FH Hispania Plaza

A Latino E-Virus

Nothing says that Hispanics are online in full force more than an email virus directed solely at them (and in Spanish).  An item from People en Espanol reports that people have been getting viruses in emails that 'deliver' fatal news about the deaths of Luis Miguel, Shakira and/or Alejandro Fernandez.  The emails appear to come from Televisa or CNN and are in fact vicious viruses.  There is a lot of competing data about Hispanics online and their preferred language for navigation, but we know at least 33% prefer Spanish and market moves such as Impremedia gambling on Impre.com, Univision.com's dominance and million of users, and even People en Espanol's site all attest to the fact that the universe is large (also loyal judging for the growing 'foros' section on Univision.com).  Of course, email is also heavily used among the group since it is a good way to stay connected long-distance. And while I have found no data to prove it, the incidence of hitting 'forward' seems to also be high, based on personal observations, so knowing about this virus can help prevent a further spread.  Keeping in mind that the web has no geographical boundaries and the popularity of these artists beyond the U.S., there is no telling how many people could be taken by these false emails.

The Latin Grammys Come to Houston

The Latin Grammys recognize excellence in Latin music and are one of the most-watched Hispanic shows in the Western Hemisphere; in the U.S. alone, close to 12.5 million viewers tuned in for the 2007 show.

This year, the 9th annual Latin Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from Houston, Texas to more than 100 countries. Hosting the Latin Grammys is a first for Houston and this past Tuesday April 8, all of those involved in bringing the show to the city announced it to music fans all over.

VH1's New Reality Show: Bofetadas, Intriga, y Final Feliz

Reading the trades, I had noticed some coverage about the newest VH-1 reality TV conconction: Viva Hollywood! I glossed over the headlines until I saw it mentioned again today and saw that Latino TV darling Carlos Ponce was hosting-- had to learn more. Turns out, VH-1 is pitting 12 aspiring bilingual actors in a race to become… a Latino novela star!

The premise of the show is that contestants have to master the 7 sins of novelas. They will be showing off their acting skills while living at the "Casa de Locos". But hold on: in what seems like an implausible plot twist from novela madrina Delia Fiallo, astrologer Walter Mercado will provide alerts and predictions of challenges to come during each episode. And in true novela style, contestants will be 'killed off' during the progress of the show until one is crowned with the 'papel estelar' and receives a contract with talent firm LatinWe, a Miami condo, and $100,000 prize.

From the press release, it seems VH-1 was able to plot every single cliché of the Latino novela culture into one big reality TV show (or should we call it 'spoof'?). Sofia Vergara, Daisy Fuentes, Angelica Vale, Charo, Christian De La Fuente, Lorena Rojas, Maria Celeste Arraras and Perez Hilton all have signed on as celebrity guests on the show that premieres this Sunday.

La Misma Taquilla

Flipping through El Nuevo Herald's movie listings the other day, I ran across ads for Bajo la Misma Luna --a well-publicized movie and first big screen vehicle for Mexican soap opera darling Kate del Castillo. According to a recent news report, Hispanics are the USA's fastest-rising demographic of movie ticket buyers. But from all accounts, this movie's story line is relevant beyond ethnicity. With a Mexican cast led by Del Castillo and Eugenio Derbez, the plot is about a boy who decides to cross the border to look for his mom who crossed a few years before him. The sensibility to immigration is very palpable in today's society and with widespread media coverage and accounts of personal stories, the story is very captivating.

Could This Be the Beginning of a Tectonic Media Shift?

And I thought I would never see the day - but times do change. The Miami Herald reported this morning that Telemundo and Televisa have reached a 10-year agreement to have Televisa distribute Telemundo programming in Mexico. The deal itself probably won’t have a major immediate effect on the US media market, but combined with Televisa’s ongoing legal feud with Univision, it could signal a fundamental realignment of the forces that have governed Spanish-language television in the US over the past decades.

