Sanchez to Co-Host This Year’s Latin Grammy Awards Show

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Roselyn Sanchez will have a big night at this year’s Latin Grammys…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and Devious Maids star will co-host the upcoming 16th annual edition of the awards show together with Mexican actress and model Jacqueline Bracamontes, according to the Latin Recording Academy and Univision.

Sanchez, who plays aspiring singer Carmen Luna on Lifetime’s Devious Maids, is no stranger to music.

She released her debut album, Borinqueña, in September 2003. The first single from the album, “Amor Amor,” was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Music Video.

Sanchez recently made headlines when she bowed out as co-host of the Miss USA pageant, citing Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant remarks as the reason. She has since spoken out about immigration reform.

On November 19, Sanchez will join Bracamontes, a former beauty queen and actress well-known to Univision audiences, on the stage of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the awards show, to be broadcast live on the Spanish-language network.

Last year, Bracamontes hosted the show with Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez.

Sofia to Perform at This Year’s Latin Grammys

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Raquel Sofia is ready to make a big splash at the Latin Grammys…

The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has been added to the roster of artists scheduled to perform at the annual awards show.

Sofia, who is nominated for Best New Artist at this year’s Latin Grammys, joins a list of performers that includes Juan Luis Guerra, J Balvin, Cho Quib Town, Natalia Jimenez, Will Smith and Bomba Estereo, and fellow best new artist nominees Matisse.

Sofia’s debut album, Te Quiero los Domingos, was released in July.

Sofia, who recently received a Vevo Lift nomination, previously performed backing vocals for Juanes, Shakira and Jean Carlos Canela, before making a name for herself.

Smith and Bomba Estereo will perform their version of “Fiesta,” which is nominated for record of the year in its original version. Balvin is nominated for best urban performance and best urban son for his hit “Ay Vamos” while Guerra is up for four awards, including album and record of the year.

The 16th annual Latin Grammys will air live on Univision on November 19 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Don Francisco to Receive an All-Star Send-Off as “Sabado Gigante” Ends Its Historic Run

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an all-star send-off for Don Francisco…

The 74-year-old Chilean television host will have an A-List roster of talent on hand when his popular Univision program Sábado Gigante airs its final episode on September 19.

The longest-running variety show in history, created and hosted by television icon Mario Kreutzberger (more commonly known as Don Francisco), will draw to a clsoe after an unparalleled 53-year cycle.

The network confirmed to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter exclusively that the lineup for the finale includes global superstar Shakira, Spanish heartthrob Enrique Iglesias, Colombian rocker Juanes, Mexican pop diva Paulina Rubio, Italian pop singer Laura Pausini, Latin urban king Daddy Yankee, salsa icon Marc Anthony, regional Mexican acts Espinoza Paz and Intocable, pop balladeer Luis Fonsi, bachata idol Prince Royce and the original crossover queen, Gloria Estefan.

Their participation will be a mix of live performances and other surprises, the details of which will be revealed by Univision in the coming days.

Many of those artists have a unique attachment to Don Francisco, who gave them a platform long before they became household names.

Upon hearing the news in April that the show was ending, many prominent members of the music community shared heartfelt messages on social media dedicated to Kreutzberger, who will continue his relationship with Univision by hosting specials.

At the time, Yankee told Billboard, “Don Francisco was the first person who gave me a shot on national television. I’ll always be indebted to him. His contribution to — and influence in — the Latino community has no limit. He is an example and a true leader.”

Likewise, Royce told Billboard, “Don Francisco and Sábado Gigante have been hugely important in my career. It was the first show where I performed on television even before I was known. Mario opened the doors to Chile for me by inviting me to be a part of his beloved telethon and I’ve joined him for two years in that beautiful labor of love which he puts on from the heart for the kids and families of his country. He has a giant heart and that’s why he’s so big, our dear Don Francisco.”

Iglesias, who first visited the show in 1995 when he was still a relative newcomer, reacted to the news by saying, “Fifty-three years on TV is easy to say, but it’s an incredible record. Don Francisco will always be unique and irreplaceable. I am so grateful because I started my career on the show and I’m sure a lot of my colleagues will agree with me that he has been like a father figure to all of us. Thank you Don Mario.”

Promos for the special “Sábado Gigante: Hasta Siempre” started airing on Univision on September 12 leading up to the grand finale.

Univision to Begin Airing “Sesame Amigos” in Saturday Children’s Programming Block

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

There are some new Amigos heading to Univision…

The Spanish-language network will begin airing Season 1 of Sesame Amigos, a new 30-minute Spanish-language program from Sesame Workshop, on August 1 at 8:30 am ET/PT as part of Univision’s Saturday children’s programming block “Planeta U.”

