News (Noticias) Tagged ‘San Jose’

“should be compared to Bob Dylan, U2, or the Clash” - All Music Guide

“[Latin] music’s greatest statesmen… Los Tigres sell millions of records, regularly top Billboard’s Latin charts and draw tens of thousands of fans to stadiums… In short, they are among the most popular acts in Latin music today… …Los Tigres del Norte have been singing border stories for more than three decades” - New York Times

After Garnering The Best Norteño Album GRAMMY Award For The Second-Consecutive Year And Notching  Another #1 Album With Their Recently Released Album Raices (Roots), The Legendary Los Tigres Del Norte Continue Their Touring Tradition Of Bringing Multi-Hour Shows To The Mexican Immigrant Community Across The Country

LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE Will Perform At These Upcoming Tour Dates

8-02 Anaheim, CA-Anaheim Convention Center           9-21 St Paul, MN-St Paul Armory
8-03 Ventura, CA-Ventura Fairgrounds                        9-27 Los Angeles, CA-Los Angeles Sports Arena
8-08 Santa Rosa, CA-Fairgrounds                               9-28 Denver, CO-Pepsi Center
8-09 Salt Lake City, UT                                               10-04 Dallas, TX-AA Center
8-10 Lemoore, CA-Tachi Palace Casino                      10-05 Houston, TX-Toyota Center
8-11-to 8-27 – Tour of Spain                                      10-25 San Diego, CA-San Diego Sports Arena
8-29 Portland, OR-Expo Center                                   10-26 Sacramento, CA-Arco Arena
8-30 Tacoma, WA-Tacoma Dome                               11-01 Laredo, TX-Laredo Entertainment Center

8-31 Reno, NV-Fairgrounds                                        11-02 Mc Allen, TX-Dodge Arena

9-07 San Jose, CA-HP Pavilion                                   11-26 Austin, TX-Palmer Convention Center

9-13 Phoenix, AZ-Radio Festival                                  11-27 Forward, TX-Far West Rodeo

9-14 Las Vegas, NV-Thomas & Mack Center             11-28 Oklahoma, OK-Far West Rodeo

9-19 Des Moines, IO-Val Air Ballroom                        11-29 Tyler, TX-Far West Rodeo

9-20 Omaha, NB-Omaha Convention Center

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“the godfathers of norteno music, Los Tigres have crossed many borders in their career…the group updated the traditional conjunto sound and turned it into an international phenomenon…their music has helped to break down barriers between cultures, generations and even countries, particularly between Mexico and the United States …long revered as the voice of the Latino immigrant community, Los Tigres spends 10 months on the road… Its ever-expanding fan base inspired the Grammy-winning group’s latest disc, “Raices”… when Los Tigres take the stage, they celebrate these roots but also the ongoing saga of the immigrant experience.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“the most popular Norteño group in the world… these grand men of music have taken their message of hope and hardship beyond the borderland and into millions of hearts throughout the United States and Mexico.” –Dan Rather

“norteño icons Los Tigres del Norte [are] the most influential regional Mexican group in the United States… Los Tigres are not just another popular musical act… Instead, they’re widely viewed as the voice of the people, capable of making you dance to a cumbia one instant, [or] weep the next with a woeful immigrant’s tale” –Billboard

“Singing Stories From Lives Lived Far Away From Home…Los Tigres del Norte have perfected a ground-level symbiosis with their fans. … Their show on Saturday night, was mega-size: music all night and far into the morning hours… Los Tigres playing 42 songs, finally ending at 3 a.m… each time Los Tigres bit into the groove of a two-beat ranchera, sustenance was served in jolts… the band’s [leader] Jorge Hernández…was mesmerizing”

- New York Times- “Arts & Leisure” COVER – Concert Review

“Los Tigres del Norte has reinvented Mexican music… Every record sells a million copies… Its logo is as well known in Mexican communities as Coca-Cola’s… Los Tigres [are] the most perceptive chroniclers of the Mexican-American experience. In song, they reflect its most personal feelings, and [take] the side of millions of immigrants who are voiceless on both sides of the border… following a Los Tigres concert schedule is to discover all the places Mexicans live … Their songs remain one of the clearest windows into the immigrant soul.” – Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, CA—MTV Tr3s has joined forces with Monte Negro and two other California-based alternative rock bands (Astra Heights, The May Fire) to bring their diverse takes on the burgeoning Latin alternative scene to the West and Midwest for six weeks in August and September. With new records coming out on August 5^th from both The May Fire (The List / self-released) and Monte Negro (Cicatrix / Epic Records), the tour kicks off on August 6^th in San Diego.

