Aguilar to be Honored at the Hispanic Heritage Awards

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pepe Aguilar is preparing to celebrate an extra special Hispanic Heritage Month…

The 46-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter is among the Latino luminaries being feted at this year’s Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 18.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation has announced that Aguilar, among others, will be honored at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., with PBS airing the awards show as a one-hour special on September 29.

Aguilar, a four-time Grammy winner and four-time Latin Grammy winner, will receive the Master of Arts award in recognition of his thriving career in the music industry.

In addition to Aguilar, the 2014 honorees include the Hayden High School Robotics Team (Education), Bernie Williams (Sports), Carlos Vives (Legend), Henry R. Munoz III (Leadership), Zoe Saldana (Vision), Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (Science Technology Engineering Math) and a special recognition for the 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, “The Borinqueneers.”

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is proud to honor yet another inspiring group of Latino leaders,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “The Hispanic community has made significant contributions throughout history, and we are proud to recognize that impact. Beyond celebrating our past success, we are focused on the future. Now more than ever, Latinos will play a vital role in moving America forward.”

The Hispanic Heritage Awards were launched in 1987 by the White House as a way to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S.

The awards receive support from about 40 national institutions who co-host the program.

Vega to Be Honored at This Year’s El Megaton Mundial de Polito Vega Show

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

This upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month, Polito Vega will have extra reason to celebrate.

The 76-year-old Puerto Rican radio personality, El Rey de la Radio in New York, will be honored on September 21 during a concert at Madison Square Garden featuring performances by some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Juan Luis Guerra, Don Omar, Chayanne and Carlos Vives.

El Megaton Mundial de Polito Vega show, presented by MEGA 97.9 FM, will celebrate Vega’s 30 years of service to the Hispanic community in a showcase that will also feature J’Martin, Don Miguelo, Alex Sensation, DJ Lobo and DJ Aneudy.

The third edition of this concert will celebrate a career arc that spans more than five decades for Vega, who moved to New York in 1952 to work in radio and went on to have major influence in Latin music across the U.S.

“It’s a great pleasure and honor to have a celebration this summer in New York with major artists,” said Lucas Piña, senior VP, SBS Entertainment, the company producing the event.

Vega has for decades been a popular personality on radio and has beat the competition consistently through Mega 97.9FM and AMOR 93.1FM.

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15.

Alvarez In Talks to Direct “Dante’s Inferno.”

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Fede Alvarez’s career is on fire…

The 35-year-old Uruguayan filmmaker is currently in talks to direct Dante’s Inferno.

Universal Pictures is setting Alvarez, the man behind the Evil Dead remake, to helm the live action adaptation of the Electronic Arts video game, which is rooted in the famous literary work.

The protagonist, Dante Aligheri is a knight who with the help of the poet Virgil ventures into the nine rings of hell to rescue his beloved Beatrice. In the process, he becomes an

unwitting pawn in an ancient war between heaven and hell. Rights to the video game were won by Universal several years ago in a bidding battle.

The game was released in 2010 for Xbox and PlayStation.

Prince Royce to Give Hispanic Heritage Month Performance at White House

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Prince Royce will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the White House…

The 24-year-old Dominican American singer-songwriter will join Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval and other musicians to bring their Latin sounds to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next week.

The latest “In Performance at the White House” program will be taped on Monday and will showcase Latin music during Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15-October 15.

In addition to Prince Royce, Estefan and Sandoval, the White House says Ricky Martin, Lila Downs, Raul Malo, Romeo Santos, Alejandro Sanz, Natalie Cole and Marco Antonio Solis also are expected to join President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to help highlight a variety of styles of Latin music.

The first lady also will host a workshop for area students on the history of Latin music on Monday afternoon.

The entire program will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov on Monday. It will be also broadcast by PBS stations nationwide on October 8.

Garcia to Perform at Jets vs. 49ers Game for Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Lilian Garcia will be on the grid(iron) this weekend to help commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month in the New York metropolitan area…

The 46-year-old Spanish-American singer and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announcer has been chosen to be the halftime performer when the New York Jets host the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium this Sunday, September 30th.

