Author Archives: Tom Castaneda

Orlando City Transfer Facundo Torres to Brazil’s Palmeiras

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Facundo Torres is headed to Brazil for a hefty fee…

Orlando City SC has sent the 24-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer , a forward, to Brazil‘s Palmeiras for a reported club-record $14 million transfer fee.

Facundo TorresTorres departs as the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise’s all-time leading scorer after tallying 47 goals and 25 assists in 123 matches across all competitions from 2022-24.

“First, we want to thank Facu for everything he has done for this club. He has been involved in so many great moments and successes during his time here that will leave a lasting legacy in our history,” Orlando City general manager Luiz Muzzi said.

“Because of that success, Facu has generated the attention of the global market, and this is a move that, at this time, makes sense for both Facundo and Orlando City. Not only does this continue a great and established relationship with a successful club in Palmeiras, but it shows our success in developing young talent into world stars.”

Torres guided the Lions to the 2022 U.S. Open Cup title and the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs‘ Eastern Conference final.

Torres joined Orlando City as a young designated player in January 2022 for a $7.5 million transfer fee from Peñarol in his native Uruguay.

“Today I say goodbye to a club that marked an unforgettable stage in my career and in my life, my first experience as a professional away from home. Thank you to the staff, my teammates and all the people who are part of this club for the constant support and trust from the first day,” Torres said.

“I leave with pride for what we achieved together and with the satisfaction of having left my mark on this club that will always be special to me. I wish you the greatest success in the future. Thank you for everything, Orlando. I’ll miss you.”

Torres’ departure opens a designated player spot on Orlando City’s 2025 roster.

Tania León to Receive Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 2025

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Tania León is receiving a special honor…

The 81-year-old Cuban composer, who renowned as a conductor, educator and advisor to arts organizations, is among the artists selected to receive lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy in 2025.

Tania LeónLeón will receive the Trustees Award at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony on February 1 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

During her storied career, she has been commissioned by orchestras worldwide, held Carnegie Hall’s Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair for its 2023-24 season, and currently serves as composer-in-residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

She studied under Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, and has guest-conducted the New York Philharmonic and Johannesburg Philharmonic, among others.

She has lectured globally and received honorary doctorate degrees from 10 institutions.

In 2010, León founded Composers Now, for which she currently serves as artistic director. She received her only Grammy nomination in 2013 — best contemporary classical composition for “Inura for Voices, Strings & Percussion.”

In 2021, she became the first Latin American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music.

She received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2022.

Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording.

Harvey Guillén Starring in the Indie Pickleball Mockumentary “Pickleheads”

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Harvey Guillén has setup a new project …

The 34-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Adrianne Palicki and John O’Hurley as the leads in the indie pickleball mockumentary, Pickleheads.

Harvey Guillén,The film’s cast also includes Pej Vahdat, Kristine Froseth, Eric Nelsen, Ryan Cooper, Lindsey Morgan, Sam Humphrey and the film’s screenwriter Jared Bonner.

The homemade mockumentary “directed” by Arash Bardot (Vahdat) follows the weirdly lovable Barney Bardot (Bonner), who returns to civilization after a shameful, televised loss in Ping Pong eight years before Angus Caan (Cooper), which led him to recluse in the woods. Arash hopes for a “return to glory” story to save their family home from the estate agent at the door, Gayle Plankton (Guillén). But, with too much trauma surrounding his Ping Pong history, Barney cannot return to the small table.

Fortuitously, they meet the sweet and savage community pickleballer Mia Presley (Froseth) and reconnect with Angus, who acclimates Barney back to civilian life and a new racquet sport, where he must best Hawk Kai (Eric Nelsen) and his past.

Palicki stars as ‘Carla Plankton’, Nelsen as ‘Hawk Kai,’ and Sam Humphrey as ‘Gunther.’

The film is a co-production of Cooper’s Flew The Coop Productions and Bonner’s Fly Over Films.

Patrick Sandoval Agrees to Two-Year, $18.25 Million Contract with Boston Red Sox

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Patrick Sandoval is seeing red (sox)…

The 28-year-old Mexican American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher, has agreed to a two-year, $18.25 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN sources.

Patrick Sandoval,The deal unites the veteran who was non-tendered in November with a team looking to shore up its pitching depth this year and beyond.

Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is not expected to pitch until the second half of 2025.

Boston nevertheless paid a well-over-market rate to get Sandoval, cognizant of the heavy price of free agent starting pitchers this winter and hopeful that Sandoval can be a solid mid-rotation starter upon his return.

Sandoval’s estimated arbitration salary for 2025 was around $5.5 million, and rather than trade him, the Los Angeles Angels non-tendered him. Had Sandoval been offered a contract, his arbitration number for 2026 likely would have been a minimal raise because of the lack of volume due to the injury.

His free agency, however, led to significant interest among teams — and a big raise in 2026. Sandoval will make $5.5 million in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026, sources said.

Sandoval illustrated his ceiling in 2022, when he posted a 2.91 ERA over 27 starts, throwing 148⅔ innings, striking out 151 and walking 60. He followed with 28 starts and a 4.11 ERA in 2023 but struggled last season with a 5.08 ERA in 16 starts before needing the surgery for elbow ligament replacement.

