News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Brazil’

NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has announced increased coverage and content in the NAVTEQ map for Mexico that enables improvements to the region’s navigation systems functionality. The current map release includes almost 450,000 km of roads and covers the entire population. Twenty-three percent of that population is covered at NAVTEQ’s highest quality levels: road network attribute verification, a specification distinctive to NAVTEQ maps.

NAVTEQ collects up to 260 attributes about the road network, such as direction of travel (one-ways), turn restrictions, and addresses providing automotive grade maps for use in line-fit or portable navigation systems. Unique to NAVTEQ, all of their global maps are built to a single data specification with a standard toolkit that supports quality map collection and verification. Local geographic analysts familiar with regional nuances collect and verify the map content using a variety of processes including driving the roads.

“Digital maps that support turn-by-turn vehicle guidance need to be highly accurate, and detailed,” stated Eliot Dam, director of product marketing- Americas, NAVTEQ. “Many road attributes such as turn restrictions or other restricted maneuvers are more efficiently collected or verified via in-vehicle processes. Other elements such as small physical barriers can only be collected and verified by geographic analysts on the road.”

NAVTEQ has three local offices employing up to thirty geographic analysts. Much of the database production is done locally as well in the Leon production center.

“Because all of our map collection, verification and production processes are standardized against a common database specification, customers can more quickly and easily integrate new quarterly coverage and content into their navigation systems,” stated Jim Dineen director and general manager-Latin America, NAVTEQ. “As we add more content and broaden attribute verification, end-users can receive improved routing benefits through the system providers’ map update programs.”

The NAVTEQ map for Mexico quarterly release program represents NAVTEQ’s ongoing commitment to the region. In addition to the Mexico map, NAVTEQ’s regional global coverage includes the United States, Canada, and South American coverage in Brazil and Argentina.

About the NAVTEQ Map for Mexico

The NAVTEQ map for Mexico enables automotive-grade turn-by-turn guidance for navigation systems, location-based solutions, and enterprise applications. Local resources employed in three field offices and a production facility in Leon collect and verify the road geometry and up to 260 road attributes. New map content is release quarterly.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has more than 3,600 employees located in 187 offices and in 39 countries.

NAVTEQ is a trademark in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.”

After an exhaustive three-month online search, Quepasa.com, one of the leading online social communities for young Latinos along with Latinas Illustrated, announced today that the Latinas Illustrated online model search will culminate in a runway show in Mexico City where a panel of judges made up of celebrities and industry leaders will pick the 13 winning models to appear in the 2009 Latinas Illustrated Swimsuit calendar.

“We are very pleased with the amount of international submissions we received from all over Latina America,” says John C. Abbott, Quepasa’s CEO. “This being the first year the contest is held online, we were thrilled to see submissions from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean, which will make this a truly Pan-Latino calendar.”

The contest launched in May on the Latinas Illustrated Community on Quepasa.com (www.Quepasa.com/latinas) and featured a vibrant, interactive viral community, including exclusive videos, model profiles, pictures, user-generated content, and behind-the-scenes clips from past calendar shoots from all over Latin America. For the past three months the Quepasa community has been voting for their favorite models to determine the 30 finalists that will participate in the runway show, which will be held in Mexico City for the first time.

“The response to the contest has been phenomenal,” commented Jeff Valdez, Quepasa’s Chairman. “We are very excited about the 200-plus models from Latin America and the U.S. that participated in the contest and can’t wait to see who gets selected.”

Thirty of the models with the highest votes will be invited to participate in the Mexico City runway show, along with 10 models hand-selected by the Quepasa and Latinas Illustrated staff. The models will fly in from all over including Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and the U.S. and will compete before a panel of judges made up of celebrities and industry leaders who will select the 13 winners. The exclusive event will feature a celebrity Red Carpet plus a swimsuit and evening gown runway show, all taking place at Club VELVET in Mexico City on August 7th at 9:00pm.

“The finale is going to be a tremendous hit. There is so much excitement around it already. It’s the first time we have held the finale in Mexico City, and what better place than in the capital of Latin America to pick the 13 most beautiful Latinas,” said Jorge Cano Jr, Founder of Latinas Illustrated.

But the Latinas Illustrated contest is more than just about beauty, it is also about providing opportunity to Latinas as is the case with Azucena Lopez de Nava who became the host of the TV show, “Hola California,” produced by COX COMMUNICATIONS, and Belky Arizala from Colombia, who is the spokes model of a clothing line in Milan.