Univision’s ratings dominance has been anchored on the Mexican soap operas to which they have had exclusive rights as Televisa’s partner. Whether Televisa severs its programming relationship with Univision now as a result of their legal battle or down the road when their agreement expires, it could represent a huge windfall for Telemundo who have long languished in second place without access to the Mexican programming that is so popular among the immigrant population.

Latino Stars Take a Stand

We read all the time about pop stars' efforts to alleviate problems in different parts of the world: Bono has long been an advocate for Africa, Darfur and AIDS education, also a cause of concern for Elton John, Sting has taken a stand for peace, and Shakira has fought to end child poverty.

As tension rises between Colombia and Venezuela following increasing evidence that links Chavez to the FARC rebels in his neighbor to the West, a Colombian native with star power is calling on his friends to join together for peace. In a press conference this week, Grammy-award winner Juanes announced plans for a peace concert to be performed right on the border of the countries where the two Latin American powers meet.  The site also is symbolic because it also is where Ecuador meets with the two -- the country recently broke ties with Colombia. The concert is scheduled for March 18 and also will feature leading Latino music talent such as Juan Luis Guerra, Mana, Alejandro Sanz and Ricardo Montaner.

This A-list group is increasingly influential far beyond music.  And many Latino pop artists are being more active about wearing their beliefs on their sleeves. 

Univision Music has a new owner

Universal Music reached an agreement last week to purchase Univision Music Group for an estimated $140 million, according to an L.A. Times report. With the purchase, Universal will become the undisputed Latin music market leader with more than 50% of the U.S. Hispanic market share—a spot that Univision Music currently holds as the No. 1 selling Latin label in the country.

Q&A with the Houston Film Commission

Oscar had its chance to celebrate 80 years last night, and it was the first big awards show of the season following the aftermath of the writers' strike. In his monologue, Jon Stewart said that the Golden figurines served as a catalyst to reach an agreement. Now that the strike is behind us, what impact, if any, did it have for Latinos in Hollywood? To get more insight on that and perspective on the future of Latinos in film, Ray Fohr conducted the following Q&A last week with Alfred Cervantes, Deputy Director for the Houston Film Commission:

With the recent writers' strike now over, how did this affect Latino writers?

It affected everyone who relies on scripted material and was devastating for some. It's reported that the work stoppage had a more than 700 million dollar impact in loss of spending by those feature films and television productions that didn't happen in those three months.

ABC's Ugly Betty and CBS' Cane are two recent examples of a Latino-branded television shows with wide appeal. Would you credit these to better-made shows or part of the rise in Latino and Latin American influence on the country?

Both. Ugly Betty has been well received by audiences and critics alike. It's also an example of something we might see more of:  successful Latin American shows being adapted for American audiences.

The crossover works both ways, what are you thoughts on American filmmakers tapping Latin America for talent and locations?

The movie "Vantage Point," which opened this past weekend, was shot entirely on location in Mexico but the story was set in Spain. And it was only last year that Latino filmmakers had a great presence at the Oscars.

What's your take on NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and the talent they showcase each year?

NALIP member and Texas filmmaker Chris Eska's debut feature film "August Evening" won the John Cassavetes Award at the Spirit Awards this past weekend. It's a Spanish- language film that was shot in Gonzales, Texas. As a member, NALIP has been supportive of his project and instrumental in helping get the word out and finding resources. I'm a member!

What would you say are some of the drivers helping Latinos in the industry?  Has there been a visible change with regards to Hispanic representation?

The success of recent past Spanish-language films and television shows bodes well for creating more [content] for receptive audiences. This in turn makes more advertisers create commercials for the same market, which contributes to the production industry creating opportunities for crew and talent.

Do you have any Oscar favorites?

Texas has a great presence this year in the Best Picture category with both "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men," both shot in Marfa, Texas, but I think "There Will Be Blood" will take it!

Editor's note:  While “No Country for Old Men” took the night’s biggest award, "There Will Be Blood" garnered two prizes:  Best Cinematography and Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).  Congratulations also go to Javier Bardem on his Best Supporting Actor win and his candid thank you to his country and recognition of his heritage.

