By Mia Castillo
Burbank, CA, — A year ago “Omar “Rude Boy” Fuentes only dreamed of Hollywood in his native Honduras, now he has been was crowned the winner of EstrellaTV’s hit show Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento and received a grand prize of $100,000.
This past Wednesday, August 5, EstrellaTV held the grand finale of its #1 talent search show Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento and announced the final audience voting results, 23-year-old Rude Boy, a Honduran native living in Dallas, Texas, who has only been in the US for a year was selected by the audience. A long journey to the U.S., Rude Boy rode the “La Bestia” (Train of death) to get here. He was incarcerated in an ICE prison for 7 months and missed the birth of his first son. But that is all in the past, as he looks forward to a brighter future with his win at Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento.
Fuentes, who goes by the stage name of “Rude Boy,” impressed the judges and the audience week after week, performing his own original lyrics in a Latin Urban style. His deep lyrical prowess and rapping technique catapulted him to the finale, establishing him as a front runner and fan-favorite with the viewing audience and the celebrity judges. On Wednesday night, “Rude Boy” garnered the majority of votes and took home the winning title for the show’s 22nd season. Prior to joining the competition, Fuentes was a landscaper in Dallas, Texas, where he lives with his expecting wife and son.
The show, which was taped at the network’s Estrella Studios in Burbank, was a celebration of Latin music, where 13 finalists battled for the opportunity to launch a music career and take home the coveted cash prize.
The two-hour grand finale featured musical performances by the show’s own celebrity judges, Chiquis and Ana Barbara, as well as guest performances by some of Regional Mexican music’s top brass, including Edwin Caz and the show’s host and heartthrob, Luis Coronel. Filled with excitement and anticipation, Season 22 of Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento came to a final wrap after briefly going on hiatus due to the ongoing health crisis. The show’s production was altered and underwent a set redesign to adhere to new safety and sanitary protocols, keeping the set closed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the show’s staff, celebrity judges, and contestants.
This season, Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento also enlisted the help of celebrity guest judges Lupillo Rivera, Carolina Ross, Edwin Caz, and El Escorpión Dorado to sit on the judges’ panel and give their feedback to contestants throughout the season. The show’s regular judges include Pepe Garza, a leading radio programmer, composer, music producer and tastemaker in Regional Mexican music, recording artists Ana Barbara and Chiquis and TV and radio personality Don Cheto, of Estrella Media’s nationally syndicated Don Cheto Radio Network.
Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento holds auditions for thousands of contestants across the country in search of America’s next big Hispanic superstar. The judges and millions of viewers make one talented person’s dreams come true with a $100,000 grand prize, along with the career-launching support of EstrellaTV. Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento continues to be the longest-running talent competition program in Spanish-language television in the U.S.