Kirstin Maldonado & Pentatonix to Star in Disney+’s Holiday Special “Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays”

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado has special plans this holiday season…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates will star in a new unscripted holiday special for Disney+.

Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays follows the a cappella group, which is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom.

It is produced by Done+Dusted and executive-produced by Ashley Edens, David Jammy and Katy Mullan.

Pentatonix was formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC‘s The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract.

Pentatonix have won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016 and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017.

Selena Gomez Teases New Music

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is back in the studio…

This week, the 29-year-old Mexican American singer/actress shared a clip of herself inside the vocal booth on TikTok, simply captioned “New.”

The catch? The TikTok comes virtually without any sound, so Selenators aren’t able to get an audible sneak peek of what Gomez is cooking up.

Whatever music she’s making, though, will be a follow-up to her 2021 Spanish-language EP Revelación, which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and earned Gomez her first-ever Grammy nomination, for best Latin Pop Album, at the 64th annual Grammy Awards in April.

Gomez’s most recent full-length studio effort, meanwhile, was 2020’s Rare, which contained No. 1 hit “Lose You to Love Me,” as well as follow-up singles “Look At Her Now,” “Rare” and “Boyfriend.”

Gomez’s behind-the-scenes TikTok isn’t the first time she’s teased new music in the last few weeks, either.

During a celebration event for her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, she hinted at the prospect during a rapid-fire Q&A session with TikTok makeup artist Mikayla Nogueira.

Of course, the onetime Disney Channel starlet has had plenty of other commitments on her plate in between albums: Season 2 of her hit series Only Murders in the Building just premiered on Hulu and she also took time off to attend the star-studded wedding of Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, where she even jumped on the mic with Paris Hilton to perform an impromptu rendition of “Stars Are Blind” for the bride.

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Bruno Mars Ties Paul Simon for Most Record of the Year Wins as Silk Sonic Claims Four Grammy Awards.

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

The third time is the historical charm for Bruno Mars.

The 36-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and his Silk Sonic group mate Anderson .Paak claimed four Grammy Awards gramophones during Sunday’s awards show, including Record of the Year, for their chart-topping single “Leave the Door Open.”

With his latest win in one of the top Grammys categories, Mars becomes only the second artist in Grammy history to win record of the year three times, tying Paul Simon. He previously won as featured artist on Mark Ronson‘s “Uptown Funk!” and on his own single for “24K Magic.”

Mars’ other Silk Sonic wins of on Grammy night included Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, in a tie with Jazime Sullivan, for “Leave the Door Open.”

In all, Mars has won 14 Grammys during his career, dating back to 2011.

Bad Bunny has claimed a Grammy for the second year in a row…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, singer and record producer won in the Best Música Urbana Album category for El Último Tour Del Mundo. He won in 2021 for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album for YHLQMDLG.

Juanes claimed the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for Origen, the third win of the 49-year-old Colombian superstar’s career.

Esperanza Spalding, who beat out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist in 2011, won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Songwrights Apothecary Lab.

It’s the fifth Grammy of her career for the 37-year-old part-Latina jazz bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer.

Vicente Fernandez claimed a posthumous Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) for the late Mexican singer’s A Mis 80’s.

Gonzalo Rubalcaba won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album alongside Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette. It’s the third Grammy win of his career.

The 58-year-old Afro-Cuban jazz pianist and composer won the award for his Skyline project with Carter and DeJohnette.

Eliane Elias claimed the second Gramm of her career…

The 62-year-old Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger was awarded the Best Latin Jazz Album gramophone alongside Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés for Mirror Mirror.

It’s the seventh win of the 80-year-old Cuban pianist Valdes’ career.

Alex Cuba won the first Grammy of his career, winning the award for Best Latin Pop Album for Mendó.

Carlos Rafael Rivera won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for The Queen’s Gambit in a tie with Disney‘s Soul.

