Vision Films to Release Robert Amaya’s “Pulled from Darkness” Next Month

Robert Amaya is on hot pursuit

Vision Films will release its faith-based thriller Pursuit of Freedom (formerly Pulled from Darkness), starring the Latino actor, will get a limited day-and-date theatrical release, along with a VOD release across the U.S. and Canada, on September 16.

Robert Amaya

Pursuit of Freedom is the true story of a Ukrainian woman who was separated from her three children and sold into trafficking by Russian gangsters. After years of struggle, she defied all odds with the help and kindness of a Dutch nurse, an Armenian missionary and an American pastor. Though countries, miles and time kept them apart, she held on to her faith and with the help of the church and strangers, survived to be reunited with her children.

From writer-director George A. Johnson, the film also stars Jessica Koloian, Stelio Savante, Sharonne Lanier, Robert Amaya, Javier Colon, Mark Lowry, Gigi Orsillo, Elias Kemuel and Keslee Blalock. George and Karen Johnson produced alongside Savante.

Pursuit of Freedom‘s limited U.S. theatrical release will be a special version of the film with an edit geared towards a faith-based audience. Confirmed theaters showing the film include The Angelika Village East in New York City, Laemmle in Glendale, CA, Emagine Hartland in Hartland, MI, Galaxy Grandscape 15 in Dallas, and Cine America in Houston, TX. A DVD release will follow in early October.

Colon Returning to “The Voice” Stage This Week

Call it a season one reunion on The Voice this week with the return this week of Javier Colon, Vicci Martinez and the rest of the finalists from the hit NBC show’s inaugural season.

Javier Colon

Colon, the 34-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American singer and season one champ will perform his latest single, “A Drop In The Ocean,” from his album Come Through For You.

In addition, Vicci Martinez, who is preparing to release her first album since her appearance on The Voice, will reunite on-stage with her former coach Cee Lo Green. No word yet on what song27-year-old Latina singer  and Green will perform.

Meanwhile, runner-up Dia Frampton will perform with 28-year-old part-Mexican singing sensation Kid Cudi, and Beverly Mclellan will perform with Cyndi Lauper.

The Voice Season One Finalists

This results show, complete with the season one finalist performances, will air Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET on NBC.

Martinez Hard at Work on Self-Titled Album

She was one of the last singers standing last season on NBC’s The Voice… And, even though she lost out to Javier Colon, Vicci Martinez’s career prospects are still going strong.

The 27-year-old Latina singer will be releasing a self-titled album this summer through Universal Republic Records… And, she gave people a sample of the tracks on the album on Thursday at a showcase at The Key Club in West Hollywood.

Vicci Martinez

“I’ve worked on the album for a year and this is my first time getting to play these songs,” the openly gay Martinez told The Hollywood Reporter.  “Even though I’ve already come out, this is my other coming out party.”

During the set, Martinez performed the album’s first single, “Come Along,” which will be released on May 1. It features her The Voice coach Cee Lo Green, who she says is still invested in her career even though he’s now coaching a new crop of singers in The Voice’s sophomore season.

“He’s definitely kept in touch with me,” she says. “I just went to The Voice taping the other day and he’s really open to wanting to help me launch this career. He’s the ‘it’ guy, but at the same time he’s a great guy.”

Martinez’s set included a rock ballad titled “Hold Me Down,” which she told the audience she wrote in New York with a bottle of tequila in 15 minutes. She also performed the anthemic “I Can Love.” The singer rounded out her short show with another rock ballad titled “Let Go” that she dedicated to her father.

Martinez’s self-titled album is slated to be released on June 19.

Aguilera & Her Fellow The Voice Coaches to Perform a Prince Medley

The second season of NBC’s The Voice will premiere right after the Super Bowl on Sunday… But the second night of the hit singing competition could purple rain supreme!

Christina Aguilera and her fellow coaches Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine will perform a high-energy medley of Prince songs.

The Voice Judges

The two-hour episode will also feature more blind auditions as the coaches build their teams and prepare to go head-to-head during the full season.

But don’t expect to see really, really bad auditions during the initial round of competition.

“We all told them we’re not signing up for this show if it’s about ridiculing someone or mocking talent,” Aguilera told reporters earlier this month.

“This show is about artist development,” added Green.

Prepared to defend his winning title, Levine, who coached season 1 winner Javier Colon, says the level of talent this year “is pretty high, so you can be honest and say, ‘This isn’t your best,’ rather than they suck.”