Boston, seeking starting pitching help this winter, swung a trade for ace Garrett Crochet with the Chicago White Sox. Like Sandoval, he will hit free agency again after 2026. Others in the Red Sox’s rotation mix next season include right-handers Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford.

Also invited to spring training are catcher Seby Zavala, infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton and righties Isaiah Campbell, Bryan Mata and Wyatt Mills. Mata was Boston’s top pitching prospect before missing most of 2023 with an injury.

Xavi Makes History with Fourth No. 1 of 2024 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay Chart

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Xavi’s young music career is in full bloom…

The 20-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter has added a fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Flores” rises 3-1 to lead the December 21-dated list with the Greatest Gainer honors of the week.

XaviNotably, he’s landed all his No. 1 songs in 2024, dating to his first, “La Diabla,” in February.

“Flores” was released on October 11 on Interscope/ICLG as one 14 tracks on Next, Xavi’s debut studio album, which made a Nos. 9 and 6 entrance on the Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums charts, respectively.

“Flores” rises to the summit on Regional Mexican Airplay with a 29% gain in audience impressions to 7.2 million, earned during the December 6-12 tracking week in the U.S., according to Luminate.

It trades places with Grupo Frontera’s “Hecha Pa’ Mi,” after the latter’s 1-3 dip with 17% decline in impressions.

The new win makes Xavi the first soloist with the first four songs of his career to all hit No. 1 in a single year on the chart. It also places him in a tie with Christian Nodal for the most No. 1s by a soloist in a single calendar year, since Regional Mexican Airplay launched in 1994, both with four champs in 2024 and 2021, respectively.

Further, Xavi ties with six other acts for the third-most champs overall in a single year. Going back to when the 30-year-old chart launched, and Calibre 50 continues to lead the pack with the most rulers, with 26 career No. 1s.

Here’s a recap of the acts with the most No. 1s in a single calendar year on Regional Mexican Airplay:

6, Grupo Frontera (2023)
5, Grupo Frontera (2024)
4, Xavi (2024)
4, Grupo Firme (2022)
4, Christian Nodal (2021)
4, Calibre 50 (2020)
4, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga (2017)
4, Los Tigres del Norte (1997)

Elsewhere, “Flores” takes Xavi to an equal No. 3 high as his past two entries on the overall Latin Airplay chart: “Corazón de Piedra” (June) and “#OOTD” (August).

George Lopez to Appear on NBC’s “A Toast to 2024!” Special

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George Lopez is preparing for a special toast to 2024…

The 63-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian and actor will appear on the two-hour primetime special A Toast to 2024!, which will be hosted by Today‘s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

George LopezKotb and Bush Hager will help viewers ring in the New Year when they return as the hosts of the special airing on December 31 at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT.

In addition to Lopez, who stars on NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez, others who will be featured to discuss the year’s buzziest and brightest moments are Happy’s Place and The Voice‘s Reba McEntire and NBC Paris Olympics correspondent and rapper Snoop Dogg,.

The complete list of celebrities to be interviewed includes television personalities and NBC News talent: James Acaster, Andrea Canning, Kristin Chenoweth, Dylan Dreyer, Tokala Black Elk & Rex Linn, Belissa Escobedo & Pablo Castelblanco, Fortune Feimster, Willie Geist, David Alan Grier, Lester Holt, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Iseman, Kenny Jary, Carson Kressley, Adam Lambert, Preacher Lawson, Tom Llamas, Mayan Lopez, Loni Love, Howie Mandel, Chris Mann, Melissa Peterman, Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Craig Melvin, Keith Morrison & Josh Mankiewicz, Al Roker, Amber Ruffin, Rickey Smiley, Martha Stewart, Mike Tirico, Allison Tolman, Julio Vaqueiro & Nicole Suarez and Johnny Weir.

NBC recently revealed its full NYE lineup, which kicks off with an encore performance of the St. Denis episode “Salamat You Too” at 8:00 pm followed by a repeat of the Night Court episode “The Judge’s Boyfriend’s Dad” at 8:30 pm.

A Toast to 2024! airs at 9 p.m. and serves as the lead-in for The Day Drinking with Seth Meyers New Year’s Special at 11:30 p.m. The night’s celebrations conclude with E! News Presents NBC’s Hot 10 of 2024 at 12:35 am.

A Toast to 2024! marks the 10th New Year’s Eve special from NBC News and Dateline NBC. Liz Cole is the senior executive producer; Paul Ryan is the executive producer; Charmian Ling is the senior producer; Justin Smith is the supervising producer.

 

A24 Releases Trailer for Jenna Ortega’s Horror Comedy “Death of a Unicorn”

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Death becomes Jenna Ortega…

A24 has released the first trailer for Death of a Unicorn, a zany horror comedy starring the 22-year-old Mexican American actress and Paul Rudd.

Jenna OrtegaThe film, which will hit theaters this spring, marks the directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, who also penned the script.

The film watches as a father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Unfortunately, the unicorn has loved ones who are now out for blood.

