Shakira Featured in New “The Voice” Season Four Promo

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Now that the third season of NBC’s The Voice has come to a close, Shakira is ready to take over Christina Aguilera’s red leather chair…

The network has already released the first promo for the next cycle, featuring the 35-year-old Colombian singing sensation – recently named to Forbes‘ Top-Earning Women in Music list – and Usher, who will be replacing Cee Lo Green on the hit singing competition’s fourth season.

In the hilarious clip, the new coaches are seen getting a ride from The Voice’s returning coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. The quartet even manage to find some some common musical ground while cruising.

The fourth installment of The Voice that will premiere on Monday, March 25, 2013.

Shakira Named to Forbes’ Top-Earning Women in Music List

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is one of the most popular musicians on the planet… And, she’s also one of the industry’s big money-making women.

The Colombian singing sensation, who is expecting her first child with Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, has been named to Forbes magazine’s list of the Top-Earning Women in Music 2012.

Shakira, the lone Latina on the list, comes in at No. 10 after earning $20 million through her many concert performances throughout the world, strong record sales and a new fragrance, Elixir.

And now that she’s signed on to replace Christina Aguilera on the next installment of NBC’s The Voice, Shakira could see her ranking improve in 2013 thanks to increased exposure.

Here’s a look at the complete list:

Forbes Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2012:

Britney Spears – ($58 million)
Taylor Swift – ($57 million )
Rihanna – ($53 million)
Lady GaGa – ($52 million)
Katy Perry – ($45 million )
Beyonce Knowles – ($40 million)
Adele – ($35 million)
Sade – ($33 million)
Madonna – ($30 million)
Shakira – ($20 million)

Rousseff: The Top Latina on Forbes’ Most Powerful Women List

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Following her dramatic rise to the top of the heap last year, Dilma Rousseff is holding steady as la Latina mas poderosa en el mundo…

The 64-year-old Brazilian president—the first woman to hold that office—has been named to Forbes magazine’s list of the most powerful women in the world.

Rousseff, the leader of one of the world’s largest economies, ranks at No. 3 on the list behind Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The three women occupy the exact same position they held on last year’s list.

In selecting her as one of the most powerful women, Forbes highlighted Rousseff’s ambitious work at the mid-point of her first term as president, launching two aggressive programs meant to reverse the still-strong but shrinking national GDP.

Brasil Sem Miséria is a Great Society-type program aimed at ridding dire poverty in Brazil and increasing access to education, medical care and sanitation services to those in need by 2014. A second initiative centers on business growth and innovation, including protectionist tariffs on imports, subsidies for exports and incentivizing micro and small businesses.

“What I want my legacy to be is this country to be increasing middle class, to be highly competitive and highly educated,” Rousseff told Forbes.

A June poll put Rousseff’s approval rating at 77%, and she is predicted to win a second four-year term in 2014.

Further down the list, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has moved up a spot from last year’s list to occupy the No. 16 position.

The 59-year-old Argentine president was re-elected to a second term in a landslide election last year. She caused quite a stir this summer when she approved ads for Argentina’s Olympic team that disputed British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. Tensions between the Olympic host nation and Argentina have been boiling over since Fernandez renewed her country’s claim to the islands on June 13th, the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War.

Under her administration the economy sharply grew—the GDP is up 37% since 2007 at $725—pension and child welfare benefits increased and the poverty rate has fallen steadily.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez—the “world’s most powerful celebrity”—ranks as the most powerful Latina superstar on this year’s list.

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate, who recently decided to walk away from her cushy American Idol gig, ranks at No. 38 in her debut listing on this Forbes list.

Lopez earned approximately $52 million last year with projects in a number of diverse fields that go beyond singing and acting, including successful fragrance and clothing lines and several lucrative endorsement deals.

She’s even produced and starred in her own Latin talent competition show Q’Viva! and she’s developing an hour-long drama for ABC Family. And, this summer she kicked off her first international music tour, which she plans to release as a 3D concert film.

“I’m a little bit tired now, I’m not going to lie,” Lopez admitted to Forbes.

Here’s a look at other Latinas making this year’s list:

No. 20 Petrobras-Petróleo Brasil CEO Maria das Graças Silva Foster
No. 40 Colombian singing sensation Shakira
No. 41 General Motors’ SVP, Global Product Development Mary Barra
No. 54 Spanish Investor & Philanthropist Rosalia Mera
No. 75 Colombian actress Sofia Vergara
No. 83 Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen

Click here to see Forbes’ complete list of the world’s most powerful women.

Shakira: A Social Networking Superstar

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Tweets don’t lie… Shakira is the Latina queen of social media.

