Latin music’s most prestigious and longest-running award show will broadcast live on Telemundo from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, on Thursday, October 5, starting at 7 pm/6 pm CST. The show will also air simultaneously on the Hispanic entertainment cable channel Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

The awards will be presented in 48 different categories across the major music genres of Latin Pop, Tropical, Latin Rhythm, and Regional Mexican. In addition, two new categories are being introduced this year: Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year.

Peso Pluma, one of the biggest names in today’s music scene, has 21 entries, including Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year for Genesis. His collaboration on Ella Baila Sola with Eslabon Armado competes for six awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year, Global 200 Latin Song of the Year, and Sales Song of the Year. His collaboration on La Bebe with Yng Lvcas is up for five awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year.

Globally renowned artist Bad Bunny is a 15-time finalist, including Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year for Tití Me Preguntó. He has four other entries for Un X100to, a collaboration with Grupo Frontera, that includes Hot Latin Song of the Year and Song of the Year, Streaming.

Mexican-American band Grupo Frontera is also a 15-time finalist, including Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year. Five of their entries are for the song Bebe Dame with Fuerza Regida, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year. Their collaboration Un X100to with Bad Bunny earned four entries, including Regional Mexican Song of the Year.

Among female artists, Karol G boasts 13 entries. This year marks the second consecutive year that the Bichota enjoys the highest number of entries for a female artist in the history of the awards, achieving 15 in 2022 and 13 this year. Karol G is vying for Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year for Mañana Será Bonito. Her collaboration with Shakira on the song TQG is up for five awards including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Airplay Song of the Year.

Shakira is a 12-time finalist. In addition to the five entries she earned for TQG, she is up for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female, and Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Solo. She is also competing for Latin Air Play Song of the Year for Monotonía and Latin Pop Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year with BZRP Music Sessions, Vol 53, a collaboration with Bizarrap. Fuerza Regida also boasts 12 entries, and in addition to the five they earned for Bebe Dame with Grupo Frontera, they are up for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group, and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.

Other finalists with multiple entries include Eslabon Armado (10), Rauw Alejandro (7), Rosalía, Bizarrap, Feid and Yng Lvcas (6), Ivan Cornejo, Manuel Turizo and Natanael Cano (4), Becky G, Ozuna, Romeo Santos (3), Aventura, Carin León, Daddy Yankee, Edgar “Edge” Barrera, Grupo Marca Registrada, Junior H, MAG, Maná, Marshmello, Piso 21, Quevedo, Sebastián Yatra and Yandel (2).

The complete list of finalists can be found at Telemundo.com/PremiosBillboard, the official site of the Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The post Bad Bunny, Karol G, Peso Pluma & Shakira Among Finalists for the 2023 Billboard Awards on Telemundo first appeared on .

Oscar-winner Bardem recently joined a protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Madrid soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the invasion of Ukraine.

“I am here to demonstrate my condemnation of the Russian Federation’s warlike actions against Ukraine,” he told the news agency Reuters at the demonstration where about a hundred people, many bearing Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag, had gathered. A video showed the 52-year-old actor wearing a black mask and hoodie and chatting with people at the rally. 

“It is an invasion… It violates Ukraine’s fundamental right to territorial sovereignty, international law, and many other things,” told Bardem to a reporter, adding he was concerned about a possible refugee wave of Ukrainian fleeing war and looking for safety abroad. A week later, the actor’s worries proved prescient. Media reports say that more than 840,000 Ukrainians, including many women and children, have crossed into Poland and other neighboring countries. An order from the Ukrainian government prohibits men 18 to 60 years of age from leaving the country in order to help fight the Russian invasion.

Bardem is among Spain’s most famous artists. He has been nominated four times for the Oscars, winning for best supporting actor in 2008 for his role in No Country for Old Men. This year he competes in the best actor category for his portrayal of  Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in the biopic Being the Ricardos. 

The Spanish star has also advocated for other causes like climate justice and the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Israeli-Occupied Territories during armed conflicts.

Shakira is another artist expressing concerns about Russia’s war against Ukraine, especially its impact on the most vulnerable. A few days ago, she retweeted a UNICEF post saying, “The children of Ukraine need peace, NOW.” The Grammy winner has also supported other causes, like children’s education through her own nonprofit, Fundación Pies Descalzos. On Feb. 15, she celebrated International Childhood Cancer Day by posting a video of children completing their chemotherapy. 

