Frankie Quiñones Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie Quiñones has new representation…

The 40-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian and actor has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for for representation in all areas.

Quiñones is perhaps best known for starring as Luis, former gang member turned Hugs Not Thugs program participant, on Hulu’s critically acclaimed series This Fool, having been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Independent Spirit Awards last year.

He also has a recurring role on FX’s acclaimed vampire comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, as well as Fired on Mars and Victor & Valentino on Max.

His additional acting credits include Mr. Mayor (NBC), Feliz Navidad (Lifetime), The Dress Up Gang (TBS), Papi Chulo (Blue Fox Entertainment) and AMC’s spin-off miniseries The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, to name a few.

Most recently, Quiñones wrapped a pilot for his own sketch show at Hulu titled Get Frankie, with more details forthcoming.

Launched in 2021, his podcast The Frankie Quiñones Show, produced by Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network and iHeart Radio, features sketches of colorful characters based on the friends and family that helped shape him into the comedian he is today.

José Feliciano Officially Honored with National Medal of Arts

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

José Feliciano is officially a medalist…

Following a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 77-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer has finally received his 2021 National Medal of Arts prize.

President Joe Biden doled out medals to the National Medal of Arts recipients, as well as the 2021 National Humanities Medal honorees.

The White House hosted a livestreamed East Room ceremony on Tuesday for the recipients, who included Mindy Kaling, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bruce Springsteen and fashion designer Vera Wang. Feliciano was unable to attend the event as he’s in Hawaii after performances on the West Coast.

Feliciano was born blind as a result of glaucoma. His family moved to New York City’s Spanish Harlem when he was five years old, and he fell in love with music and playing the accordion and the guitar. While in high school, he played as a regular at a Greenwich Village coffeehouse. He eventually dropped out of high school and moved to Detroit to take a more permanent singing gig, and soon after was signed with RCA Records. He is most known for his bilingual Christmas song, “Feliz Navidad” which has been named among the most popular holiday songs of all time.

According to Billboard, Feliciano has two top-10 hits in his career and 11 top-100 songs. Feliciano is also a seven-time Grammy award winner.

The NEA website writes the decision to honor Feliciano came from his tenure in the music industry, saying “Over 60 years, 60 albums, and 600 songs, Jose Feliciano has opened hearts and built bridges — overcoming obstacles, never losing faith, and enriching the goodness and greatness of the Nation.”

The honorees received their awards about two years late due to a backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

First lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also attended the ceremony, which Biden opened with a speech filled with quips about the honorees.

The recipients of the National Medals of Arts – the highest honor from the United States government for advancing the country’s arts – include actors, comedians and singers. Other recipients were artist-activist Judith Francisca Baca, philanthropist Fred Eychaner, Puerto Rican painter Antonio Martorell-Cardona and film producer Joan Shigekawa.

The Billie Holiday Theatre and The International Association of Blacks in Dance also received medals.

The National Humanities Medal honors those who have improved Americans’ understanding and engagement with history, literature, philosophy and more humanities subjects.

The 2021 recipients are poet Richard Blanco, anthropologist Johnnetta Betsch Cole, author Walter Isaacson, social historian Earl Lewis, Native American studies academic Henrietta Mann, novelist Ann Patchett, activist Bryan Stevenson, novelist Amy Tan, memoirist Tara Westover and novelist Colson Whitehead, as well as the organization Native America Calling.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Continues Reign on Billboard Global 200 & Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Charts

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is still a global sensation this holiday season…

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.

The insta-classic Christmas song adds a 12th total week at No. 1 on the former and a seventh week atop the latter, dating to the charts’ inceptions two years ago.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 108.1 million streams (up 16%) and 17,000 sold (up 6%) worldwide in the December 16-22 tracking week. The modern holiday classic, released in 1994, adds a 12th week at the summit, and fourth this holiday season, after it led for four weeks each over the 2020 and 2021 holidays.

With 12 weeks atop the Global 200, Carey’s “Christmas” passes The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” (11, 2021) for the sole second-longest reign since the chart began, trailing only Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (15, beginning this April).