Grammys Gloss Over Latinos

Where is Ricky Martin when you need him?  That’s what I kept asking myself while watching the Grammy Awards telecast last night.

In celebration of the awards’ 50th anniversary, the show featured performances spanning different genres (a classical violinist played with the Foo Fighters) and generations (Beyoncé joined Tina Turner for an electrifying dance number), yet was disappointingly light on Latino musicians and celebrities, with presenters Juanes, George Lopez and Roselyn Sanchez notable exceptions.

As noted previously on this blog, U.S. Latinos have made immense contributions to the U.S. music scene, with salsa and reggaeton two of the strongest examples of Latino music forms that have influenced pop culture in the last 50 years.

And on this year’s list of nominees, Latino musicians and artists were well represented in many categories, including: best duo (Shakira and Beyonce), best comedy album (George Lopez), best female pop artists (Christina Aguilera), best picture score (Gustavo Santaolalla for Babel), as well as in the eight categories now devoted to Latin music (click here to see the winners).

So why weren’t there more Latinos on stage last night?  I would have loved to see Santana jamming with Brad Paisley, Shakira singing with Sheryl Crow and Daddy Yankee dropping rhymes with Kanye – as I’m guessing the rest of this country’s fastest-growing demographic might have, too.

6 Futbol Questions for Bernardo Fallas

With the highly-anticipated upcoming game between Mexico and the U.S., we decided to go to futbol blogger Bernardo Fallas for some insight on the match and a few other topics. Fallas is a writer for the Houston Chronicle and his city is hosting the game at Reliant today.

The following is a Q&A with Bernardo Fallas.

1. First question on the big buzz here and south of the border: what do you expect from the highly-anticipated match between Mexico and the U.S.?

Rumbo a las elecciones

While the importance of Latino voters to the elections has been widely reported, one group you don’t seem to hear much about is young Latino voters, many of whom are voting for the first time.

A few organizations, including youth-oriented TV networks, are embarking on efforts to change that by getting young Latinos registered and engaged in the decision process.  For example, last year Telemundo and mun2 jointly launched the “Vota por tu futuro” or Vote 4 UR Future initiative.

Another organization looking to attract the attention of this segment is Voto Latino, co-founded by the actress Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Petersen, who see Latino voters between the ages of 18 and 34 as “the ones that will make the difference [in this election].” 

In 2006, Voto Latino released a series of bilingual PSAs, in partnership with Telemundo and mun2, featuring such celebrities as Cameron Diaz, Nina Sky, Chingo Bling, Don Dinero and Jeremias.

This week they followed up on their creative celebrity-driven spots with the release of the “La pasión de la decisión,” a four-part telenovela broadcasting on Voto Latino and YouTube and aimed at encouraging young Latinos to register and vote.

Using celebrities is a powerful way to reach teens and young adults, so it makes sense that “La pasión de la decisión,” features major Latino stars in front of and behind the camera, including Wilmer Valderrama, Tony Plana, Mayte Garcia, and of course, Rosario Dawson. 

The first episode is absolutely hilarious and a smart play on the beloved telenovela genre, featuring a wedding proposal, a love triangle, a medical tragedy and sibling rivalry – all in under four minutes.  Of course, there’s also a register to vote message woven into the plotline, but I won’t reveal how that happens.  You’ll have to see it for yourself, and watch for the final three episodes.

Latino Arts

The arts are an important part of any culture, and the U.S. Hispanic arts scene is incredibly vibrant and thriving.  New shows, books, and music are being introduced everyday and other big offerings are planned for 2008.

That Hispanics have begun to carve out their own artistic identity in this country is nothing new.  The New York arts movement of the 50s and 60s, that led to the creation of El Museo del Barrio and later saw the birth of the Nuyorican Poets Café in the 70s, and the Chicano movement of the 60s and 70s, all spawned great poets, musicians and writers.