Colon to Perform at 2012 NHL All-Star Game

The Voice winner Javier Colon will be hitting the ice later this month…

Javier-Colon

The 33-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American acoustic soul singer will take the stage at the NHL All-Star Game to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Colon has previously performed the national anthem at the Orange Bowl, a Los Angeles Dodgers game and the home opener for the Buffalo Bills.

Meanwhile, Lyndon Slewidge has been picked to sing the Canadian national anthem.

But Colon and Slewidge won’t be the only musical guests at the big game…

Rap sensation Drake has been locked in to perform during the second intermission at the star-studded hockey event, while singer/rapper Outasight will sing his breakout single “Tonight Is the Night” during the player introductions.

This year’s all-star game will be taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario on Sunday, January 29

“Black & Latino” with Milian and More

Christina Milian and other Afro-Latino celebrities are sharing their uniquely bicultural stories with the world…

The 30-year-old singer/actress, who will be serving as the new Social Media Correspondent for NBC’s The Voice, will appear in mun2’s web original Black and Latino, which aims to shine a light on an important yet often misrepresented segment of the US Latino population.

Christina Milian

Along with Milian, other celebrities, musicians and journalists of African heritage appearing in the web documentary are actor Laz Alonso, actress Tatyana Ali and journalist Soledad O’Brien, who relate their own previously untold experiences of working through the unreasonable constraints of stereotypes in both Hispanic and mainstream culture.

“It was kind of like a dual existence because outside of my house I would be just an African-American guy,” says Alonso, who recently appeared in Jumping the Broom. “But once I got home, I was Cuban again.”

Other interviews include The Voice season one winner Javier Colon, actresses Gina Torres and Judy Reyes, pop singer Kat de Luna and music video director Jessy Terrero.

“As part of our commitment to reflecting the diversity and dynamism of US Latino identity, we are honored to share these provocative and poignant stories of celebrities who live and work at the intersection of so many cultures,” says Jose Marquez, Telemundo and mun 2’s VP Interactive Strategy, Telemundo and mun2.

The short, made-for-web documentary also features man-on-the-street interviews with Generation Y Latinos who provide a refreshingly nuanced understanding of race and identity in contemporary America.

Click here to check out mun2’s Black and Latino.

Colon Releases First-Ever Music Video

Javier Colon has definitely arrived on the music scene… He won a reality singing competition, released his first major record label album… And, now he’s released his first-ever music video.

Javier Colon

The 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican/half-Dominican singer, who won the first season on NBC’s The Voice, released the clip for “As Long as We Got Love,” the first single off his post-The Voice album “Come Through For You”—his third full-length studio album.

Colon shares screen time with his oh-so-gorgeous featured guest, British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield. Together, they narrate a love story of a young couple starting a family.

“She is amazing,” Colon exclaimed about Bedingfield. “We unfortunately did the song in separate studios so we’ve emailed a bunch back and forth, but we haven’t had a chance to meet in person.”

Colon added, “I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, to have her on the song is an amazing feat to be able to get her on there. She’s a co-writer on the song, too.”

Colon’s “Voice” to Help Ring in the Holidays…

Javier Colon has locked in his plans to kick-off the upcoming holiday season… He’ll be a special guest at the Christmas tree lighting at New York City’s Rockefeller Center.

The 33-year-old Dominican & Puerto Rican American winner of NBC’s hit reality singing competition The Voice will perform live on NBC’s
Christmas Tree Lighting Special.

Javier-Colon
Colon will join Tony Bennett, Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, Cee Lo Green, Faith Hill, Carole King and Katharine McPhee as they perform classic and modern holiday songs.

The holiday special, which dates back to 1933, will air live on NBC on November 30 at 8:00 pm with co-hosts Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie.

The event will showcase a 10-ton Norway Spruce holiday tree measuring 74 feet tall and 46 feet in diameter.

“The Voice” is a Playboy…

“The Voice” winner Javier Colon is headed back to television this fall to sing the blues…

The Dominican & Puerto Rican American singer will guest star as the legendary Ray Charles in an upcoming episode of NBC’s new drama, “The Playboy Club,” starring Cuban heartthrob Eddie Cibrian.

According to Billboard magazine, Colon will sing Charles’ 1960 classic, “Let the Good Times Roll.”

Earlier this summer Colon’s unique R&B sound helped propel him to victory on the first season of the hit reality singing competition, “The Voice.” Along with winning $100,000, he received a recording contract with Universal Republic Records. He’s currently in the studio recording new music.

“The Playboy Club” premieres on NBC on Monday, September 19, at 10 pm.