Becky G to Perform Oscar-Nominated “The Fire Inside” at This Year’s Academy Awards

Becky G has a date with Oscar…

The 26-year-old Mexican American singer, rapper and actress will perform at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Becky GBecky G will perform “The Fire Inside,” a single with music and lyrics by Diane Warren for the film Flamin’ Hot.

The track is one of this year’s Best Song nominees.

Becky G is among a roster of Oscar performers that includes Jon Batiste, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Scott George and the Osage Singers, and Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson.

They’ll take the stage to perform the trophy hopefuls during the 96th Oscars hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on March 10.

The announcement was made by Oscars executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and EPs Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan.

ABC will air the show live coast-to-coast starting at the new time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Here’s the list of the Best Song nominees, songwriters and Oscarcast performers:

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” – Performed by Becky G
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” – Performed by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson
Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

“It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” – Performed by Jon Batiste
Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon” – Performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers
Music and Lyric by Scott George

“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” – Performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

Melanie Martinez to Perform at This Year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

Melanie Martinez is headed to Bonnaroo…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer will perform at this summer’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which will take place on the ‘Roo Farm in Manchester, TN on June 13-16.

Melanie MartinezMartinez, who rose to acclaim after appearing on the third season of NBC’s The Voice, will perform on Saturday, June 15.

This year’s headlining acts include Post MaloneRed Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again… and Pretty Lights.

Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage the Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo, T-Pain, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Jon Batiste, among many others.

The acts will take to 10 stages for the four-day event featuring sets running into the early morning, as well as sunrise performances.

Bonnaroo 2024 will feature more than 150 performances across the campground, 150 food vendors (including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options) and free water stations.

America Ferrera to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Golden Globes

America Ferrera will be hitting the Golden Globes stage…

The full lineup of presenters for Sunday’s Golden Globes is set, with the 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress among the artists set to hand out trophies at the Beverly Hilton.

America Ferrera

Ferrera, a Golden Globe winner for Ugly Betty and Barbie star, appears on a list of preseners that includes Amanda Seyfried, Andra Day, Angela Bassett, Annette Bening, Ben Affleck, Daniel Kaluuya, Don Cheadle, Dua Lipa, Elizabeth Banks, Florence Pugh, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Gabriel Macht, George Lopez, Hailee Steinfeld, Hunter Schafer, Issa Rae, Jared Leto, Jodie Foster, Jon Batiste, Jonathan Bailey, Julia Garner, Justin Hartley, Kate Beckinsale, Keri Russell, Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, Matt Damon, Michelle Yeoh, Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Patrick J. Adams, Ray Romano, Rose McIver, Shameik Moore, Simu Liu, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Will Ferrell.

Jo Koy will host the Golden Globes, which will honor the year’s best in motion pictures and television.

The ceremony will air beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Among this year’s Golden Globe nominees in 26 categories, 2023’s box office champ Barbie from Warner Bros leads all films with nine, followed by Universal’Oppenheimer with eight and Apple’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Searchlight’s Poor Things with seven apiece.

In the TV races, HBO’s final go-round with Succession has nine noms, the most-ever for a series, scoring mentions in all categories in which it was eligible.

Camilo Teams Up with Bollywood Star Diljit Dosanjh for New Single “Palpita”

It’s a heart-pounding return for Camilo.

The 29-year-old Colombian singer, musician and songwriter has joined voices with Bollywood actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh for the new mid-tempo pop single “Palpita.”

CamiloThe track features captivating urban desi elements.

In the new track — which talks about how their hearts pound strongly for the person they desire — both artists take turns singing in their respective native languages, with Camilo joining Dosanjh towards the end in a verse in Punjabi.

“I already have your address/ A plane has more brakes than me/ The two of us in the room/ And my heart/ Beats and beats…,” says part of the lyrics in Spanish.

“Palpita” is Camilo’s second summer song for Coke Studio after his participation in Jon Batiste’s “Be Who You Are (Real Magic)” along with other international artists.

“I have always been fascinated by Indian culture and tradition,” he says in a press release. “I had the opportunity to go there and I fell in love. Years later I am very impressed by what is happening with Punjabi music and how artists like Diljit are bringing their tradition, their music and their sound out to the whole world.”

