Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Bandmates to Perform at Band Together Bay Area Concert for North Bay Firestorm Relief

Robert Trujillo is banding together for firestorm relief…

The 52-year-old Mexican American bassist and his fellow Metallica members will perform as part of Band Together Bay Area’s relief concert.

Robert Trujillo & Metallica

A coalition of Bay Area business and community leaders launched Band Together Bay Area in response to the North Bay firestorm — the most destructive and deadliest firestorm disaster in California history — to support the local relief effort with a concert November 9 at AT&T Park in San Francisco featuring Metallica, Dave Matthews, G-Eazy and more.

“For 34 years, Metallica has flown the flag for the Bay Area all over the world,” says Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich in a statement provided to Billboard. “The recent tragic events up in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties have left us all saddened. We’re here to help as much as we can, and this concert on November 9 is one small way we can do that.”

The concert will be underwritten by sponsors, with 100 percent of ticket sales going to the Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund.

Live Nation and Another Planet Entertainment are joining forces to help produce and manage the event. The best seats in the house will be donated to first responders, volunteers and families impacted by the firestorm.

“Sometimes you just need to stop and do something meaningful,” says Gregg Perloff, CEO of indie concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment. “This is one of those times. We are one community and together we act as one.”

Tickets for the Band Together Bay Area concert will go on public sale Friday at 10 a.m. at bandtogetherbayarea.org and Ticketmaster.com. Tickets range from $49.50 to $199.50 plus fees. Ticketmaster will donate all processing fees to the relief effort.

Band Together Bay Area — a business coalition including Kaiser Permanente, Marc and Lynne Benioff, Salesforce, Google, Twilio, the San Francisco Giants, Live Nation and Another Planet Entertainment — has raised an initial $6.5 million from partners and founding sponsors.

The funds raised by Band Together Bay Area will go into an emergency relief fund established by Tipping Point Community and will be directed to the North Bay community foundations, service providers and government partners supporting the low-income communities hit hardest by the fires.

The fires have burned an estimated 200,000 acres and 6,000 homes in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake Counties, displacing thousands of residents. Damage estimates are in the billions of dollars and rising, and the cleanup and recovery efforts will be the largest and costliest in California history.

“Live Nation, along with our BottleRock Festival family in Napa, are honored to be a part of an effort to help raise funding for so many deeply affected by the North Bay wildfires,” says Jodi Goodman, president of Live Nation Northern California. “Seeing the Bay Area music community come together to help those in need is truly inspiring. Thanks to all of the artists and companies who have banded together to make it all possible.”

Sanchez Releases New Yuletide EP, “Christmas with Jessica”

Jessica Sanchez is getting into the holiday spirit…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American singer and former American Idol finalist has released a new yuletide EP, Christmas with Jessica.

Jessica Sanchez

“I have always wanted to do a Christmas album and covers,” Sanchez tells Billboard. “It’s just a gift for my fans because I love them.”

Recorded in just two days, the independently-released six song EP includes Sanchez performing a soulful rendition of Eartha Kitt’s classic, “Santa Baby,” a jubilant “Joy to the World” and a soaring version of “Ave Maria.”

The record, produced by James Daniels and executive produced by LA Mic Studios and Wise Owl Media Group, celebrates Sanchez’s love of the holiday season.

Adding to the holiday merriment is the announcement that the Season 11 runner-up will join other Idols Kris Allen, Pia Toscano, Ruben Studdard, Tamyra Gray, Elliott Yamin, Ayla Brown and Paris Bennett for the Orange County Christmas Extravaganza on December 23.

Former judge Randy Jackson is also scheduled to appear at the show — a benefit for the Jessie Reese Foundation — which supports children fighting cancer.

The show will be broadcast live from the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on KDOC TV and other markets from 8 to 10 p.m.

“Christmas is my favorite holiday because you spend time with family,” she said. “I love the decorations, the music, and buying gifts for people. Everything about Christmas is the best.”

“Santa Baby” was the California native’s personal pick, and she chose to throw back to Kitt’s version when she went into the studio.

“I went with the earlier version, the classic, which is very soft spoken but sexy at the same time,” she said. “It was the most fun to record. There is so much room to mess around with the song, but I tried to keep it as classic as possible.”

Recording the EP had its challenges, Sanchez said.

“I was actually really sick during that time and I was worried how my voice would sound. I was afraid to put this EP out because my voice was not fully there and I’m such a perfectionist I don’t like putting anything out that is not my best,” she said. “But I had to put that aside and remember that this is for my fans and my supporters and it’s a little EP for them. I hope that it was good enough.”

In addition to the record, the singer has also launched her first merchandise store on her Website, Jessicasanchez.bigcartel.com. Sanchez oversaw the selection of T-shirts, crop tops, hoodies, and a signature “snapback hat” is on sale on the Website until Jan. 2.

