero

Photos, song: Nacional Records

Earlier this month, Monareta, a Colombian duo that divides its time between New York City and Bogotá, launched Picotero, its latest album. In the past two years, the group released two digital albums on the Nacional Records label; and placed songs in films La Mujer de Mi Hermano and Warner Pictures’ upcoming Pride and Glory, and on Chicas Project, a mun2s television program. Scroll down to listen to Me Voy Pal Mar from the Picotero album.

Picotero is described in promotional materials as “intelligent and danceable, a unique fusion of styles refined over several years.” Andres Martinez, Monareta’s composer, producer and vocalist, mixes break beats and hip hop flows with live keyboard performances by Camilo Sanabria. The two became popular in clubs and electronic music festivals in their hometown of Bogota, Colombia. They named the band for the brand of BMX bike they rode as children. The music they perform is influenced by much of what they enjoyed in their formative years.

Monareta is Andres Martinez and Camilo Sanabria

“Growing up, even as young as 11, I was really involved in the local freestyle street bike scene. All the street bikers in Colombia were heavily influenced by the break dance and electric boogaloo arriving from the U.S.,” said Martinez. “We heard groups like the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy and they completely changed our lives. And so that’s how we got the name for our group: It’s a homage to the`80s break dance, hip hop, BMX and the fashion scene that came from abroad to influence us in South America.”

With Monareta sounds to prove his potential Martinez received a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts in composition and film scoring at New York University. He moved from Bogotá to New York City and immersed himself in the local music scenes. Soon after that Martinez began integrating what he was learning with his studies into the group’s cinematic sound.

Monareta mixes electronic music with cumbia and champeta, the Afro-Colombian genre native to the streets of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. They also incorporate the reggae, dub and calypso sounds popular in the coastal cities. According to promotional materials, the track Llama in the new album especially illustrates this fusion, where the cumbia upbeat flows with a reggae groove and dub vocals. Recently, the group has split time living in Colombia and Brooklyn, while performing across the United States. In 2008, Monareta performed at South by Southwest and North by Northeast in Toronto.

Click on the play button to listen to Me Voy Pal Mar from the new album Picotero.

Listen to podcast interview with Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune, about the website and targeting Latino youth

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 13, 2008

Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune

Photo: Zune

A podcast interview with Javier Farfan, multicultural marketing manager, Zune is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Javier discusses Zune and the company’s efforts to target United States Latinos with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.

Javier joined Zune in March 2007 and is responsible for marketing and communications efforts within the U.S. Hispanic market. He is familiar with Latino and Urban music, especially in marketing, music and entertainment, and artist promotion. His also brings knowledge of Latin alternative, rap, reggaeton and regional Mexican music.

Farfan has a musical background working with artists and industry insiders. Prior to joining Zune, he was the director of marketing for MTV Networks where he helped launch the Latino broadcast channel, MTV Tr3s. At MTV Tr3s he spearheaded consumer marketing and strategic partnership initiatives to drive brand awareness, programming launches and key Hispanic marketing efforts. At MTV Networks, Javier was also a part of the Spike TV and Nickelodeon unit and worked with senior programming and distribution executives to develop, implement and market to U.S. Hispanics.

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Before helping to launch MTV Tr3s with MTV Networks, Javier spent four years in the personal finances business where he developed and implemented tactical plans to increase online account acquisition. He was also a co-founder of Jump Nation, a mentoring program that promotes education inner-city youth. Javier, a New York City native, holds a Master of Arts from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the New York University.

To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR Javier Farfan,” 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 October 2008 section of the podcast archive.