Entertainment

Raul de Molin is struggling to cope after the death of his mother, Mrs. Maria de Molina, who died at the age of 76 in Miami, FL, around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Mrs. de Molina struggled against bone cancer for approximately 14 years. “*

Nominees for the first ever annual “Tecate Premios Deportes” (Tecate Sports Awards) were announced today by Univision, the most-watched Spanish-language television network in America. Comprised of Hispanic athletes in ten different categories, the nominees have been selected for their talent, character and perseverance, as well as their contributions to and impact on the Hispanic community. The “Tecate Premios Deportes” awards will be presented during a celebrity-filled “red carpet” celebration at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, and will be broadcast on the Univision Network on Sunday, July 20^th.

The “Tecate Premios Deportes” nominees were selected by a distinguished panel of current and former professional athletes and sports writers, including famed boxer Oscar de la Hoya; legendary Mexican soccer goalie Jorge Campos; retired NFL player Tony Casillas; NFL Hall of Fame recipient Anthony Muñoz; former Mexican soccer coach Jesus Bracamontes; and Enrique Borja, legendary Mexican forward and team president of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) Tigres.

The judging criteria for the awards included the athletes’ statistical excellence, participation in a televised professional sport in the United States during 2007, cumulative impact on their team and in the sport, and their reputation as a role model for the Hispanic community.

“The Academy went through an arduous selection process to identify the nominees. We wanted to ensure this event recognized athletes based on their merit and not popularity,” said Oscar de la Hoya, executive member of the “Tecate Premios Deportes” Academy. “We are confident the list encompasses the best Hispanic athletes and look forward to honoring our colleagues at the event airing nationwide on July 20^th on Univision.”

Sports fans have voted for four of these awards at Univision.com (keyword: Tecate Premios Deportes): Atleta Masculino del Año (Male Athlete of the Year), Atleta Femenina del Año (Female Athlete of the Year), Equipo All Star de Béisbol (Baseball All-Star Team) & Equipo All Star de Fútbol (Soccer All-Star Team). In addition, a live, dedicated mini-site provides exclusive coverage of the event and video highlights of the nominees in their finest sports moments. “Tecate Premios Deportes” is the first-ever awards event of its kind, showcasing a seamless merger of sports and entertainment that will reach countless online fans.

In an effort to bring sports aficionados even closer to their heroes, Univision and cerveza Tecate will open the doors to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and invite them to attend the show, with proceeds of ticket sales going to charity.

Nominees in each category include:

North American Soccer Player of the Year (Mexican and American Leagues)

1. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago Fire

2. Omar Bravo, Club Deportivo Guadalajara

3. Guillermo Ochoa, Club America

Boxer of the Year

1. Ivan Calderon

2. Miguel Cotto

3. Juan Manuel Marquez

Baseball Hispanic Player of the Year

1. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

2. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

3. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Basketball Hispanic Player of the Year

1. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

2. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

3. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs

American Football Hispanic Player of the Year

1. Luis Castillo, San Diego Chargers

2. Tony Gonzales, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Auto Racer of the Year

1. Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR

2. Helio Castroneves, IndyCar

3. Milka Duno, IndyCar

Additionally, fans were invited to nominate their favorite athletes at Univision.com in the following four categories:

Best Hispanic Female Athlete of the Year

1. Maribel Dominguez

2. Milka Duno

3. Paola Espinoza

4. Ana Guevara

5. Lorena Ochoa

6. Vivian Villarreal

Best Hispanic Male Athlete of the Year

1. Omar Bravo

2. Cuauhtemoc Blanco

3. Manu Ginobili

4. Rafael Nadal

5. Alex Rodriguez

6. Tony Romo

All-Star Soccer Team of the Year

Goal Keeper:

1. Guillermo Ochoa, Club America

2. Federico Vilar, Atlante

3. Dario Sala, F.C. Dallas

Right Defense:

1. Israel Castro, UNAM

2. Ivan Estrada, Santos

3. Gonzalo Segares, Chicago Fire

Right Center Defense:

1. Jonny Magallon, Chivas

2. Paulo Da Silva, Toluca

3. Claudio Suarez, Chivas USA

Left Center Defense:

