de Armas to Star Opposite Edgar Ramirez in “Hands of Stone”

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Ana de Armas is gearing up to bring a little Felicidad to the big screen…

The 25-year-old Cuban actress has signed on to star in the Jonathan Jacubowicz-directed film about legendary boxer Roberto Duran, Hands of Stone.

de Armas, who will be making her English-language debut in the film, will portray Duran’s gorgeous wife Felicidad.

She’ll star alongside Edgar Ramirez, who’s playing the great fighter, Robert De Niro, who’s playing trainer Ray Arcel, and Usher, who’s playing Sugar Ray Leonard.

Hands of Stone centers on the life of the Panamanian boxer, who was nicknamed “Manos de Piedra” during his career.

de Armas’ first film success was Una rosa de Francia, starring with Alex Gonzalez. She later appeared in other films such as Madrigal by Cuban director Fernando Pérez as well as telenovelas like El último Edén.

Miguel to Serve as a Mentor on NBC’s “The Voice” This Season

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel is headed to The Voice…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican singer-songwriter has signed on to serve as a mentor on the upcoming fifth season of NBC’s hit singing competition.

Miguel will join fellow mentors Cher, Ed Sheeran and Ryan Tedder on the show this season.

He’ll partner up with returning coach Cee-Lo Green to advise the member’s of Green’s team.

“Believe” songstress Cher will team up with coach Blake Shelton. British star Sheeran will lend a helping hand to Christina Aguilera‘s team. OneRepublic‘s frontman Tedder will mentor Adam Levine‘s team.

“This group of wildly successful musicians will add their distinctive talents to their respective teams,” says Paul Telegdy, President of Late Night and Alternative Programming on NBC Entertainment. “I know Christina, Adam, CeeLo and Blake are very much looking forward to having them come aboard.”

The new season of “The Voice” premieres on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC.

Xtina and Cee-Lo return to the show after taking a break last season and were replaced by Shakira and Usher, who will return for the sixth installment in 2014.

Mars to Reportedly Headline the 2014 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It appears that Bruno Mars will be having a super February…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer will reportedly perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in February 2014, according to the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.

The National Football League is expected to make an official announcement on Sunday during Fox’s pregame show at noon ET.

Mars, currently on tour promoting his sophomore album Unorthodox Jukebox, would be a strong choice. He’s known for giving high-octane performances at awards shows like the Grammys and MTV VMAs.

His hit songs include “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Grenade,” “Just the Way You Are” and “When I Was Your Man.”

Mars would join Madonna, Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas with Usher and Slash, The Who and Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band.

NBC Releases “The Voice” Season Five Poster, Featuring Aguilera and the Rest of the “Original” Coaches

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is back in the red… The red leather chair she occupies on NBC’s The Voice, that is.

The network has released the official marketing poster for the fifth season of the hit reality singing competition featuring the 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian singer, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, with the tagline “Reunited and it feels so good.”

Aguilera and Green sat out Season 4 of The Voice earlier this year to focus on their music careers. The pair were replaced by Shakira and Usher, who earned rave reviews for their coaching skills.

Shakira will return for the show’s sixth season next spring.

In the meantime, Aguilera and the rest of the original coaches will be selecting the voice of America this fall.

The Voice will premiere September 23, 2013 on NBC.

Estefan to Appear on Winfrey’s OWN Series “Oprah’s Next Chapter”

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is getting the Next Chapter treatment…

The 55-year-old Cuban singer-songwriter will take a seat next to Oprah Winfrey for an in-depth interview.

Estefan will not only discuss her extraordinary career, a remarkable life that she’s developing into a Broadway show with husband Emilio Estefan; she’s also set to talk about the many musical paths she’s helped pave for other stars.

The seven-time Grammy winner is the latest musician to join Winfrey on her OWN show Oprah’s Next Chapter, following high profile chats with the likes of Justin Bieber, Usher, Rihanna and Fergie.

In the episode airing on August 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, Estefan talks about how she guided the careers of Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Shakira, among others. In one part, Estefan tells Oprah how she fought label execs to release Shakira’s first English-language album, a record that went on establish the Colombian singer as a global star.

“They wanted her just to throw a couple of songs in English on a Latin record and I fought hard. I said, ‘Listen. This is her shot. You can’t do it halfway, you know’?” Estefan says. “An American audience is not gonna get a record that’s mostly Spanish because there’s a couple of English cuts on it. They’re gonna want to hear the whole thing. This is gonna work. I fought hard for her. Fought hard. And she sold like 13 million of that album.”

Estefan and Oprah sit down for a Cuban-style lunch at the singer’s home in Vero Beach, Florida, where they chat about Estefan’s upbringing as a Cuban exile, her rise into the mainstream, and that shocking bus crash in the 1990s that almost left her paralyzed.

Estefan, the Latin music industry’s premier female artist, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. She’s also in charge of a string of enterprises and a minor stake in the Miami Dolphins NFL team.