Chef Jose Andres, who has ventured into filmmaking as an executive producer of several documentaries, tweeted a video informing that his nonprofit World Central Kitchen was ready to serve food to Ukrainians leaving their homeland, which is under attack by the Russian military. Tweeting from Poland, he asked for donations to help feed the new refugees. He said, “People of the World…Like you, I am distraught watching Ukraine under attack. We must come together as a force for good! @WCKitchen is on Poland border delivering meals tonight—Romania soon. In addition to your donations…I am committing support from the Bezos award to Ukraine.”

Last year, Andrés received a $100 million grant from Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos for the Spanish chef’s humanitarian work.

People of the World…Like you, I am distraught watching Ukraine under attack. We must come together as a force for good! @WCKitchen is on Poland border delivering meals tonight—Romania soon. In addition to your donations…I am committing support from the Bezos award to Ukraine.?? pic.twitter.com/ws0EFl8zLd

— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) February 25, 2022

The world-famous chef has executive produced TV specials and series docs, including What’s Eating America, Who’s Feeding America?, Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy, Undiscovered Haiti with José Andrés and Made in Spain.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have so far been killed during Russia’s ongoing invasion, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. A U.N. agency anticipates the number of Ukrainian refugees could soon surpass 1 million.

The post Latino Celebrities Take a Stand on the War in Ukraine first appeared on .

It all started with the three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Shakira’s song “Girl Like Me”, where she spawned a viral dance challenge. She is now joining forces with NBC for the new competition series Dancing With Myself. 

Dancing With Myself is inspired by the millions tuning in to watch the latest dance crazes on social media sites such as TikTok. Shakira will not only executive produce but also host and participate as one of the judges. 

It is a family-friendly competition series where, according to the series’ description, “Every week a new group of fun-loving dancers from all walks of life and of all ages compete in a series of high-energy dance challenges that are designed and demonstrated by the show’s celebrity creators, including Shakira. Isolated in their own pods, contestants have a short time to learn the new routines, add their unique flair and then perform their hearts out in front of a live audience.”

Shakira and her judging panel provide “instant feedback and encouragement as each round of the competition progresses.” However, ultimately, it’s the studio audience who decides on who wins Best Dancer of the Night and goes home with the cash prize.

NBC has partnered with an ideal artist for a dance competition. In the area of music and dance, Shakira is a bonafide pop superstar. She has sold over 300 million albums worldwide. “I’m excited to be a part of a dance competition that places such a high value on creative movement and how it translates into personal expression, not to mention how it contributes to a sense of community,” the Colombian singer stated in a video message. 

“I’ve personally been blown away by some of the talent I’ve seen thanks to people having access to their own platforms through social media,” Shakira added. “Dance has been an incredibly potent force throughout my life, and I’m eager to show the world how transformative, empowering and fun it can be.”

Producing is Irwin Entertainment, the production company run by showrunner John Irvwin (Little Late With Lilly Singh) for NBC with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio group. Shakira will also work alongside Dave Kuba, Eli Frankel, Ben Thursby-Palmer and Jaime Levine.

Dancing With Myself’s premiere is yet to be announced. Each week viewers will see a group of dancers compete in a series of high-energy dance challenges designed and demonstrated by the show’s celebrity creators, including Shakira. Dancing with Myself is licensed by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The post NBC Taps Shakira for Competition Series ‘Dancing With Myself’ first appeared on .

Cardi B has racked up four nods including Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Hip Hop, all of them for her “WAP” collaboration with Megan The Stallion, one of the biggest hits of the year. All of Bruno’s noms are also for his collaborative song “Leave the Door Open” with Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic.

The artist with the most nominations this year is Justin Bieber, seven, closely followed by Megan The Stallion, six. More than half a dozen other performers received five nods, including veterans like Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Lil Nas X and newcomers like Olivia Rodrigo and Giveon.

The only other Latino with multiple nominations is Bad Bunny with two, both collaborations, in the Best Latin category. El Conejito Malo competes with “Dákiti,” a joint effort with Jhay Cortez, and “Un Die (One Day)” with Balvin, Dua Lipa and Tainy. Vying also for the award in this field are Billie Eilish and Rosalía with “Lo Vas a Olvidar,” Black Eyed Peas and Shakira with “Girl Like Me,” Karol G with “Bichota” and Maluma with “Hawái.” The Best Latin category is dominated by Colombian nominees–Balvin, Shakira, Karol G and Maluma, followed by Boricuas–Bad Bunny, Cortez and Tainy.

The 2021 MTV Vido Music Awards will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Sept. 12. 