Los Lobos claimed the Grammy for Best Americana Album for “Native Sons;” Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta won Best Tropical Latin Album for Salswing!, Louis C.K. was awarded the Best Comedy Album award for Sincerely Louis CK; Vince Mendoza claimed the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for “To The Edge of Longing (Edit Version);” and Gustavo Dudamel claimed the Best Choral Performance Grammy for Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand.

Here’s the full list of 2022 Grammy winners:

General Field

Record of the Year
“Leave the Door Open” – Silk Sonic
Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II and Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes and Charles Moniz, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Album of the Year
“We Are” – Jon Batiste (WINNER)

Song Of The Year
“Leave the Door Open”
Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)

Best New Artist
Olivia Rodrigo

Field 1 – Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Drivers License”
Olivia Rodrigo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Kiss Me More”
Doja Cat Featuring SZA

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
“Love For Sale” (WINNER)
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Best Pop Vocal Album
“Sour”
Olivia Rodrigo

Field 2 – Dance/Electronic Music

Best Dance/Electronic Recording
“Alive”
Rüfüs Du Sol

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
“Subconsciously”
Black Coffee

Field 3 – Contemporary Instrumental Music

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
“Tree Falls”
Taylor Eigsti

Field 4 – Rock

Best Rock Performance
“Making a Fire”
Foo Fighters

Best Metal Performance
“The Alien”
Dream Theater

Best Rock Album
“Medicine at Midnight”
Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song
“Waiting on a War”
Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

Field 5 – Alternative

Best Alternative Music Album
“Daddy’s Home”
St. Vincent

Field 6 – R&B

Best R&B Performance
“Leave the Door Open” (TIE)
Silk Sonic

“Pick Up Your Feelings” (TIE)
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Fight for You”
H.E.R.

Best Progressive R&B Album
“Table for Two”
Lucky Daye

Best R&B Song
“Leave the Door Open”
Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)

Best R&B Album
“Heaux Tales”
Jazmine Sullivan

Field 7 – Rap

Best Rap Performance
“Family Ties”
Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar

Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Hurricane”
Kanye West featuring the Weeknd and Lil Baby

Best Rap Album
“Call Me If You Get Lost”
Tyler, the Creator

Best Rap Song
“Jail”
Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Kanye West and Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West featuring Jay-Z)

Field 8 – Country

Best Country Solo Performance
“You Should Probably Leave”
Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Younger Me”
Brothers Osborne

Best Country Album
“Starting Over”
Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song
“Cold”
Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon and Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)

Field 9 – New Age

Best New Age Album
“Divine Tides”
Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej

Field 10 – Jazz

Best Jazz Vocal Album
“Songwrights Apothecary Lab”
Esperanza Spalding

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
“Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)”
Chick Corea

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
“Skyline”
Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver”
Christian McBride Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album
“Mirror Mirror”
Eliane Elias with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés

Field 11 – Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music

Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Never Lost”
CeCe Winans
Chris Brown, Steven Furtick and Tiffany Hammer, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“Believe for It”
CeCe Winans
Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans and Mitch Wong, songwriters

Best Gospel Album
“Believe for It”
CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Old Church Basement”
Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music

Best Roots Gospel Album
“My Savior”
Carrie Underwood

Field 12 – Latin

Best Latin Pop Album
“Mendó”
Alex Cuba

Best Música Urbana Album
“El Último Tour Del Mundo”
Bad Bunny

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
“Origen”
Juanes

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
“A Mis 80’s”
Vicente Fernández

Best Tropical Latin Album
“Salswing!”
Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

Field 13 – American Roots Music

Best American Roots Performance
“Cry”
Jon Batiste

Best American Roots Song
“Cry”
Jon Batiste and Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

Best Americana Album
“Native Sons”
Los Lobos

Best Bluegrass Album
“My Bluegrass Heart”
Béla Fleck

Best Traditional Blues Album
“I Be Trying”
Cedric Burnside

Best Contemporary Blues Album
“662”
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Best Folk Album
“They’re Calling Me Home”
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi

Best Regional Roots Music Album
“Kau Ka Pe’a”
Kalani Pe’a

Field 14 – Reggae

Best Reggae Album
“Beauty in the Silence”
SOJA

Field 15 – Global Music

Best Global Music Performance
“Mohabbat”
Arooj Aftab

Best Global Music Album
“Mother Nature”
Angélique Kidjo

Field 16 – Children’s

Best Children’s Music Album
“A Colorful World”
Falu

Field 17 – Spoken Word

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
“Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis”
Don Cheadle

Field 18 – Comedy

Best Comedy Album
“Sincerely Louis CK” (WINNER)
Louis C.K.