The 35-year-old Colombian superstar has been named to Forbes magazine’s list of the Top 10 Social Networking Superstars, which ranks the celebrities with the most Twitter followers and Facebook fans.

Shakira—a golden vision in the video for “Get It Started,” her collaboration with Pitbull—comes in at No. 6 on the list with 17.6 million Twitter followers and 52.5 million Facebook fans.

The Colombiana, one of the most popular celebrities on Facebook, uses her page to promote her latest music and videos, as well as offer a look inside her private life. She posts vacation photos like the ones she recently took on a trip to the south of France. And to extend her reach, the bilingual pop star posts on Twitter and Facebook in Spanish and English.

But Shakira wasn’t the only Hispanic celebrity to make the list…

Cristiano Ronaldo—the only athlete on the list—comes in right behind Shaki at No. 7.

The 27-year-old Portuguese fútbol star has 12 million Twitter followers and has 47.5 million Facebook fans. Ronaldo, who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid, often takes time to thank his fans for their continues support and offers his gratitude for being able to play soccer professionally.

Meanwhile, Selena Gomez ranks No. 10 on the list.

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer has 12.3 million Twitter followers and 33 million Facebook friends.

The singer/actress uses the power of her social network to promote more than her movies and music. She uses Twitter and Facebook to call attention to her growing entrepreneurial ventures like Postcard On The Run, an app she invests in that lets you turn iPhone photos into snail-mail postcards. It’s nice for fans though because it means the young pop star posts photos from her vacations and tours including some with her boyfriend, Justin Bieber, who ranks No. 4 on the list.

Click here to check out the entire list, which is topped by Rihanna.

Vergara: Television’s Highest-Paid Actress

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

She’s one of the hardest working women in Hollywood… And, now Sofia Vergara is reaping the rewards for her red-hot career…

Forbes magazine has just released its list of the highest paid actresses on television in the past year, with the 40-year-old Colombian actress unseating Eva Longoria at the top of the list.

Forbes estimates that Vergara, who reportedly got engaged last week, raked in $19 million from May 2011 to May 2012. That hefty sum is due in large part to the seven-figure advance from her Kmart clothing line (to the tune of $7 million dollars by the end of 2012), English-language endorsement deals with Cover Girl and Diet Pepsi, as well as Spanish-language endorsement deals with Burger King, Comcast and State Farm (which amount to a whopping $12 million). Vergara serves as one half of the management company Latin World Entertainment, which should help secure her status as a rising entertainment mogul.

Vergara narrowly beat out Kim Kardashian, with the reality star earning an estimated $18 million over the same time frame. Kardashian’s earnings include $10 million for her E! wedding special. Kardashian, like Vergara, also has her hand in the fashion industry with a cost-conscious clothing line through Sears, which she designs alongside her sisters.

Meanwhile, last year’s No. 1, Eva Longoria, dropped to third place despite increasing her earnings by $2 million. The 37-year-old Mexican American actress pulled in a grand total of $15 million during the same time period. Longoria earned an estimated $8 million for her role on the final season of ABC’s Desperate Housewives. In addition, Longoria’s endorsement deals with L’Oreal and Pepsi Next earned her $5 million and sales of her cookbook, two fragrances and a handful of small movie roles rounded out her earnings.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 female earners in TV:

1. Sofia Vergara: $19 million

2. Kim Kardashian: $18 million

3. Eva Longoria: $15 million

4. Bethenny Frankel: $12 million

5. Khloe Kardashian Odom: $11 million

6. Tina Fey: $11 million

7. Mariska Hargitay: $10 million

8. Zooey Deschanel: $9 million

8. Felicity Huffman: $9 million

8. Ellen Pompeo: $9 million

Slim Launches Ora.tv with an Assist from Larry King…

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He’s already considered a telecommunications tycoon… And now Carlos Slim is one step closer to conquering the internet.

The 72-year-old Mexican business magnate, the world’s richest person, debuted his new online television channel Ora.tv, which is hailed as new on-demand digital television network, where the best of TV meets the best of the web.

The platform, announced earlier this year, will create a wide range of on-demand programs with original content that goes beyond traditional formats and can be downloaded or streamed on computers, tablets, cell phones and television sets with access to the Web.

The Ora.tv portal is financed by America Movil. Controlled by the Slim family, it’s the largest telephone system in Latin America.

And Slim managed to get a little help from his friend Larry King to help kick-off the first day of programming.

King, who in December 2010 put an end to 25 years of hosting Larry King Live on CNN, reappeared with his own program of interviews on Ora.tv, including his first show guest Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated series Family Guy.

