Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates to Guest Star in “The Simpsons” Holiday Special

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is getting animated…

The 32-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates will appear as animated versions of themselves in the upcoming The Simpsons holiday special.

In addition Maldonado and her group makes, the episode titled “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” will also feature another experienced Christmas caroler: Patti LaBelle.

The a cappella group and “On My Own” singer will deliver musical performances in the double episode premiering December 17 on Disney+, exactly 35 years after the original Simpsons holiday special aired in 1989.

The streaming platform also shared a trailer for the project, showing Homer wreaking havoc on Springfield after famed mentalist Derren Brown hypnotizes him into thinking he’s Santa Claus.

“Celebrate the holidays with a double-episode holiday special,” the teaser reads in between shots of the Simpsons patriarch riding on a parade float with a white beard, getting tased by police on the street and crashing his homemade sleigh into Moe’s Tavern.

The trailer doesn’t show Pentatonix — which is comprised of Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Maldonado, Matt Sallee and Kevin Olusola — or LaBelle, nor has Disney+ revealed details about their performances.

Pentatonix is known for their Christmas music, with the vocal group’s A Pentatonix Christmas spending two weeks atop the Billboard 200 in 2016.

Pentatonix has also dropped two new holiday singles in 2024: “Meet Me Next Christmas,” which arrived in November, and “Christmastime Is Finally Here” with A Great Big World, released Dec. 6.

Manuel Turizo to Make Performance Debut at This Year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Turizo is making a special Thanksgiving debut…

The 23-year-old Colombian singer will perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Turizo exploded onto the scene in 2018 with his smash single “Culpables.” Numerous hits like “Esperándote” and “Una Lady Como Tú” and high-profile collaborations like “El Merengue” with Marshmello & the reggaeton single “Copa Vacía” with Shakira soon followed. Fast forward to 2022: Turizo’s biggest hit “La Bachata” reached No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Latin chart and earned Global Song of the Year honors at the Latin Billboard Awards. His recently released “Dem Time Deh” with Sean Paul is bound to keep the accolades coming.

But Turizo isn’t the only Latinx artist expected to take part in the parade.

Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates will be performing as well.

The 31-year-old part-Spanish and half-Mexican American singer and her group mates have redefined a cappella. The three-time Grammy-winning vocal quintet have reached unprecedented heights, selling 10 million albums worldwide.

The group was named “The Most Streamed Holiday Artist of 2022” and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023. Pentatonix is set to embark on their 2023 North American Christmas tour, The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year, this November in support of their recently released holiday greatest hits album, The Greatest Christmas Hits.

Other artists set to perform include Cher and Jon Batiste, as well as the Broadway casts of & Juliet, Back to the Future, How To Dance In Ohio, Shucked and Spamalot.

The parade and the NBC broadcast will kick off at 8:30 am ET on Thursday, November 23, a half-hour earlier than the traditional 9:00 am start.

The 97th Macy’s Parade lineup will include 5,000 volunteers, 16 featured character balloons, 26 floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups, according to parade officials.

Carlos PenaVega & Big Time Rush to Perform at 10 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Stops

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos PenaVega is bracing for a busy holiday season…

The 34-year-old Dominican, Spanish and Venezuelan American actor/singer and his Big Time Rush group mates will be taking part in this year’s iHeartMedia Jingle Ball, with an appearance on the iHeartMedia Jingle Ball television, which is moving from the CW to ABC with a multi-year deal.

This year’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will feature performances by Big Time Rush, Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, NCT DREAM, Flo Rida and more.

(The lineup for the TV special, which will include selected performances, is TBA.) The 2023 tour will stop in Tampa, Florida; Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Atlanta; and Miami/Fort Lauderdale.

PenaVega and his Big Time Rush mates will perform in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

But PenaVega isn’t the only Latinx act scheduled to participate in this year’s Jingle Ball Tour.

Miguel will perform in Los Angeles; Ice Spice will perform in Atlanta; Melanie Martinez will perform in Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City; and Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates are set for New York City.

The stops will be part of the exclusive two-hour network special, which will air Dec. 21 at 8:00-10:00 pm on ABC. It will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day.

ABC, along with Disney+, earlier this week were announced as the new home of another long-running music special, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will be broadcast live.

Under its new ownership, the CW has changed its makeup and demo target, pulling away from its longtime focus on young audiences.