But what seems new to me is the rise in the number of Latino arts organizations such as comedy troupes, theaters, and film festivals, and the opportunities they present for influencing popular culture and reaching U.S. Hispanics.

From the Refried Fridays Latino comedy nights at the Hollywood Improv to Chicago’s all-Latina Teatro Luna to the Teatro Stage Fest in New York, examples of strong, emerging Latino arts organizations abound.

Some of these names may not seem familiar to you, but chances are that one day they will.  Latino comedians such as George Lopez and Carlos Mencia, pioneers of Latino-themed TV shows, got their start on stages like the Hollywood Improv and are proof that Latino artists, with Latino themes, can make it to the big time and make a stamp on popular culture.

2008 is already proving to be a strong year for Latino artists.  In the first few weeks alone we’ve seen Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer-winning Anna in the Tropics staged in Spanish in Miami, Chilean Ariel Dorfman’s Widows premiered in New York for a short run, and the musical Celia (in honor of Celia Cruz) going strong on Broadway.

For marketers who wish to reach U.S. Hispanics, sponsorship and support of Latino productions and arts organizations are great ways to connect to the community.  Artists are always looking for funding and visibility, and helping them reach for the stars makes good business sense.  Because there’s no telling how high Latino artists will soar.

20 Years and Counting

Late last year, Univision announced the list of nominees to the 2008 edition of Premio lo Nuestro-- the 20th anniversary edition of the Latino awards show.  The list of nominees is great.  Many artists who have populated the pages of the top Spanish-language magazines, have dominated the air waves and have captured the dial, MP3 and CD players, computers and even mobile devices of millions of fans. Every year, more of the names on the list also compete for more mainstream awards like the Grammys.  A few interesting nominees include Beyonce-- competing on 'artista revelacion' yeah on Lo Nuestro; Mana, with 3 of the 5 Rock Song of the Year nominations and Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony- competing in two different categories.

But looking at other recently announced award lists, the story gets more interesting.  Shakira, a nominee to Lo Nuestro, is in the running for a Golden Globe for one of her tracks on the movie Love in the Times of Cholera.  And, she also is in the running for a Grammy for her duet with Beyonce…

The most interesting part is that this awards show, a ratings champ for Univision, is decided by the people and voting is currently taking place at Univision.com, and ends this week. 

Latino music is very rich, diverse and contagious.  Some Latino artists can go head to head with the best of the rest.  Shakira, and others like her, deserve all the nods they get from listeners worldwide. As for Lo Nuestro, if it serves as a platform to recognize our own-- please keep on rocking 20 and more years on!

Does the Future of Soccer in the US Have Latin Flavor?

David Beckham arrived in the MLS this past summer with much hoopla and hopes of drawing in fans that will finally propel professional soccer to the upper tier of sports in the United States. But, with much less fanfare, several developments in recent months point to Latin American players taking on a more significant role in the growth of the sport in our country.

Last week, the MLS’ deputy commissioner stated that Beckham’s transfer to the LA Galaxy was not the biggest event to happen in the league this year, but rather it was the addition of star imports from South America who made a huge difference on the pitch and in the stands. Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio of DC United led the league in scoring and was named MVP. The other finalists for the award were also newcomers from south of the border: Colombian Juan Pablo Angel and Mexican Cuauhtémoc Blanco. In addition to boosting the Chicago Fire’s record, Blanco is a marketing marvel. It has been reported that average attendance at home games rose by 5,000 fans after he joined the team – a not trivial figure in the world of the MLS.

Yet maybe even more telling was the appointment last month of Wilmer Cabrera to lead the US U-17 men’s national team and US Soccer’s Residency Program, the crown jewel of the Federation’s youth development efforts. You see, Cabrera is a Colombian national taking over a position that has featured a string of coaches schooled in the English and German style of play.

Whether all these developments are driven by the goal of finding greater success on the field of play or to make the US game more attractive to the large number of Latino fans who still place their loyalties with teams from their home country is hard to tell. Either way, if this trend continues, it promises to change the face of a sport that in the United States until now has reflected a decidedly Northern European influence.