The day following the event the 13 winning models will be whisked away to the most exotic beaches in Cancun and Playa del Carmen where they will spend the next 7 days shooting the 2009 Latinas Illustrated calendar.

About Quepasa Corporation: Quepasa Corporation (Nasdaq:QPSA), headquartered in West Palm Beach, FL (with offices in Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Miami and Hermosillo, MX), owns Quepasa.com, one of the world’s largest, bicultural, Latino online communities committed to providing fun, competitive, interactive, and easy to use social tools, and rich multimedia content to embrace Latinos, and empower them to connect on-line, and share their interests, ideas, and activities.

The Quepasa Corporation logo is available at www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5287

About Latinas Illustrated: For six consecutive seasons Latinas Illustrated has combined the beauty of Latin women, Latin beaches, and its people to create a unique product: The Latinas Illustrated Calendar.

CONTACT: LMC Media
Luz Maria Castellanos
(323) 924-2835
Fax: (323) 482-1433
“

With Special Guest Ledisi, The Legendary Brazilian Musician Will Perform “Waters of March” From His Chart-Topping New Album Encanto

Encanto Is Currently The #1 Contemporary Jazz Album In The Country For a Fifth Consecutive Week, And Also Holds #1 On CMJ’s World Music Chart

My sports heroes in the 1960’s were shortstop Aurelio Rodriguez of the then-California Angels, Bobo Brazil and Mil Mascaras of TV wrestling, Honey Sanchez and Ralphie Baladeras of the L.A. Thunderbirds roller derby fame, boxers like Ernie “Indian Red” Lopez, “Battling Torres”, Stevie “The Vulture” Cesena, and the most chinnon of the time … MANDO RAMOS.”*

Ordering a cerveza in Mexico has for decades meant buying a beer from one of two Mexican beer companies that control 98% of the market: Grupo Modelo SAB and Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB.

That may be about to change. The purchase of U.S. brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. by the Brazilian-Belgian company InBev NV for about $52 billion makes it much more likely that both Mexican brewers will eventually get sold as part of the global consolidation in the beer industry.”*

Vocalist Anna Estrada mixes different styles together, intertwining Brazilian, Latin and jazz standards. To my ear, it’s a perfect blend of Latin and American jazz.

Estrada is also a well-known performer and actor in the Bay Area. She has worked for the Magic Theater and Brava, and made two appearances on the hit TV show “America’s Most Wanted.” “*

American Latino TV announced today that the 2nd Annual American Latino TV Awards, which serves to recognize excellence and achievement in the American Latino community, will air nationally in broadcast syndication in over 75 cities The rapidly growing syndicated awards show kicks off this weekend on Saturday, July 19th with a broadcast in Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Hispanic market, on KABC-7 at 3:30 p.m. PDT. For more dates and times across the U.S., please visit www.AmericanLatinoAwards.com. More than 46,000 online participants voted for their favorite American Latino in six categories, almost doubling the previous year’s voting. The nominees for each category include:

1. FAVORITE ALTERNATIVE ARTIST: Paula Baby (Pin-up model), Danny D.
(Auto pin-striper), David Cortes (Action-figure sculptor) and Zarco
Guerrero (Cultural mask-maker.)
2. MOST INSPIRING AMERICAN LATINO: Dr. Richard Carmona (17th U.S. Surgeon
General), Ceja Family (Successful owners of Ceja Vineyards), Joe
Quesada (Marvel Comics illustrator/Editor-in-Chief) and Joe Conzo
(E.M.T. and legendary documentary hip-hop photographer).
3. FAVORITE INDIE FILM: “Bragging Rights” (Documentary about Latino
culture and stickball), “Brown is the New Green” (George Lopez hosts
this documentary about media and marketing misrepresentation of U.S.
Latinos), “Antonia” (Brazilian award-winning film) and “Shut Up and Do
It” (Actor unhappy with Latino portrayals directs and stars in his own
film).
4. FAVORITE INDIE MUSICAL ARTIST: Madball (Hardcore metal rockers),
Ladybug Mecca (Afro-Brazilian/Blues/Hip-Hop fusion), Calavera (Hardcore
Punk/Psychobilly) and The Pinker Tones (Electronica/Dance/Lounge/Pop)
5. FAVORITE EXTREME ATHLETE: Texas Rollergirls (Female roller derby team),
Rey Mysterio (WWE pro wrestler), Jonathan Tagle (Skydiver) and Jennifer
Santiago (Combat martial artist).
6. UNDERGROUND FASHION: Listen Clothing (Music-inspired designs), 1 Soul
Designs (Globally minded T-shirts), Stop Staring (Vintage pin-up) and
El Jefe Clothing (Rock/urban cross-cultural).

