Colman Domingo to Star as Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson Biopic “Michael”

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo has landed a father of a role…

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor, who recently earned his first-ever Oscars nomination, has landed the role of Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Joe Jackson was known for his hard-driving management and often controversial parenting of the Jackson 5. Domingo joins Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, who is playing his King of Pop uncle in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film from Oscar-winning producer Graham King and his GK Films. Three-time Oscar nominee John Logan wrote the screenplay.

“Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will,” said King. “We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”

Fuqua added, “Colman has such incredible range – he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation. I’m grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father and a manager.”

Domingo said, “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown. There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael’s essence is simply on another level.”

Domingo’s turn in Rustin also earned him BAFTA, SAG Award and Golden Globes nominations. He’s also an Emmy winner for his guest role on HBO’s Euphoria and his recent work includes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Zola, the newly conceived musical film version The Color Purple, as well as his just-completed starring role on Fear the Walking Dead.

Upcoming for the actor is Ethan Coen’s movie Drive-Away Dolls opposite Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp and Matt Damon, which arrives on February 23.

Later this year, he will be seen starring in the feature film Sing, Sing and in The Madness, a new Netflix limited series.

Michael will be produced by King and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. It is getting an overseas release from Universal Pictures International (sans Japan, which Lionsgate is handling). The film bows day-and-date around the world on April 18, 2025.

Shakira to Receive Video Vanguard Award at This Year’s MTV Video Music Awards

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is being celebrated for leading the way…

The 46-year-old Colombian superstar singer-songwriter will receive the Video Vanguard Award at MTV‘s 2023 Video Music Awards on September 12, becoming the first South American artist to earn the award.

Shakira will accept the award and perform at the ceremony for the first time since 2006.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer is a four-time VMA winner and 30-time nominee.

She won her first VMA — the award for International Viewer’s Choice — Latin America (North) — in 2000 for “Ojos Así.” She snagged the same award in 2002 for “Whenever, Wherever/Suerte” and also scooped up the trophy for Best Choreography in a Video for 2006’s “Hips Don’t Lie” as well as Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration for 2007’s “Beautiful Liar” with Beyoncé.

Shakira has also earned three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys in her career.

The Video Vanguard Award, named after Michael Jackson, went to Nicki Minaj last year. Previous winners include Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, David Bowie, Madonna and Rihanna. The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night director Richard Lester won the award at the first VMAs in 1984.

Shakira is nominated for four VMAs this year: Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Latin for “TQG” with Karol G, and Best Latin for “Acróstico.”

Earlier this year, her hit collaboration with Bizarrap, “Music Sessions Vol. 53,” set a number of streaming records on Spotify and YouTube.

Shakira first performed at the VMAs in 2002 with her rendition of “Objection (Tango),” and was the first artist to perform a song entirely in Spanish at the ceremony alongside Alejandro Sanz when they sang “La Tortura” in 2005.

Taylor Swift leads this year’s VMA nominations with eight, while SZA comes in second with six nominations. Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Olivia Rodrigo and Kim Petras each have five nominations, and Blackpink and Diddy tie Shakira’s four. Demi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin, and Stray Kids are confirmed to perform at the ceremony, with MTV announcing more performers soon.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Tony Awards Show

Posted on June 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda has a date with Tony…

This Sunday’s 75th Annual Tony Awards will feature a line-up of all-star presenters from the stage and screen, including the 42-year-old Puerto Rican actor, rapper, composer, playwright and filmmaker.

Miranda, a multiple Tony Award winner, is among a roster of presenters that includes Andrew Garfield, Laurence Fishburne, Nathan Lane, Bowen Yang and both Paris and Prince Jackson, the children of MJ subject Michael Jackson.

The roster of presenters was announced by Tony Awards producers, and also includes Josh Lucas, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Skylar Astin, Zach Braff, Danielle Brooks, Danny Burstein, Len Cariou, RuPaul Charles, Jessica Chastain, Lilli Cooper, Bryan Cranston, Wilson Cruz, Colman Domingo, Anthony Edwards, Cynthia Erivo, Raúl Esparza, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Goldwyn, David Alan Grier, Vanessa Hudgens, Jennifer Hudson, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, Sarah Paulson, Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Pope, Billy Porter, LaTanya Richardson, Chita Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Phillipa Soo, Sarah Silverman and George Takei,

The four-hour June 12 Tony evening begins at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT with The Tony Awards: Act One, a one-hour streaming event of exclusive content live on Paramount+ hosted by Darren Criss and Julianne Hough.

