Banderas to Star in Andrea Bocelli Biopic

Antonio Banderas is making new music, so to speak…

The 56-year-old Spanish actor is set to star in the biopic about famed Italian tenor and singer-songwriter Andrea Bocelli.

Antonio Banderas

The Music of Silence, to be directed by Michael Radford, will see Bocelli, who went blind at the age of 12 before going on to sell more than 80 million records worldwide, tell his own story in the form of an autobiographical novel, naming his alter ego Amos Bardi.

Tony Sebastian will play Amos, with Banderas starring as Maestro. Jordi Molla will play Amos’ father; Luisa Ranieri will portray his mother; and Oscar-nominee Ennio Fantastichini will play his uncle.

The film will feature songs Bocelli composed when he was young but have never been released.

The screenplay was written by Anna Pavignano and Radford in collaboration with Bocelli.

Principal photography is slated to begin this month in Rome.

Juanes to Perform for Pope Francis at World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia

Juanes is about to have an experiencia religiosa

The 42-year-old Colombian superstar will perform for Pope Francis as part of the World Meeting of Families on September 26.

Juanes

The event, which takes place every three years, will mark the first time Pope Francis visits the United States during his papacy.

Juanes joins a roster that includes Andrea Bocelli and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

“Our most important mission in this voyage of life is learning how to love, and what better way to do it than through family,” said Juanes. “I’m deeply honored to sing for Pope Francis.”

The World Meeting of Families is a triennial event that seeks to strengthen family bonds globally. In choosing who would perform at the Festival, the notion was to “bring together performers that represented the world,” said executive director Donna Crilley Farrell.

Performing for the pope has been a big goal for many acts through the years, particularly acts from predominantly Catholic Latin America.
Those who’ve performed for popes in recent memory include Gloria Estefan (for Pope John Paul II in 1995), Argentina’s Diego Torres (In 2003 for John Paul II) and Mexico’s Lucero (also for Pope John Paul II in 1997).

Last year, Argentine Martina Sotessel, who plays Violetta in the popular music-minded Argentine soap opera, sang for Pope Francis in Rome.

Manzanero Launches New Program “La Música Con Manzanero”

Armando Manzanero is heading back to television…

The 78-year-old Mexican musician and composer is launching the new show La Música Con Manzanero.

Armando Manzanero

Manzanero, whose career spans more than five decades, has penned more than 400 songs. At a recent event to promote the new program, the legendary singer/songwriter said he was thrilled to be launching a show that highlights other songwriters through performance and interviews.

Canal 22 International, the arts and entertainment channel based in Mexico, is producing the new show, which is seen both in Mexico and the U.S. The network features everything from documentaries to Mexican movies and news programs and is seen in the U.S. through DirectTV.

Throughout the show’s 13 episodes, Manzanero will guide viewers through the musical history of romantic music from Mexico with guests such as Aleks Syntek, Ely Guerra, Celso Piña and Alex Lora, among other artists.

During a recent presentation at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, Manzanero and Canal 22 executives introduced the new program before the guest of honor took to the piano and performed a few of his classics. His songs have been performed by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to Andrea Bocelli.

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity,” Manzanero said. “It’s also about [Mexican] roots and it’s something that’s meaningful to me. When I see the kind of programming that Canal 22 provides, it gives me pride because it’s important to keep bringing these shows to people.”

The program, Manzanero said, first took place about a decade ago, but it was short-lived. He didn’t have to think twice, he added, to jump on a chance to be part of the new show, which explores different styles of music.

“Mexican music is what best presents us in Mexico,” Manzanero said. “It’s really beautiful music and it’s important that the rest of the world continue to see what we do through art.”

La Música Con Manzanero airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

Anthony to Perform at the Billboard Latin Music Awards

Marc Anthony won’t just be a favorite at this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards, he’ll also be a performer.

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, the biggest selling tropical salsa artist of all time, has joined the star-studded list of performers at this year’s upcoming awards ceremony, which includes recent additions Prince Royce and Franco de Vita.

Marc Anthony

The Grammy- and Latin-Grammy winning artist has reached the No. 1 spot on the Tropical Airplay chart 23 times, and has eight No. 1s on the Top Latin Albums chart.

The 15-time finalist last year chose the Billboard Latin Music Awards stage for the worldwide premiere of “Vivir Mi Vida,” which spent 17 weeks at the top of the Hot Latin Songs chart and became his eighth No.1 hit.

Anthony, Prince Royce and de Vita join previously announced performers Laura Pausini, Ricky Martin, David Bisbal, Juanes, Luis Fonsi, La Arrolladora Banda El Limon De Rene Camacho, Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga and 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Andrea Bocelli.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards, the longest-running Latin music awards show, will be broadcast live on Telemundo, Thursday, April 24 at &:00pm ET from the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami.

The complete list of finalists, plus exclusive content on this year’s event, can be found at Telemundo.com/PremiosBillboard.

Lopez Duets with Andrea Bocelli on “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”

There’s another high-profile musical collaboration on Jennifer Lopez’s resume…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress, who recently collaborated with Wisin & Yandel on “Follow the Leader,” has joined voices with Andrea Bocelli to record Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés’ classic “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.”

Jennifer Lopez

The single appears on the Italian tenor’s fourteenth album Pasione, a collection of Mediterranean love songs featuring duets with Lopez, Nelly Furtado and a virtual duet with Edith Piaf on “La Vie en Rose.”

Featuring acoustic guitars and Spanish flair, the Bocelli-Lopez track showcases la Lopez as an oh-so-enchanting background singer.

Passione, released this week, features Bocelli singing other Spanish classics like “Perfidia,” his operatic cover of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” and a duet with Furtado on the legendary Brazilian song “Corcovado.”