LIST OF NOMINEES

Video of the Year

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar” (Starring Justin Bieber) – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records

The Weeknd: “Save Your Tears” – XO / Republic Records

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande – Republic Records

Doja Cat – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Justin Bieber – Def Jam

Megan Thee Stallion – 300 Entertainment

Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records

Taylor Swift – Republic Records

Song of the Year

24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: “Mood” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

BTS: “Dynamite” – Bighit Music

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Dua Lipa: “Levitating” – Warner Records

Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License” – Geffen Records

Best New Artist

24kGoldn – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Giveon – Epic Records / Not So Fast

The Kid Laroi – Columbia Records

Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records

Polo G – Columbia Records

Saweetie – Warner Records

Push Performance of the Year

Wallows: “Are You Bored Yet?” – Atlantic Records

Ashnikko: “Daisy” – Warner Records

Saint Jhn: “Gorgeous” – Godd Complexx / HITCO

24kGoldn: “Coco” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

JC Stewart: “Break My Heart” – Elektra Music Group

Latto: “Sex Lies” – RCA Records

Madison Beer: “Selfish” – Epic Records / Sing It Loud

The Kid Laroi: “Without You” – Columbia Records

Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License” – Geffen Records

Girl in Red: “Serotonin” – World in Red / AWAL

Fousheé: “My Slime” – RCA Records

Jxdn: “Think About Me” – DTA Records / Elektra Music Group

Best Collaboration

24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: “Mood” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk: “Laugh Now Cry Later” – OVO / Republic Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” – RCA Records

Best Pop

Ariana Grande: “Positions” – Republic Records

Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

BTS: “Butter” – Bighit Music

Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U” – Geffen Records

Shawn Mendes: “Wonder” – Island Records

Taylor Swift: “Willow” – Republic Records

Best Hip-Hop

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk: “Laugh Now Cry Later” – OVO / Republic Records

Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “On Me (remix)” – Quality Control / Motown

Moneybagg Yo – “Said Sum” – N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records

Polo G: “Rapstar” – Columbia Records

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A.: “Franchise” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records

Best Rock

Evanescence: “Use My Voice” – BMG

Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records

John Mayer: “Last Train Home” – Columbia Records

The Killers: “My Own Soul’s Warning” – Island

Kings Of Leon: “The Bandit” – RCA Records

Lenny Kravitz: “Raise Vibration” – Roxie Records / BMG

Best Alternative

Bleachers: “Stop Making This Hurt” – RCA Records

Glass Animals: “Heat Waves” – Republic Records

Imagine Dragons: “Follow You” – Kidinakorner / Interscope Records

Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear: “My Ex’s Best Friend” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records

Twenty One Pilots: “Shy Away” – Fueled By Ramen

Willow ft. Travis Barker: “Transparent Soul” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation

Best Latin

Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez: “Dákiti” – The Orchard

Billie Eilish & Rosalía: “Lo Vas A Olvidar” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Black Eyed Peas and Shakira: “Girl Like Me” – Epic Records

Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy: “Un Die (One Day)” – Universal Music Latino / Neon16

Karol G: “Bichota” – Universal Music Latino

Maluma: “Hawái” – Sony Music US Latin

Best R&B

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

Chris Brown and Young Thug: “Go Crazy” – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records

Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary” – Epic Records / Not So Fast

H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown: “Come Through” – MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

SZA: “Good Days” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records

Best K-Pop

(G)I-DLE: “Dumdi Dumdi” – Republic Records

Blackpink and Selena Gomez: “Ice Cream” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records

BTS – “Butter” – Bighit Music

Monsta X: “Gambler” – Starship Entertainment

Seventeen: “Ready to love” – Pledis Entertainment

Twice: “Alcohol-Free” – JYP Entertainment Company

Video for Good

Billie Eilish: “Your Power” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Demi Lovato: “Dancing With the Devil” – Island

H.E.R.: “Fight For You” – MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

Kane Brown: “Worldwide Beautiful” – Sony Music Nashville / RCA Records

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records

Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z: “Entrepreneur” – Columbia Records

Best Direction

Billie Eilish: “Your Power” – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Directed by: Billie Eilish

DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar (Starring Justin Bieber)” – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records – Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino

Taylor Swift: “Willow” – Republic Records – Directed by: Taylor Swift

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A: “Franchise” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records – Directed by: Travis Scott

Tyler, The Creator: “Lumberjack” – Columbia Records – Directed by: Wolf Haley

Best Cinematography

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, Mohammaed Atta Ahmed, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant

Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Rob Witt

Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez

Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper: “Holy” – RBMG / Def Jam – Cinematography by: Elias Talbot

Lady Gaga: “911” – Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth

Lorde: “Solar Power” – LAVA/Republic Records – Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud

Best Art Direction

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer: “Already” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos

Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records – Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz

Lady Gaga: “911” – Interscope Records – Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Art Direction by: John Richoux

Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: “Best Friend” – Warner Records – Art Direction by: Art Haynes

Taylor Swift – “Willow” – Republic Records – Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez

Best Visual Effects

Bella Poarch: “Build a Bitch” – Warner Records – Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova

Coldplay: “Higher Power” – Atlantic Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic

Doja Cat & The Weeknd – “You Right” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel

Glass Animals: “Tangerine” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by: Ronan Fourreau

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic

P!nk: “All I Know So Far” – RCA Records – Visual Effects by: BUF, VFX Supervisors: Dominique Vidal & Geoffrey Niquet, VFX Producers: Annabelle Zoellin & Camille Gibrat

Best Choreography

Ariana Grande – “34+35” – Republic Records – Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson

BTS – “Butter” – Bighit Music – Choreography by: Son Sung with BHM Performance Directing Team

Ed Sheeran – “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records – Choreography by: Natricia Bernard

Foo Fighters – “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Choreography by: Nina McNeely

Harry Styles – “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Marshmello & Halsey – “Be Kind” – Astralwerks / Capitol Records – Choreography by: Dani Vitale

Best Editing

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic Records – Editing by: Troy Charbonnet

BTS: “Butter” – Bighit Music – Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens

Drake: “What’s Next” – OVO / Republic Records – Editing by: Noah Kendal

Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” – RCA Records

Featured Photo: Cardi B in ‘WAP’ (Credit: YouTube)

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Latin global musical sensation Bad Bunny has greatly raised his profile since last year with a performance at the Super Bowl, three successful consecutive albums in the middle of the pandemic, and a recent appearance at a major wrestling event. Next in line: Saturday Night Live.

The Puerto Rican rapper is set to perform as SNL’s musical guest this Saturday, his first time on the legendary late-night live sketch comedy and variety show.

That honor is well earned. El Conejo Malo’s latest album El Último Tour del Mundo debuted #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, the first all-Spanish-language album ever to top the popular list. Also, the 26-year-old artist is currently nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the best pop duo/group performance category for Un Dia (One Day) along with J Balvin, Dua Lipa, and Tainy, and in best Latin pop or urban album for YHLQMDLG, which stands for “Yo hago lo que me da la gana,” that loosely translates into “I do what I want.”

MUSIC FROM THE PANDEMIC
YHLQMDLG was the first of three albums released by Bad Bunny during the pandemic, a challenging time for many artists facing lockdown. A studio album, YHLQMDLG was dropped in late February, just a few days after the Boricua artist joined pop sensations Shakira and Jenniffer Lopez and fellow rapper J Balvin for last year’s Super Bowl’s half-time concert. YHLQMDLG reached #2 on Billboard, the highest-ranked Spanish-language album at the time.

In May, El Conejo Malo released another album, Las Que No Iban a Salir (Those Who Weren’t Going Out), debuting at #7, followed by El Último Tour del Mundo de Mundo in late October. He is the first and only artist to place three consecutive albums in the top 10 of Billboard 200 in one single year.

In addition to his Superbowl’s appearance, Bad Bunny’s speedy road to SNL’s Saturday performance has also included stops at other popular shows, such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show With James Corden. 

A FAN OF WRESTLING
In late January, the chart-topping singer/songwriter was featured at WWE’s annual Royal Rumble, where he performed his single Booker T. The rapper is reportedly a fan of wrestling. 

His musical accomplishments led the trade publication Variety to honor Bad Bunny with its second annual Achievement in International Music Award. In addition to collaborations with Latin stars such as Ozuna, Farruko, Residente, and Daddy Yankee, El Conejo Malo has worked with Cardi B and Drake.

Bad Bunny is also exploring acting. Soon, Bad Bunny will be seen in an episodic series. He is set to appear on the popular series Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico, starring Scoot McNairy (Fargo), Diego Luna (Amores Perros), and José María Yazpik (Mr. Pig). 

There is no doubt that El Conejo Malo has come a long way really quickly. He burst into the spotlight just five years ago. 

Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny’s career started out as an independent, unsigned singer on SoundCloud. He would upload his music while working at a supermarket and studying at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. His rising popularity on the cloud caught the attention of a record label. His first hit was Soy Peor. Stardom arrived after he collaborated with Grammy Award winner Cardi B and Drake on the hits I Like It and Mia, number one and three, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

His debut album X 100pre in 2018 won the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album. He later joined with fellow rapper J Balvin for to record Oasis, an album that produced hits like Qué Pretendes and La Canción and earned him three Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy Award nomination.

Bad Bunny has won more than 52 awards, including two Latin Grammy Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, two American Music Awards, and six Premios Lo Nuestro, among others. 

The post Bad Bunny to perform on SNL first appeared on .

