Tag Archives: Hispanic Heritage Month

Olmos Participates in Hispanic Scholarship Fund Campaign Aimed at Getting More Latinos Enrolled in College

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Edward James Olmos is telling parents to stand and deliver when it comes to their children and their futures…

This Hispanic Heritage Month, the 67-year-old Mexican American actor is among the Latino celebrities making parents aware of the many resources available to help them send their kids to college.

Edward James Olmos

Olmos recorded a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage Hispanic parents to look into scholarships and planning tools for their children.

The campaign, launched by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and the Ad Council, aims to offer access to the resources Latino parents need to help their children prepare, plan, and pay for college.

Today, Hispanics make up 19 percent of college students from the ages of 18 to 24, a number that is up from 12 percent in 2008, according to the HSF.

The PSA campaign empowers parents to help their children navigate the college application process and access the resources and support needed to excel in their studies and graduate.

According to a 2009 Pew Hispanic Center survey, 88% of Latinos ages 16 and older agreed that a college degree is necessary to get ahead in life today, as compared to only 74% of all Americans ages 16 and older.

Other celebrities filming PSAs include CSI: Miami alum Adam Rodriguez and Univision co-anchors Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas.

Aguilar to be Honored at the Hispanic Heritage Awards

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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.

Pepe Aguilar

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

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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.

Polito Vega

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.

Prince Royce to Give Hispanic Heritage Month Performance at White House

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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.

Prince Royce

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

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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.

Lilian Garcia

“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

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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.

Christy Turlington

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

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Gloria Estefan…

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Cuban singing sensation Gloria Estefan is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month in a big way with the help of Sirius XM Radio…

Now through Saturday, October 15, the “Queen of Latin Pop” will host a series of performances, interviews and specials with some of today’s hottest Latin estrellas like Pitull, Jon Secada and Juanes on Sirius XM’s Caliente, channel 150.

The month’s special programming will include an entire weekend devoted to the 54-year-old bilingual singer/songwriter and her numerous musical contributions. The content will include an exclusive interview with the seven-time Grammy-winning artist, as well as a preview of her new album, “Miss Little Havana.” She’ll even talk about her all-time favorite collaborations, share her thoughts on today’s biggest Latin artists and the artists who contribute to the thriving Latin arts community. The exclusive interview and album preview is slated to air on Friday, September 23 at 4:00 pm ET.

Meanwhile, Estefan’s most recent Las Vegas concert will be broadcast in its entirety on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 pm ET.

But that’s not all…

Caliente listeners will also have the opportunity to hear special, intimate concert performances by Latin Grammy winners and nominees including Pitbull, Jon Secada, Tito Nieves, and Juanes every Thursday at 4:00 pm ET during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Caliente spins the best in salsa, pop, merengue, bachata and reggaeton music. Listeners can hear the exceptional music by artists like Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra, Aventura, Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Paulina Rubio, Victor Manuelle, Luis Miguel, Wisin y Yandel and Camila.

Awarding Juanes’ “Vision”…

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It’s no surprise he’s one of Latin Music’s biggest stars, but Colombian rock superstar Juanes also has a big corazon. And, he’ll be recognized for his philanthropy and activism next month in our nation’s capital.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced today that the organization will present Juanes with its Vision Award at this year’s Hispanic Heritage Awards in recognition of his musical talent and commitment to humanitarian causes.

“Juanes is an artist in every sense of the word. His talents extend far and beyond the stage and bright lights,” asserts María-Esmeralda Paguaga, the executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards. “It’s refreshing to have an artist of Juanes’ caliber use his voice and platform as a vehicle for change, and most importantly, as an advocate for peace.”

Hailing from Medellín Colombia, Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez better known as Juanes is a Grammy and multiple Latin Grammy winner, with a record 17 awards making him the Latin Recording Academy’s most heralded artist. He’s sold over 15 million albums worldwide and was hailed as Latin Music’s “Star of the Decade” by Billboard magazine.

Juanes has topped the charts with several songs that have become cultural anthems championing Latino pride, the power of love and respect for all mankind through the elimination of violence. He’s also taken his advocacy well beyond music through his own Fundación Mi Sangre and as a co-founder and principal organizer of the historic Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders) concerts.  Through his work for the Mi Sangre Foundation, Juanes has become an internationally recognized leader in the fight to ban landmines, as he and the foundation work to protect the children of Colombia from the dangers of armed conflict and give them a voice in building the country’s future. Expanding beyond the borders of Colombia, Juanes has also become a global proponent in the fight to guarantee a basic right to peace for all.

“May we be able to understand the importance of turning hate into love, Juanes advises us in his song ‘Odio Por Amor,'” says Paguaga. “This sentiment represents one of the many reasons that the Hispanic Heritage Awards is proud to honor this singer, musician, producer and philanthropist with the Vision Award.”

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Awards, celebrating their 25th anniversary, will be held on September 15, 2011, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

The awards were established in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan as the official celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs between September 15 and October 15.