Love in the Times of Cholera

Our blog features a quote from the beloved, brilliant, Nobel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez-- a literary figure who has influenced the imagination of Latin America and the world with his universe of fantastic characters.  On Friday, theaters across the U.S. will bring the lifelong love story of Florentino and Fermina to the big screen with the debut of Hollywood production Love in the Times of Cholera. 

Javier Bardem is the lead.  The director is an Englishman. The story: universal.  But that seems to be debatable according to some reviews.  For those who have read the novel in Spanish, we know too well that Garcia Marquez has a way with the language that can't be replicated, is enriched by the imagination and is as if it was made solely for the written page-- he is after all one of the fathers of magical realism.  His imagery, however, can be very cinematic and he has done a lot to promote film in his native Colombia-- though he has said his masterpiece Cien Años de Soledad can never be brought to the screen.  This site has an interesting recap of his works with the medium: http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_film.html

Some have said the film should have been in Spanish.  When posed the question during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Bardem had this to say: "I felt, like, yes, of course, you want to do it in Spanish, but one thing I learned with "Before Night Falls" is that if the movie works, people don't bother about the language after five minutes. If the movie doesn't work, the language will be a barrier, a problem."

Now, all this said, one can only hope the movie does well at the box office.  It has been promoted as the love story it is and support has been rallied among the Hispanic and general market audiences: the movie closed the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood and the book is the #1 best selling paperback in the U.S., partly due to the Oprah effect after she chose it as a Book Club title last month.  The film also will have a premiere in Colombia, slated for the end of the month after the primary cast was unavailable for the original date set for last week, and it's been promoted through Hispanic media-- though I believe Hispanic audiences will really need little prodding to support a story for a beloved and revered writer, with a top notch Latino cast, and even some music by Shakira.  I know I plan to go see it.

The Latin Grammys: Music and Marketing

The big winner at last week’s Latin Grammys was Juan Luis Guerra, who walked away with five trophies, the most of any performer.  But he wasn’t the only one who walked away triumphant.  The show itself has grown bigger each year, making it a top prize event for performers, sponsors, viewers and Latino music alike.

Arguably the largest Hispanic entertainment awards program (a record 12.6 million viewers tuned in this year), the Latin Grammys were broadcast for the first time from Las Vegas, the perfect match for the show’s celebrity sizzle factor and unforgettable performances.

With the show’s popularity growing each year, everyone from the Latin Recording Academy to Univision to corporate sponsors, were eager to ride its wave.

To build consumer excitement for the show, Univision hosted Latin Grammys street parties in key markets and also heavily promoted the show online many weeks leading up the show. 

Last week, Latin Grammy viewing parties thrown by enterprising bars and restaurants popped up around the country, as did a special “Welcome Bleacher” near the green carpet where fans could watch their favorite stars arrive.

Corporate sponsors got into the act too, by promoting their connection to the event in unique ways, and airing their best creative.

From a marketing standpoint, the Latin Grammys provide many opportunities, both onstage and off, for companies that wish to connect with the young, influential Latinos the show – and the Latin music industry – attracts.  And much like any other big event, opportunities include VIP gift bags and all the machinery behind having the best and most popular celebs take the stage for a night.

A lot has been written this year about how the Latin Grammys have finally hit their stride (the show stumbled in its first few years on CBS, unsuccessfully trying to capture general market viewers before moving to Univision to focus solely on the Hispanic audience); its evolution into one of the biggest Hispanic marketing events of the year is proof of that.

The Lure of Good TV

It's elemental.  Simple. Much like learning the ABCs: good quality entertainment with stories people can relate to and PEOPLE they can relate to. ABC has an audience that loves them and tunes in every week to remind them.  Just last night, one of the network's most succesful shows was on.  I began watching "Dancing with the Stars" this season-- I love dancing and like Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?", so I wanted to see what made this show so popular.  It's all in the rhythm.  Who can resist watching Marie Osmond do a Latin Dance?  The show is #1 among Hispanics who watch English-language media. In fact, during premiere week, all 3 airings made it to the top 10.

