Juanes to Perform at the Inaugural Universal Music Festival in Madrid

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s about to get (Teatro) Real for Juanes…

The 42-year-old Colombian rockero will perform at Universal Music Spain’s inaugural Universal Music Festival in Madrid.

The label, in tandem with Spanish management/entertainment companies LaRock Entertainment and Concert Tour, will host the festival from July 20-27.

In addition to Juanes, the Universal Music Festival will include performances by Elton John, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Raphael, Miguel Poveda and flamenco act El Barrio.

The fest will take place in Madrid’s Teatro Real, a 1,700 seat venue usually used for opera, ballet or classical music.

In this case, the music leans toward more thoughtful pop, with Elton John opening with his “Solo Piano Show” July 20.

On July 21, Veloso and Gil will share the stage accompanied only by their respective guitars in an evening dubbed “Two Friends, One Century of Music.” On July 22, it’s flamboyant Spanish singer Raphael with his new project, “Simphonico,” where he performs his greatest hits backed by the RTVE Symphony Orchestra.

Flamenco singer Miguel Poveda will perform his versions of poetry by the likes of Quevedo, Rafael de León, García Lorca, Borges, Miguel Hernández and Pablo Neruda, and on July 24, Juanes will perform as part of his Loco de Amor tour. The fest ends July 27 with a performance by flamenco act El Barrio.

While Universal Music Festival in Madrid is organized by Universal Music Spain, it falls under Universal Music Latin America/Iberian Penninsula’s larger attempt to broaden its scope of action. The company already has a management/booking arm, GTS — whose roster includes David Bisbal and Bustamante, among other Universal acts — which has been booking shows throughout Latin America, Spain and the U.S.

Juanes to Perform New Spanish Song “Juntos” at the Grammys

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Juanes is ready to bring a little Spanish flair to the Grammys…

The 42-year-old Colombian rockero will sing again at the Grammy Awards, but this time he’ll perform a song of his own, en español.

Juanes, who in 2013 sang an English-Spanish rendition of Elton John‘s “Your Song,” says appearing on the telecast again on Sunday is like a dream come true.

“I’m very excited. I can’t believe this is going to happen. You know, I’ve been waiting for this moment for many years and we are very excited now that it’s about to come, to happen,” Juanes told The Associated Press on Monday in an interview at his recording studio in Miami, where he lives.

“We are going to perform a new song called ‘Juntos,’ or ‘Together,’ the song that we made for the Disney movie McFarland, USA,” he added. “So, yes, we’re rehearsing and practicing a lot, and just … (getting) ready for that big night”.

It may be the biggest Latin moment at the Grammys since Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony sang “Escapémonos” exactly 10 years ago.

Juanes, who has won two Grammys and 19 Latin Grammys, sees the telecast as a “big window,” as “something very special” that will allow him to connect with many people and once more be among other musicians like him.

He said that when he saw McFarland, USA in Los Angeles, after Disney Studios contacted him to ask if he could write a song for the movie, he liked it so much that he accepted.

“It touched my heart in a very positive way, in a very deep way,” he said. “It’s a very inspiring story.”

The movie, starring Kevin Costner as a cross country coach in Bakersfield, California, follows a group of young Latin American immigrants that through very hard work get to be championship contenders. It opens February 20 in the U.S.

“The inspiration (for the song) comes from the movie itself, the idea that when people work together and when people believe in the other anything can be possible,” said Juanes, who co-wrote it with fellow Colombian Fonseca and Cuban Descemer Bueno, under the production of renowned Dominican singer, songwriter and producer Juan Luis Guerra, also a Grammy winner.

Juanes is working on a new album at the moment. He plans to go on tour next year around the U.S. and Latin America.

The 57th annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS.

Mars Earns Sixth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with “Uptown Funk!”

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a chart-topping start of the New Year for Bruno Mars…

The 29-year-old’s collaboration with Mark Ronson‘s, “Uptown Funk!,” has reached the summit on the Billboard 100 chart, rising 2-1 on the first chart released in 2015.

The song replaces Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space” after seven weeks at the helm.

“Uptown Funk!,” released via RCA Records, earns Mars his sixth Hot 100 No. 1 and second as a featured artist: he previously reigned as a guest in his first appearance, on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ on You” in 2010. In between, he led with his own tracks “Just the Way You Are” (four weeks, 2010), “Grenade” (four, 2011), “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man” (one, 2013).