Entitled Larry King Now, the series can also be seen on the Hulu videos-on-demand platform.

Diaz: Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Latina Actresses

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

She may have co-starred with Jennifer Lopez in What to Expect When You’re Expecting… But Cameron Diaz is in a league of her own when it comes to commanding a big paycheck in Hollywood.

The 39-year-old half Cuban American actress ranks No. 2 on Forbes list of the Highest Paid Actresses in Hollywood. And she’s the only Latina to make the Top 10.

Diaz earned major bank for appearing in Bad Teacher, What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Green Hornet.

Bad Teacher was a surprise hit, earning a healthy $216 million at the global box office. While it would be considered a decent haul under any circumstance, it proved to be an especially good result for Bad Teacher, which cost only $20 million to make. Diaz had a deal to take home a nice chunk of the film’s profits, which were substantial.

Add that to her earnings for What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Green Hornet, and Forbes estimates Diaz took home $34 million between May 2011 and May 2012.

Diaz, who could soon be penning a health and wellness book for young girls, narrowly missed taking the top spot from Kristen Stewart. The Twilight Saga and Snow White and the Huntsman starlet tops the Hollywood heap with her $34.5 million.

To see the complete list, visit the Forbes website.

Lopez Leads Latino Pack of Teen Choice Awards Nominees

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The first wave of Teen Choice Awards nominations has been revealed… And, the world’s most powerful celebrity Jennifer Lopez leads the Latino pack of nominees.

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress—who has won 11 Teen Choice Awards in her career, including Choice Television Personality for American Idol and Choice Red Carpet Icon last year—received five nominations for this year’s show.

In the movies section, Lopez has been nominated in the Choice Movie Actress: Comedy category for her role in What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She’ll will face off against her co-star in the film, Cameron Diaz, as well as American Reunion’s Alyson Hannigan, Crazy, Stupid Love’s Emma Stone and This Means War’s Reese Witherspoon.

In the television section, the American Idol judge has been nominated in the Choice TV: Female Personality category, alongside The Voice’s Christina Aguilera, America’s Next Top Model’s Tyra Banks, Dancing with the Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba and Fashion Star’s Jessica Simpson.

In the music section, Lopez is nominated for Choice Female Artist, as well as Choice Single by a Female Artist for her dancetastic single “Dance Again.”

Lastly, Lopez—who was the blue-ribbon beauty at this year’s Oscars—will face off against Miley Cyrus, Zooey Deschanel, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry in the Choice Fashion Icon: Female.

But Lopez wasn’t the only Hispanic celebrity to receive multiple nominations.

Pitbull followed close behind with four nods; Selena Gomez received three nominations; and Bruno Mars, Scotty McCreery and Christina Aguilera received two.

Other Latino/a nominees include: Salma Hayek, Noomi Rapace, Zoe Saldana, Cameron Diaz, Adam Rodriguez, Lea Michele, Sofia Vergara, William Levy, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Albert Pujols and Demi Lovato.

Fans between the ages of 13-19 can vote once each day per category on the official Teen Choice Awards website. Winners will be announced on the awards show on July 22.

Here’s a look at all the Latino/a nominees and their competition:

MOVIES

Choice Movie Actress: Action
Salma Hayek, “Puss in Boots”
Milla Jovovich, “The Three Musketeers”
Paula Patton, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”
Noomi Rapace, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
Zoe Saldana, “Colombiana”

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Cameron Diaz, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”
Alyson Hannigan, “American Reunion”
Jennifer Lopez, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”
Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Reese Witherspoon, “This Means War”

TELEVISION

Choice TV Actor: Action
LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles”
Daniel Dae Kim, “Hawaii Five-O”
Zachary Levi, “Chuck”
Adam Rodriguez, “CSI: Miami”
Shane West, “Nikita”

Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Miranda Cosgrove, “iCarly”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Lea Michele, “Glee”
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”

Choice TV: Female Personality
Christina Aguilera, “The Voice”
Tyra Banks, “America’s Next Top Model”
Carrie Ann Inaba, “Dancing With The Stars”
Jennifer Lopez, “American Idol”
Jessica Simpson, “Fashion Star”

Choice TV: Male Reality Star
Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, “Jersey Shore” and “The Pauly D Project”
Rob Dyrdek, “Fantasy Factory” and “Ridiculousness”
William Levy, “Dancing With The Stars”
Scotty McCreery, “American Idol”
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, “Jersey Shore”

Choice TV: Female Reality Star
Lauren Alaina, “American Idol”
Melanie Amaro, “The X Factor”
The Kardashians, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”
Tia & Tamera Mowry, “Tia & Tamera”
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, “Jersey Shore”