This summer, ABC also held a large universe of this audience with "Just for Laughs", and for the week of October 2, 5 of the top 10 shows are from the network. Curiously, "Ugly Betty" did not make it to the list, but "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" did-- two shows that seem like acculturated, younger, hipper relatives of the novela in their drama and sometimes absurd plotlines (i.e., the love quadrangle between the Solís).  And now that the network is pairing up with Univision, there is not telling how the two can take their influence farther and how their collaboration, such as the upcoming "Amas de Casa Deseperadas" will likely captivate an ever larger TV universe.

Maybe it's also a reflection of ABC ' s Hispanic stars-- America Ferrera last week was named Hispanic Woman of the Year, Eva Longoria is a household name (in both hogares and homes) and Sara Ramírez is a well-known star in Broadway and now television , maybe its a sensibility to the audience and certainly is a response to advertisers that must be happy with the ratings and the ability to reach a more diverse demo.  For me, while I may not be among the numbers loyally tuning in every week, I do like that Dr. Torres is a chief at a hospital , Ms. Solís is wealthy, and Ms. Betty works in corporate America.

Have you heard of the Pasito Duranguense?

When most of us think of Latino music, it's easy to rattle off a few very well known names: Juanes, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Antonio Solis and so on.  But, a single genre makes up more than half of Latino music sales in the U.S.: regional Mexican.  A few weeks ago, I learned that Billboard magazine was hosting its second annual marketing conference about the genre.  The last day of this year's event is today and the cover of the magazine is devoted female artists who are at the top of the charts.  This year, Starbucks is the lead sponsor of the 2nd annual event.  Since the brand decided to invest in supporting this event and Billboard is showing commitment, I was very intrigued and decided to look a bit more into it...

According to this story, regional Mexican music's popularity is growing leaps and bounds, and is being fueled by the theme of immigration.  Songs of nostalgia, hope, worry, optimism, love lost or longed for, are heard through the airwaves on the more than 277 radio stations devoted to the format in the U.S (Nielsen covers 54 of them).  Today, the genre commands almost 20% of all Hispanic listening according to Arbitron.  Of the genre, mariachi or ranchera music is the best known, but people like Graciela Beltran, Conjunto Primavera and Montes de Durango are household names across the nation and have been tremendously influential in mobilizing and entertaining their very loyal listeners.  The genre even has its own heartthrobs and tabloid darlings, including Pablo Montero.  Listeners are young, 18-34 skewing male.  And while 54% earn below $25k, 30% are in the $25-$50k range.

(Continue)

Hollywood Latinas: From Invisible to Influential

I recently learned that Kat Von D, one of the top female tattoo artists in the world and star of TLC’s Miami Ink and now L.A. Ink, is Hispanic.  Born in Mexico to Argentine parents, Kat moved to the U.S. years ago.

She sports large tattoos of legendary Mexican actresses Maria Victoria and Elsa Aguirre on her shins and occasionally peppers her language (on-air) with Spanish words and phrases.  From what I can tell, she strongly identifies with her Latino heritage but isn’t wholly defined by it.  A go-to tattoo artist for Hollywood’s A-list, Kat is seen (by most of the world) first as an artist then as a Latina.

There once was a time when Latina actresses wouldn’t dare admit that they were Latina.  Early film roles, such as the sexy Latina spitfire or exotic home wrecker, reinforced ugly stereotypes and limited talented actresses from finding non-ethnic parts.  The only way around this was to suppress your Latina roots.  Screen siren Rita Hayworth is probably the best example of this unfortunate reality.

Times have certainly changed.