1. Javier Munoz Mustafa, Atlante

2. Felipe Baloy, Monterrey

3. Facundo Erpen, Colorado Rapids

Left Defense:

1. Oscar Rojas, Club America

2. Fausto Pinto, Pachuca

3. Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA

Defensive Midfielder:

1. Gerardo Torrado, Cruz Azul

2. Jaime Correa, Pachuca

3. Pablo Ricchetti, F.C. Dallas

Midfielder:

1. Ramon Morales, Chivas

2. Antonio Naelson Zinha, Toluca

3. Juan Carlos Toja, F.C. Dallas

Offensive Midfielder:

1. Emmanuel Luduena, Santos

2. Gabriel Pereyra, Atlante

3. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago Fire

Forward 1:

1. Esteban Solari, UNAM

2. Omar Bravo, Chivas

3. Luciano Emilio, D.C. United

Forward 2:

1. Giancarlo Maldonado, Atlante

2. Salvador Cabanas, Club America

3. Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bull

Forward 3:

1. Vicente Sanchez, Toluca

2. Juan Carlos Cacho, Pachuca

3. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew

All-Star Baseball Team of the Year

Relievers:

1. Rafael Betancourt, Cleveland Indians

2. JC Romero, Philadelphia Phillies

3. Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies

Managers:

1. Ozzie Guillen, Chicago White Sox

2. Fredi Gonzalez, Florida Marlins,

3. Manny Acta, Washington Nationals

Closers:

1. Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels

2. Jose Valverde, Arizona Diamondbacks

3. Francisco Cordero, Milwaukee Brewers

Pitchers:

1. Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians

2. Johan Santana, New York Mets

3. Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs

Catchers:

1. Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians

2. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers

3. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees

Designated Hitters:

1. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

2. Jose Vidro, Seattle Mariners

3. Sammy Sosa, Texas Rangers

First Base:

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

2. Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays

3. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres

Second Base:

1. Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers

2. Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh Pirates

3. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

Third Base:

1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

2. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

3. Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox

Shortstop:

1. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins

2. Jose Reyes, New York Mets

3. Orlando Cabrera, Chicago White Sox

Outfielders:

1. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels

2. Alexis Rios, Toronto Blue Jays

3. Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs

4. Raul Ibanez, Seattle Mariners

5. Carlos Beltran, New York Mets

6. Maglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers

7. Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox

8. Bobby Abreu, New York Yankees

9. Carlos Lee, Houston Astros

“*

Fans of the Mexican TV program, Otro Rollo, headed by Adal Ramones, received good news from the host, who said they’re preparing to return to the small screen by the beginning of next year”*

Raggaeton singer Daddy Yankee seems overjoyed these days, not only because his song “Pose” has reached No. 1 on the charts, but also because he’ll be making his film acting debut in HBO Latin Film Festival’s Talento de barrio. “*

This past Monday, a Miami judge congratulated Pablo Montero for passing a second drug test and for successfully attending rehab. However, the Mexican singer’s hopes of having his case closed were dashed when the judge assigned a new date for him to reappear in court next month, reports Notimex. “*

The nasty exchange of accusations made between Niurka Marcos and Carmen Salinas isn’t the only scandal that’s haunting the Cuban actress these days. According to the website of the Mexican daily El Universal, apparently Marcos talked out of turn again, but this time she’s facing the consequences: Televisa and TV Azteca have banned her from their programming. “*

I have an obsession and her name is Julieta Venegas.

These days the hottest rock music comes out of the Latin world and a waifish Mexican rockera you’ve probably never heard of leads the pack. Julieta Venegas was born in California, but the Tijuana-raised singer is no crossover queen–her eclectic, Grammy-winning pop and rock compositions are all-Spanish-all-the-time. She’s a rich and poetic lyricist, with a voice at times sweet and bouncy, at times haunting. Oh dear, stop me before I hit Repeat yet again.”*

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), recent recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announced today that it will produce a staged reading of Romeo y Julieta, a newly commissioned, bilingual adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in the Theatre at Little Village Lawndale High School July 25 and 26. Henry Godinez, co-founder of Teatro Vista, director of Chicago’s Latino Theatre Festival and a veteran of nine productions as a member of CST’s acting company, will direct a local and national cast of Latino theater artists including Elizabeth Peña, four-time winner of the American Latino Media Arts Award. Karen Zacarías, founding artistic director of Young Playwrights’ Theatre in Washington, D.C. and winner of the 2006 Francesca Primus Award, will adapt the 75-minute work. “*

Rey Valentín admits he got into acting for the same reason a lot of guys do — the girls.