The network has scheduled 26 episodes featuring Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie and other familiar denizens of Sesame Street.

Along with signature segments promoting learning, cooperation and being nice, each show will also feature the characters interacting with a Univision celebrity, among them Sal y Pimenta hosts Carlos Calderon and Lourdes Stephen, Primer Impacto correspondents Tony Dandrades and Jackie Guerrido, Despierta América’s Maity Interiano and William Valdez and Univision Deportes’ Pablo “La Torre de Jalisco” Ramirez.

Non-Univision Hispanic celebrities will also appear, including Vahdir Derbez, Diego Luna and Leslie Grace.

“Sesame Amigos is a new and innovative show designed specifically for Spanish-speaking families in the U.S.,” said Alberto Ciurana, president of Programming & Content, Univision Communications Inc. “While versions of Sesame Street air in more than 150 countries, Sesame Amigos will provide Spanish-speaking preschoolers the tools they need to succeed in the United States.”

Sanz Teams Up with Alejandro Fernandez for New Single “A Que No Me Dejas”

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Are two Alejandros better than one? The answer is yes if you’re talking about Alejandro Sanz and Alejandro Fernandez.

The 46-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter has joined voices with the 44-year-old Mexican singer for his new ballad, “A Que No Me Dejas.”

It’s the second single from Sanz’s latest album Sirope, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart upon its release in May, and topped a nine-year-old sales high in his native Spain.

“Aside from flamenco, some songs have a touch of folk or R&B. It’s a very eclectic sound,” Sanz recently told Billboard about his new album. “It’s a mix of many styles, searching, perhaps, for different path by mixing sounds. I’m looking for each song to tell me something and have a sense. The sound is completely at the service of the songs.”

Sanz shared a 40-second teaser of the video for the soon-to-be-released track.

Sanz’s tour in support of Sirope kicks off July 30 in Córdoba, Spain. He’ll pause from the tour to serve as one of the judges (along with Laura Pausini and Ricky Martin) on Univision’s new reality talent competition series, La Banda, premiering this September. Following his run on the show, Sanz will embark on a tour of Latin America and the U.S. in the summer of 2016.

Jimenez to Oversee Content for Univision’s 67 Radio Stations

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Jimenez is the man in charge at Univision Radio…

The Latino media executive will now oversee content for Univision’s 67 radio stations.

Jimenez, who was promoted from SVP/GM of the company’s Los Angeles stations to EVP of Local Media last August, will also be in charge of Univision Radio’s operating hubs in Los Angeles, Miami and San Antonio.

Jimenez comes to his new post with experience in radio and television, including overseeing both television and radio stations.

Jiménez will based in Los Angeles, reporting to Kevin Cuddihy, president of Univision Local Media.

He replaces Jose Valle, who served as president of Univision Radio since 2011. Valle has been reassigned, named president of political & advocacy sales for the company. He’ll no longer be involved in its radio division.

During his tenure at Univision Radio, Valle was a proponent of leveraging radio efforts with Univision’s other platforms. The number of nationwide radio premieres on the network increased substantially. Valle also launched Univision Radio’s very successful Uforia app, which allows streaming of all its stations from smartphones.

Univision to End Don Francisco’s Long-Running Variety Series “Sábado Gigante”

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the end of an era for Don Francisco…

Univision has announced that the 74-year-old Chilean television host’s Sábado Gigante, the longest-running variety series in television history, will end its 53-year run on September 19.

Host and creator Don Francisco — real name Mario Kreutzberger — will continue to have a relationship with Univision.

In addition to hosting the annual TeletónUSA charity event for disabled children, Kreutzberger also will appear in TV specials and contribute to the network’s efforts to identify and cultivate new on-air talent.

Created in 1962 for Chile’s Canal 13 as Show Dominical, the series was inspired by television programs from Argentina and the U.S. that Kreutzberger enjoyed. In its second year, the series was moved to Saturday nights and the named changed to Sábados Gigantes to reflect the move. It quickly proved popular throughout the region, reaching an 80 share in Latin American television during the 1970s. This afforded Kreutzberger enormous leeway in production, and some episodes from this era lasted as long as eight hours.

In 1986, Kreutzberger moved the program to the Univision network and relocated the production to Miami. With the move came several changes; the name was changed to Sábado Gigante, a series of co-hosts added and, for several years, two identical versions were recorded — one for Kreutzberger’s native Chile and one for international audiences.