“We looked through a couple of things and I personally handpicked what I wanted. I have always wanted to do clothing because I’m a typical girl and I love clothes and shoes,” she said. “That was a lot of fun and I’m really happy with the way that it came out for my first  pieces of merch. The quality is nice, too.”

When the holiday season is over, Sanchez is launching straight into 2016 with plans for the follow-up to her debut album, Me, You and the Music.  The record, she said, will be more R&B “rhythmic pop” or “more soulful Tinashe.”

“I’m very excited to be working on the music that I really love,” she said.

The entertainer — who has signed on with new manager Mark Lamica — has more plans for 2016, including exploring acting roles, endorsements, and a possible return to Idol.  Sanchez said she is “sad” to see the Fox show ending, but hinted she “might make an appearance” before the final curtain.

“It was a big part of my life. It felt like I was on that show for years, and being in that Idol bubble it felt like a family with the staff and the judges and the contestants, so it’s sad seeing it end,” she said. “But I know they will be going out with a bang. This is their final season and they are going to kill it. I’m excited for that.”

With all that ahead of her, Sanchez has one New Years Resolution she has yet to conquer.

“Every single year I tell myself I am going to drive. It never happens,” she said. “I don’t know how to drive. I am already 20. This needs to happen.”

Christmas with Jessica is available on CDBaby, iTunes Amazon.com and Google.

Alba Named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List

It’s a fantastic fortune moment for Jessica Alba

The 34-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur has been named to Fortune’s 2015 40 Under 40 list, the magazine’s annual ranking of the most influential young people in business.

Jessica Alba

As an expectant mom, Alba – ranked No. 15 on the list – saw a void in the market for less toxic, more sustainable household goods. The Honest Company is rapidly filling that void. Last year, Alba’s company sold some $170 million worth of products like diapers and cleaning supplies in outlets like Costco, Target, Whole Foods and Nordstrom—nearly a threefold increase over 2013.

Now, Alba is looking to expand The Honest Company’s presence into new regions—South Korea is next and China is in the works.

She’s also expanding the company’s portfolio of products with Honest Beauty, a cosmetics and skin-care line launched earlier this month.

But Alba isn’t the only fortunate Latino to make the list…

Hugo Barra comes on at No. 14.

Years after initially getting turned down for a job at Google, the Brazil-born businessman found himself in a plum perch leading the search giant’s mobile aspirations as vice president of Android.

It came as a surprise when in late 2013 Barra announced he was leaving Google for the then relatively unknown Chinese startup Xiaomi, valued at $46 billion.

As vice president, Barra is responsible for leading the company into uncharted territory by ushering its inexpensive products to new international markets—growth areas that are more critical than ever for Xiaomi as China’s smartphone penetration reaches all time highs.

Click here to see the complete Fortune 40 Under 40 list.

Messi: The Highest-Ranking Latino on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes List

Lionel Messi is rolling in the deep dough…

The 27-year-old Argentine soccer star is the highest-ranking Latino on Forbes magazine’s 2015 list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes with $73.8 million in salary/winnings and endorsements.

Lionel Messi

Last year, FC Barcelona awarded their record four-time Ballon d’Or, FIFA’s Player of the Year, winner with a $9 million a year raise in his seventh contract since 2005 to bring his take home pay to $50 million a year through 2018.

Messi now holds the records for all-time all-game goals for Barcelona, most goals in La Liga competitions, most goals scored in a calendar year and most hat tricks scored.

Messi’s superhuman talent is why sponsor Samsung cast him as superhero Iron Man in their ad to promote the Avengers film. It’s also why his main sponsor Adidas launched a Messi icon line of shoes and apparel, which has exceeded company sales expectations, including in the U.S. In all, he earned $22 million in endorsements.

But Messi isn’t the only Latino athlete to make the list.

Fernando Alonso ranks No. 17 on Forbes’ world’s highest-paid athletes roster with combined earnings of $35.5 million.

The 33-year-old Spanish Formula One driver and a two-time World Champion secured another massive payday when he negotiated a return to McLaren-Honda, where he raced during the 2007 season. The two-year deal is worth more than $30 million annually.

Alonso finished second in the F1 standings in 2012 and 2013, but dropped to sixth last year in his final year with Ferrari. Alonso failed to secure a single point in the first five races of the 2015 F1 season. Alonso partnered with UAE sport investment firm Novo last year to establish a professional cycling team in the future.

Next on the list, Rafael Nadal, who comes in at No. 22 with earnings of $32.5 million.

The 29-year-old Spanish tennis star, who has struggled with injuries after a colossal 2013 season, saw his prize money drop by $10 million to $4.5 million in the latest 12 months.