In the official lyric video, Camilo is seen sharing happy moments in the studio with Dosanjh

M. Angélica Garcia Named to President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

M. Angélica Garcia has joined the committee

The Latina educational leader, who serves as president of Berkeley City College, has been named to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Joe Biden.

M. Angélica GarciaBruce Cohen and Lady Gaga will serve as the co-chairs of the revived committee.

In addition to Garcia, Cohen and Lady Gaga, other committee members include Latino educator and journalist Horacio Sierra; musician Jon Batiste; Constance M. Carroll, president of the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Association; actor George Clooney; Harvard professor Philip J. Deloria; actress Jennifer Garner; art historian, museum director and curator Nora Halpern; bookstore owner and former congressman Steve Israel; producer-writer Marta Kauffman; producer Ricky Kirshner; actor Troy Kotsur; Bad Robot Prods. co-CEO Katie McGrath; Laura Penn, executive director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; artist and educator Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; author and Stanford Professor Emeritus Arnold Rampersad; producer and author Shonda Rhimes; retired attorney and CPA Kimberly Richter Shirley; writer and actress Anna Deavere Smith; singer-songwriter Joe Walsh; actress, director and producer Kerry Washington; and Pauline Yu, president emerita of the American Council of Learned Sciences.

Biden announced last year that he was reviving the committee, which was disbanded during the presidency of Donald Trump.

The committee, set up in 1982 during Ronald Reagan’s administration, advises the president and heads of cultural agencies on ways to elevate the importance of the arts, including through federal support.

In 2017, remaining Obama-era members of the committee resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the Charlottesville riots. Trump did not renew the executive order for the committee.

Biden issued an executive order in September reviving the committee.

In the order, Biden pledged that his administration would “advance the cultural vitality of the United States by promoting the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services,” including when it comes to advancing equity, accessibility and opportunity. The order also pledges to “strengthen America’s creative and cultural economy, including by enhancing and expanding opportunities for artists, humanities scholars, students, educators, and cultural heritage practitioners, as well as the museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other institutions that support their work.”

A number of the members of the committee have ties to Biden, including as campaign donors and supporters. Along with Stephanie Cutter, Kirschner served as executive producer of Biden’s inaugural. Kaufmann hosted First Lady Jill Biden at her home for a midterm fundraising event in September. Batiste performed at a White House state dinner in December.

During the Obama administration, Cohen also served as the entertainment industry liaison for Joining Forces, the initiative from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to support military service members, veterans and their families. Lady Gaga performed at Biden’s inauguration, and traveled with him to support an initiative to address campus sexual assault.

Bruno Mars to Co-Headline Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival 

Bruno Mars is celebrating one of Kentucky’s finest exports…

The 37-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and multiple Grammy winner will be among the headlining acts for this year’s Bourbon & Beyond festival at the Highland Festival Grounds in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bruno Mars, Ricky Regal, LacosteMars’ co-headliners include Brandi CarlileThe Killers and The Black Keys atop an eclectic lineup of rock, pop, folk, blues and country acts from September 14-17. 

The four-day event’s roster announced on Wednesday (March 8) will also feature Billy Strings, Train, Midland, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and The Lone Bellow on the first night, which will be topped by Carlile.

Night two will find the Killers atop a list including Duran Duran, Hozier, Brittany Howard, Bastille, The Gaslight Anthem, Wayne Newton, Inahler, Joy Oladokun and more.

The Keys and Crowes will top Saturday’s rocking run-down, with support from The Avett Brothers, Spoon, First Aid Kit, Old Crow Medicine Show, City and Colour, Paolo Nutini, Luke Grimes and Danielle Ponder.

The final night pairs headliner Mars with Blondie, Jon Batiste, Ryan Bingham, Babyface, Aloe Blacc, ZZ Ward and Fantastic Negrito, among many others.

Each day will also feature a full lineup on the Bluegrass Situation Stage.

Tickets — including weekend GA, Weekend Mint VIP, Angels Envy Beyond VIP and single day GA and single day Mint VIP — are all available now here.

As always, in addition to a full day and night of music, the fest will host bourbon and food stages with appearances from master distillers, A-list chefs and, of course, dozens of bourbons to taste.