Elsewhere in the Global 200’s top 10, José Feliciano’s 1970 carol “Feliz Navidad” dashes 13-10 (50 million streams, up 22%; 5,000 sold, up 18%, worldwide); it hit a No. 9 high in the 2020 holiday season.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” also continues atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 65.1 million streams (up 14%) and 6,000 downloads sold (up 11%) in territories outside the U.S. December 16-22. The song adds a seventh total week at No. 1, and third this Yuletide season, after it ruled for a week during the 2020 holidays and for three frames over last year’s holiday season.

The two global charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Jose Feliciano Among This Year’s La Musa Awards Honorees

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Feliciano’s biggest hit is being heralded in a special way…

The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF) has announced its 2022 inductees and La Musa Awards honorees, with the 76-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer’s “Feliz Navidad” among those being recognized.

Feliciano’s insta-classic holiday single will receive the Song of All Time award.

Mexican artist Emmanuel will receive La Musa Legacy Award; Apple’s Eddy Cue will receive the Desi Arnaz Pioneer Award; Spanish composer Manuel Alejandro will receive the La Musa Living Legend Award; and Venezuelan singer-songwriter Elena Rose will receive La Musa Elena Casals Award.

Meanwhile, Yotuel Romero, Beatriz Luengo, Descemer Bueno, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Osorbo, Alexander Delgado, Randy Malcom Martínez, and DJ El Funky will receive the inaugural La Musa Medal of Freedom for “Patria y Vida.”

Honoring the outstanding songwriters and composers across all genres of Latin music, LSHOF will host its 10th anniversary with the induction and special awards gala held for the first time on October 13 at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

The star-studded guests confirmed for La Musa Awards include Feliciano, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Draco Rosa, Erika Ender, La India, Luis Figueroa, Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Fofé (Circo), Jesús Molina, Julio Iglesias, Jr., Vannesa Campagna, Simon Dumas, Alexander Acha, Jandy Ventura, and Manny Cruz.

Expected to attend are Emily Estefan, David Bisbal, Alejandra Guzmán, with more guests to be confirmed soon.

The 2022 La Musa Awards, which kicks off the partnership of LSHOF with Hard Rock International & Hard Rock Live, is set to be hosted by Peruvian-American actress and singer Isabela Merced, and promises live music performances, backed by a 35-piece orchestra, laced with personal reminiscences by the presenters and honorees.

2022 INDUCTEES

The 2022 inductees include award-winning songwriters and producers Desmond Child and Rudy Pérez, who co-founded the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame; composer of iconic Latin music standard Tony Renis; and to be inducted posthumously, Dominican merengue pioneer Johnny Ventura.

To be eligible for induction into the LSHOF, the songwriter, composer or lyricist must have had their first published work released at least 20 years prior to the year of induction. All inductees are presented with the silver LA MUSA trophy statuette.

2022 HONOREES

Emmanuel (Mexican artist) to receive La Musa Legacy Award

Eddy Cue (Apple Sr. Vice President) to receive Desi Arnaz Pioneer Award

Manuel Alejandro (Spanish composer) to receive La Musa Living Legend Award

Gustavo Menéndez (Warner Chappell Music President, US Latin & Latin America) to receive the Ralph S. Peer Publisher Award

Walter Kolm (Founder and CEO of Walter Kolm Entertainment) to receive Founders Award

Elena Rose (Venezuelan singer-songwriter) to receive La Musa Elena Casals Award

Puerto Rican musician Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” to be recognized as Song of All Time

Yotuel Romero, Beatriz Luengo, Descemer Bueno, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Osorbo, Alexander Delgado, Randy Malcom Martínez, and DJ El Funky to receive inaugural La Musa Medal of Freedom for “Patria y Vida.”

Howie Dorough & the Backstreet Boys to Release Boy Band’s First Christmas Album “A Very Backstreet Christmas”

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Howie Dorough is embracing the holiday spirit…

The 48-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys bandmates will be ringing in Christmas early with the release of A Very Backstreet Christmas, a collection of yuletide classics plus three freshly cut tracks, out October 14.