Field 19 – Musical Theater

Best Musical Theater Album
“The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical”
Emily Bear, producer; Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, composer and lyricist
(Barlow and Bear)

Field 20 – Music for Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Andra Day
Salaam Remi, compilation producer; Lynn Fainchtein, music supervisor

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
“The Queen’s Gambit” (TIE)
Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer

“Soul” (TIE)
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media
“All Eyes on Me” (from Bo Burnham: Inside)
Bo Burnham (Bo Burnham)

Field 21 – Composing/Arranging

Best Instrumental Composition
“Eberhard” (WINNER)
Lyle Mays, composer (Lyle Mays)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
“Meta Knight’s Revenge (From “Kirby Super Star”)”
Charlie Rosen and Jake Silverman, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band featuring Button Masher)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“To The Edge of Longing (Edit Version)”
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Julia Bullock)

Field 22 – Package, Notes, and Historical

Best Recording Package
“Pakelang”
Li Jheng Han and Yu, Wei, art directors (2nd Generation Falangao Singing Group and the Chairman Crossover Big Band)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
“All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition” (WINNER)
Darren Evans, Dhani Harrison and Olivia Harrison, art directors (George Harrison)

Best Album Notes
“The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966”
Ricky Riccardi, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)

Best Historical Album
“Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)” (WINNER)
Patrick Milligan and Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)

Field 23 – Production

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Love for Sale” (WINNER)
Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman and Billy Cumella, engineers; Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone, mastering engineers (Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
• Chemtrails Over the Country Club (Lana Del Rey) (A)
• Daddy’s Home (St. Vincent) (A)
• Gold Rush (Taylor Swift) (T)
• Sling (Clairo) (A)
• Solar Power (Lorde) (A)
• Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (Bleachers) (A)

Best Remixed Recording
“Passenger” (Mike Shinoda remix) (WINNER)
Mike Shinoda, remixer (Deftones)

Best Immersive Audio Album
“Alicia”
George Massenburg and Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ann Mincieli, immersive producer (Alicia Keys)

Best Engineered Album, Classical
“Chanticleer Sings Christmas”
Leslie Ann Jones, engineer (Chanticleer)

Producer Of The Year, Classical
Judith Sherman
• Alone Together (Jennifer Koh) (A)
• Bach & Beyond Part 3 (Jennifer Koh) (A)
• Bruits (Imani Winds) (A)
• Eryilmaz: Dances Of The Yogurt Maker (Erberk Eryilmaz & Carpe Diem String Quartet) (A)
• Fantasy – Oppens Plays Kaminsky (Ursula Oppens) (A)
• Home (Blythe Gaissert) (A)
• Mendelssohn, Visconti & Golijov (Jasper String Quartet & Jupiter String Quartet) (A)
• A Schubert Journey (Llŷr Williams) (A)
• Vers Le Silence – William Bolcom & Frederic Chopin (Ran Dank) (A)

Field 24 – Classical

Best Orchestral Performance
“Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3”
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording
“Glass: Akhnaten” (WINNER)
Karen Kamensek, conductor; J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James and Dísella Lárusdóttir; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance
“Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand’”
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Beethoven: Cello Sonatas – Hope Amid Tears”
Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Alone Together
Jennifer Koh

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Mythologies”
Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann (Virginie D’Avezac De Castera, Lili Haydn, Wouter Kellerman, Nadeem Majdalany, Eru Matsumoto and Emilio D. Miler)

Best Classical Compendium
“Women Warriors – The Voices Of Change”
Amy Andersson, conductor; Amy Andersson, Mark Mattson and Lolita Ritmanis, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
“Shaw: Narrow Sea”
Caroline Shaw, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Gilbert Kalish and Sō Percussion)

