Calle 13 Joins Voices with Outernational on “Todos Somos Ilegales”

Calle 13 is known for its known for its satirical lyrics and social commentary about Latin American issues and culture… And now the Latin Grammy record-holding group is back with another politically charged song…

The Puerto Rican hip-hop duo, comprised of step brothers Eduardo Cabra and Rene Perez, has joined forces with Nuyorican band, Outernational, for their new track also featuring Tom Morello and Chad Smith.

Calle 13

Entitled “Todos Somos Ilegales” (“We Are All Illegals“), the track brings to light the social injustices affecting the immigrant community and challenges the use of the term “illegal” to define human beings in the U.S.

The new song is part of Outernational’s 18-track new album, Todos Somos Illegales.

Calle 13 Recognized by Argentina’s National University of La Plata

Calle 13 picked up a record nine awards at last year’s Latin Grammy Awards, including song and record of the year awards for “Latinoamerica,” a tune that celebrates la cultura latina. And, now the Puerto Rican urban act has been recognized for their global influence.

The hip-hop duo, comprised of step brothers Eduardo Cabra and Rene Perez, has been honored by Argentina’s National University of La Plata for its contributions to popular communication and culture.

Calle 13

“It’s a very big honor” to receive the Rodolfo Walsh prize, which “many musicians in Argentina and Latin America deserve as much or more than I do,” said  Perez, a.k.a. Residente, after receiving the award Friday in a ceremony at the university’s School of Journalism.

The 34-year-old Perez, who said he feels like an “Argentine at heart,” received the prize.

“Don’t be afraid. The social networks and a ton of mechanisms now exist for getting the truth out. Like (slain writer) Rodolfo Walsh said: ‘Journalism is either free or it’s a farce,’” the artist said at the ceremony.

“We reward popular expression, popular culture, the defense of Latin America and therefore we’re acknowledging Calle 13, which is not just another band: it’s a group that stands up to the powerful with its rhythms and uses alternative communication channels,” the school’s dean Florencia Saintout said.

The band, which has won a record 19 Latin Grammy awards, is known for its outspokenness on socio-political issues and favors Puerto Rico’s full independence from the United States, a minority position on the Caribbean island.

Rodolfo Walsh was an Argentine writer, leading critic of the country’s 1976-1983 military regime and one-time militant who died on March 25, 1977, in a shootout with government commandos who ambushed him on a street in Buenos Aires, one day after publishing his bitter “Open Letter” to the military junta on the first anniversary of the armed forces’ seizing power.

Calle 13 Recording a Documentary in Cuba

Following the band’s participation in a campaign to end child trafficking and the exploitation of children in Latin America, Calle 13 will be back in front of the cameras for another project.

The Puerto Rican reggaetón duo is currently shooting a documentary about their own experiences in Cuba, according to band member René Pérez, a.k.a. “Residente.”

“We’re filming a big documentary about C-13 in Cuba,” announced Pérez via his Twitter account, according to a report published on the government Web page Cubadebate.

Pérez said he traveled to Cuba on a motorboat and declared that it was “a great experience, a little dangerous but nice at the same time.”

Residente and his stepbrother Eduardo Cabra, known as “Visitante“—who broke the record for most Latin Grammy wins at a whopping 19 at last year’s awards show—have enlisted Puerto Rican filmmaker Lidy Paoli López to direct the documentary.

The film could include the duo’s attendance at a concert offered by Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez last Thursday at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

The band has previously filmed the 27-minute documentary “Calle 13 en La Habana“, by Lester Sibila and Frank Fernández, to serve as a record of their visit to the Caribbean country.

Calle 13 first performed in Cuba at a huge concert in Havana in 2010.

“Cuba was a mystery we wanted to discover,” said Residente during that visit. “I open the windows and look at the sea and I’m already inspired.”

Calle 13 Joins Fight to Protect Latin American Children

They’ve recently broken records at the Latin Grammy Awards. Now Calle 13’s Rene “Residente” Perez and Eduardo “Visitante” Cabra are working to end child trafficking and the exploitation of children in Latin America.

