Calle 13 in Latina Magazine

I read Latina magazine and couldn't help but notice that Calle13 was on the cover.


This is rare being that Latina is a women's magazine, like JANE or ALLURE, targeted to Hispanic women (imagine The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover of Cosmopolitan, for instance). At the Billboard conference, a panel featuring Reggeaton acts including CALLE 13, was one of the most popular panels. I was surprised how these Grammy winners were really down-to-earth and had a good sense of humor. My favorite was when "Residente" ( a.k.a Rene Rodriguez) made an effort to speak English although everyone in the room could understand Spanish.

MiSpacio? MySpace Latin America Beta Launches

Today during the Billboard Latin American Music Conference, Travis Katz,
senior vice president and general manager of MySpace International,
announced the beta launch of MySpace en Español, a new
Spanish-language version for U.S. based Hispanics. MySpace also
revealed a new pan-regional site in Spanish for Latin American
residents as well as further development plans for localized
communities in Mexico and Brazil.

"We're moving rapidly to build communities that reflect and respect
the lifestyles of our diverse members," said Katz, "MySpace en
Español opens the community even wider, giving our Hispanic members
the choice to share their experiences, connect with family members,
and plan their social lives in either Spanish or English. We look
forward to getting their feedback as we build out these new cultural
communities."

At the conference MySpace was all the buzz. From marketers and artists,
to journalists and music label executives, there wasn't a single panel
discussion that didn't mention how this social networking site has
changed the entertainment and marketing industry forever.




Check out the sites here:
MySpace en Español (http://latino.myspace.com)
MySpace Latinoamérica (http://la.myspace.com)

Networking and Hispanic Golf Tournaments

• The Latino Open is an Orlando fundraiser golf tournament organized by advocacy group Latino Leadership. The purpose of the fundraiser is to engourage Hispanics in the growing professional and enterpreneurial class to network.
  Personally, when I hear the word "network," my eye twitches. (Speaking of which, I will be attending the Billboard Conference in a few days and this event is considered networking heaven-hell for me). But more on this later...

• A 2003 survey showed that 17 percent of whites tee off, compared to 14 percent of Asians, 7 percent of blacks and just 5 percent of Hispanics.

According to this article by HispanicBusiness.com, too many Hispanics have lost out on networking opportunities because they are unfamiliar with the game of golf -- not the most popular recreational outlet in any minority community.


Photo courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel.

Nancy Sharifi, left, and Patricia Urban leaving the Dubsdread Golf Course in Orlando.

Bridal Website Names New Directror

Miami-based Michelle Villalobos is the new executive director of the
U.S. division of Spain's wedding portal, Bodaclickusa.com. Villalobo's
job includes expanding the site beyond the Miami DMA ( designated market area) as well as attracting new advertisers. Previously Villalobos was executive
publisher of Ocean Drive Espanol.
(source: Hispanic Market Weekly)


The website bodaclickusa.com is very helpful for those planning a wedding, especially around South Florida. It also features articles on health, beauty and tips on how to look your best on your wedding day.
I know it tends to appeal to the Hispanic community ( being that "boda" is the word for wedding in Spanish) but being that it is in English, I don't see why it wouldn't be useful to anyone who is planning a wedding.

Now, as for the photo of the bride pictured above-right:
What's the deal with the curled side-burns? That is so not attractive.

Miami Students Create Commericial for Earth Day

Miami Beach High School students received national TV exposure when their commercial, " Garbage Man" aired nationally. The event was part of an Earth Day educational competition sponsored by Atlantic Broadband and Discovery Kids en Español.
Atlantic Broadband will run the spots, in both English and Spanish, through the end of April. In addition, the Miami Beach High School received a donation from Atlantic Broadband and Discovery Kids en Español for upgrades in TV production equipment


I tried finding the commercial on Youtube but had no luck. The video I posted above is another earth day commericial that I found and thought was charming.

Here's a summary of the 30-second spot the students created:
“You are walking down the street when suddenly, unknowingly, and without warning you are pelted with trash from all directions.”
The spot ends with this message: “THE EARTH DOESN’T THROW STUFF AT YOU, SO DON’T THROW STUFF AT IT.”I think that is very cute and orginal. Congrats to the kids in Miami Beach High.