Field 25 – Music Video/Film

Best Music Video
“Freedom”
Jon Batiste
Alan Ferguson, video director; Alex P. Willson, video producer

Best Music Film
“Summer of Soul” – (Various Artists)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent & Joseph Patel, video producers

Maria Becerra to Make Grammy Awards Performance Debut

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Maria Becerra is ready for music’s biggest night…

The 22-year-old Argentine singer and former YouTuber has been added to the lineup of performers for the 64th annual Grammy Award, taking place this Sunday, April 3. It will be Becerra’s first time performing on the awards show.

Becerra will perform alongside J Balvin on their recent collaboration “¿Qué más’, pues?

Other recent additions to the performer roster include Silk Sonic, John Legend and Carrie Underwood .

In addition, Maverick City Music, Aymée Nuviola and Billy Strings will perform in special segments that will showcase Las Vegas, which is hosting the Grammys for the first time, and spotlight genres not historically represented on the Grammy telecast, per a statement that accompanied this third and presumably last slate of Grammy performers announced on Wednesday.

Previously announced Grammys performers are Jon Batiste, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Nas, Olivia Rodrigo and Chris Stapleton.

The ceremony will also include a previously announced In Memoriam salute to legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim performed by Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler.

Foo Fighters, who were previously announced as performers on the show, were not listed in the latest release.

The band is mourning the loss of its drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who died suddenly at age 50 on Friday, March 25.

On Tuesday, March 29, the band canceled all tour dates. The band has been closely associated with the Grammys over the years. The band has won best rock album four times — twice as often as anyone else — and is nominated again this year. Will the band show up at the Grammys as a way of honoring their drummer or is it too simply soon and too painful?

Most of the major 2022 Grammy nominees are set to perform on the show, but a handful of artists who rated high in the nominations aren’t performing (or at least haven’t been announced yet). They include Doja Cat and Justin Bieber, who each received eight nominations, as well as Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, who are nominated for both album and record of the year; Abba, which is up for record of the year; Taylor Swift and Kanye West, who are both vying for album of the year; and Ed Sheeran, who is up for song of the year.

The Academy has invited Bennett and Gaga, who received five Grammy nominations for their second collaborative album, Love for Sale, to the show. A performance may hinge on how Bennett, who is 95 and living with Alzheimer’s disease, is feeling that day. Gaga may perform individually if Bennett is not up to joining her, but such a move, even if planned, has not been announced.

Silk Sonic are nominated for four awards, including record and song of the year, for “Leave the Door Open.

J Balvin is nominated in the new best música urbana album category for Jose.

Nuviola is nominated for best tropical Latin album for Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso.

Trevor Noah is set to host the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3 at 8:00 pm ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Mon Laferte to Perform at Pre-Grammy Awards Show “Premiere Ceremony”

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mon Laferte is preparing for the Grammys pre-show…

The 38-year-old Chilean singer, songwriter and musician will perform during the Premiere Ceremony prior to the 64th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, April 3.

She joins a roster of performers that includes Jimmie Allen, Ledisi, Allison Russell and Curtis Stewart.

LeVar Burton will host the event, at which the vast majority of Grammys are presented. Only about 10 are actually presented during the live telecast.

The show will open with a multi-artist performance by Madison Cunningham, Falu, Nnenna Freelon, Kalani Pe’a, John Popper and The Isaacs.

Presenters include current nominees Allen, Arlo Parks, Nate Bargatze, Freelon, Pierce Freelon, and Sylvan Esso, as well as Jimmy Jam, a five-time Grammy winner and former chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees.

The Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live from the MGM Grand Conference Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3 at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT on the Grammy’s YouTube page and on live.grammy.com.

The Premiere Ceremony is produced by Chantel Sausedo, a long-time member of the Grammy production team, along with three Recording Academy executives — Branden Chapman, chief operating officer; Ruby Marchand, chief awards and industry officer; and Rex Supa, vice president, production and event operations, all on behalf of the Recording Academy.