 Written by Justina Bonilla

This year’s Super Bowl was notable for many firsts. For the first time in Super Bowl history, all halftime headliners and national anthem singer, where Latinas.

Kicking off this groundbreaking Super Bowl was Demi Lovato profoundly and beautifully singing the national anthem. Taking it to the next level, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo)’s electrifying Super Bowl halftime performance highlighted the best of Latino culture and talent, with the musical support of Bad Bunny and J Balvin. The performance also included the music debut of J.Lo and singer Marc Anthony’s daughter Emme Muñiz.

Since 1967, only three Latinas have sung the National Anthem for the Super Bowl. Mariah Carey was the first Latina National Anthem performer in 1992. Followed by Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato. However, the first Latina singer to perform as a featured talent for a Super Bowl was Vikki Carr, during the opening ceremonies in 1977. Due to the national anthem not being sung that year, Carr instead sang America the Beautiful. She paved the way for future featured Latina and Latino Super Bowl performers.

Throughout Super Bowl halftime show history, only 14 Latino performers have been headliners or noted featured talent, within 8 halftime performances.

The first solo Latino musical headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show was Latina music legend Gloria Estefan in 1992. It would take another 24 years, before another Latino, Bruno Mars, would be the first solo male Latino musical headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show in 2016. Other Latinos halftime performers include Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Fergie with The Black Eyed Peas.

While both Shakira and J.Lo each brought their own flavor and sparkle to their performances, each made strong statements. Shakira’s performance emphasized Latino multiculturalism, while J.Lo’s performance was political.

Shakira: Diversity Within the Latino Community

When many people think of Latino culture in America, they tend to think of Mexican culture, due to Mexicans being the largest of the U.S. population at 66% with the 2nd largest group, Puerto Rican coming in at a distant 9.5%  of the population.  However, Latino culture is extremely diverse stretching over a multitude of countries and territories, especially in the Americas and the Caribbean. Its heavily and continually impacted by immigration, multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious influences.

Shakira who is from Colombia, identifies as a half-Colombian and half-Lebanese Latina. During her performance she belly danced and used the Zaghrouta (a high-pitch tongue call to express strong emotions, partially joy). She also used African based rhythms and dancing in her performances.

Arabs and Africans have lived in Latin America for centuries, as a result of the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the 15^th century. Their influences are deep-rooted in Latino culture, including music. Arab rhythms can be heard in flamenco, while African rhythms can be heard in Rumba and Conga. Shakira’s entire performance challenges how singular Latino culture is perceived in America, proving its vast diversity.         

Jennifer Lopez: Latino Orientated Political Issues

J-Lo opened her performance with a bang, with her signature dancing style and singing her biggest hits. Her performance was peppered with strong political statements about current immigration policy, Latino American Identity and Puerto Rico.

As her daughter Emme made her singing debut on television, she and other children were first seen round glowing cages, along with red lights behind the stage mincing the look of a chain-link fence. These images artistically symbolize the inhumane immigration policy of child imprisonment and separation from parents. Tragically, these separations have led to severe psychological trauma in the children taken from their families. Adding insult to injury, many of these children will end up in foster care and never be reunited with their families, due to the incompetence of ICE’s organizational and documentation abilities.

All of the children on stage, were wearing white (a color associated with innocence), with bedazed American flags on their tops. J.Lo joined Emma on stage singing the chorus of Bruce Springsteen’s hit, Born in the U.S.A., emphasizing the fact that U.S. Latinos are Americans, for the most part. While many of us have strong ties to immigration (i.e. immigrant parents or grandparents), according to PEW research, since 2000, the majority of Latino population growth in America is by birth rate. The majority of Latino immigrants in America are documented, with the percentage of undocumented Latinos decreasing.

Unfortunately, Latinos are still heavily stereotyped as embodying the negative aspects of immigration, including crimes committed by undocumented “criminal aliens”, exploiting social welfare, and unwillingness to assimilate. These twisted ideas have been exacerbated and used as a political weapon in this heated political climate. This has led to increased harassment against Latinos, such as Latinos with legal status being arrested and illegally held in ICE facilities, including Puerto Ricans.

To emphasis that Puerto Rico is an American territory and that all Puerto Ricans are American citizens, J.Lo wore a reversible cape, with the Puerto Rican flag on the inside and the American flag on the outside. The message here is that Puerto Rico is an American territory, thus a part of America. This also brought awareness that Puerto Rico still needs aid from the devastation of recent natural disasters and political unrest.

Overall:

As a Latina I’m proud that these women used their platform to elevate the Latino image through their incredible talent and hard work. My hope is this halftime performance will be the beginning of more inclusive entertainment, highlighting the beauty and strength of Latinos and our culture.  