The Grammy-winning urban hip-hop duo has joined a special UNICEF campaign to raise awareness about the serious problems that youth in Latin America are facing.

Calle-13

“We want to cooperate on any campaign that helps the development of young people and Latin American countries,” said Perez. “For me, it’s very important. Latin America worries me because for us, we’re comfortable in the United States and Puerto Rico … (but) there it’s uncomfortable.”

The campaign includes a documentary entitled “Esclavos invisibles” that focuses on how child exploitation and trafficking is affecting Latin America. It was produced with UNICEF and directed by Calle 13.

The Puerto Rican group unveiled the campaign at UNICEF’s New York City headquarters and announced that it had donated the rights to Perez’s composition “Preparame la cena” for the music video to promote the first-of-its-kind campaign.

“We’ve traveled practically all through Latin America and we know about this and other problems,” says Perez. “So, I worked on the number ‘Cancion para un niño en la calle‘ along with Mercedes Sosa, which speaks about children who are exploited sexually, at work, who wind up addicted to drugs.”

The MTV Latin America and Tr3s networks on Tuesday will broadcast the “Esclavos invisibles” documentary.

Calle 13 Takes Down the Competition at Last Night’s Latin Grammys…

Calle 13 proved to be the big winner at last night’s Latin Grammy Awards, picking up a record nine awards including album of the year for “Entren Los Que Quieran.”

The Puerto Rican urban act—came into the night with a leading 10 nominations—kicked off the awards show with a high-energy performance of their hit “Latinoamerica,” earning a standing ovation for the tune that celebrates la cultura latina. The song later received the Latin Grammy for song of the year and record of the year awards, ensuring a sweep of the night’s top prizes.

Calle 13 Latin Grammys

The hip-hop duo, comprised of step brothers Eduardo Cabra and Rene Perez, dedicated one award “to those who don’t sell out and make real music,” and exclaimed “long live true music” after winning another.

Calle 13’s other prizes included: best urban album, best urban song, best tropical song, alternative song, short-form music video and producer of the year. In the end, the duo ended up re-writing the record books in two categories: most Latin Grammy awards won in a career (19) and most Latin Grammy Awards won in one single night.

The group’s record-breaking wins at this year’s Latin Grammy led Franco de Vita—who won best male pop vocal album—to joke onstage, “Lucky Calle 13 wasn’t in this category!”

Meanwhile, Puerto Rican singer Sie7e was named best new artist; Shakirawho was feted as this year’s Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy a night earlier—earned the best female pop vocal album; Alex, Jorge y Lena won best album vocal pop duo; Mana claimed a win for rock album; and Tito El Bambino won best contemporary tropical album.

Click here for a complete list of winners.

Shakira Tops A Stellar Latin Grammys Lineup…

This year’s Latin Grammy Awards show is shaping up to be a star-studded event with high-octane performances by Puerto Rican superstar act Calle 13, Mexican crooner Marco Antonio Solis and international singing sensation Shakira, who will receive 2011 Person of the Year honors during the telecast.

Calle 13, comprised of Eduardo Cabra and Rene Perez, received a record 10 nominations this year, including nods for Album of the Year for “Entren Los Que Quieren” and Record of the Year for “Latinoamerica.” Solis’ “A Donde Vamos a Parar” is up for Song of the Year, while Shakira’s “Sale el Sol” is nominated for Album of the Year.

But those aren’t the only top-notch acts taking the stage…

The Latin Recording Academy has locked in a duet with Venezuelan troubadour Franco de Vita and Mexican rockera Alejandra Guzman; a special performance by Mexican rock group Mana of the remake of the band’s current singe, “El Verdadero Amor Perdona” with rising star Prince Royce; and a performance newcomer Sie7e.

Meanwhile, Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana and telenovela star Adamari Lopez have been added to the list of award presenters.

The Latin Grammys will be hosted by Mexican singer/actress Lucero and Chilean actor Cristian De la Fuente.

Univision will broadcast the awards show live from Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 10.