“The American Latino TV Awards Show is on a fast track with unique categories and the only online viewer voting that specifically seeks to recognize young, U.S.-born American Latinos doing extraordinary things,” says Robert G. Rose, executive producer and co-creator. “The fact that almost twice the amount of people voted this year is a testament to the continued growth of the U.S.-born, American Latino market and their need to be more represented on TV.”

In addition to the awards broadcast in Los Angeles and later throughout the country, new episodes of American Latino TV (ALTV) and LatiNation will also air this weekend throughout the U.S. American Latino TV and LatiNation, award-winning, English-language Latino-themed TV programs are part of LatiNation, LLC, a subsidiary of LATV Networks, the nation’s first bilingual entertainment/music network distributed via digital multicast. For more information, go to www.AmericanLatino.tv. “*

High School Musical: El Desafio” is the first Disney-branded feature film made in Latin America. It was produced for Mexico, Argentina and Brazil (where filming hasn’t yet begun), with three local casts, three distinct scripts and three versions of the soundtrack. The movie arrives in theaters July 17 in Argentina and September 5 in Mexico.”*

IODA, the global leader in digital distribution, marketing, and technology solutions for the independent music and film industry, today announced that Latin music labels Fuego and MCD Entertainment have partnered with IODA for worldwide digital music distribution. The Company also announced the addition of Latin music retailers Fuego Entertainment, iMusica and Agave Mobile to its Latin music distribution network. The new partners build on IODA’s already robust portfolio of independent Latin labels and retailers. IODA now distributes its portfolio of music to fans in more than 22 Spanish-speaking countries and to millions of Latin music fans in the United States. On the heels of its worldwide partnership with Telefonica, IODA made the announcement today at the Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York City.

Adding breadth and depth to its catalog of Latin music and retailers serving Latin markets, the new partnerships include:

– Fuego and Fuego Entertainment is a growing independent label and
digital retailer based in Miami. Under the partnership, IODA will
distribute the more than 2,000 tracks in Fuego’s artist portfolio.
Additionally, IODA’s more than one million tracks will now be accessible on
Fuego Entertainment’s digital retail site at www.fuegomio.com.

– iMusica, the largest service provider in Latin America and the world’s
leading digital distributor of Brazilian music, has established a presence
in 18 countries. Its network of digital retail stores includes those in
partnership with large portals such as Yahoo! and MSN as well as Claro,
TelCel, ComCel and more.

– MCD Entertainment, one of Brazil’s largest and most respected
independent labels, represents top-selling artists Barbatuques, Katia B,
Fortuna, Atman, BiD, Roberto Coelho, Palavra Cantada and Clube do Balanco.

– Agave Mobile, a cutting edge mobile content producer and distributor
with a focus on the Latino consumer, actively licenses and produces unique
content that speaks directly to its audiences, including short form videos,
mastertones and wall papers. Already a digital retail partner of IODA’s
through parent company MisRolas, Agave Mobile and IODA are expanding the
scope of their partnership to sell IODA’s Latin music catalog to mobile
partners and off-deck portals in the United States and Latin America,
including AT&T’s MEdia mall, Ideas Telcel, Telefonica/Movistar, Iusacell,
SendMe Mobile, ThumbPlay and Compera nTime. The deal also includes the
MisRolas branded BREW ringtone application.

IODA will manage all aspects of digital distribution for the new label partners. This includes making the label’s content available through IODA’s network of more than 300 digital retail outlets like iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster and Rhapsody as well as through mobile distribution outlets like Sprint and Verizon.

“IODA has the unique combination of a deep understanding of the independent music industry backed by a strong distribution network and one of the best back-end technology infrastructures we’ve seen,” said Roberto Ruiz, International Relations Director of MCD Entertainment. “We are confident that IODA will connect our large catalog of artists with even more music fans around the world through both traditional and emerging outlets.”

Fans who use digital retail sites Fuego Entertainment, iMusica and Agave Mobile, will now have access to IODA’s large catalog of independent music. Each with a strong regional presence, these digital retailers will expose millions of fans to new music from around the world.