Valentín, co-star of “Generation Kill,” a seven-part HBO miniseries about the Iraq war that debuts July 13, was a 14-year-old kid playing hoops in his hardscrabble hometown of Bridgeport, Conn., when a woman wandered onto the court with some girls in tow. “*

Hey, Andrew McCarthy, don’t look now, but a totally hot Latin guy is headed for your girl.

Inside sources reveal that Rosie Perez and Puerto Rican singing sensation Carlos Ponce are coming to NBC’s Lipstick Jungle for multiepisode arcs in the new season, which premieres Sept. 24.”*

George Lopez, the popular stand-up comedian and television star, has committed to play in the 2008 Pacific University Legends Golf Classic. The tournament, a fundraiser for Pacific University’s 20-sport athletics program, takes place July 27 & 28 at The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club in Aloha.”*

Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) (NASDAQ:SBSA) and Mega TV, the fastest growing Hispanic television channel in the United States, today announced the launch of “Mega Modelo 2009,” a beauty contest where viewers can vote for six male models and six female models to be featured in next year’s Mega TV calendar. The contest will run during the broadcast of the Brazilian novella, “Belissima,” which premieres on Monday, June 30, at 6:00 PM ET on MegaTV.

The contest will run from July 14 through August 24, and each week, two models will be selected from the group of nominees. The winners will be chosen by the audience who can vote by visiting www.mega.tv or www.lamusica.com, and announced on September 3.

All twelve winners will travel to Miami for the final photo-shoots and to create a video to give the audience a behind the scenes look at the entire Mega TV calendar production process. The final calendar will be available in November.

As the contest is happening, the Brazilian novella, “Belissima,” will be airing every Monday at 6:00 PM ET on Mega TV. Produced by Brazilian Globo network “Belissima” tells stories related to the world of fashion from a lingerie factory.

Do not miss on the exciting premiere of “Belissima” on June 30 at 6:00 PM ET on Mega TV Channel 22 in South Florida, Channel 405 in DirecTV Mas, Channel 57 in West Palm Beach and Channel 169 in DirecTV Puerto Rico, and get ready to vote for your favorite male and female models during the “Mega Modelo 2009″ contest. “

Over the last 30 years, Hernandez has transformed himself into a human encyclopedia of Latino music knowledge. In the early 1960s, he began collecting literature, periodicals, recordings, photographs, and other memorabilia on Latinos in the music industry, from the crooners of the ’40s to the rock ’n’ rollers of the ’50s to anyone who has ever been associated with Tejano, conjunto, and música ranchera.

“Ramon has one of the most extensive music history collections in the world,” says Steve Williams, founder of the Museum of American Music History. “There are very few collections that are as detailed as his that will take you from the origins of an artist throughout his entire career in pictures, documents, and mementos.””*

Check out Jennifer Lopez’s bikini body with her new baby twins! Jennifer showed off a pretty remarkable bikini body while on vacation with her family back in Tenerife, Spain”*

The Giddy Gander Company is pleased to announce the addition of The Wumblers website, www.wumblers.com, to KIDZUI “The Internet For Kids.” With over 600,000 websites, pictures, and video currently comprising KIDZUI’s parent and teacher approved content, The Wumblers is being featured today as one of the most highly trafficked and enjoyable websites for children.

KIDZUI is a revolutionary new kids’ browser that makes surfing the Internet fun, easy, and safe for kids from 3-12. Having received a tremendous amount of attention from news and information sources from the onset, KIDZUI is cutting edge in the unique manner it protects children surfing the internet, www.kidzui.com.