The 75th Tony Awards, hosted by Oscar-winning actress and singer Ariana DeBose, follows at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on CBS and Paramount+. The awards will be presented live coast-to-coast from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Last night, DeBose confirmed that the Tony Awards also will pay respect to the swings and understudies who made this Covid-plagued Broadway season possible. In response to a tweet from Actors’ Equity president Kate Shindle dismissing social media rumors that swings and understudies would be ignored during the ceremony,

DeBose reiterated Shindle’s assurances, writing, “To all concerned, all I can ask is that you keep the faith & trust. I am working round the clock to bring you all a beautiful celebration of everyone’s hard work…”

Rauw Alejandro Releases Sophomore Studio Album “Vice Versa”

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rauw Alejandro is back with new music…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican singer, whose real name is Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, has released his sophomore studio album, Vice Versa, via Duars Entertainment.

On his new album, Rauw opted to go experimental, trading, for the most part, his signature reggaeton and Latin R&B sound for more electro-pop, funk, and even Brazilian-inclined rhythms.

“This is the music I like to do,” he tells Billboard, crediting James Brown, Bruno Mars, and Michael Jackson as his music idols. “This album has a lot of contrast and a great selection of music.”

His best example? “Todo De Ti,” which Rauw admits was the last song to make it on Vice Versa.

“The album is incredible but the more I heard it, I felt like something was missing. That’s when ‘Todo de Ti’ was born,” he says, getting inspired from old-school sounds like funk and disco. “The most important thing in my music is the melodies. I began vibing in the studio with my producer Mr. Nais Gai and when I found the perfect melody, that’s when I began writing the concept of the song. I was so excited about the track that we finished it in two days.”

Also a phenomenon on TikTok with over one million video creations, “Todo de Ti” currently sits at No. 45 on Billboard‘s all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also entered the Hot Latin Songs, Latin Airplay, Global 200, and Global Excl. U.S. charts.

“It’s a totally different proposal and I took a risk,” he says.

Vice Versa contains only three reggaeton songs, two collaborations (one with Anitta and his longtime friend, Lyanno), and the rest, a rollercoaster of new fusions, best representing his album’s cover.

He explains the production was created between 2020 and 2021 and that he began working on it just two weeks after finalizing his debut set, Afrodisiaco. He also mentions that his entire team — which has been by his side since the beginning of his career — fully supported and respected the route he wanted to take in Vice Versa.

“I like to get out of my comfort zone,” he proudly states. “That’s what makes me happy, to be able to explore, expand and grow. I don’t judge any artist that wants to follow their line but in my case, I don’t like getting boxed in a certain type of genre. I want to experiment with the most that I can in my career and aim to become that complete

Up next, Rauw prepares to perform his biggest hits and new songs on his 2021-2022 tour in the U.S., Spain, and Puerto Rico, including three sold-out shows at the emblematic Coliseo de Puerto Rico on October 21, 22, and 23.

Tony Succar Signs Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Succar has a new deal…

The 34-year-old Peruvian Peruvian percussionist, composer, arranger, bandleader and producer has signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group.

Following his 2015 salsa-inspired tribute album to Michael Jackson titled Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, which landed at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Tropical Albums Charts, Succar won a Latin Grammy last year for best salsa album (Más De Mí) and producer of the year.

“It’s important for me to be able to experiment and constantly evolve my sound, and I’m thrilled to partner with a team like WCM where that’s supported and encouraged,” Succar said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with talent from different genres and cultures to create something truly unique, which is what I strive for everyday as a producer, composer, and artist. And of course bringing my Peruvian sound to the international music market is a big focus for me, it’s my culture and my roots, and the world needs to hear more of us.”

“We’re always looking to partner with genre-defying innovators like Tony,” said Gustavo Menendez, president, WCM Latin America. “His unexpected and fresh take on salsa and jazz paired with his one-of-a-kind tropical beats makes for a unique sound that has captivated listeners. We know there are even bigger things ahead for him!”

Succar recently teamed up with Dr. Pablo Gil‘s Raices Jazz Orchestra to release a self-titled first album in May.

Featuring Grammy-winning artists like Richard Bona and Anaadi, the album fuses jazz and Latin musical styles.

Camila Cabello Shares Her New English & Spanish Skechers Commercials

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is Skech-ing out…

The 20-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony member has released the first English and Spanish commercials for her new campaign with Skechers.

Cabello promotes Skechers Hi-Lites in the dual language videos.

Beside bright colors in a flavorful Miami-like setting, the singer appears out and about with friends on the streets and practicing her choreography back stage, all while showing off her fun, shiny kicks.