“Digital music sales in Latin America continue to grow as we provide increasingly easy access to music online in nearly 20 countries,” said Felippe Llerena, Executive Director of iMusica. “Adding IODA’s catalog of quality music to iMusica will give our users the ability to discover and purchase music from a much broader set of independent artists than ever before.”

“The forward-thinking business models of our digital retail partners focused on Spanish-speaking markets are giving independent artists access to an important global fan base,” said Kevin Arnold, founder and CEO of IODA. “By providing the opportunity for labels like Fuego and MCD to connect with fans through retailers like iMusica and Agave Mobile, we expand the number of fans for independent artists worldwide. Symbiotic relationships like these fuel our passion for this business and we are delighted to have such quality partners with which to work.”

About IODA

IODA, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, is the industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community. IODA provides comprehensive services to record labels, physical distributors, and artists, including license negotiations; media encoding and metadata management; and royalty payment administration and reporting. The company also offers promotional support through a dedicated marketing division and through the IODA Promonet (www.iodapromonet.com), a promotional distribution network that provides qualified podcasts, blogs, and other promotional sites with access to pre-cleared, legal music and other promotional assets from IODA’s labels. Founded in 2003, IODA represents a rapidly expanding roster of over a million tracks from thousands of independent labels around the globe. IODA also distributes independent film and video content for over 2000 titles. IODA was named one of FORTUNE magazine’s 25 Breakout Companies for 2005. The company’s website is www.iodalliance.com. “*

Pasiones Prohibidas (Forbidden Passions), from Brazil’s TV Bandeirantes, is slated to launch in the U.S. this month on Azteca América.”*

Twenty-three years after its launch in Brazil, Rock in Rio moved to Spain as 42,000 people watched acts such as Neil Young and Alanis Morissette in a setting that was more like an amusement park than a traditional rock fest.

Bob Dylan, The Police, Shakira and Amy Winehouse are also among the more than 60 acts set to perform over two weekends at a festival the Brazilian organisers hope will eventually become a “global brand” reaching as far as China.”*

Puerto Rico has created a soccer league of eight teams that will debut in a 56-game tournament.

Four teams have international backing from Argentina’s River Plate, Brazil’s Fluminense, Mexico’s Pachuca and Spain’s Sevilla.”*

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. “

Leaders from the Hispanic business community held a press conference this morning to announce Tampa Bay as the first city in the United States chosen to host the 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference. Present at the press conference to discuss highlights of the event were the following members of the Tampa Bay’s Host Committee:

– Derek Lloyd, President of Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay (CACCTB),
– Augustine Martinez, USHCC President & CEO,
– Julio Fuentes, President of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“The CACCTB is committed to the growth and development of the Tampa Bay region and Florida.” stated Mr. Lloyd. “We are pleased to welcome our Caribbean, South and Central America neighbors to Tampa Bay and provide a favorable setting which encourages numerous opportunities to promote and expand their business successfully.”

Tampa was selected due to leading attributes such as its diverse Hispanic heritage and the opportunities that Tampa Bay region provides globally and locally for its cultural ties, airport facilities, port, industrial centers and distribution of goods. From a business perspective the Tampa Bay region provides more than just theme parks, it provides an industry that parallels the growth in global commerce and communication.

“Tampa holds such a talented cross-section of people, all looking to promote the city and what it has to offer,” said Augustine Martinez. “In our preliminary search for the perfect city to name as host for this one of a kind event, we were blown away by the Tampa community. We highlighted Tampa for the simple fact that, when thinking of how to bring commerce to the U.S., Tampa has it covered. Geographically and culturally, it is the perfect gateway to the Americas.”

“On behalf of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we show full support of this great conference,” said Julio Fuentes, FSHCC President. “We are excited that the city of Tampa was chosen and extend the invitation to Hispanic businesses in the rest of Florida to participate.”

“Small businesses play a significant and important role in our economy. We need to continue opening markets at home and abroad to raise living standards and consolidate democratic gains in the hemisphere,” said Senator Mel Martinez on the benefit the conference will have on Tampa and the state of Florida.

The 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference, also known as XVIII Congreso del Comercio Detallista de las Americas, will host hundreds of business executives and dignitaries from across Latin America and the United States. The conference, expected to see an attendance of 3,000, will convene in Tampa between November 20 -22, 2008.

The press conference took place at the Embassy Suites (Downtown) at 10:30AM. Speakers also included the Honorable Faye Culp, Florida House of Representatives and Neighborhood Services Administrator Santiago Corrada.