"Dallas" with a Mojito Twist

On my flight back from Santo Domingo I caught a special viewing of the first episode of the new CBS series Cane, which stars Jimmy Smits as the adopted son of a Cuban family that grows sugar in Florida and produces a popular rum. Suffice it to say that in an era when reality TV and crime dramas dominate the network airwaves woven in between a few comedies, I felt like I was traveling back to the time of the good old primetime soaps. With a plot full of family intrigue and, believe or not, sugar as a source alternative fuel, I couldn’t help but draw the parallel to Dallas, the granddaddy of all primetime soaps.

Which leaves me with a lot of questions of what may lie ahead: Will network audiences flock to a genre that was put on ice a couple of decades ago? Even more so, will non-Hispanic audiences find appeal in a storyline that features front-and-center a Cuban family, with strong Hispanic themes, a solid cast of Hispanic actors, and is peppered with Spanish dialogue? Will the series draw a sizeable audience of US-born Hispanics paving the way for future network shows with Latino themes? Will the story bear any relevance to the large portion of US Hispanics that don’t hail from the Caribbean and for whom Pedro Pan* is known only as the guy who fed Captain Hook to the crocodile?

I think I will sit back and observe while sipping on a mojito.

*Note: Operation Pedro Pan was the name given to the program of flights coordinated by the U.S. government, the Roman Catholic Church and Cuban exiles that took children from Cuba to the United States because their parents were being persecuted by the island’s communist government in the early 1960s. The character Jimmy Smits plays in Cane arrived on one such flight.

Music Fusion

The Latin Grammy nominations came out last week and a trio is hanging on to the most amount of nominations: Juan Luis Guerra (5), Ricky Martin (4) and Calle 13 (4). On the top prize, record of the year, Shakira and Beyonce are nominated for Bello Embustero-- the Spanish-language version of Beautiful Liar. And, Daddy Yankee is in the running for best urban song for the track Impacto (first single from his new CD) featuring Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.  Earlier this year, Shakira took home the Latin Billboard for Best Song of the Year (Duet) for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean.  Talk about crossover-- in reverse.

Hispanics listen to radio more than any other group.  They have a higher incidence of music downloads -- one proof, the #1 selling ringtone for this week is a clip from Montez de Durango, according to Billboard -- and are part of the reason why Wal-Mart and other retailers sell music.   In 2006, while CD sales saw a decline, Latin music sales gre 5.2 percent according to this piece in Voice of America.

The Latin Grammys are one of the highest rated shows for Univision.  Last year, the broadcast was viewed by 11.3 million people according to Univision, and took the #1 ratings spot in markets like Miami, L.A. and Chicago.  Now, we'll see if Beyonce performs with Shakira on the show and maybe brings with her a few million more new viewers.

Hungry for Latino Cuisine

At FH Hispania Plaza, we recently covered the exploding popularity of chipotle peppers.  As we noted back then, Americans are hungry for Latino cuisine.

So hungry, that Packaged Facts predicts the U.S. Hispanic food and beverage market - which includes “authentic Hispanic,” mainstream Mexican” and “nuevo Latino” categories – will grow by 11.3 percent this year to $6.3 billion.

And now mainstream media is picking up on the trend.  Gourmet, the upscale epicurean magazine, has devoted its entire September issue to Latino cuisine in the U.S., and Everyday with Rachael Ray, the perky talk show host’s magazine, has added chef Daisy Martinez, host of her own PBS cooking show, as a monthly columnist.

On the broadcast side, chef’s Daisy’s show is going strong, and the Food Network has ordered more episodes of Simply Delicioso, hosted by Latina lifestyle goddess Ingrid Hoffman.  (By the way, Ingrid also has a show on Galavision/Univision, making her the first TV host to have two shows in two languages on two networks – you go girl!)

What’s interesting about all this is that food and beverage marketers now have even more media vehicles for promoting their products – and a hungry marketplace willing to give them a try.  Watch for more Latino chefs and media titles making it to the big time, and more Latino-inspired foods and beverages hitting the grocery store aisles very soon.