Latino Headliners and featured talent for The Super Bowl halftime show:

1992: Gloria Estefan (headliner)

1995: Arturo Sandoval (guest appearance)

           Miami sound Machine (guest appearance)

1999: Gloria Estefan (co-headliner)

2000: Edward James Olmos (narrator)

           Christina Aguilera (co-headliner act)

           Enrique Iglesias (co-headliner act)

2011: The Black Eyed Peas (Fergie co-headliner)

2014: Bruno Mars (headliner)

2016: Bruno Mars (guest appearance)

           Gustavo Dudamel (guest appearance)

2020: Jennifer Lopez

Shakira

Bad Bunny

J Balvin

Emme Muñiz

Latino talent who performed the National Anthem for the Super Bowl:

2002: Mariah Carey

2011: Christina Aguilera

2020: Demi Lovato 

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Disney Pays Lin Manuel Miranda $75 Million for worldwide film rights to his hit musical Hamilton

Lin Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal hit Broadway show Hamilton which won two Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama will be distributed theatrically by Disney. The theatrical production was filmed and Disney dished out a cool $75 million for the exclusive worldwide distribution rights. The staged performances will release in theaters in the fall of 2021.

The original show and cast was filmed over three days with an audience much in the same way that the groundbreaking film version of Luis Valdez’s classic musical play Zoot Suit was filmed by Universal  way back in 1981. Lin Manuel Miranda stars in the title role that made him a star, much like Edward James Olmos was catapulted to stardom with his Tony Award nominated role as El Pachuco in Zoot Suit.  Miranda next will be seen in the big screen version of his musical play In The Heights, directed by Jon Chu and released by Warner Bros on June 25, 2020.

Emilio Estevez returns to The Mighty Ducks for Disney + series

Emilio Estevez (Young Guns, St. Elmo’s Fire) will be reprising the role of Coach Gordon Bombay from the original 1992 The Mighty Ducks hit movie in a new Mighty Ducks Disney + series.  In the original movie, Estevez played attorney Bombay who’s arrested for DUI and ordered to coach a youth hockey team as part of his court ordered community service and leads them to a championship. The series will run for 10 half hour episodes that will connect the new show to the original movie trilogy.  In recent years Estevez, the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother to Charlie Sheen has steered away from acting to concentrate on a behind the scenes career as a feature film director (Men at Work, Bobby, The Way).

Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street To Be Made Into a TV Series

Gaumont Television, the producer of the hit series Narcos, is developing Sandra Cisneros‘ classic novel The House On Mango Street into a television series with Cisneros attached as executive producer. Published in 1984, The House on Mango Street is a best-selling novel made up of a series of vignettes about the characters that populate a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American teenager who acts a narrator.

JLO and Shakira Music Sales go right through the roof right after their explosive Super Bowl Halftime Show

Due to their rock the house performances at the Super Bowl LIV Halftime show this past Sunday, both Jennifer Lopez and Shakira saw major sales gains for their entire catalog of songs according to Billboard reports from Nielsen Music/ MRC data. Music sales and streaming figures have continued to spike since Sunday’s show. It’s no surprise that both artist’s biggest selling songs were the ones performed during the halftime show. Shakira’s top three biggest sellers were Whenever, Wherever (4,000; up 1,264%), Hips Don’t Lie (3,000; up 1,201%) and Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (2,000; up 1,456%). As for Lopez, her top three sellers were On the Floor (2,000; up 1,193%), Let’s Get Loud (1,000; up 861%) and Waiting for Tonight (1,000; up 1,266%). All songs sold a negligible sum on Feb. 1, the day before the game.

 The first All Latino Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Latinas, certainly brought Latino music and culture center stage to a national and worldwide viewing audience.

Many viewers may not have been familiar with either JLo or Shakira’s music. Their show stopping dance and music performances introduced them to a new audience segment. Shakira’s curves and sexy gyrations and JLo’s sliding down the pole in her shimmering body hugging outfits are some of the memorable moments that also included Lopez wrapped with a Puerto Rican flag in recognition of her heritage and a subtle reminder of the border crisis where children are imprisoned in cage-like cells when she was joined in song by her young 11 year old daughter with a children’s all girl chorus.

 SuperBowl Sunday has become a yearly American family tradition and it garnered the highest ratings in five years watched by over 140 million people nationwide and another 50 to 65 million worldwide. Elevating Latinos on a worldwide level.

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“He was mesmerized… He didn’t watch any of the Superbowl except halftime,” Longoria said when posting a photo of her son Santi, watching the halftime show from her lap.