Background:
The mission of the 18th Annual Retailers of the Americas Conference is to integrate the commercial sectors in the western hemisphere in a collaboration effort to develop strategies and initiatives directed at fortifying technological know-how, economic development and the creation of jobs. Previous host countries include, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of more than 2.5 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that generate more than $388 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Uruguay.”*

Brazil currently dominates the business news out of Latin America, but how does Mexico compare when it come to business opportunities and outlook?

To help answer that question, Latin Business Chronicle took a closer look at these 11 factors:

* GDP size for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* GDP per capita for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* Inflation for 2007, 2008 and 2012;
* Competitiveness,
* Doing business indicators (including starting a business and tax regime),
* Capital access for entrepreneurs,
* Economic freedom,
* Corruption,
* Security,
* Technology level and
* Overall business climate”*

LANVACATIONS, the vacation division of LAN Airlines, is offering the opportunity to experience Lima in luxury. In collaboration with LAN Peru, this offer allows passengers to indulge in LAN’s super-comfortable and newly redesigned Premium Business Class at a fraction of the regular price.
(Logo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080319/AQW083LOGO)

LAN’s Premium Business is the only business class with 180-degree reclining, full-flat seats on flights between the US and South America. The cabin offers an on-demand entertainment system that only a select number of airlines offer, including 32 movies, 55 TV programs and series, 450 music CDs and 14 games available to play individually or with other passengers.

“This package is perfect for a lavish weekend getaway or can serve as a base for planning your custom-designed dream vacation,” stated Martin Froggatt, President of LANVACATIONS. “In addition, through our strong partnership with PromPeru, Peru’s tourism marketing organization, LANVACATIONS ensures that passengers receive the highest quality vacation and the assurance of traveling with a trusted partner.”

The Lima Premium Business Supersaver package is priced from $1399 and includes roundtrip premium business class flights to Lima, roundtrip airport transfers, 3 night hotel accommodations, breakfast daily, hotel taxes and service charges, and 24 hour emergency telephone numbers. Package price excludes airport taxes and fees. This package departs on certain days and a Saturday night stay is required. Contact one of LANVACATIONS’ South America experts to assist in building an itinerary that best fits your schedule.

For more information about the Lima Premium Business package, travel to South America, and reservations, please visit www.lanvacations.com or call a reservations expert at 1-800-435-3593 (6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. PT Monday - Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Saturday and Sunday).

About LANVACATIONS:
LANVACATIONS offers complete travel experiences to the countries of South America (Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay) and caters to a full range of ages, interests and budgets. From unique tour packages to group itineraries and independent travel programs, LANVACATIONS, the experts in travel to South America, has the perfect South America vacation package for you.

LANVACATIONS was developed due to the dramatic growth of the LAN Airline Alliance network to and throughout the South American region, as well as the tremendous increase in demand for travel to South America. LAN Airlines appointed Europe Express, Inc. to represent the new LANVACATIONS as it continues to surpass travelers’ expectations by providing complete travel experiences to a variety of unique destinations and yet untouched regions throughout the southern hemisphere”*

Brazilian soccer legend Pele has been held at gunpoint by a gang of youths who robbed him of his gold necklace, phone and a watch, it was revealed yesterday.

The robbery took place near the city of Santos on June 13. It was not reported to police by Pele, and was not revealed until yesterday when it was reported on the magazine Veja’s website.”*

Peruvian butterfly exports increased 43 percent from January to April 2008, totaling 38,468 dollars compared to the same period in 2007, when the total was 26,828 dollars, Exports Association (Adex) reported Thursday.

The target markets for Peruvian butterflies are five: United States which led exports with 76 percent of the total (29,345 dollars), followed by Puerto Rico, Brazil, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba which concentrated 17, four, two and one percent, respectively.”*

“Mendes is still in the throes of a love affair with perhaps his country’s most important export…There are few musicians as gifted as pianist-arranger Mendes in creating fusions that resonate with popular taste and retain a high level of artistry… Mendes is back with ‘Encanto (Enchantment),’ another creative and contemporary reworking of the classics of Brazilian popular music…Mendes delves deeper into the canon, resurrecting such tunes as “Waters of March,” “Agua de Beber” and Burt Bacharach’s bossa foray “The Look of Love.”… Mendes turns some of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lesser-known gems - “Dreamer” and “Lugar Comum” - into entirely new delights…The album’s most memorable track, and strongest hit single, is Fergie’s house-ish treatment of “The Look of Love,”…But Carlinhos Brown’s “Odo-Ya,” along with “Funky Bahia,” importantly casts a spotlight on Brazil’s northeastern region and its rootsier, percussion-oriented samba.” –NEWSDAY (Sunday, 6/15)