The Wumblers children’s television series and brand continues to travel the globe at light speed as a result of the “enlightened” manner in which it entertains children to the merits of making the world a better place for ALL, promoting bilingual (Spanish-English) fluency and cooperation along the way.

“We are delighted to be welcomed by KIDZUI and appreciate the recognition given to us by the many parents and teachers behind the KIDZUI approval process. Caring for ALL children in every way is, and will continue to be, a priority for both The Wumblers and The Giddy Gander Company!” says Laura J. Wellington, CEO.

For further information about The Wumblers, please contact Heidi Schwartz, VP of Strategic Alliances and Business Development, heidis@giddygander.com, (201) 944-9004 x 230. “*

San Antonio native Jade Esteban Estrada will host the 19^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on the Bravo Network on Friday, June 27, 2008. The gala awards show recognizing and honoring media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives will air Friday, June 27, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT. For more information visit http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/19thAnnual/SoFLAwardsPost.php.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a national media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, has presented the GLAAD Media Awards annually since 1990.

“This year’s extraordinary nominees and honorees for the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards exemplify the important strides we have made as a community toward creating a truly inclusive society,” said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “Thanks to our partnership with Bravo, on June 27 the GLAAD Media Awards will be available to over 84 million homes, giving people across the country a chance to celebrate these media images and their creators.  Our community has made such incredible strides toward equality because our stories have been told in fair, accurate and inclusive media — from journalism to TV storylines to film. Bravo’s acclaimed programming has already shown that TV can portray gay and transgender people fairly and accurately with amazing success.”

The special will include award presentations from the four ceremony locations – New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and South Florida. Estrada hosts the South Florida segment.

Celebrities scheduled to appear include Kevin Bacon; Billy Baldwin; Jennifer Beals; Candis Cayne; Ilene Chaiken; Cindy Crawford; Wilson Cruz; Alan Cumming; Loretta Devine; Sally Field; Tom Ford; Brian Graden; Kathy Griffin; Mariska Hargitay; Laurel Holloman; Janet Jackson; Randy Jackson; T.R. Knight; Alec Mapa; David Mixner; Graham Norton; Jai Rodriquez; Zoe Saldena; James Schamus; Judy Shepard; Kyra Sedgwick; Sharon Stone; Joss Stone; Sofia Vergara; Barbara Walters and Rufus Wainwright.

The special will be immediately followed by the basic cable premiere of the critically acclaimed, Academy Award®-winning film Brokeback Mountain, which also received the award for Outstanding Film - Wide Release at the 17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information about the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, please visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

About Bravo
Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been an NBC cable network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com.

For further information or to request high resolution artwork or an interview, please contact Greta Golding at vicariouspr@aol.com, call 646-342-8647 or visit www.getjaded.com.

Publicist Nikki Young of the San Antonio-based PrimaDonna Productions walks the red carpet with Jade Esteban Estrada at the 19^th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Hollywood, Florida. Photo by PEDRO PORTAL.

Comedian Jade Esteban Estrada hosts the 19^th Annual South Florida GLAAD Media Awards. Photo by JOHN PARRA.

In Less Then Three Weeks, The Year’s Most Heralded Latin Music Artist Will Launch

His First Major U.S. Tour In Over A Decade. Guerra’s La Travesia Tour Will Visit Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, New York, New England, Santa Barbara, San Jose And Los Angeles.

-AP Photo Clips Show Juan Luis Guerra as the Leading Winner at the Latin Grammy Awards & Billboard Latin Music Awards.