The music of Monte Negro, defies a simple description. Most say melodic rock, which is true, yet there are distinct undertones and layers making it eclectic and bohemian, American yet definitely worldly. Their music has landed them in magazines such as Spin, La Banda Elástica, and Billboard, they have worked with famed producer Tone (Green Day, Carlos Santana) and played alongside a diverse line up of bands like Todos Tus Muertos, Matisyahu, 311, Coldplay, NIN, Incubus, At The Drive In, and Molotov. Monte Negro most recently performed with the Mexican alternative band Zoe and L.A.’s multiethnic band, Ozomatli. Monte Negro was also MTV Tr3s’s “Descubre & Download” artist (January through March of 2008). The band’s new release Cicatrix will be featured on The LEAK July 29^th – August 5^th (www.music.mtvtr3s.com).

Monte Negro is a bilingual band that has devoured enough music genres over the years to do justice to the bilingual and bicultural musicians that constitute the group. Digesting healthy portions of Jane’s Addiction, The Cure, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, Monte Negro has also piled onto its proverbial plate Latin-alternative rockers such as Caifanes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Maldita Vecindad, Mano Negra, Soda Stereo, and Spinetta.

Mexican-American brothers Kinski and Rodax—the vocalist and bass player—like so many first-generation Americans working toward assimilation, initially overlooked the richness of their roots. Kinksi and Rodax recruited Jason Li Shing, a Chinese-Japanese American guitarist. After trying a heavier sound with another drummer, Monte Negro hired drummer Xavier Lopez and arrived at its current line-up in 2003. Today, Monte Negro is finally producing the sound they describe as an “amalgamation of styles filtering through our creative sides.” Pop sensibilities mix with darker experimentation to give the listener an acoustic journey through the Monte Negro landscape. Monte Negro’s goal is simple: play for a lot of people and get a reaction.

TOUR DATES

www.myspace.com/montenegrorocks

www.mtvtr3s.com

The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music (Putnam, $25.95 hardcover) by Steve Lopez

Book review by Daniel Olivas

In 2001, columnist Steve Lopez moved to the Los Angeles Times after building an award-winning career at respected publications including the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Oakland Tribune, Time magazine and the San Jose Mercury News.”*

CasaQ, a San Jose-based Hispanic lifestyle company, will debut its exclusive Latin-themed ornament collection at the San Francisco International Gift Fair at the Moscone Convention Center from July 26-29, 2008.

Less than 8 months ago, first-time ornament designer Darlene Tenes created two hand-painted glass ornaments: “Pancho Claus,” a Santa riding on a piñata and “Sancho Snowman,” a guitar-toting snowman wearing a poncho and sombrero.

These premier glass creations got off to a quick start when the 2007 Latin GRAMMY Awards called and asked for them to be featured in their official celebrity gift baskets and have since received much press because of their fun and festive designs. They have been given as gifts at numerous celebrity driven events such as People en Español’s Christmas Party, CBS’ A Home for the Holidays TV Special and Andy Roddick’s Poker Tournament.

“We are excited CasaQ has decided to debut their impressive line of products at the San Francisco International Gift Fair”, said Aubin Wilson, show manager, “Buyers love coming to this market because of the fresh, exciting new products that they can’t find anywhere else and CasaQ is a great example of this.”

The CasaQ Ornament Collection includes exclusive designs such as the Virgin de Guadalupe, La Catrina, El Sombrero, La Piñata, and many more symbolic treasures that reflect the Hispanic culture. The collection was chosen out of 1200 exhibitors to be shown in the Distinctive Line division, a juried division representing a select group of the best and most unique products at the show.