On The Strength Of Early Critical Praise And High Visibility At Starbucks Stores Across The Country, The Brazilian Legend’s Quintessential Summer Album Will Bow At #1 On Billboard’s “Top Contemporary Jazz” Chart

“Legendary musician Sergio Mendes [releases] a new album of samba-style classics and new funk —Following the success of his 2006 album ‘Timeless’, Mendes [returns with] an even fresher sound.” – Associated Press

“modern Brazilian jazz-fusion with an array of excellent musicians…

Fergie, doing ‘The Look of Love’ is [a] career highlight”- All Music

“Encanto gives us the best of both hemispheres.”- Village Voice

“4 ½ Stars… an album that features one terrific international artist after another.”- About.com

“Encanto is a true meeting of the cool-cat minds…the LP hits enviable high-water marks” –cnet

“Music as sunny, colorful and sexy as the album cover… overflowing with happy, richly arranged tunes that will enlighten your summer” – La Onda Tropical

“the Brazilian legend teams with another lineup of superb guests, and the results are transcendent… ‘Encanto’ sparkles with samba rhythms spiced with hip-hop grooves and shimmery pop melodies.” – Performing Songwriter

Look For Sergio Mendes To Launch A String Of Summer Concert Dates This Week, Highlighted By A Return Headlining Appearance At Carnegie Hall For The JVC Jazz Festival

Jun 20 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues                   Jun 25 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre

Jun 21 - New York, NY - Carnegie Hall                      Jun 27 - Syracuse, NY - Syracuse Jazz Festival

Jun 22 - Bridgeport, CT - Klein Memorial Auditorium Jun 28 - Toronto, ON - Music Hall

Jun 23 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live                 Jul 01 - Vienna, VA - The Filene Center

See The Video For First Single Funky Bahia At: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pTHNH6VSmCk

Or See Press EPK & More At: http://sergiomendesmusic.com/

For as far as the eye can see, stalks of sugar cane march across the hillsides here like giant praying mantises. This is ground zero for ethanol production in Brazil — “the Saudi Arabia of biofuels,” as some have already labeled this vast South American country.

But even as Brazil’s booming economy is powered by fuel processed from the cane, labor officials are confronting what some call the country’s dirty little ethanol secret: the mostly primitive conditions endured by the multitudes of workers who cut the cane.”*

In Latin America, in the absence of a social revolution at the moment of national independence there were plenty of rebellions and political revolts. Less frequently these were popular rebellions and almost never were they ideological revolutions that shook the traditional structures, as was the case with the North American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Cuban Revolution. Instead, internal struggles abounded, before and after the birth of the new Republics.

A half century later, in 1866, the Ecuadorian Juan Montalvo would make a dramatic diagnosis: “freedom and fatherland in Latin America are the sheep’s clothing with which the wolf disguises himself.” When the republics were not at war they enjoyed the peace of the oppressors. Even though slavery had been abolished in the new republics, it existed de facto and was almost as brutal as in the giant to the north. Class violence was also racial violence: the indigenous continued to be marginalized and exploited. “This has been the peace of the jail cell,” conclued Montalvo. The indian, deformed by this physical and moral violence, would receive the most brutal physical punishments but “when they give him the whip, trembling on the ground, he gets up thanking his tormenter: May God reward you, sir.” Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican Eligenio M. Hostos in 1870 would already lament that “there is still no South American Confederation.” On the contrary, he only saw disunion and new empires oppressing and threatening: “An empire [Germany] can still move deliberately against Mexico! Another empire [Great Britain/Brazil] can still wreck Paraguay with impunity!” “*

Hispanic advocacy groups denounced Friday the arrests of 42 people who were apprehended by federal authorities this week in the Newport area and charged with violating immigration laws.
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Agents for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the arrests Wednesday and Thursday in Newport and Middletown with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies. The suspects came from Brazil, Guatemala and Mexico.

Speaking at a news conference, Juan Garcia, who works with immigrants at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Providence, told WPRO-AM that federal immigration officials need to do their jobs with justice and humanity and also honor the Constitution.”*