He was the No. 1 player in the world as recently as June 2014, but sits at No. 10 a year later. He even lost at the French Open in the semifinals after winning 66 of his previous 67 matches and nine titles at Roland Garros.

Nadal did sign two new endorsements deals, with Tommy Hilfiger and Spanish communications giant Telefonica. Kia Motors also renewed its contract with Nadal in May for five years through 2020. They first partnered in 2004.

Nadal’s $73 million in career prize money ranks third all-time behind Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Other Latino athletes making the Top 30 on Forbes’ list are soccer phenom Neymar at No. 23, NBA star Carmelo Anthony at No. 25 and World Cup standout and Google god James Rodriguez at No. 27.

Here’s a look at the Latino athletes who made this year’s list:

No. 4 Lionel Messi, Soccer, Argentine, $73.8 Million
No. 17 Fernando Alonso, Racing, Spanish, $35.5 Million
No. 22 Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Spanish, #32.5 Million
No. 23 Neymar, Soccer, Brazilian, $31 Million
No. 25 Carmelo Anthony, Basketball, Half-Puerto Rican, $30.5 Million
No. 27 James Rodriguez, Soccer, Colombian, $29 Million
No. 30 Robinson Cano, Baseball, Dominican, $27.6 Million
No. 38 Radamel Falcao, Soccer, Colombian, $25.9 Million
No. 38 Albert Pujols, Baseball, Dominican, $25.9 Million
No. 43 Miguel Cabrera, Baseball, Venezuelan, $25.1 Million
No. 45 Sergio Aguero, Soccer, Argentine, $24.9 Million
No. 60 Felix Hernandez, Baseball, Venezuelan, $22.9 Million
No. 67 Tony Romo, Football, Mexican American, $22 Million
No. 69 Adrian Gonzalez, Baseball, Mexican American, $21.5 Million
No. 73 Luis Suarez, Soccer, Uruguayan, $21 Million
No. 79 Cesc Fabregas, Soccer, Spanish, $20.3 Million
No. 79 Hanley Ramirez, Baseball, Dominican, $20.3 Million
No. 87 David Ortiz, Baseball, Dominican, $19.7 Million

Click here for the complete list.

Mota: 2014’s Most Searched For “Fashion Designer” on Google

She may be a teenager, but Bethany Mota is already garnering major attention in the fashion world…

The 19-year-old half-Mexican YouTube vlogger and fashionista, a contestant on the most recent season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, was the most searched for “fashion designer” of 2014, according to Google.

Bethany Mota

Mota, also known by her username Macbarbie07, rose to fame in just a few short years with beauty tutorials, fashion lookbooks, and “haul” videos, gaining nearly 8 million subscribers in the process.

In December 2013, the teen sensation partnered with tween retailer Aeropostale to launch her own clothing and accessories line for the brand.

The eponymous line consists of teen staples, including graphic tees (some featuring Mota’s face, $16), oversized skull tote bags ($24), and scented body shimmer ($12).

Since the unveiling, the successful collaboration has led to seasonal collections as well as a bedding collection (particularly popular is the “Motavator” bed in bag set, $109).

Mota beat out some big names on Google’s list, including Kate Spade, Alexander Wang and Valentino, as well the late greats Oscar de la Renta, L’Wren Scott and Edith Flagg.

Rodriguez: 2014’s Top Trending Athlete on Google

James Rodríguez is a Google god…

The 23-year-old Colombian footballer, who plays for Real Madrid and the Colombian national team, top’s Google’s year-end list of Trending Athletes.

James Rodríguez

In his first opportunity to shine on the world soccer stage, Rodríguez managed to become Colombia’s golden boy. Searches for him grew more than for any other player during this year’s World Cup.

Rodríguez finished as the World Cup’s top scorer, making the FIFA All-Star Team, before landing a move to Real Madrid. He went on to be named 2014’s El Hombre Más Sexy by People en Español.

Here’s a look at the Latinos who made this year’s Top 10 list of Trending Athletes on Google.

No. 1 James Rodriguez
No. 4 Luis Suarez
No. 5 Neymar
No. 8 Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña

To see all the lists, simply visit Google.com/2014.

Fifth Harmony to Perform at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Ally Brooke Hernandez, Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello are ready to rock our nation’s capital…

The Latina singers and their fellow Fifth Harmony members will perform at the 92nd Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C., on December 4.

Fifth Harmony

The national tree lighting tradition was started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 and is presented by the National Park Service. Support is provided by the National Park Foundation, the fundraising arm for the parks and event sponsors.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will co-host ceremony.

Wilson will perform during the show, along with Ne-Yo, Steve Miller, Chely Wright, Patti LaBelle, Nico & Vinz and The Tenors.