Among male soloists in the Hot 100’s 56-year history, only nine boast more No. 1s than Mars. Michael Jackson leads with 13, followed by Stevie Wonder (10), Elton John, Paul McCartney, Usher (nine each), George Michael (eight), Phil Collins, Frankie Valli and Elvis Presley (seven each; note that Presley’s career predated the Hot 100’s 1958 launch by two years).

“Uptown Funk!,” the 1,041st Hot 100 No. 1 of all-time, reaches the summit with the majority (65 percent) of its chart activity from sales, as it rebounds 2-1 for a second week atop the Digital Songs chart with 382,000 downloads sold (down 12 percent) in the week ending Jan. 4, according to Nielsen Music.

“Uptown Funk!” pushes 4-2 on the Streaming Songs charts with a 14 percent surge to 10 million U.S. streams. On Radio Songs, it rises 10-9 with an 11 percent increase to 76 million in all-format audience.

“Funk!” previews Ronson’s album Uptown Special, due Tuesday (January 13).

“It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Ronson says of his new Hot 100 leader. “And, I know that it’s one of Bruno’s favorite things that he’s ever done, as well.”

Vega and Her “Twenty Feet From Stardom” Co-Stars to Perform at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Táta Vega is preparing for a Spirited performance…

The 62-year-old part-Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer, one of the stars of the documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom, will perform at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Vega, Darlene Love, Judith Hill and Merry Clayton are profiled in the Oscar-nominated Radius-TWC doc, which takes a look at the lives of several of the music industry’s greatest backup singers.

Director Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet From Stardom is nominated for a Spirit Award in the Best Documentary category.

The film also made the cut as one of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.

Currently the No. 1 documentary on iTunes, the film continues to build momentum as the culmination of awards season approaches.

Vega and the gang’s appearance will be the only musical performance at the ceremony, which will be hosted by Patton Oswalt.

The Spirit Awards will be handed out on March 1, 2014 during a daytime luncheon in Santa Monica and broadcast later that evening at 10 PM on IFC.

As of late 2013, Vega has been touring with Elton John in the United States as “one of the girls” singing backup and counterpoint on his The Diving Board tour.

Mars’ iHeartRadio Music Festival Performance to Air on the CW

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars will be rockin’ the CW this fall…

The CW has announced plans to broadcast performances from this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, which will feature a live performance by the 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer.

The CW will use the concert special to kick off its official television season.

The network will broadcast the fesival as a four-hour special over two nights, September 30 and October1.

The special will focus on Clear Channel’s two-day concert event, which will take place on the weekend of September 20 and 21.

Along with Mars, this year’s festival will include performances by Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, J. Cole, Elton John, Muse, Keith Urban, fun., Miguel, Maroon 5, Tim McGraw, Miley Cyrus, The Wanted, Avril Lavigne, Ke$ha and others who are still to be determined.

Mars to Perform at This Year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars will be singing his heart out this September…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer will perform at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.

Now in its third year, the festival has quickly become a home to a who’s who of artists across all radio formats.

Mars, currently on a world tour to promote his sophomore album, joins a lineup that includes Miguel, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Elton John and a special pairing of Queen with Adam Lambert.

The two-day festival will be held on September 20 and 21 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Arena, with a first-time Fan Village set to run during the day at a 15-acre parking lot adjacent to the arena. That space will be free to ticketholders and will feature performances from Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, AWOLNATION and Jason Derulo.

The main festival lineup was announced Monday morning in a press conference hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

The 2012 iHeartRadio played host to several impromptu duets and collaborations, including a kickoff performance of No Doubt joined by P!nk for “Just A Girl” and more.

Here is the lineup for the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival:

Justin Timberlake
Katy Perry
Elton John
Muse
Tiësto
Chris Brown
Keith Urban
J. Cole
fun.
Bruno Mars
Phoenix
Zedd
Maroon 5
Miguel
Tim McGraw
Ke$ha
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Benny Benassi
Special live appearance by Queen and Adam Lambert

Lineup for iHeartRadio Music Festival Village (multiple stages):

Miley Cyrus
Avril Lavigne
AWOLNATION
Pete Tong
Twenty One Pilots
Jason Derulo

Mars Delivers Grammy Night’s Most Memorable Performance

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is becoming the master performer of the Grammys…

Following his high-octane performance at last year’s star-studded event, the 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter took the stage at the 55th Grammy Awards and, once again, delivered the best performance of the night.