The 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour stops:

Tampa, Florida – Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. EST at Amalie Arena
Lineup features Niall Horan, Teddy Swims, Zara Larsson, Doechii, Paul Russell, Kaliii and Lawrence

Dallas/Fort Worth – Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. CST at Dickies Arena
Lineup features Jelly Roll, Doechii, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, LANY, Paul Russell, Kaliii and P1Harmony

Los Angeles – Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. PST at the Kia Forum
Lineup features Olivia Rodrigo, Niall Horan, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Doechii, Flo Rida, (G)I-DLE and P1Harmony

Chicago – Monday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. CST at Allstate Arena
Lineup features Nicki Minaj, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, (G)I-DLE and Kaliii

Detroit – Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Little Caesars Arena
Lineup features Usher, Jelly Roll, Lil Durk, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, Doechii, Kaliii and (G)I-DLE

New York – Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. EST at Madison Square Garden

Lineup features Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix, David Kushner and Melanie Martinez

Boston – Sunday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m. EST at TD Garden
Lineup features SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, OneRepublic, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Melanie Martinez, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Washington, D.C. – Monday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena
Lineup features OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Flo Rida, Melanie Martinez, David Kushner, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Philadelphia – Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Wells Fargo Center
Lineup features Usher, OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, David Kushner and (G)I-DLE

Atlanta – Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. EST at State Farm Arena
The star-studded lineup features Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Sabrina Carpenter, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Kaliii and NCT DREAM

Fort Lauderdale/Miami – Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. EST – “iHeartRadio Y100’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One” at Amerant Bank Arena, Ft. Lauderdale
The star-studded lineup features Marshmello, AJR, Flo Rida, Ludacris, LANY, David Kushner, Kaliii and Paul Russell

Kirstin Maldonado & Pentatonix to Star in Disney+’s Holiday Special “Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays”

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado has special plans this holiday season…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates will star in a new unscripted holiday special for Disney+.

Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays follows the a cappella group, which is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom.

It is produced by Done+Dusted and executive-produced by Ashley Edens, David Jammy and Katy Mullan.

Pentatonix was formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC‘s The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract.

Pentatonix have won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016 and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017.

Sheila E to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Sheila E’s star is shining brighter than ever…

The 64-year-old half-Mexican American percussionist and singer will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

Sheila E began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving the group in 1983, she began a successful solo career, starting with her critically acclaimed debut album, which included the career-defining song, “The Glamorous Life“.

Commonly referred to as The Queen of Percussion, she became a mainstream solo star in 1985 following the success of the singles “The Belle of St. Mark“, “Sister Fate“, and “A Love Bizarre” with the last becoming one of her signature songs. She is.

Prince joined forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions. She provided vocals on the B-side to “Let’s Go Crazy“, “Erotic City” in 1984. Though taken under Prince’s wing, she proved to be a successful artist in her own right.

But Sheila E isn’t the only Latinx artist getting their star…

Marc Anthony, the late Jenni Rivera, Kirstin Maldonado and her fellow Pentatonix members.

The honorees are chosen by the Walk of Fame selection panel of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Ellen K, chair of the selection panel and a top radio personality, announced the new honorees on www.walkoffame.com.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates to Perform at iHeartRadio Holiday Special

Posted on November 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is helping people get into the holiday spirit…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates will perform Christmas classics at the second annual iHeartRadio Holiday Special later this month.

Pentatonix is part of a lineup that includes Kelly Clarkson, Michael Bublé and Train.

Hosted by Mario Lopez, the virtual concert will take place on November 24 at 7:00 pm ET.

It will be broadcast across iHeart AC, Hot AC and Classic Hits stations and on the iHeartRadio app, with a video stream on the company’s YouTube and Facebook pages. Fans can also watch the concert in VR through the Horizon Venues app on Meta Quest.

The concert will mark the annual switch to exclusively holiday music through Christmas Day on more than 80 stations in key markets nationwide.

According to iHeartMedia, that switch sometimes doubles the audience size for a station from typical non-holiday programming.

“Our listeners always anxiously await the day our stations flip to Christmas music,” said Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia. “Kelly Clarkson, Michael Bublé, Train and Pentatonix have some of the best songs of the holiday season, and we’re excited to have them perform on our show.”

Pentatonix dropped their sixth holiday-themed project Evergreen, which features collabs with Alessia Cara and Lindsey Stirling, on October 29; the a cappella group also kicks off a Christmas tour on November 27 in Baltimore.