Silly Music, in any Language

Online magazine Satélite Musical recently released a list of the top ten songs “mas tontas” (silly).  Here in Chicago, La Tremenda counted down the songs on air and I am embarrassed to admit that the silliest song on the list is one I absolutely love:  Macarena.

As I listened to the tunes, jammin’ and reminiscin’ (I’ll never forget the night I learned the Macarena at the Cabo Wabo nightclub), I was struck by how many of these silly Spanish language songs had received significant airplay on English language stations.  Apparently, silly has no language barrier.

One of the songs, Gasolina, was so popular that it can arguably be credited with spreading reggaeaton from the streets of el barrio to the suburbs of America, and fueling the popularity of the Hurban radio format, one of the fastest growing in the nation.

Besides the music, what makes Hurban stations unique is their use of Spanglish, a mix of Spanish and English spoken by many of today’s Latino youth.  Hurban DJs and personalities, and the songs they play, fluidly move back and forth between the two languages, just like their listeners.

And now it appears the worlds of Spanish and English language radio are getting even closer.

A Spanish Blog, a Trusted DJ, a Historical Event

Those who closely follow what makes the Hispanic community cohere know this to be a truth: Spanish-language radio exerts a powerful influence over the Spanish-dominant Hispanic community.  They spend more time with this media than with any other.  It is on while they work, while they drive, while they play.  It mobilizes them to act, to learn more, to speak out, to have fun. 

But the Hispanic community is so dynamic and diverse that, once in a while, its use of media defies all that we know to be a truth intuitively and numerically.  It has been widely reported, documented and discussed that Hispanics lag behind other groups when it comes to web usage. According to a recent report by the Pew Hispanic Center, Mexicans, the largest group of Hispanic in the U.S., are among the least likely to go online: 52% of Latinos of Mexican descent uses the internet. The report also points that socioeconomic, education and English-fluency factors play a significant role in explaining why Hispanics lag behind in web use.  On the other hand, we know that Hispanics who do go online and speak Spanish, prefer Spanish-language websites. 

Stats aside, the web can be in large part attributed with organizing and mobilizing Hispanics in the single most historical debate about immigration.

Recently, DJ Piolin—the voice of radio for million of Hispanics across the country-- validated this truth beyond any doubt.  In the airwaves for years, each morning Piolin brings cheer, laughter, rising to Hispanics from many walks of life who laugh easily from culturally charged jokes in Spanish, who know the stars of Mexican regional and other very Spanish-dominant genres.  And you have to trust a person who makes you laugh and still brings about a sense of community—laughing together. 

¡Felicidades Eva y Tony!

On Saturday, July 7 (7-7-07) thousands tied the knot, but one celebration was hailed as the wedding of the year. Well, at least in the entertainment world: Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's wedding.  Following her ongoing success on Desperate Housewives and his NBA championship win with the San Antonio Spurs, the two have become household names. 

I could focus on the Spurs, but will let Jorge talk about sports in future postings. So today, in honor of Eva’s wedding and success, we can look at the achievements of Latinos in the entertainment industry.

In June of this year, Eva was one of the executive producers, and host, of the 2007 NCLR ALMA awards.  If you did not watch the show, you missed seeing the amazing artwork featured on loan from Patssi Valdez, the designer of the ALMA Award, and by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the twelve gowns by Latino designers that Eva wore the evening and strong performances by Prince, Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys. Not to mention, her hot salsa dance with none other than Dancing with the Stars fave Mario Lopez during the opening act.

However, in my opinion, the reason the awards stood out was the depth of talent nominated this year. As a friend recently told me, it was hard to predict who would win because of the caliber of performances. If you think about it, in the last few years, and 8 years after the TIME Magazine cover of Ricky Martin on Latin music going pop, we are seeing a better integration and portrayal of Latinos in mainstream media. On network TV, shows like Desperate Housewives, Lost, Without a Trace, The George Lopez Show, Ugly Betty, Crossing Jordan and Grey’s Anatomy are a few examples that demonstrate how far we’ve come.