The CasaQ Ornament Collection can be seen at www.casaq.com.

About CasaQ®:
CasaQ is a San Jose-based Hispanic lifestyle company, founded in 2005 by Darlene Tenes that is dedicated to providing unique products, services and content geared toward people who embrace the Latino culture. For over a decade Ms. Tenes is renown for planning festive and creative Hispanic events, which incorporate the traditions and customs of Spain, Mexico and Latin America. www.casaq.com“*

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), a national non-profit organization that identifies, inspires, promotes and prepares Latino leaders in the community, classroom and workforce, today announced the renewal of a $100,000 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created by Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). This year, SFFL’s support will fund the second annual Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award, an award that acknowledges influential teachers across the country for making a positive impact on the lives of Latino youth and inspiring students to reach their full potential even in the face of great challenges. Since 2006, SFFL has provided HHF with $200,000 in support of their Latino education programs.

Throughout the spring, teachers from 12 regions (San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC) were honored with a plaque and a $500 Staples gift card to help purchase much-needed supplies for their classrooms. Today, SFFL and HHF will present Sylvia Garza from the Houston region the 2008 National Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award recipient. Mrs. Garza will receive the award during a special ceremony at the Sprint Corporate Headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas along with the National Hispanic Heritage Youth Awardees and CSI Miami Star Adam Rodriguez.

All teachers were nominated by Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Award recipients. Each recipient submitted an essay about a teacher who has made a lasting impact on his or her life. The teacher finalists were selected for their outstanding contributions to student achievement in the classroom and their exceptional ability to encourage students to believe in themselves and give back to their communities.

Sylvia Garza, a Spanish teacher at Texas City High School, was nominated by Jeremy Guardiola, an Academic Excellence Houston Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Award recipient. Mrs. Garza inspires her students by creating a comfortable classroom atmosphere where they can express themselves and learn. She is also the advisor of the school’s Spanish National Honor Society and encourages students to volunteer with special education students and the Ronald McDonald House in Galveston, TX.

“With continued support from Staples Foundation for Learning, the Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award program continues to grow and create role models for all educators,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “Through this important partnership, we can shine an even brighter spotlight on the vital role teacher’s play in moving our community forward through education and community service.”

“Staples Foundation for Learning is committed to empowering Latino youth with educational experiences needed for positive academic and social development,” said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Inc. “The Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award enables us to honor these unsung heroes who act as positive role models by educating and inspiring Latino youth across the country.”

SFFL began its partnership with Hispanic Heritage Foundation in 2006 to help fund educational and cultural programs that identify, promote and prepare Latino leaders. The 2007 creation and continued success of the Hispanic Heritage Teacher Awards marks SFFL’s dedication to HHF and their efforts to prepare Latino youth to make an impact in society.

The 2008 Hispanic Heritage Regional Teacher Awardees were:

Dallas – Michael Juhas, Jesuit College Preparatory, Dallas, TX

Philadelphia – Michael Mast, Danville Senior High School, Danville, PA

New York – Dr. Joanne Figueiredo, Smithtown High School West, Smithtown, NY

Washington, DC – Joshua Dorsey, Southern High School, Harwood, MD

Chicago – Tanya Cabrera, Benito Juarez Community Academy, Chicago, IL

No. California – Jesse Kurtz-Nicholl, Richmond High School, Richmond, CA

Miami – Bernardo Osorio, Coral Reef High School, Miami, FL

San Antonio – Darlene Karthauser, Tivy High School, Kerrville, TX

Houston – Sylvia Garza, Texas City High School, Texas City, TX

Phoenix – Juan Aldo Nunez, Trevor G. Browne High School of Phoenix, AZ

San Diego – Hillary Park, Grossmont High School, El Cacjon, CA

Los Angeles – William Brown, Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, CA

About Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, identifies, prepares, and positions Latino leaders in the community, classroom and workforce through national cultural, educational, and career development programs. For more information about the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, please visit www.HispanicHeritage.org. “*

The tienda that Jesus Martinez and his family run on Arrow Road doesn’t have much room to walk around in. Elaborate piñatas hang low from the shop’s ceiling, and customers weave in and out of narrow aisles stocked with Hispanic foods, produce and coolers filled with fresh tortillas.