For their first-ever Christmas album and first studio effort in three years, the boy band has recorded “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and other timeless numbers, along with new songs “Christmas in New York,” “Together,” and “Happy Days.”

In addition, the ‘90s pop superstars will release exclusive versions that include a 15-track CD through Target, which will feature bonus tracks “Feliz Navidad” and “It’s Christmas Time Again,” and a limited-edition red-vinyl on the act’s official store.

“We’ve been wanting to do a Christmas album for nearly 30 years now, and we’re beyond excited that it’s finally happening,” co-founder Dorough said in a statement. “We had such a fun experience putting our BSB twist on some of our favorite Christmas classics and can’t wait to be part of our fans’ holiday season.”

The Backstreet Boys are currently on the North American leg of their DNA World Tour, which kicked off in April with four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Those dates are in support of DNA, the band’s 2019 album which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the act’s third No. 1, and first leader since Black & Blue spent two weeks at No. 1 in December of 2000.

DNA earned a Grammy nomination in the category for best pop duo/group performance (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”), and it marked BSB’s 10th top 10 album in the U.S.

Across their 29-year career, the quintet has shifted some 130 million records, according to BMG, which signed the BSB back in 2013.

Here’s the track list for A Very Backstreet Christmas:

“White Christmas”
“The Christmas Song”
“Winter Wonderland”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
“Last Christmas”
“O Holy Night”
“This Christmas”
“Same Ole Lang Syne”
“Silent Night”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Christmas in New York”
“Together”
“Happy Days”
“Feliz Navidad” *
“It’s Christmas Time Again” *

*Target version only

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ is No. 1 on Australian Charts for Fourth Successive Year

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Make that four years in a row for Mariah Carey…

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer and Queen of Christmas, is kicking off the New Year with some exciting news.

Carey’s iconic holiday single “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has risen to No. 1 on the Australian singles chart for the fourth successive year.

It’s an unprecedented fourth successive No. 1 for Carey’s Christmas classic, originally released back in 1994.

Unsurprisingly, the latest ARIA chart is swamped with festival songs, including Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 9-2), Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” (10-3), Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (12-5), Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (17-8), and Ed Sheeran & Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” (16-10).

According to ARIA, a string of holiday season numbers enter the ARIA Top 50 for the very first time: Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas” (No. 26), Shakin’ Stevens’ “Merry Christmas Everyone” (No. 27), Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” (No. 28), Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” (No. 38), Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (No. 42), Kylie Minogue’s “Santa Baby” (No. 44) and Michael Bublé’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (No. 48).

Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” Enters Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time in 50 Years

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Feliciano is making chart history with his holiday classic…

The 75-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer’s “Feliz Navidad” moves up from No. 16 to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, dated December 19, hitting the top 10 for the first time, 50 years after its original 1970 release. It previously reached No. 12 last holiday season.

The holiday classic sports gains of 6% to 23 million in radio airplay audience, 15% to 18.5 million U.S. streams and 34% to 3,000 sold, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Feliciano adds his second Hot 100 top 10, after his debut entry, his cover of The Doors‘ “Light My Fire,” hit No. 3 in August 1968. (The Doors‘ original ruled for three weeks in the summer of 1967.) He has charted 11 total Hot 100 entries, as well as 16 titles, including eight top 10s, on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

The legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist is celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Feliz Navidad” this year. He performed on NBC‘s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and CBS Sunday Morning last week and, among other festivities, has a livestream scheduled for December 20.

Last month, Amazon Music Lat!n revealed a special 50th anniversary reimagining of Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic, featuring 30 artists including CNCO, Jon Secada, Frankie J, Jencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr., Jason Mraz, Gloria Gaynor, Patricia Manterola and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is back on top of the U.S. charts…

The 51-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, rising from No. 2.

The song, first released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in 1994 and which first reigned for three weeks last holiday season, adds its fourth total week atop the Hot 100, tying for the most time at No. 1 among holiday hits in the chart’s 62-year history.