In addition to local stations, listeners can head to the iHeartRadio Holiday page to see all the dedicated Christmas stations across the iHeartRadio app and beyond.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Mates to Perform on ABC’s “The Queen Family Singalong”

Posted on October 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is bringing some Love to ABC…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates will take part in the fourth installment of the network’s successful Singalong franchise with The Queen Family Singalong.

Hosted by Darren Criss, the special one-hour, one-night-only event will air at 8:00 pm on Thursday, November 4.

The special will feature an hour of killer Queen hits, performed by musical artists including Pentatonix performing “Somebody to Love.”

Other performers include Adam Lambert (“The Show Must Go On”), Derek Hough and Alexander Jean (“Another One Bites the Dust”), Fall Out Boy (“Under Pressure”), Jimmie Allen with Miss Piggy (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”), JoJo Siwa and Orianthi (“We Will Rock You”) and OneRepublic (“We Are the Champions”).

Additional performances will be announced at a later date.

In a celebration of Broadway’s reopening, Disney Theatrical Production’s Broadway cast members from The Lion King and Aladdin will come together to perform a showstopping version of “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Performers include Milo Alosi, Tia Altinay, Lissa DeGuzman, Bonita Hamilton, Mduduzi Madela, Brandon McCall, Michael James Scott and Adrienne Walker.

The Disney Family Singalong premiered in April 2020 as TV’s highest-rated show among Adults 18-49 on any network on any night since ABC’s 2020 broadcast of The Oscars. The three editions of The Disney Family Singalong drew in a combined 29.9 million Total Viewers after 35 days of delayed viewing on linear and digital platforms.

The Queen Family Singalong is produced by Done+Dusted.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates Taking on Wilson Phillips on This Week’s “Celebrity Family Feud”

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is feudin’ for a cause…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates are facing off against Wilson Phillips on Sunday night’s new episode of Celebrity Family Feud.

In a clip from the upcoming episode of the primetime ABC game show, premiering exclusively on Billboard, host Steve Harvey introduces the Grammy-winning a cappella group.

“Y’all can sing,” Harvey tells the quintet.

Harvey introduces each individual member — Scott Hoying, Maldonado, Matt Sallee, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola — and pays special attention to the “smooth” pronunciation of beatboxer Olusola’s last name.

Pentatonix recently released a deluxe edition of their latest album The Lucky Ones on September 10, via RCA Records, following up the album’s initial February 12 release with seven additional songs.

One of those new tracks is “Midnight in Tokyo,” for which PTX joined forces with all-female Japanese vocal group Little Glee Monster and released a music video along with the deluxe edition.

Tune in to Celebrity Family Feud at 8:00 pm ET on Sunday night on ABC to see Pentatonix take on Wilson Phillips for harmonic supremacy.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Mates Release Mash-Up of BTS’ “Dynamite” & “Butter”

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is K-poppin’ it like it’s hot…

The 29-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates have released a mash-up of two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits from BTS.

Cutting into the group’s rendition of Jung Kook‘s hook on “Dynamite,” Scott Hoying slides in like a “criminal undercover” with the first verse of “Butter.”

Pentatonix’s colorful jackets and suspended newspaper props had a more serious air once the video turned black-and-white, like the official “Butter” music video. But don’t get it twisted: Hoying led the group into a groove that was anything but serious.

Eventually Matt Sallee and Mitch Grassi took the lead when the two got back into Pentatonix’s technicolor “Dynamite” performance before switching back to black-and-white with the group’s airy “Dyn-na-na-na, na-na, na-na, ayy” harmonies smoothly flowing into “Get it, let it roll!”

In late July, Pentatonix asked their Twitter fans in a poll which BTS song they should cover between “Butter” and “Dynamite,” and even though the former single took the lead, the quintet decided why not just go for both?

CNCO to Perform on NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 Special

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

CNCO has major plans for the New Year…

The Latin boy band will be ringing in the new year with a performance on NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 program.

CNCO joins a roster of new additions to the lineup that includes Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Chloe x Halle, Jason Derulo, Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates.

Carson Daly will host NBC’s New Year’s Eve special live from Times Square in NYC. Amber Ruffin, the star of Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show and writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers, and Stephen “tWitch” Boss, DJ and co-executive producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, will join him as co-hosts.

The star-studded lineup also includes AJR, Goo Goo Dolls, Kylie Minogue, Busta Rhymes with Anderson .Paak, Bebe Rexha with Doja Cat, and Sting with Shirazee.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2021 will air on Thursday, December 31, at 10:00-11:00 pm and 11:30 pm-12:30 am. ET on NBC.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Kirstin Maldonado