Greg Fera is executive producer. Cheche Alara is music producer and musical director.

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS and Paramount+ from 8:00 to 11:30 pm ET/5:00 to 8:30 pm PT.

Trevor Noah, star of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, is hosting the Grammys for the second year in a row.

Rachel Zegler to Perform at This Year’s Grammy Awards

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rachel Zegler will be getting her Grammy moment…

The Recording Academy has announced more performers for the 64th Grammy Awards program, with the 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer among those set to take the stage.

Zegler, who will be a presenter at this weekend’s Academy Awards show, and Ben Platt will perform during a special In Memoriam segment, featuring songs of Stephen Sondheim.

In addition to Zegler and Platt, recently confirmed performers include Jon Batiste, Foo Fighters, H.E.R, Nas and Chris Stapleton. Additionally, Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo and current nominee Leslie Odom Jr. will perform.

The join previously announced Olivia Rodrigo, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow. Additionally, Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo, current nominees Leslie Odom Jr.

Hosted by Trevor Noah live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast Sunday, April 3 on CBS at 8:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm PT and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Jaime Camil to Star as Vicente Fernandez in “The Idol of the People” Series, to Air Globally on Netflix

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Camil will be portraying a late Mexican idol…

The 48-year-old Mexican actor, singer and television personality will star as the late Vicente Fernandez in a series based on his life.

The news arrives on the heels of Fernandez’s death last week at age 81.

The project, titled The Idol of the People, is a Caracol TV production and will air on the Colombian television network.

Netflix has taken world rights to the series outside of Colombia.

Camil has spoken at length on social media about how honored he is to play Chente, a shortened version of the name Vicente that served as one of his many monikers.

“Portraying Vicente Fernandez, without a doubt, is one of the biggest and most important challenges of my career,” he wrote in Spanish via Instagram in September. “In my opinion, Chente is Mexico’s biggest idol and the most monumental exponent of Mexican music all over the world.”

Fernandez earned three Grammy Awards throughout his five-decade career for Best Regional Mexican Album in 2009, 2016, and 2016 from a total 13 nominations. He recorded more than 50 albums, sold more than 50 million records and appeared in more than 30 films.

Fernandez had been suffering medical complications after a fall at his home this summer that injured his cervical spine and required an operation.

After Fernandez’s death, Camil paid tribute to the Ranchera legend while reflecting on how much he’s learned about him through his portrayal in the series via Twitter.

“Thanks to the project I’m working on, I’ve been able to learn the history, infancy, journey, legacy, and all the adversities he faced. My Chente, to get to be the person you were has taught me to respect you, to love you, and to honor you even more. No one can deny Vicente is a monument and a treasure for Mexico and Ranchera music on a global scale,” he said in part.

Camil is a veteran actor of Spanish-language telenovelas who made a splash stateside in the role of Rogelio de la Vega in the CW’s Jane the Virgin. After the series wrapped, he starred in the short-lived CBS series Broke, and has lent his voice to animated series including Elena of Avalor, BoJack Horseman, and currently stars as Doc Lopez in the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!

He also released two full-length albums in 1999 and 2002. Camil is expected to sing in The Idol of the People.

Demi Lovato Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is making a switch…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer, songwriter and actor is making the move from William Morris Endeavor (WME) to United Talent Agency (UTA).

Lovato will be represented by UTA in all areas worldwide.

Over the course of their music career, Lovato has released seven albums, all of which have landed in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, according to MRC Data. The artist’s 2009 album Here We Go Again reached No. 1 on the tally.

Lovato has also landed 35 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including four top 10s, according to MRC Data. They have sold 2.7 million albums and 23.8 million song downloads and their songs have registered 5.6 billion on-demand U.S. streams.

According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Lovato’s tours have grossed $56.8 million and sold 1.1 million tickets. Their most recent tour, 2018’s Tell Me You Love Me Tour, was their biggest yet, earning $21.5 million.