The carol is one of a record-tying five Yuletide songs in the Hot 100’s top 10, joined by Brenda Lee‘s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Bobby Helms‘ “Jingle Bell Rock,” Andy Williams‘ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and, in the top 10 for the first time, 50 years after its original release, Jose Feliciano‘s “Feliz Navidad.”

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” drew 31.4 million U.S. streams (up 19%) and sold 7,000 downloads (up 8%) in the week ending December 10, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It also tallied 27.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 11%) in the week ending Dec. 13.

The track spends a seventh total week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart and rises 9-8 on Digital Song Sales and 27-22 on Radio Songs. It also crowns the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart for a 43rd week, of the chart’s 48 total weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the tally for 28 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season.

Since its release, the song has drawn 4.1 billion in total radio audience, 1 billion on-demand streams and 3.7 million in download sales in the U.S.

Carey’s insta-classic track ties “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville for the most weeks at No. 1 for a holiday song. The Chipmunks’track spent four weeks at No. 1 beginning in December 1958.

With “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Carey claims her record-extending 83rd week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart’s August 4, 1958, inception.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot 100
83, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
50, Boyz II Men
50, Drake

“Christmas” last year became Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and lifting her to within one of The Beatles‘ overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades.

José Feliciano Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Feliz Navidad” with “The Tonight Show” Performance

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

José Feliciano’s classic Christmas song is celebrating a major musical milestone…

The 75-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer’s “Feliz Navidad” turns 50 this year, with no signs of age.

The classic Christmas song is one of the top 10-performing hits in the decade-plus history of Billboard‘s Holiday 100 chart, and one of the most popular Latin songs of all time.

Recorded in 1970, “Feliz Navidad” is a marvel in many ways.

“It just came to me; there’s no rhyme or reason,” he recently told Billboard. “The first lyric came to me, then I put the English lyric into it, not realizing I had made it the only bilingual Christmas song ever in the world. I created a monster.”

Feliciano stopped by The Tonight Show earlier this week to perform his timeless hit.

Jesse y Joy Release Latin Rendition of the Holiday Classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for Amazon Music Lat!n

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse y Joy are hoping to get you into the holiday spirit…

Amazon Music LAT!N has launched a wave of festive content to get music lovers in the holiday spirit, from themed playlists to video interviews, and beyond, including an Amazon Original song from the Mexican Latin Grammy-winning brother & sister duo.

Kicking off this weekend, customers can enjoy Jesse y Joy’s Amazon Original song “Te Deseo Muy Felices Fiestas,”a Latin rendition of the holiday classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

The Mexican duo is also teaming up with Amazon and its “Delivering Smiles” holiday campaign to give back to charitable organizations and the communities they serve this season.

Lele Pons gives the timeless song “Let It Snow” a Spanglish tropical twist in “Let It Snow (Navidad, Navidad, Navidad).”

“Lele Pons and Jesse & Joy are incredibly talented artists who are chart-toppers in their respective genres, so we knew they would create something very unique, exciting, and fresh- and they also share our passion for the holidays,” says Rocio Guerrero, global head of Latin Music at Amazon Music. “Their bilingual takes on classic tunes will delight fans.”

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jose Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic “Feliz Navidad,” 30 artists including CNCO, Jon Secada, Frankie J, Jencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr., , Jason Mraz, Gloria Gaynor, Patricia Manterola, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have joined forces for a special anniversary edition.

“Jose Feliciano’s ‘Feliz Navidad’ has been part of our holiday celebrations for generations! The opportunity to bring fans a fresh take on this beloved classic in honor of the song’s 50th Anniversary was a joy,” Guerrero says.

“Christmas is such a special time and we as a team were so excited to bring reimagined holiday favorites for our fans to enjoy,” Guerrero adds. “To bring fans extra holiday joy, we worked on exclusive holiday-themed content to go along with each song, as well as playlists to get fans through the season.”

According to Guerrero, Amazon does not plan on releasing more original Latin holiday songs, but fans will be able to enjoy the exclusive Christmas-themed content throughout the season. Listen and watch it here.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Feliz Navidad