“I don’t think I have ever felt prouder as a woman, as a Latina, as an American. It was the most beautiful, poignant halftime show, I’ve ever seen. The ladies shut it down,” she emphasized. “Everybody from Demi Lovato to Shakira, to J.Lo to J Balvin to Bad Bunny, just the representation that was on that field was enough to burst my heart.”

Longoria went on to declare, “It’s the best halftime show in the history of Super Bowl.”

Longoria was happy to be a part of the Emily’s List event, saying, “This is such a fun event ’cause you get to see all these amazing, powerful women, who are making a difference in our country.

She pointed out, “Emily’s list, what they do is really important, making sure women have a seat at the table in politics and government, so that’s worth supporting.”

For more celebrity news go to www.extratv.com

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Written by Roberto Leal

I’m an insomniac. Oftentimes, during an all too frequent sleepless night, I’ll watch a movie on TCM in the wee hours of the morning. I’ve come to refer to these pre-dawn, movie-watching episodes as Insomniac Cinema.

Last week — could have been last night or last year.  Who knows? Who cares? All the days seem to blend into a series of dissolves from one scene to another. Anyway, I was watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, (1957), starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak.

When Vertigo initially appeared in movie houses, it was universally bitch-slapped by movie critics for its lurid subject matter of obsession and control. What was most disturbing, at the time, was Hollywood’s beloved good guy, Jimmy Stewart played the obsessed, control freak.

Vertigo met its “Dark Fate”, at the box office, almost as quickly as the latest Terminator flick. However, over the years, Vertigo gained cache and stature with film scholars, as Hitchcock’s masterpiece surprisingly found itself displacing Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane in the #1 spot as the greatest film of all-time.

The prestigious British film journal, Sight & Sound, which most recently issue of The 100 Greatest Films list, still has Vertigo at #1. But as I checked through this most recent list, I found a glaring sin of omission: NOT ONE, nada niguno, Spanish-language or Chicano film from either the USA, Mexico, Central or South America or the Latin Caribbean made the list.  Querido amigos!

To quote the Freddy Fender Texas Tornado national anthem of San Antonio, “Hey, Baby, Que Pasó?” How could this be possible? It was as if the voting film pundits were totally unaware of the huge land mass, between the shores of the British Isles and the beaches of Japan, teeming with talented Latino filmmakers, directors, actors, screenwriters and technicians. 

I have no qualms with films like Touch of Evil, Bicycle Thieves, The 400 Blows, Persona, Casablanca, Singing in the Rain, or even Douglas Sirk’s weepy melodrama, Imitation of Life (which starred Lana Turner and John Gavin who was of Mexican ancestry), being on the list. Who the hell doesn’t bawl like a baby in the final scene when Juanita Moore’s long-suffering, heart-of-gold character dies? Without fail, I always do. Hold on, gotta get a tissue. I tear up just thinking about that scene.

Judging films like judging art, music, literature or your favorite pozole recipe, is strictly a subjective exercise. Beauty in art or film is in the eye of the beholder, just as great pozole is on the tongue of the taster.

Let me offer up three objectively excellent Latino cinematic gems worthy of consideration to be added onto the list of The 100 Greatest Films:

Soy Cuba, (Cuba), 1964 Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. This Cuban/Russian co-production takes you on a lyrical, poetic journey through pre-Castro Cuba by weaving together four vignettes of the different, and often conflicting socio-economic dynamics swirling on the island at that time. The camerawork, in Soy Cuba, is hypnotic. At times, the cameraseems to have wings as it floats seamlessly through sugar cane fields, within a smoke-filled Havana night club scene and soars up to balconies and rooftops and then swoops back down to street level. Ingmar Bergman observed, sitting in a dark theater watching the flickering images flashing on the screen at 24 frames per second, is the closest we come to replicating the dream state. Soy Cuba comes damn close.

Los Olvidados,(Mexico), 1950. Spanish filmmaker, Luis Buñuel, made several films in Mexico during that country’s Golden Age of Cinema, during the Forties and Fifties. Buñuel’s Los Olvidados is a bleak, uncompromising exploration of youth violence in the dark underbelly of Mexico City. This gritty, black and white Mexican film is the equal of any of its Italian Neo-Realism or French New Wave contemporaries.

Zoot Suit, (America), 1981. The son of migrant farm workers from Delano, California, Luis Valdez, playwright, actor, director,producer, is the acknowledged wellspring of Chicano cinema. His iconic film, Zoot Suit,based on his play, embodies what Luis Valdez is all about. Zoot Suit tells the story of the little-known Zoot Suit Wars of the Forties. It deftly examines the racial bias and struggles with cultural identity within the Chicano community. Zoot Suit features a tour de force performance by Latino legend, Edward James Olmos, as El Pachuco, the flamboyant, colorful conscience and spirit of Zoot Suit culture. Zoot Suit is a prime example of film auteurship, a quality lauded by film theorists.