See JUAN LUIS GUERRA At These Summer Tour Dates

July 12- Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena        July 19 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand at Foxwoods

July 13- Orlando, FL - Amway Arena                       July 31 - Santa Barbara, CA - Chumash Casino

July 16 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Arena                   Aug. 02 - San Jose, CA - Event Center

July 18 - New York, NY - Madison Sq. Garden       Aug. 03 - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre

- - - - - - - - - -

The World’s Leading Tropical Music Artist –Appropriately Known As “El Maestro” –

The Past Year Has Seen Juan Luis Guerra:

- Named “Person of the Year” By The Latin Recording Academy

- SWEEP The LATIN GRAMMY Awards, Winning all FIVE Categories For Which He Was Nominated:

Album of the Year -Record of the Year - Song of the Year-Best Tropical Song – Best Merengue Album

- WIN The GRAMMY Award For Best Tropical Latin Album”

- Top The List Of Award Winners At The Billboard Latin Music Awards

[Guerra] has no equivalent in English-speaking pop, though there are parallels to songwriters like Paul Simon, Sting and Smokey Robinson. Like Mr. Simon and Sting, Mr. Guerra has forged hybrid rhythms, melding merengue and other beats from the Dominican Republic with styles from across the Caribbean, guitar lines from Africa and touches of jazz and rock… His music is cosmopolitan, but it never forgets its island roots.” – The New York Times

“…merengue superstar Juan Luis Guerra is considered a poet and musician of the people. He and his band 440 are much loved throughout the Latino world and he has become one of the new wave of artists responsible for revitalizing tropical music… With his typical style and charm [on La Llave de Mi Corazón], Juan Luis Guerra delivers an intoxicating mix of merengue, bachata and salsa so expertly written and performed as to become an old favorite after the very first listen… surprises listeners with the unique texture and feel of each track, with evocative melodies and poetic lyrics… Guerra takes to each new musical terrain as if it were his native soil…Not surprisingly, this record went straight to the top of Billboard’s Latin Tropical Albums Charts… Llave de Mi Corazón marks Guerra’s ascension from genre heavy hitter to living legend.” – All Music Guide

Sí, sabemos, you can’t get enough of Thalía! As we anxiously await the release of su nueva disco Lunada mañana, we leave you with a little something to whet your appetite. “*

La ciudad mexicana de Guadalajara, la segunda del país, será la sede este otoño de la entrega de los premios MTV Latinoamérica, anunció el gobierno del Estado de Jalisco que invertirá en la ceremonia unos dos millones de dólares.”*

Prince wants to party with them. Salsa legend Larry Harlow is itching to school them. And groove maestro Maceo Parker can’t wait to blow with them again. Since roaring out of Austin, Texas, several years ago, the horn-laden combo Grupo Fantasma has become the nation’s most visible purveyor of Latin funk, and everybody seems to want a piece of the action.

The 10-piece band, which performs at the Museum of Fine Arts tomorrow, is building on its triumphant 2007 run, which included a command London performance with Prince last August. Fantasma had already played a two-month run at Prince’s Vegas club and entertained at his celebrity-filled, post-Golden Globe Awards party.”*

I got to see them in a small venue with less than 100 people a couple of weeks ago - lots of fun.

During Wednesday’s broadcast of “Despierta Austin” (Wake Up Austin) Univision 62 announced the nominations for the fourth annual “Premios de Texas” (Texas Awards), Spanish-language television’s regional awards show”*

According to TV show La oreja, Univisión reported that Jenni Rivera was arrested on Monday after a concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, for allegedly hitting a fan. The singer of Mexican descent will face charges of assault, and will have to appear before the court on July 25. “*

After Miami judge congratulated Pablo Montero, 34, for his progress in rehab for a drug addiction, the actor was hopeful that this Monday will be the last time he’ll have to appear in court. “*

Much to the dismay of her fans, Bibi Gaytán won’t be returning to the theater. She’s confirmed that she won’t be joining the cast of the musical, Aventurera to replace Edith González, because she can’t dedicate the time, and would rather focus on her husband, Eduardo Capetillo, and their children. “*

We’ve been on a bit of a roll watching Mexican movies lately - about five or six in the last couple months. After stuffing ourselves with so much Hecho en Mexico cinema, it’s hard not to notice some common threads running through the latest crop of movies, some excellent, some hard to sit through for an entire viewing.

Mexican movies are a world away from Hollywood - instead of glitzy soundstages, the gritty, traffic-choked Mexican capital serves as the ultra-realistic setting for most. But Mexican movies also seem to share another trait. Most are unsettling - you don’t leave the theater feeling all is well with the world. There are are no tidy endings. Most are as messy and ambiguous as the city itself. “*