MUSIC

Choice Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Drake
Bruno Mars
Pitbull
Blake Shelton

Choice Female Artist
Adele
Jennifer Lopez
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Choice Music Group
Selena Gomez & The Scene
Gym Class Heroes
Lady Antebellum
LMFAO
The Wanted

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist
Beyonce
Flo Rida
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull
Kanye West

Choice Single by a Group
“We Are Young,” fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
“Hit The Lights,” Selena Gomez & The Scene
“Ass Back Home,” Gym Class Heroes featuring Neon Hitch
“Party Rock Anthem,” LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
“Moves Like Jagger,” Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera

Choice Single by a Female Artist
“Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele
“Stronger,” Kelly Clarkson
“Dance Again,” Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
“Part of Me,” Katy Perry
“Eyes Open,” Taylor Swift

Choice Single by a Male Artist
“Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber
“Take Care,” Drake featuring Rihanna
“Good Feeling,” Flo Rida
“It Will Rain,” Bruno Mars
“Give Me Everything (Tonight),” Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, AfroJack & Nayer

Choice Male Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Hunter Hayes
Scotty McCreery
Blake Shelton

Choice Country Group
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Thompson Square

FASHION

Choice Fashion Icon: Female
Miley Cyrus
Zooey Deschanel
Jennifer Lopez
Nicki Minaj
Katy Perry

Choice Female Hottie
Miley Cyrus
Selena Gomez
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Kate Upton

SPORTS

Choice Male Athlete
David Beckham (Soccer)
Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
Albert Pujols (Baseball)
Tim Tebow (Football)
Shaun White (Snowboarding/Skateboarding/Surfing)

OTHER

Choice Twit
Justin Bieber
Miley Cyrus
Jimmy Fallon
Demi Lovato
Ryan Seacrest

Jennifer Lopez: The World’s Most Powerful Celebrity

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Move over Lady Gaga… There’s a new fame monster in Hollywood… And, her name is Jennifer Lopez.

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress has been named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes magazine.

Lopez, who unseated Lady Gaga to reach No. 1 with a bullet, is the lone Hispanic superstar in the Top 25 on the just-released Celebrity 100 list, which shines a spotlight on the world’s most powerful celebrities.

The list ranks stars based on their masses of money, as well as their eternal fame –“fame” referring to just how well a given celebrity manages to blanket everything from television and magazines to your Facebook and Twitter feeds in a 12-month period.

The Latina multi-hyphenate parlayed her role as a judge on American Idol into hit singles like “Dance Again,” increased album sales, an upcoming world tour, three new movies and a growing portfolio of endorsements.

But that’s not all…

In September, Lopez launched a clothing and lifestyle collection for Kohl’s. In May she added an 18th scent to her successful fragrance line, Glow. And Lopez continues to work with her ex, Marc Anthony, on the Latin talent competition show, Q’Viva: The Chosen.

Here’s a look at the other Latino celebrities who made the list:

No. 44: Cristiano Ronaldo
No. 47: Rafael Nadal
No. 50: Lionel Messi
No. 59: Cameron Diaz
No. 61: Gisele Bunchen
No. 63: Alex Rodriguez
No. 76: Sofia Vergara
No. 81: Eva Longoria
No. 100: Adriana Lima

Click here for the full list.

Fernández-Han Named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He isn’t old enough to vote… But Javier Fernández-Han is already making a difference in the world… And, his work has landed him on Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 list, which celebrates the people who aren’t waiting to reinvent the world.

The 17-year-old young scientist from Texas—the son of immigrants from China and Mexico—made the list after developing an inventive way of using of algae to digest sewage and capture methane for use as fuel.

At the young age of 14, Fernández-Han has even founded an organization called “Inventors Without Borders” to “bring innovative solutions to real-world problems in rural, poverty-stricken areas,” according to a report by NBC Latino.

Fernández-Han—recognized as one of the nation’s top high school inventors by Popular Science magazine for the second year in a row—hopes to tackle some of the world’s hardest problems with his inventions. His recent work would convert energy from food scraps and sewage into clean energy for families in the third world.

“I like inventing. So I applied that to actually trying to help the poor with my inventions,” he said in an interview on YouTube.

Javier’s father, Peter Han, credits his son’s success in part to the emphasis as parents Han and his wife placed on creativity and innovation. Javier’s father is the owner of a creative learning company, and has even given a TED talk on the value of innovation in raising children.

The father and son duo are even co-developing “a series of toolkits and learning programs to invent better ideas faster,” according to the TED YouTube channel.

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