“This is a wonderful honor,” said Garcia in a statement. “I love the NFL and I’m ready to give the crowd a great, high energy show at halftime as I perform songs from my new EP, My Time. This will be the eighth time I’ve sung the national anthem at a Jets Game and I love it. I am particularly honored that I’ve been asked to perform as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. It will be privilege to represent the millions of Hispanics who are proud to call America their home.”

While the first WWE Diva is currently serving as the ring announcer for the WWE’s Smackdown, Garcia has kept busy as a musical artist.

In 2007, she released her debut album, Quiero Vivir and recorded a duet in both English and Spanish with Grammy-winning singer Jon Secada. She’s since performed at various sporting events.

On “Hispanic Heritage Day,” the Jets will celebrate with a variety of culture activities for New York’s Latino population, which, according to their official site, is “the second-largest in the country.”

Meanwhile, Shirley Rodriguez Remeneski, president of 100 Hispanic Women, an organization that provides educational opportunities for Latinas, was selected as the recipient of this year’s NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.

Garcia will return to MetLife Stadium in April 2013 as part of Wrestlemania. Her new EP is currently available on iTunes.

Turlington Featured in HBO’s “The Latino List : Volume Two” Documentary

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Christy Turlington is opening up about her Latin American roots…

The 43-year-old half-Salvadoran American is one of an impressive group of Hispanic artists, celebrities and leaders who’ve recorded special video portraits aimed at offering a glimpse into the vibrant culture of Hispanic America.

It’s a follow-up to HBO’s original documentary The Latino List, which served as an oral-history book of exclusive profiles of some of the Latino community’s power players.

Entitled The Latino List : Volume Two, the sequel will feature interviews with an extraordinary cross-section of Hispanic Americans who represent a variety of professions, disciplines and backgrounds, each speaking to the unique struggles and triumphs he or she has faced.

The film consists of intimate first-person vignettes, with each subject speaking into the camera about a number of topics – from immigration to childhood inspirations that powered their ambitions, to the evolving American cultural landscape they helped mold, to the importance of preserving a distinct cultural identity for future generations.

Along with Turlington, the film will feature video portraits of NFL star Victor Cruz, comedian George Lopez, former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros, media tycoon Nely Galan, newswoman Soledad O’Brien and civil rights activist Raul Yzaguirre, among others.

Hailing from a variety of backgrounds, including Cuban, Dominican, El Salvadorian, Mexican, Peruvian, Puerto Rican and more, each interviewee has a unique perspective on the American success story.

The Latino List: Volume Two Trailer

The Latino List : Volume Two is set to premiere on September 24 at 9:00 pm ET on HBO and HBO Latino in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mendin to Appear in Discovery en Español’s “Gen H” Documentary

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He’s the co-owner of several successful restaurants and a James Beard award-nominated chef… And, now Jose Mendin will share his trials and tribulations with the world this Hispanic Heritage Month.

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican chef—who was a semifinalist for a prestigious James Beard Foundation award, as well as Food & Wine People’s Best New Chef nominee—will be featured in a special documentary about the new generation of Latinos and their struggle to achieve their dreams.

Entitled Gen H, the documentary—set to air on Discovery en Español—will showcase the lives of Mendin and two other successful young Latinos who live in the United States and will demonstrate the passion they have for their personal projects, as well as their vision of the country and their community.

“With the premiere of our original production Gen H and the rest of our programming lineup, we want to expose the positive force and drive of this young group that follow their own rules and that, with their hard work and vision, have the power to choose their destiny,” the network’s director of content, Eileen Pineiro said in a statement.

In addition to Mendin, the program’s protagonists include Nina Johnson, an artist of Guatemalan heritage who will show her work as owner of a Miami gallery and founder of The Women of Wynwood, an organization devoted to employing women to improve that neighborhood.

Lastly, the documentary will highlight the life of Colombian Juan Felipe Valencia, who has achieved success as a musical composer for television and film.

Gen H will be broadcast on Discovery en Español on September 22. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 – October 15.

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