The OndaLive! Chicano Music + Culture Fest is back for its second annual edition as a two-day virtual celebration of the Mexican American pop culture experience in the U.S., featuring more than 20 renowned and accomplished artists who have made their mark in America. The event is slated for Nov. 12 and 13. 

The fest will be co-hosted by the “Queen of percussion” and Latin Grammy-recipient Sheila E; Daytime Emmy Award-winner Mario Lopez, actor and Access Hollywood; and comedienne/actress Anjelah Johnson-Reyes of MADtv fame.

The festival will feature three hours of free, exclusively produced, themed segments of Chicano lifestyles, musical mashups, spoken word and live concerts, all of which will amplify Hispanic contributions and success, according to organizers. People of Mexican descent are the largest Latino demographic group by national origin, accounting for little more than 60 percent of the US Latino population, according to the U.S. Census.

“This three-hour Chicano prime-time programming is a tribute to the nearly 37 million Mexican-Americans in the U.S., who for many years have contributed to pop culture throughout all facets of society,” said David Chavez, Ingeñuity CEO and OndaLive! creator. “OndaLive! celebrates the immense talent and social impact of the vibrant Latino community.”

The program will feature “Chicano Music Mashups,” a set of virtual jam sessions across music genres. San Francisco-based Los Mocosos will play with Santana band members Karl Perazzo and Andy Vargas. Another headlining artist of this segment is the East Los Angeles band Las Cafeteras, whose music has been featured in the Telemundo TV series Mi Familia Perfecta and Netflix series Vida.

Regional and traditional Mexican music be spotlighted with “Estrellas de Mariachi,” a segment hosted by Juan Ortiz of Campanas de America and presenting mariachi music’s stars and ground-breaking artists like Grammy and Latin Grammy nominee Lupita Infante, the granddaughter of famed Mexican composer Pedro Infante; Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Ángeles, dubbed as the world’s first LGBTQ mariachi group; and New York’s Mariachi Tapatio de Álvaro Paulino Jr. 

The festival will feature the taped reunion of Tejano superstar Jay Perez and the pioneering The Latin Breed, who performed together live in concert this summer at the Vegas Tejano Music Week 2021.

The comedy program “Loud Mouth Comedy Roadshow,” hosted by Carlos Mencia, is described by fest spokespersons as a “cyber highway of comedy, cars and comida” featuring performances by Willie Barcena, Elizabeth Covarrubias, Deejay Vasquez and Tania Estrada. Also joining the funny show is syndicated radio personality Manic The Hispanic.

Tejano music will also be under the spotlight at OndaLive! Grammy Award-winner Chris Perez of Selena y Los Dinos fame will host Tejano America: Best of Season Two, presenting the memorable moments and performances by Tejano and conjunto artists from the second season of the lifestyle variety web series.

The festival will also feature an excerpt presentation of actor Pepe Serna’s one-man show El Ruco Chuco Cholo Pachuco. A prolific actor, Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows, according to his IMDb page. His movie credits include Scarface, Silverado, The Rookie and American Me. 

The cultural segment “Fantasma: The Awakening!” will present cultural creators and artists in a showcase that uses the theme of the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos as a backdrop. The program will feature metal-fueled, Mariachi-infused Tequila Rock Revolution, the intricate metalwork of Made By Tony Perez and Coco artist and cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, whose comic strip La Cucaracha is the first nationally syndicated, politically themed Latino daily comic strip in the U.S.

Additionally, OndaLive! will pay homage to two renowned artists, comedy legend Paul Rodriguez and Tex-Mex conjunto master and multiple Grammy Award-winner Flaco Jimenez. 

Born in the Mexican state of Sinaloa and a former resident of Compton, Rodriguez is among the best-known Latino comedians and Hollywood actors and celebrities. His success in stand-up comedy led him to host his own sitcom on ABC, a.k.a. Pablo. His other TV credits include Trial and Error, The Newlywed Game, El Show de Paul Rodriguez on Univision, MTV Tr3?s’ comedy home video series Mis Videos Locos. As an actor, he has appeared in about 50 films, including Born in East LA, The Whoopee Boys, Blood Work, Tortilla Soup and Ali. He is a recipient of an NCLR Bravo Award. 

Tejano music legend Jimenez has 27 studio albums under his belt. The Texas-born musician has won six Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as additional nominations. He is also the recipient of the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.

“As the Chicano soul celebration OndaLive! returns, we are thrilled to see the festival come to life and celebrate with performances that bring our Latino community together,” said Yvette Peña, vice president in the office of diversity, equity and inclusion at AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, the main sponsor of the festival. “AARP is committed to supporting Latinos around the nation and celebrating our heritage, so we are proud to sponsor OndaLive! with this talented lineup of artists.”

For more information visit LaOndaLive.com.

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