In a statement, Cabello said, “It’s so important for me to pay homage to my Cuban/Mexican roots. My culture is such a huge part of who I am. While working on my solo album, I have been listening to Spanish and English musicians — pulling inspiration from influencers I grew up with. I grew up speaking Spanish around my house and listened to primarily Spanish music before discovering Michael Jackson and all of the artists I listen to today.”

Sanz Partnering with Javier Limon to Develop Music Talent Contest “Son of Songs”

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Sanz is getting real competitive…

The 48-year-oldSpanish singer-songwriter, a 17-time Latin Grammy winner and three-time Grammy winner, is partnering with music producer Javier Limon on an original primetime entertainment format, Son of Songs.

A music talent contest that celebrates the vast range of styles open to modern artists, Son of Songs will be produced by Mediapro, Gazul Producciones, which represents Sanz, and the Limon’s U.S.-based record production label, Casa Limon.

Son of Songs also marks one of the earliest formats to emerge from Mediapro as its drives into upscale TV production.

With Sanz also taking an executive producer credit, Son of Songs’ format features eight young talents, drawn from different styles of music, who pay tribute to a guest star performing their greatest hits in different styles. The format is based on the idea that the musical idea of any song can be interpreted in any style: Jazz, blues, hip-hop, Latin, dance, or flamenco, Mediapro said in a statement.

Now in development, but with first images and content recorded in Boston by young musicians at its prestigious Berklee College of Music, Son of Songs yokes the talents and channels the music passions of two key Spanish music industry figures who have successfully crossed over to the U.S, and Latin America.

Selling 25 million albums to date, Sanz broke through internationally with 1997’s Mas. Including “Corazón Partío,” it sold two-million-plus copies in Spain, making it the most-sold album in history. It also vindicated a style which, however much based on romantic ballads laced with flamenco tropes, has seen experimented throughout Sanz’s career with fusions of jazz, R & B, soul and pop – an inclusiveness which has led Sanz to record with multiple artists from Alicia Keys to Shakira, Michael Jackson to The Corrs.

The winner of 10 Grammys, Limon’s Casa Limon has presented Lagrimas Negras and Buika, and produced concerts, documentaries and television programs. A producer, composer and performer, the key to his work has been its diversity, in both the geographic origin and styles of the great artists he has collaborated with, from Paco de Lucia, Enrique Morente and Joaquin Sabina in Spain to Cuba’s Bebo Valdés, Mexico’s Chavela Vargas, the U.K.’s Nick Lowe and India’s Anoushka Shankar. He also serves as artistic director at the Berklee College of Music.

Blacc Covers Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” for amfAR’s New AIDS Benefit Compilation, “The Time is Now”

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Aloe Blacc is giving one of the King of Pop’s hits a modern makeover… And, it’s all for charity.

The 37-year-old Panamanian American singer-songwriter, who is participating in Netflix’s animated Beatles-themed series Beat Bugs, is one of the featured artists on for amfAR‘s new AIDS benefit compilation, The Time is Now.

The 14-track, 1980s-inspired covers album will be released October 7 via Republic Records and Mass Appeal with proceeds benefiting AIDS research foundation amfAR.

The first track released from the set is Blacc’s bluesy cover of Michael Jackson‘s classic “Billie Jean.”

In addition to Blacc, the compilation album includes tracks by Phantogram, DNCE, LP, Theophilus London and more.

Among the songs featured on the new album are Tina Turner‘s “What’s Love Got to Do With It” revamped by DNCE, Dita Von Teese and Sebastien Tellier taking on Culture Club‘s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and New Order‘s “Bizarre Love Triangle” covered by Sugar for Sugar, a band consisting of Scarlett Johansson, Julia Haltigan, Holly Miranda and Kendra Morris.

The 14-track covers album will be released October 7 via Republic Records and Mass Appeal with proceeds benefiting AIDS research foundation amfAR.

Here’s the full track list below.

“Take Me Home” (Phil Collins), Performer: Phantogram
“Bizarre Love Triangle” (New Order), Performer: Sugar for Sugar
“Under the Milky Way” (The Church), Performer: Metric
“Whip It” (Devo), Performer: Brazilian Girls
“Rio” (Duran Duran), Performer: Bebel Gilberto
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” (Tina Turner), Performer: DNCE
“Billie Jean”(Michael Jackson), Performer: Aloe Blacc
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” (Culture Club), Performer: Dita Von Teese and Sebastien Tellier
“Maneater” (Hall & Oates), Performer: Lower Dens
“Genius of Love” (Tom Tom Club), Performer: Chaos Chaos
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (Whitney Houston), Performer: Marian Hill
“Pride (In the Name of Love)” (U2), Performer: LP
“Lovesong” (The Cure), Performer: Yuna
“Dance Hall Days” (Wang Chung), Performer: Theophilus London

Santiago Wins the Third Installment of Telemundo’s “La Voz Kids”

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jonael Santiago is the pint-sized voz of the season…

The 11-year-old Puerto Rican dynamo with an outsize personality was declared the winner of the third installment of La Voz Kids, the Spanish-language kiddie version of The Voice on the Telemundo network.