[And a Few Editor Picks: Salt of the Earth (USA), El Norte (USA), Like Water For Chocolate (Mexico), Fresa Y Chocolate (Cuba), Official Story (Argentina)]

A NY Times article titled: Latinos Underappreciated in Hollywood, Study Finds, reports that regardless of critical and commercial success, Latinos still don’t get the much deserved and well-earned recognition in the entertainment industry like their non-Latino counterparts.

But, as Bob Dylan reminds us: “The times, they are a-changin”.

Today, Latinos are a commercial and creative force to be reckoned with in Hollywood and beyond. Whether film, TV, music, art or theater, people with Spanish surnames are becoming more commonplace, as the changing demographics of this huge land mass between the shores of the British Isles and the beaches of Japan, inexorably shift in our favor.

This year, the world’s biggest sports spectacle, the Super Bowl, will feature a halftime show with not one, but TWO Latina megadivas; Jennifer Lopez (USA) and Shakira (Colombia).

Five of the last six Oscars for Best Director have gone to Mexicans directors: Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant), Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma), and Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water).

History is on our side. It won’t be long before film scholars begin to revisit, re-evaluate, appreciate and recognize the huge contributions of Latino filmmakers to the unique art of world cinema.

When the first Latino film, at long last, makes the list of The 100 Greatest Films, El Pachuco standing defiantly, decked out in his finest zoot suit duds, will snap his fingers and hoarsely whispers in his East LA Chicano accent: “¡Horale, ese! It’s about time.”

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In honor of the 20^th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards, The GRAMMY Museum with the Latin Recording Academy debuted the first permanent Latin music gallery of Los Angeles, the Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years of Excellence, on November 18, 2019. To further recognize the importance of this event, L.A. City Council proclaimed November 18^th, 2019 “Latin GRAMMY Day”.

As Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy and host of this monumental event announced, “Latin music is a worldwide influence and we are honored to partner with the GRAMMY Museum to showcase the talented musicians, monumental Latin music moments, and significant milestones that have contributed to its popularity…and look to the feature to showcase this beautiful art form”.

Michael Sticka, President of the Grammy Museum also added, “Our expanded partnership with The Latin Recording Academy will significantly increase the GRAMMY Museum’s impact by creating a consistent presence dedicated to celebrating the many genres of Latin music”.

A year of planning and months of construction for this two-million-dollar project has created a breathtaking exhibit on the third floor of the first Grammy Museum, established in 2008.  The exhibit displays an array of memorabilia highlighting two decades of the Latin GRAMMY show and its most iconic performances and special moments. This exhibit also features the cultural and social impact of this music nationally and internationally.

On hand for the unveiling were (Pictured in the featured photo), Gabriel Abaroa Jr., The Latin Recording Academy® President/CEO; Christian Nodal, Ángela Aguilar, Giselle Fernández, Michael Sticka, President of the GRAMMY Museum®; supervisor Hilda Solis, and Albert Lord (Los Angeles City Council)

Highlighted memorabilia of the exhibit include:

Juan Gabriel’s outfit from his show-stopping 10^th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards performance.

Ricky Martin’s shirt from his musically innovative performance with the Blue Man Group, at the Latin GRAMMY Awards:

And the first professional drum set of Mana’s drummer Alex Gonzales. Plus, many other featured iconic artists, such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan Jr., Shakira, Julio Iglesias, Thalia, Los Tigres del Norte, and Sheila E.

The Latin Recording Academy (previously known as the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) was founded in 1997, by the Recording Academy (previously known as the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) responsible for the GRAMMY awards. It was created as a response to properly cover the vast and growing diversity of Latin music genres. 

The first Latin GRAMMY Awards were held on September 13, 2000, with 39 categories. Today, it’s grown to an astounding 50 categories!    

Having this exhibit in Los Angeles is monumental, due to this city being both “The entertainment capital of the world”, and the American city with the largest Hispanic/Latino population of 4.9 million (Pew, 2018).  A further donation by the Latin Academy, over half a million dollars, will be used over a three-year period to further extend this exhibit and other “Latin-inspired exhibits”. Further emphasizing the cultural and social influence Latinos and Latin music has had on the city and the music industry. 

This historical exhibit is now open to the public as of November 20^th, 2019 to Spring 2020. A must-see for anyone who’s passionate about music, L.A. culture, history, and/or the Latino experience.

For further information: https://www.grammymuseum.org/exhibits/latin-grammy-20-years-of-excellence

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