In 2020, Lovato kicked off a career resurgence when they debuted their ballad “Anyone” during a stripped-down performance at the Grammy Awards and performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV.

In April, Lovato’s Dancing With The Devil…The Art of Starting Over reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album coincided with the launch of Lovato’s powerful four-part documentary series from YouTube Originals and director Michael D. Ratner entitled Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil.

The docuseries opened the 2021 SXSW festival and detailed Lovato’s life as a pop star and the trauma they have faced. For the first time, Lovato opened up about every aspect that led to their nearly fatal overdose in 2018 and their awakenings in the aftermath. That series was preceded by a YouTube Originals documentary in 2017 titled Simply Complicated, which has garnered more than 35 million views.

On May 19, 2021, Lovato premiered their new podcast, 4D With Demi Lovato, where they announced that they identify as non-binary and have officially changed their pronouns to they/them.

Lovato has been honored over the years with numerous awards and accolades for their work, including an MTV Video Music Award, 14 Teen Choice Awards, five People’s Choice Awards, an American Latino Media Arts Award, a Latin American Music Award and a GLAAD Vanguard Award for their services to LGBT activism. They have also received two Grammy Award nominations, four Billboard Music Awards nominations and three Brit Award nominations for their work.

Outside of music, Lovato’s film and television credits include Smurfs: The Lost Village, Sonny with a Chance, Glee, Barney & Friends and the final season of Will & Grace. They were also featured alongside Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams and Pierce Brosnan in Netflix’s hit feature film Eurovision and have appeared as a mentor on the U.S. version of The X Factor.

Lovato is next starring in the NBC single-camera comedy pilot Hungry, which follows a group of friends who belong to a food-issues group. They are executive-producing the project, which comes from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills, SB Projects and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Peacock has additionally ordered the four-part series Unidentified with Demi Lovato, which will see the singer, their best friend Matthew and their sister Dallas attempt to uncover the truth about the UFO phenomena.

Lovato continues to be represented by Scooter Braun Projects, Carroll Guido Groffman at Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP and the Nordlinger Group.

Eva Noblezada to Star in Amblin Partners’ Family Comedy “Easter Sunday”

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Noblezada is celebrating an Easter moment…

The 25-year-old half-Mexican American actress, singer and Broadway star has joined the cast of the Amblin Partners family comedy, Easter Sunday, which is based on the stand-up comedy and life experiences of comedy star Jo Koy and is set around a family gathering to celebrate Easter Sunday.

Noblezada will play Ruth, a friend of one of the characters, Junior.

Jay Chandrasekhar will direct with Ken Cheng penning the script.

The studio is eyeing a production start this spring.

Noblezada made her Broadway debut as the titular role in the revival of Miss Saigon, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for “Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.”

She also starred in Hadestown, which made her one of just a handful of actors to receive Tony nominations for their first two Broadway roles.

She received a Grammy Award for “Best Musical Theater Album” for her work on the show.

Noblezada recently made her feature film debut in the critically acclaimed film Yellow Rose.

Bruno Mars Announces Plans to Launch Limited-Edition CD Single Release of Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open (Live)”

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is opening another door…

The 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer and Anderson .Paak‘s Silk Sonic will release a limited-edition “Leave the Door Open (Live)” CD single on Friday.

The collectible item comes in a jewel-case CD featuring a photo from their 2021 Grammy Awards performance of their single.

It also features the minute-long intro track by funk legend and “special guest host” Bootsy Collins, which will be featured on Silk Sonic’s upcoming album An Evening with Silk Sonic.

“Due to popular demand (and by demand I mean andy’s close relatives and 2 people I employ) we proudly present, #LeaveTheDoorOpen LIVE!,” Mars wrote via Instagram on Tuesday (March 30), adding on Twitter, “Swear this is even more collectible.”

Silk Sonic’s debut single is currently sitting at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week (dated April 3) after peaking at No. 2. It reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B Songs chart earlier this month.

The “Leave the Door Open (Live)” CD single, which can be pre-ordered here, will begin shipping Friday and is only available to order through April 5.

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