The festivities kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET with a pre-show on the Ellipse at President’s Park.

As a sponsor of this year’s event, Google’s Made With Code will give girls around the country a chance to code a lighting design for the 56 state and territory trees using introductory programming language. The designs will appear live on the trees. Coding starts Tuesday at madewithcode.com.

del Toro Partners with Legendary Entertainment & YouTube Spaces for a Horror Talent Search

Guillermo del Toro is ready to welcome new talent into his House of Horrors…

Legendary Entertainment will combine a talent hunt with promotion of the 49-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s upcoming horror film Crimson Peak.

Guillermo del Toro

The contest has been announced in concert with Google’s YouTube Spaces, which provide production and post-production facilities for YouTube creators in four big cities.

As part of the deal, Gothic-horror sets “inspired by” del Toro’s work on Crimson Peak will be installed in YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and the soon-to-open New York locale. The sets will vary by site, but are billed as the sorts of creepy backdrops worthy of any Gothic horror film, including “a Great Room from an old manor house,”  “a sinister staircase and Gothic windows that lead out to a haunted garden,” and “an abandoned Solarium cluttered with over-grown plants, birdcages and weathered tools.”

YouTube creators at each site will be invited to make video shorts with horror themes using the sets between September 22 and October 28. The videos will go live between October 21 and Halloween, and will run on each creator’s YouTube site along with the channels for YouTube Spaces and Legendary.

del Toro will pick the best videos from each site, and consult with the creators on further fine-tuning.

Legendary will offer a development deal to the creator behind the best resulting short to further flesh out their project into a possible film. If it all works, Legendary could find a ultra-low-budget creator similar to Jason Blum, whom Universal recently signed to a long-term deal after a lucrative run of cheap and extremely profitable horror pics.

Here’s a video of del Toro introducing the YouTube House of Horrors project:

VEVO & NUVOtv Parter with Lopez on the Series “The Collective, Powered by VEVO”

Jennifer Lopez is bringing her people’s favorite pop culture trends to the Internet…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge is executive-producing the unscripted series The Collective, Powered by VEVO.

Jennifer Lopez

The program, which will feature DJs and celebrities talking about their favorite pop culture trends, will be a partnership between VEVO and NUVOtv, an English-language cable channel targeting Latinos,

Its the first foray into weekly television production for VEVO, the online platform known for its library of music video.

 

The Collective, Powered by Vevo, a weekly two-hour series, will be launched on March 6.

 

After premiering on NUVOtv, each episode of The Collective, Powered by VEVO will then stream exclusively on VEVO’s website and its slate of mobile, tablet and TV apps.

“When it comes to music videos, VEVO has become the world’s gold standard, making them the perfect partner for NUVOtv as we expand our original entertainment offerings in the music space,” said NUVOtv executive vp programming Bill Hilary.

Vevo, a joint venture of Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Google and Abu Dhabi Media, has a library of 75,000 HD music videos. It also produces original content and video of live concert performances.

“Creating original programming that is distributed through digital and traditional broadcast channels is an important focus for Vevo this year,” said Vevo senior vp content and programming Doug McVehil.

Diego Rivera Celebrated by Google…

If you’ve spent any time on Google today, you’ve probably noticed a special mural on the site’s main page…

It was Google Doodle’s way of celebrating the 125th anniversary of legendary Mexican painter Diego Rivera’s birth.

Elements of Rivera’s original work are displayed in the Doodle, including  figures from some of his iconic paintings like “The Flower Carrier” and “Mother and Child Sleeping.” A man painting while standing on scaffolding is intended to depict Rivera at work. You can view more details here about the best painting and art tips.

Born on December 8, 1886, in Guanajuato, Mexico, Rivera is credited with helping establish the Mexican Mural Movement.

He joined the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City to study art when he was just 10-years-old. Rivera later went to Europe, where he studied in Madrid then moved to Paris to live and work with the artists in Montparnasse.

Google-Runs-Mural-Doodle-Dedicated-to-Diego-Rivera

Rivera was greatly inspired by the political ideals of the Mexican Revolution and the Russian Revolution. Through his art, he sought to reflect the lives of the working class and native people of Mexico.

Under a special government program in 1921, Rivera created a series of murals in public  buildings. During the 1930s and 1940s, he moved on to paint several murals in the United States. But not all of his murals received overwhelming love. One of them at the Rockefeller Center in New York City—called “Man at the Crossroads” and featuring a portrait of Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin—was later destroyed.

In 1929, Diego Rivera married fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was some 20 years his junior. The two divorced in 1939, only to remarry later.

Rivera died in 1957 at the age of 70, but his legacy lives on as his awe-inspiring works continue to inspire younger generations.