Up until recently, you could barely move in the Tienda Y Tortilleria San Jose during the midday rush.

“We used to be packed all the time,” Martinez said while ringing up the lunch tab for a worker from a local landscaping company wearing an orange vest. “But right now, it’s slow.”*

PlayPhone, Inc., which operates the largest network of mobile content destinations in North America, announced today that it has launched its own market-leading destination at www.playphone.com in Spanish. From this point forward, the Latino community has access to top-branded mobile entertainment through a medium specifically tailored to their needs at www.playphone.com/espanol.

“PlayPhone understands the importance of the Hispanic community within the mobile entertainment ecosphere,” said Ron Czerny, founder and chief executive officer at PlayPhone. “With our content destination now available in Spanish, we can better provide our compelling content such as ringtones, wallpapers, games and more to a segment of the market that is key for delivering continued success.”

Hispanics are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, according to figures provided from the Selig Center for Economic Growth, and are among the most avid consumers of mobile content and services. Additionally, they are the fastest-growing and youngest US mobile segment, with the highest average revenue per user of any demographic group, according to Telephia’s “Q2 2007 Mobile Hispanic Report.”

Consumers can access the Spanish site by going directly to www.playphone.com/espanol or selecting the Language menu at the top of the usual PlayPhone destination at www.playphone.com. Not only does the site feature navigation and valuable information in Spanish, but also promotes top mobile entertainment of interest to the Latino community alongside its usual compelling content from partners such as SONY BMG, EMI Group, Cartoon Network, SEGA, Bandai, Disney, Glu Mobile, Konami, Vivendi Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, ABC Television, Platinum Studios and many more.

PlayPhone gives consumers access to a new and exclusive media catalog spanning audio, video and gaming content from leading music labels and artists, game publishers and media companies. In addition to operating its consumer facing mobile destination at PlayPhone.com, it also powers mobile content destinations for entertainment and retail brands including Wal-Mart, ABC Television, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, SEGA, Real Networks, iPlay and many more.

About PlayPhone, Inc.

PlayPhone (www.playphone.com) is a leading global mobile media company present in 20 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America that provides cutting edge personalization and entertainment content to mobile consumers anytime, anywhere. PlayPhone founded the direct-to-consumer mobile media distribution standard in 2003 and continues to establish new means for delivering wireless entertainment. The company currently operates its own leading mobile entertainment destination at PlayPhone.com and powers subscription-based mobile portals for the world’s top entertainment and retail brands including Wal-Mart, ABC Television, Cartoon Network, SEGA, Real Networks and more. PlayPhone is based in San Jose, Calif. and is funded by top venture firms Menlo Ventures, Cardinal Venture Capital and Scale Venture Partners.”*

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

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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

Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving- and paying-for-college company today announced the 36 regional winners of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards ”Leadership” category. The awards, given by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) in an annual contest, honor academically successful Hispanic high school seniors with educational grants ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. Sallie Mae’s sponsorship of HHF’s Youth Awards is part of the company’s commitment to helping students and families pay for college.

“Through the support of Sallie Mae, the ‘Leadership’ category allows us to celebrate the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders,” said José Antonio Tijerino, HHF president and CEO. “These young leaders have demonstrated a high level of achievement in classrooms and communities across the country and are positioned as role models for their peers.”

One such young leader is the Gold Medallion winner from Washington, DC, Veronica Torres. Torres attends Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, where she is an AP and Honors student with a 4.0 GPA, a commitment to community service and multiple awards for academics and leadership. Torres will attend George Washington University in the fall. Born in El Salvador, she will be the first in her family to attend college.

