Eslabon Armado Releases Sixth Studio Album “Desvelado”

It’s a sleepless time for Eslabon Armado.

The Regional Mexican band has released its latest studio album Desvelado.

Eslabon Armado’s sixth studio album — which follows their five back-to-back No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart — drops when the Mexican-American sierreño band’s “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma is No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 (dated April 29).

It’s the first regional Mexican song to top the tally, and it’s also the first one from that genre to enter the top five on the Hot 100. Of course, the track is found on Desvelado, and while that might be the song that will draw you to listen to this album, you’re going to stay for all the other gems that Eslabon Armado delivers.

Mostly written by frontman Pedro Tovar (who is currently No. 1 on the Hot 100 Songwriters Chart), Desvelado further cements Tovar’s ability to adapt the classic genre to Gen Z, with super-modern lyrics — like in the opening track, “Quién Es El?” where he sings, “Who is he, the one you’re posting on social media, hanging out in the same places I once took you and kissed you?”

Throughout the album, Eslabon Armado sticks to the sad sierreño, guitar-driven sound that’s not only worked for them but marks a new generation of Mexican music hitmakers. The LP includes eight collabs, including the norteña-tinged cumbia “Quédate Conmigo” with Grupo Frontera (fresh off a Bad Bunny team-up) and the soon-to-be breakup anthem “Tomando Tequila,” with Jhayco’s raspy vocals taking center stage. Eslabon Armado reels in artists the group has previously recorded with, including Junior H and DannyLux, for duets. If you’re barely discovering Eslabon Armado because you’ve listened to “Ella Baila Sola,” you’ve arrived just in time. This album is a treat to new and loyal fans alike.

NBC Orders Additional Nine Episodes of George Lopez’s “Lopez vs. Lopez”

There are more family laughs in George Lopez’s future…

NBC has ordered an additional nine episodes of its new hit comedy series Lopez vs. Lopez, starring the 61-year-old Mexican American comedian and actor and his daughter Mayan Lopez.

George Lopez, Mayan Lopez, Lopez vs. LopezWith the additional episodes, it brings the first season total to 22 episodes.

Lopez vs. Lopez, which comes from creator/showrunner Debby Wolfe, is a working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between.

Starring George and Mayan, the comedy tells the story of a working-class old-school Latino who moves in with his modern Gen Z daughter as they rebuild their dysfunctional relationship one argument at a time. It’s old vs. new, father vs. daughter, Lopez vs. Lopez.

Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez, Matt Shively and Al Madrigal also star.

The freshman series has the strongest English-dominant Hispanic index among the major four broadcast networks and is the No. 1 NBC comedy launch on Peacock, according to the network.

The show’s pilot episode is up to a 1.6 rating in the 18-49 demo and 7.6 million viewers on linear and digital viewing.

Wolfe executive produces with Bruce Helford, George Lopez, Michael Rotenberg, and Katie Newman.

Lopez vs Lopez is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Mohawk Productions, Travieso Productions, Mi Vida Loba and 3 Arts.

Jimmy Gonzales to Star in George Lopez’s Amazon Drama Pilot “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan”

Jimmy Gonzales is right on Time

The Mexican actor has been cast as a lead alongside Arianna Williams on Amazon’s Once Upon a Time in Aztlan, the drama pilot from George Lopez.Jimmy Gonzales

They join previously announced cast LopezJesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.

Gonzales stars as the morally compromised Hector, whose pursuit of ‘get rich or die trying’ dreams landed his partner Arturo Duran in prison for thirteen years. Since then, he’s further cemented his influence over the Duran family: He has a son with Lola (Gonzalez) and is the de facto father figure for Angela (Williams). Despite his overtures to legitimize himself, he’s a lifelong hustler who’s baiting the attention of the FBI.

Willians portrays the character of Angela, a Gen-Z Afro Latina, who is described as fiercely independent, confident, and always adapting. The face of our modern Los Angeles. The Duran family have hung their hopes on Angela as their luminary, but she’s in deep debt to her nefarious uncle, who’s co-signed her loans to USC. Her father, Arturo (Garcia) returns to her life after a long absence, presenting a challenging new vision of her future.

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama from STXtelevision and Amazon Studios revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream, and their ability to defy expectations. The pilot will be directed by Ricardo de Montreuil, who helmed Eva Longoria and Demián Bichir in the Blumhouse/Imagine East L.A.-set drama, Lowriders.

Rodriguez executive produces with de Montreuil, photographer/director Estevan Oriol, LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly who put the Latinx package together under his STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment banner.

Gonzales can currently be seen as the lead in Netflix/Endeavor Content’s Blue Miracle opposite Dennis Quaid. He can next be seen on Fox Searchlight’s biopic Flamin’ Hot as Hector Morales and currently is a recurring guest star on FX’s Mayans M.C.

Other credits include AMC’s Lodge 49, AMC’s The Walking Dead, and David E. Kelley’s Mr. Mercedes.

Williams played a supporting lead in a 2021 Lifetime Movie opposite Denise Richards. Although a relative newcomer to the small screen, she’s worked with Phylicia Rashad, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Ruben Santiago Hudson at the Billie Holliday Theatre.

World Boxing Council Orders Ryan Garcia to Face Javier Fortuna for Interim Lightweight Title

Ryan Garcia has lined up his next opponent…

The World Boxing Council has ordered the 22-year-old rising lightweight boxing star to face contender Javier Fortuna for the interim lightweight title and right to be mandatory challenger to champion Devin Haney.

Ryan “Kingry” Garcia 

The negotiation period has begun for a Garcia-Fortuna bout with a purse bid scheduled for April 16 if no deal is in place by then.

Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) won the WBC interim lightweight title with a seventh-round TKO victory over Luke Campbell. Despite significant interest from Haney, Garcia decided not to enter negotiations with Haney for a title shot, instead pursuing bigger deals with Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Manny Pacquiao. Neither deal materialized, and now Garcia appears set to face Fortuna this summer.

Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) is a former champion coming off a sixth-round knockout victory over Antonio Lozada Jr. in November. He was the secondary WBC mandatory challenger.

Garcia is one of boxing’s biggest young stars with a significant following, particularly from Gen Z and social media communities. But his mission has been to gain respect for his boxing ability. He made his first big step in that by overcoming a first-round knockdown to beat Campbell earlier this year.

If a bout with Fortuna is finalized, Garcia would have his second consecutive contender to add to his résumé and continue to raise his profile.

Scarlett Estevez to Star in Disney Channel’s Superhero Luchador Action-Comedy “Ultra Violet & Blue Demon”

Scarlett Estevez is ready to luchar

Disney Channel has given a series order to Ultra Violet & Blue Demon, a superhero coming-of-age luchador action-comedy from a girl’s point of view, starring the 13-year-old Latina actress as Ultra Violet and Mexican luchador and professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. as a version of himself.

Scarlett Estevez 

The project had received a cast-contingent pilot order in January 2020, and now has received a formal series greenlight.

The series, which introduces a relatable Mexican American family with a very special legacy, will showcase a predominately Latinx main cast and producing team.

The series unfolds as a magical luchador mask selects 13-year-old Violet (Estevez) to become Ultra, the superhero successor to her uncle, who is the famous Mexican wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and a superhero-in-disguise. Ultra begins her own secret superhero training with her uncle, all while having to navigate the ups and downs of middle school. As they start to work together, Uncle Blue realizes he can learn a few things from Ultra’s modern Gen-Z take on crime-fighting.

“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”

Also starring are Marianna Burelli as Violet’s mother, Nina; Juan Alfonso as Violet’s father, Sebastian; Brandon Rossel as Violet’s brother, Miguelito; Zelia Ankrum as Violet’s best friend, Trudy; and Bryan Blanco as Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate Enrique Diaz-Diaz.

Blue Demon Jr. will co-executive produce.

The pilot episode was written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit and directed by Alejandro Damiani.

Estevez’s previous credits include Lucifer, Bunk’d, Daddy’s Home and Daddy’s Home 2.

Dolores Huerta to Be Honored at This Year’s Girl Up #GirlHero Awards

Dolores Huerta is living legend in the Latino community… And, now she’s being heralded as a girl hero.

The 90-year-old Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist, who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association (which later became the United Farm Workers) with Cesar Chavez, will be one of the honorees at this year’s Girl Up #GirlHero Awards.

Dolores Huerta

Huerta, television super-producer Shonda Rhimes, #metoo and Founder Tarana Burke for their work on gender equality at its third annual ceremony, which will take place on International Day of the Girl.

The virtual event will take place online on Thursday, October 29 at 12:00 pm ET with Girl Up Champion Nigel Barker as co-host.

In addition, Girl Up executive director Melissa Kilby will highlight Girl Up’s Gen Z leaders fighting for change while special guests will make appearances on the event’s virtual red carpet.

“Today we’re celebrating gender equality giants, at a time when there’s a lot at stake for girls and women,” said Kilby. “We’re honored to stand with them in building a brighter, more equal movement by relentlessly showing that girls are and have always been leading us toward a better future.”

The awards will honor lifelong civil rights advocate Huerta, who models how standing for a cause can change the world. Rhimes will be honored for her work as a storyteller that explores the most relevant topics of our time, reflecting the world as we know it onscreen with dynamic characters; and Burke who founded #metoo, a movement that kicked off a worldwide wave of women taking a stand against violence and discrimination.

The honorees will participate in conversations with Girl Up’s own girl changemakers Ina Bhoopalam, Alliyah Logan, and Rym Badran as they share their work for gender equality.

The one-on-one conversations will highlight advocates, allies, and activists shaking up accepted norms and changing the trajectory of global gender equality over the course of their lifetime.

Honorees of last year’s #GirlHero Awards in Los Angeles were Cara Delevingne, Jameela Jamil and Kate Hudson.

Stephanie McMahon, Pamella Roland, LaVerne Council, Amanda Fata, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Michelle King, Alexandra Trustman, Shaun Robinson, Tracy Shaffer and Chantelle Siegel will serve as this year’s co-chairs of the event.

Ruby Cruz to Star in the CW’s “The Lost Boys” Pilot

Ruby Cruz is a Lostcause…

The Latina actress has been cast opposite Branden Cook and Lincoln Younes in The Lost Boys, the CW’s retooled pilot from Heather Mitchell and Rob Thomas based on the 1987 Warner Bros. movie.

Ruby Cruz

In The Lost Boys, written by Mitchell and Thomas and directed by Marcos Siega, a mother and her Gen Zsons, one played by Cook, move to the seaside town where she grew up, they discover there’s a sinister reason the local cool kids sleep all day, party all night, never grow up and never get old. Family bonds are tested as the brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a mythological struggle. Based on the 1987 cult classic that revolutionized how we think about vampires.

Cook plays Garrett, the older of the two brothers who have moved with their mom to the North Carolina seaside community. He’s a version of the Michael character in the movie, which was played by Jason Patric.

Younes plays Benjamin, the charismatic leader of the gang of vampires in the town. It is a version of the David character played in the movie by Kiefer Sutherland.

Cruz plays Elsie, a version of Jami Gertz’s character Star in the movie, who sparks a little romance with the new guy in town, Garrett.

Cruz is best known for playing a young Lizzy Kaplan on the second season of Hulu’s Castle Rock. She’s in production on HBO Max’s Mare of Easttown with Kate Winslet