Santiago’s win — determined by audience voting from more than 1.2 million viewers — was not a slam dunk by any means. This third season boasted a particularly talented lineup of finalists, including 11-year-old Shanty Sumaya, a Mexican American from Texas who already plays gigs in her home state and is particularly good at grupero; and 14-year-old Franser Pazosa, a Cuban-born 14-year-old from Portland, Oregon, with a stunning, versatile voice.

Santiago, a diminutive boy who looks younger than his years, couldn’t match their vocals, but he made up for it with stage presence, attitude and dance moves that evoked Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson. His grand finale was Mars’ “Treasure,” a song chosen for him by coach Natalia Jimenez.

“He’s an amazing package,” Jimenez told Billboard after the win. “He can dance, he can sing, he can act. I wanted him to sing something he can move with. He’s really good at singing ballads, but the most impressive thing is seeing him dance and sing at the same time.”

Even Daddy Yankee, a competing coach, agreed. “It’s so entertaining to watch Jona onstage,” he said after Santiago’s final performance.

Santiago competed against contestants coached by Jimenez, ranchera singer Pedro Fernandez and reggaeton star Daddy Yankee, who shared the stage as coaches for the first time in this third season of La Voz. The show, whose previous coaches have included Paulina Rubio and Prince Royce, has become a ratings success for Telemundo.

La Voz Kids is a variation on The Voice’s format that features kids as contestants, major music stars as coaches and big-name guest performers. For the Sunday night finale, held — as the entire season was — at Universal Orlando, featured performers for the evening, beside the contestants, were Marc Anthony and Gente de Zona, Mexican singer Lucero and La Voz coach Fernandez.

The winner of La Voz Kids gets a $50,000 cash prize from AT&T that goes toward their education, and a recording contract from Universal Music Latino for the production of a song and video. That could go in different directions for Santiago, who moved from Puerto Rico to Miami two years ago to further his training in music and dance and sings equally well in both languages.

“I felt comfortable with ‘Treasure,’” he said of his final performance. His favorite acts, he says are “Demi Lovato — I love her — and Tori Kelly. I really want to record in the studio ‘All In My Head’ by Tori Kelly; she’s awesome.” However, he added, “Spanish is my first language and I came to Miami two years ago and I’m not perfect [in English yet]. I’m Puerto Rican and I always will be and I’ll talk Spanish forever.”

Mars Earns Sixth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “Uptown Funk!”

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a chart-topping start of the New Year for Bruno Mars…

The 29-year-old’s collaboration with Mark Ronson‘s, “Uptown Funk!,” has reached the summit on the Billboard 100 chart, rising 2-1 on the first chart released in 2015.

The song replaces Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space” after seven weeks at the helm.

“Uptown Funk!,” released via RCA Records, earns Mars his sixth Hot 100 No. 1 and second as a featured artist: he previously reigned as a guest in his first appearance, on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ on You” in 2010. In between, he led with his own tracks “Just the Way You Are” (four weeks, 2010), “Grenade” (four, 2011), “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man” (one, 2013).

Among male soloists in the Hot 100’s 56-year history, only nine boast more No. 1s than Mars. Michael Jackson leads with 13, followed by Stevie Wonder (10), Elton John, Paul McCartney, Usher (nine each), George Michael (eight), Phil Collins, Frankie Valli and Elvis Presley (seven each; note that Presley’s career predated the Hot 100’s 1958 launch by two years).

“Uptown Funk!,” the 1,041st Hot 100 No. 1 of all-time, reaches the summit with the majority (65 percent) of its chart activity from sales, as it rebounds 2-1 for a second week atop the Digital Songs chart with 382,000 downloads sold (down 12 percent) in the week ending Jan. 4, according to Nielsen Music.

“Uptown Funk!” pushes 4-2 on the Streaming Songs charts with a 14 percent surge to 10 million U.S. streams. On Radio Songs, it rises 10-9 with an 11 percent increase to 76 million in all-format audience.

“Funk!” previews Ronson’s album Uptown Special, due Tuesday (January 13).

“It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Ronson says of his new Hot 100 leader. “And, I know that it’s one of Bruno’s favorite things that he’s ever done, as well.”

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