Miguel Earns Best Male R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards…

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

This year’s turning out to be a (kaleidoscope) dream for Miguel…

Following his career-advancing performance at theGrammys and his “#Beautiful” collaboration with Mariah Carey, the 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter was named Best Male R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards on Sunday night.

Miguel, who released his critically acclaimed sophomore album Kaleidoscope Dream in 2012, beat out Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Usher to claim a victory in the category for the first time in his career.

It was the only awad of the night for Miguel, who was nominated in four categories this year, during the show held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

Other winners included best female R&B/pop artist Rihanna, best male hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar, best female hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj, best actress Kerry Washington, best actor Jamie Foxx and best movie Think Like a Man.

It’s Miguel’s second BET Award, following his win in the Best Collaboration category last year for his “Lotus Flower Bomb” single with Wale.

Carey to Perform at the “Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular”

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is preparing to set fire to the Fourth.

The 43-year-old half-Venezuelan American singer and American Idol judge and country superstar Tim McGraw will celebrate the nation’s 237th birthday by performing at this year’s Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular.

Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon, will host the special, which will air on NBC on Thursday, July 4, from 8:00-10:00 pm ET, with an encore presentation of the second hour of the special at 10:00 pm ET.

“Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw are the perfect complement to Macy’s exceptional fireworks display,” said Doug Vaughan, EVP of Specials and Late Night Programming for NBC Entertainment. “NBC is thrilled to have these amazing artists join us in celebrating America’s birthday.”

The two crooners have already proven their talents in the music industry. Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with 200 million sold albums and several chart-topping singles. Meanwhile, McGraw was recently certified as the most-played country artist of the past 20 years.

In addition, a superstar will help design the show, which is being called “It Begins With a Spark”. Usher will lend his artistic inspiration and talent to make the best party to celebrate U.S.A.’s independence day.   ”

This year Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks will be transformed into a giant party in the sky captivating audiences along the Hudson River and on television screens across the country,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. “Since 1976, Macy’s Fireworks have grown in scale and artistry. With this collaboration with Usher, we are taking the show to the next level of entertainment spectacle, combining the very best of Macy’s Fireworks with Usher’s unparalleled artistic vision.

No word yet on what song(s) Carey will perform.

Aguilera Returning to “The Voice” for Season Five

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a red leather chair in Christina Aguilera’s future…

The 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer will be returning to NBC’s The Voice for the reality singing competition this fall, while Shakira will be exiting after one season.

Aguilera, a judge for the first three seasons of The Voice, left last year to promote her album Lotus, which was released in November.

Cee Lo Green, another of the four original judges on the Mark Burnett-produced competition show, also took a sabbatical to work on his music career.

Shakira and fellow newbie Usher joined Adam Levine and Blake Shelton this year for Season 4, which wraps up June 18.

Burnett has said change on the judges panel is a part of The Voice.

“Everybody can’t coach for life because when you have people with current recordings in the game, this is not their job,” he said. “Their job is their fans and making music and being live, and so we knew from the beginning that this would happen, and we’ve had six coaches. They all have another life and their schedules.”

Prince Royce Signs Recording Contract with Sony Music Entertainment

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Prince Royce’s future is at Sony… at least for the next few years…

The 23-year-old Dominican-American bachata singer-songwriter and soon-to-be La Voz Kids coach inked a contract with Sony Music Entertainment to release his next albums, the label reported this week.

“I’m very excited about this new step in my career, which will help spread my music globally. I chose Sony because we share the same passion and vision about the direction we want to take my music and my career,” said Royce.

Prince Royce reached an agreement last February with his previous record label, Top Stop Music, to settle a legal battle that erupted when h decided unilaterally to break their contract.

Once a free agent, the winner of 12 Billboard Latin Music Awards was approached by a number of labels trying to sign him, but he finally picked Sony, which is home to artists like Shakira, Justin Timberlake and Usher.

Prince Royce will launch his first Sony album in Spanish next fall. Later, as stipulated in the contract, he will record his next pop discs in English for Sony’s RCA Records label.

“We are thrilled about the opportunity to work with such a dynamic Latin artist on his first English album,” RCA’s CEO Peter Edge, said in a statement.

Bardem to Portray Manuel Noriega in “Hands of Stone”

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Bardem is preparing to portray one of the world’s most notorious dictators…

In Hands of Stone, the 49-year-old Spanish actor, brother to Javier Bardem, has been cast as Panama’s former dictator Manuel Noriega, who was removed from power after the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States.

The film, scheduled to be released in 2013, will tell the story of Roberto Dúran, the popular Panamanian boxer and his trainer, Ray Arcel.

Calling his character a “badass,” Bardem told Fox News Latino that he’s is ready to get on the set and play the controversial military leader.

Along with Bardem, Hands of Stone will reportedly star Andy García, Robert DeNiro, Gael García Bernal, Usher and possibly reggaeton singer Tego Calderón.

Bardem, who recently starred opposite Salma Hayek in the film Americano, will next star opposite Mia Maestro in the upcoming film Gardel about Argentine Tango phenomenon Carlos Gardel.

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