Mars kicked-off his instaclassic Grammy moment with a rousing rendition of his hit single “Locked Out of Heaven,” which sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks.

Shortly after launching into the first single from his sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, Mars was joined by Sting, the man Mars says inspired the hit single to finish up “Locked Out of Heaven” and launch into the Sting’s Police hit “Walking on the Moon.”

Finally, Rihanna, Ziggy Marley and Damian Marley to perform Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” as a tribute to the Jamaica-born reggae legend.

But Mars wasn’t the only Hispanic artist to perform at the Grammys…

Miguel, the leading Latino nominee at the Grammys with five nods, joined voices with Wiz Khalifa to perform his hit single “Adorn.”

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter’s sizzling-yet-smooth performance has Kelly Clarkson calling it “the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen!”

Juanes paid tribute to Elton John with an acoustic, bilingual rendition of one of the singer’s early hits, “Your Song.” The 40-year-old Colombian rockero was a late-addition to the performers’ line-up, but still managed to give a memorable, heartfelt performance.

Juanes to Perform at Bruce Springstreen Tribute Concert

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Juanes will be channeling The Boss next month…

The 40-year-old Colombian singer will perform at a special concert in Los Angeles in honor of Bruce Springsteen on February 8, according to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Springsteen, the winner of 20 Grammy Awards, the first in 1985 for “Dancing in the Dark,” will be recognized for his impressive career and philanthropic activities.

The New Jersey native will be the person of the year at the MusiCares charitable concert, the funds collected from which each year are funneled to beneficial causes.

Juanes, who has sold 15 million albums worldwide, shared the stage last year with The Boss at a tribute in Texas to Woody Guthrie, an influential folk singer who particularly identified with social causes.

Also performing at the Springsteen tribute will be Sting, Elton John, Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, Tom Morello and Tim McGraw, Mumford & Sons and Alabama Shakes, among other artists.

Juanes, who has won several Latino Grammys and is also known for his humanitarian work through his Mi Sangre Foundation, will continue his Loud & Unplugged tour in 2013.

Mars Releases Latest Single “When I Was Your Man”

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

If you can’t wait for Bruno Mars’ sophomore album, here’s something to hold you over…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer has released “When I Was Your Man,” the latest single off of his highly anticipated album Unorthodox Jukebox.

The emotionally charged track with its oh-so-heartbreaking lyrics features Mars’ sugary-sweet vocals over a smooth piano melody as he channels the likes of Elton John and Stevie Wonder. His voice projects a sincerity that only a man who has really loved and lost someone can express.

“Our song on the radio, but it doesn’t sound the same/ I should have bought you flowers and held your hand/ Should have giggled all my hours when I had the chance/ Now my baby is dancing, but she’s dancing with another man,” sings Mars on the track, which could bring you to tears with i’s somber piano chord.

In a tweet, Mars couldn’t hide his excitement over the release of the new single. “Soon you guys will hear a song I wrote called ‘When I Was Your Man’,” wrote the singer on his Twitter account. “I’ve never been this nervous. Can’t explain it.”

“When I Was Your Man” is currently available for download on iTunes.

Unorthodox Jukebox will be released next week, on December 11.

Gardel’s “El día que me quieras” Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Gardel’s name will forever be etched into the annals of music history…

The late Argentine singer/songwriter’s Spanish-language single “El día que me quieras” has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The song – a tango with music by Gardel and lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera – was originally featured in the 1935 film of the same name. It became a heavily recorded tango standard, even by artists outside of the realm of tango.

Most recently, Mexican singer Luis Miguel recorded a cover of the song for his Grammy-winning album Segundo Romance, in 1994. This single peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1994.

In all, Grammy officials selected 27 recordings from legendary musicians to be added to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles including works from Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel.

The Recording Academy selects musical recordings for the hall of fame from songs and albums in all genres that are at least 25 years old. In addition, the academy chooses songs that show either “qualitative or historical significance.”

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