This year’s winners in the Sallie Mae-sponsored Leadership category are:

DALLAS		Gold:		Regina Escamilla		Ursuline Academy of Dallas
		Silver:		Todd Gonzales		Arlington High School
		Bronze:		Philip Tarpley		Cistercian Preparatory School
MIAMI		Gold:		Rebecca Espinosa		Coral Reef Senior High School
		Silver:		Veronica Barroso		G. Holmes Braddock
		Bronze:		Sara Plana		Boca Raton Community High School
NEW YORK		Gold:		Elizabeth Kinsey		The Ursuline School
		Silver:		Carlos Laureano		Bronx Leadership Academy II
		Bronze:		Alicia Chionchio		Smithtown High School West
SAN JOSE		Gold:		Isela Banuelos		Ann Sobrato High School
		Silver:		Giselle Alvarez		Notre Dame High School
		Bronze:		Marvin Salazar		Richmond High School
SAN DIEGO		Gold:		Nicolas Mendoza		Steele Canyon Charter High School
		Silver:		Elizabeth Navarro		Point Loma High School
		Bronze:		Cesar Castro		Sweetwater Union High School
PHOENIX		Gold:		Adriana Delgado		Trevor G. Browne High School
		Silver:		Carmen Moedano		Cibola High School
		Bronze:		Brittany Raygoza		Trevor G. Browne High School
SAN ANTONIO		Gold:		Elsa Parra		Tom C. Clark High School
		Silver:		Jose Delgado		C.C. Winn High School
		Bronze:		Gustavo Padron		Presidio High School
HOUSTON		Gold:		Luis Lopez		Central Medical Magnet School
		Silver:		Maria Velasquez		Cinco Ranch High School
		Bronze:		Gabriel Marenco		Tomball High School
LOS ANGELES		Gold:		Erica Fenandez		Hueneme High School
		Silver:		Joseph Almeida		City Honors High School
		Bronze:		Noel Mendoza		Verbum Dei High School
CHICAGO		Gold:		Anthony Hernandez		Austin High School
		Silver:		Adrian Aldaba		Naperville Central High School
		Bronze:		Melissa Villalobos		Summer Academy of Arts & Science
PHILADELPHIA		Gold:		Dominique De Leon		Central High School
		Silver:		Michelle Mendiola Pla		Baldwin School of Puerto Rico
		Bronze:		Angenid Reyes		Townsend Harris High School
WASHINGTON, DC		Gold:		Veronica Torres		Theodore Roosevelt Sr. High School
		Silver:		Emily Victoria Green		Southern High School
		Bronze:		Laila Olivia Parada-Worby		School Without Walls Sr. High School

“These young leaders are setting a positive example not only for the Hispanic community, but for people throughout the country,” said actor Wilmer Valderrama, official spokesperson of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. “The determination, generosity of spirit, and accomplishment they have demonstrated at such young ages are only a small fraction of what they will eventually go on to achieve, and I applaud their hard work.”

The Youth Awards are open to graduating high school seniors of Hispanic/Latino descent (at least one parent) who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. The seven award categories are: academic excellence, business, education (future teachers), engineering and mathematics, journalism, sports, and leadership. In 12 regions across the country, 252 Youth Awardees will receive more than $500,000 in total grants after being selected from an original pool of thousands of applicants.

HHF’s Youth Awards are divided into 12 regions with three recipients selected for each category (Gold Medallion at $3,000; Silver Medallion at $2,000; and Bronze Medallion at $1,000) in each region. After the local ceremonies, the 252 Regional Youth Awards recipients will be narrowed to one National Youth Award recipient for each of the seven categories. Those individuals will be honored at the National Youth Awards presentation, where each student will receive an additional $5,000 educational grant and a laptop computer. The National Youth Awardees will be then be presented with their award onstage during a special ceremony of the 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 9, 2009.

“Congratulations to these student leaders,” said C.E. Andrews, president of Sallie Mae. “We are proud to help young students like these Youth Award recipients grow into their dreams through a college education.”

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages more than $169 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages nearly $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with more than 8.5 million members and $425 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Contacts

Sallie Mae
Beth Guerard, +1-703-984-5621
beth.guerard@salliemae.com

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