Co-financed by A24 and Ley Line Entertainment, Death of a Unicorn also stars Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, and Jessica Hynes.

The film’s score was penned by Halloween‘s John Carpenter with his son, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies.

Netflix to Serve Up Rafael Nadal Docuseries

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Rafael Nadal’s career is getting the documentary treatment. 

Netflix is planning to serve up a docuseries about the 38-year-old Spanish former professional tennis player.

Rafael NadalA month after revealing his retirement from the sport, Nadal has signed up for a series with the streamer, produced by Skydance Sports.

The untitled series joins Break Point, which ran for two seasons on Netflix before it was canceled, as well as its upcoming Carlos Alcaraz: My Way series.

It comes nine months after Nadal and Alcaraz went head-to-head for The Netflix Slam, a live event exhibition match.

The series will spotlight Nadal’s career as well as his life off-the-court, showcasing never-before-seen material from Nadal’s personal archive and featuring full access with the star, his family and his close circle of coaches and advisors including during his comeback to competitive play in the 2024 season after sitting out much of 2023 due to injury.

Nadal won 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a record 14 French Open singles titles and is only one of three men (alongside Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic) to win a Career Grand Slam – all four majors and an Olympic gold medal.

He also won all of the sport’s major events, including four U.S. Open titles, two Wimbledon championships, two Olympic gold medals, and two Australian Open crowns.

The docuseries will be directed by Zach Heinzerling.

Rafael Nadal said, “I never thought I’d do something like this, but I got a call from David Ellison and with his words together with an amazing project they put in front of my eyes it really convinced me this was the right thing to do. Everyone will be able to see how my life has been during my tennis career and particularly in this vey last year I had. It will also show how my life and my tennis career developed through the years. I am sure the final product, the docuseries, will be amazing and that it will be seen around the world. My thanks to David Ellison and his team at Skydance for creating and believing on this project. To my family and my team for allowing being filmed this past year, I know it was not easy for all of us. To my colleagues and peers who have given time to put themselves in front of a camera for some time. And thanks to the tournaments around the world that facilitated the work, it wasn’t easy.”

“Rafael Nadal stands as one of the most influential and greatest figures in the history of sports. We are excited to present his remarkable story to our members, offering an intimate glimpse into his journey to cement his legacy to become the legend he is today,” added Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s VP of Content for Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics. “Partnering with our friends at Skydance to celebrate Nadal’s unequivocal career is a true honor.”

“Rafael Nadal is truly one of the greatest players and inspirations in the history of tennis,” said David Ellison, Founder and CEO, Skydance.  “Beyond that, he is a friend and working with Rafa, Zach, and Netflix to tell his story is both an honor and a privilege.”

Disney Channel Preparing to Launch Lionel Messi-Inspired Animated Series

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It appears that animation is imitating Lionel Messi’s life…

An animated series inspired by the 37-year-old Argentine professional futbol superstar’s life will soon premiere on the Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids.

Lionel MessiThe sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe.

The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero.

“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.”

Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.

“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring Messi and the Giants to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.”

“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.”

“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.”

To date, Messi is the only athlete in the world to win eight Ballon d’Or Awards and six Golden Boots. In July, he joined the MLS team Inter Miami.

Guy Toubes will serve as executive producer, and Atlantis Animation, and director Dan Creteur will serve as the show’s animation studio.

The series was developed by Toubes and Creteur under the creative direction of Sony Music Vision and SPT – Kids, in partnership with Messi.

Christian Alicea Releases Red-Hot, Firefighter-Themed Calendar

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Christian Alicea is firing up hearts… 

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican singer has put down the microphone aside and picked up a fire extinguisher for a fiery limited-edition calendar for 2025.

Christian Alicea Alicea, a breakthrough salsa singer nominated for best salsa album at the 2024 Latin Grammys, has released his very own firefighter-inspired calendar, serving as the sensual poster boy for each month.

The fred hot merch isn’t only a tribute to his own beginnings as a firefighter in Puerto Rico, but also an act of gratitude for his fans.

“The idea of ​​the calendar was to satisfy my fans, since they always suggested it in the comments on photos of when I was a firefighter. In interviews they always questioned me about it too. Rather, it was to make that idea a reality,” he tells Billboard exclusively.

For Alicea, there’s not much difference between his former career and his job as a musician today.

Christian Alicea “It was a public service,” he explains. “In music, we also owe it to the public and work for them every day. As a firefighter I was part of a musical band, and I always try to give the best show, the best work in music. The sacrifices. Firefighters don’t have a fixed schedule. Many times I missed my mother’s birthday, I couldn’t share with my family on important dates, and music is the same. I have to do my part for my people.”

Describing himself as hardworking, disciplined and focused, Alicea hopes his hot-and-steamy portraits bring new career opportunities as well.

“In this calendar you will see a side of Christian Alicea that’s very important because who knows if through this other doors will open: brands, movies,” he notes. “We don’t just make music, we’re not just composers, we don’t just go to the gym, but we like to do different things that have to do with art.”

Christian Alicea’s 2025 calendar is available for purchase at ChristianAlicea.com.