Rachel Zegler to Perform at This Year’s Grammy Awards

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.

Rachel Zegler,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 OsborneBTS, Brandi CarlileBillie 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+.

 

Carlos Santana to Perform Alongside Rob Thomas at “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert”

There’s more than a walk in the (Central) park in Carlos Santana’s future…

Amid concern over the Delta coronavirus variant, a mega-concert in Central Park to celebrate New York City’s reopening will go forward as planned next month, with performers including the 74-year-old Mexican-American guitarist/musician.

Carlos Santana

Santana, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, will perform alongside Rob Thomas. The pair teamed up in 1999 for Smooth“, a dynamic cha-cha stop-start number co-written and sung by Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and laced throughout with Santana’s guitar fills and runs. “Smooth” spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming in the process the last No. 1 single of the 1990s.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference to unveil the details of what de Blasio promised will be a “historic,” “blockbuster” event. Officially titled “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” the event is set for August 21 at 5:00 p.m., it will be broadcast live globally on CNN and 80% of tickets will be free.

While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination.

“New York City is back,” de Blasio said. “You can see it, you can feel it, and it’s time to celebrate on the Great Lawn.”

The lineup, which includes many New York natives, so far spans Jon BatisteAndrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind & Fire joined by Lucky Daye and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana joined by Rob Thomas, Paul Simon and Patti Smith duetting with Bruce Springsteen.

“As a born, bred and true New Yorker, I well know how resilient we are and how New York always comes back,” Davis said. “I cannot think of a more appropriate way to celebrate this than an unforgettable concert in the most special venue in the world: the Great Lawn at Central Park. My team, along with our partners at Live Nation, has been hard at work for weeks curating what I submit to you will be a once-in a lifetime event […] It will celebrate a spectacular range of musical genres, styles and eras while including some of the most iconic artists in the history of modern music.”

Davis, who was raised in Brooklyn, is co-producing alongside Live Nation. Restauranteur Danny Meyer, the recently-appointed chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation board of directors, is also involved, as is Universal Hip-Hop Museum executive director Rocky Bucano.

“We’re so honored to be part of this event,” added Live Nation regional president Geoff Gordon. “I too have goosebumps after hearing that, even though we’ve been involved in lining this up. Live music has the unique ability to bring us all together, which is really what we’re doing. There’s nothing like a live music experience.”

Tickets for the concert go on sale on Monday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. EST on the new NYC Homecoming Week website, and the Great Lawn has a capacity of 60,000. The 20% of tickets not designated as free are VIP tickets available for purchase. De Blasio said that event workers will be checking for proof of vaccination as attendees enter, with more details to come. Asked by a reporter whether the vaccination requirement means the concert is for attendees aged 12 and over only, de Blasio said, “right now, that’s a fair assumption.”

The event will cap off a reopening celebration dubbed NYC Homecoming Week, during which the City of New York will host concerts in each of the five boroughs starting August 14, leading up to the Great Lawn spectacle on the 21st. The lead-up concerts will be held Aug. 16 at Orchard Beach in The Bronx; Aug. 17 at Richmond County Bank Park in Staten Island; Aug. 19 at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn; and Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Fonseca Pens Anthem for Change, “Rise Up,” with Jon Batiste

Fonseca is encouraging the masses to rise up

The 35-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter has partnered with American jazz artist and composer Jon Batiste to co-write “Rise Up,” the theme song to a special one-day summit of the same name.

Fonseca

Fusion, the television and digital company launched as a joint venture between Univision and Disney/ABC Television, will host its first RiseUp summit on November 19 in Washington, D.C.

The one-day event will bring together global activists, artists, politicians and technologists from around the world.

As part of “RiseUp,” Fonseca and Batiste penned the theme song, which is available on iTunes now.

The track is being called an anthem for change (“Stand Up to the world, rise up for what you care,” says the chorus) with jazz and pop influences. All proceeds from the song will be donated to UNICEF.

Fonseca and Batiste will perform “Rise Up” at the summit during an evening concert directed by producer Andres Levin. It will also feature his fusion band, Yerba Buena.

The RiseUp summit will spotlight recent youth-led movements and activism in places as far-flung as Venezuela, Egypt, Taiwan and Turkey.