Throughout its various incarnations, Sábado Gigante has had an unrivaled production schedule. A new episode has aired every week the show has been in production, it has never aired reruns in lieu of new episodes, and only rarely has it been pre-empted for other programming, usually for special events such as TeletónUSA that are hosted by Kreutzberger.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Channel 13 of the Universidad Católica de Chile gave me as I was starting out, to Univision in the United States and also to the Televisa Network, which allowed us to bring our Sábado Gigante into the homes of millions of families in the United States and the world every week,” Kreutzberger said in a statement. “I have no words to thank our viewers for the support, loyalty and enthusiasm with which they have honored us through the years and which have allowed the show to become an unprecedented success in the history of this medium. To all those who joined us by tuning in to Sábado Gigante with their constructive criticism, work and loyalty, I would like to say from the bottom of my heart and in capital letters, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.”

The series earned Don Francisco numerous awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

J Balvin Scores First No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart with “Ay Vamos”

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a big first for J Balvin…

The 29-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer, considered the breakout Latino artist of 2014, has scored his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as “Ay Vamos” hops 4-1 in its 25th week on the chart.

The track takes Digital Gainer honors on the chart, climbing 78 percent (to 5,000 downloads sold in the week ending Feb. 22, according to Nielsen Music), fueled in part by a performance of the song on Univision‘s Premio Lo Nuestro awards show on February 19, where he took home four awards, including urban artist of the year.

A recently released remix featuring Nicky Jam and French Montana, along with a price reduction (to 69 cents) as part of a digital promotion, also helps the track leap 11-4 on the Latin Digital Songs chart.

On Hot Latin Songs, “Ay Vamos” had spent 10 nonconsecutive weeks stuck at No. 2 on the list, unable to break his tourmate Enrique Iglesias‘ impenetrable 41-week record No. 1 run with “Bailando” featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona. A week ago, “Bailando” finally fell (1-2), as Mana‘s “Mi Verdad” bowed atop the list. At the same time, “Ay Vamos” slipped 2-4 — to its lowest rank since the Nov. 29-dated chart. But thanks to its surge in sales, the song finally crowns the list with its three-spot leap.

“Ay Vamos,” from Balvin’s La Familia B Sides (released Sept. 16), also earlier spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay (first peaking on Oct. 25), tying with Don Omar‘s “Zumba” for fourth-longest No. 1 run on the chart. It currently continues at No. 2 (with a 10 percent jump in airplay — to 7.7 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen).

Balvin is a 12-time finalist at the upcoming 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards, airing live on Telemundo from Miami on April 30. He’s a finalist in such categories as artist of the year, new; and hot Latin song of the year for “6 AM” (featuring Farruko). He’ll be speaking at the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Conference.

Benitez to Host Fusion’s “Nightline on Fusion” Program

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Giovani “Gio” Benitez is ready to walk the (night)line…

The 29-year-old Latino television correspondent will host Nightline on Fusion, Fusion’s one-hour weekly edition of ABC News’ Nightline.

Co-hosted by Fusion’s Kimberly Brooks, the network’s edition will feature contributions from additional ABC News and Fusion talent. Nightline on Fusion will include stories from the late-night program — the ones that “resonate with Fusion’s young, diverse millennial audience” — as well as original content produced for Fusion, that network said.

Fusion will begin broadcasting its weekly edition on February 18 at 8:00 pm ET.

Fusion was launched as a joint venture between Univision Communications Inc. and the Disney/ABC Television Network on October 28, 2013.

Benitez serves as a correspondent for ABC News, appearing on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20 and Nightline.

He has won two television news Emmy awards.

Coronel Releases Inspirational Holiday Single “Feliz Navidad”

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Coronel is spreading a little love this holiday season…

The 18-year-old Mexican American cantante, who was named to this year’s Billboard‘s 21 Under 21 list, has released the lyric video for his brand new Christmas song “Feliz Navidad.”

The clip for his acoustic accordion-and guitar-accompanied inspirational ballad, not to be confused with the Jose Feliciano classic of the same name, shows Coronel greeting his female fans, and giving the luckiest of the girls a kiss on the cheek.

The lyric video was released this week, already garnering 14-thousand views on YouTube.

In October, Coronel became the youngest solo artist in 13 years to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with his sophomore album Quiero Ser Tu Dueño. “Tenerte,” the first single from that album, rose to the top of Regional Mexican Songs, where it currently stands at No. 12.

An artist for a new Latino generation with ranchera roots and pop appeal, Coronel will be up for the Male Artist of the Year at Univision’s Premios Nuestro Awards in Feb. 2015. He’ll end this year with an appearance on Azteca America’s Christmas special Navidad Azteca, and be the subject of a mun2 special, Estrellas de Reventon: Luis Coronel on December 14.

“Feliz Navidad” is available for download on iTunes.

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