Juanes

If you only read the papers and watched CNN, you'd think Mexico was a border-to-border hellhole full of swine flu-infested people and flying bullets from drug wars. We know better, and so do Latin celebs, who are starting to wear these adorable t-shirts that read "Muñecas Como Estas Vacacionan en Mexico."

The Black Eyed Peas are huge. Their music is all over radio and the cyber streets with pop-friendly tracks like “Boom Boom Pow” and that’s why I wrote this because I used to be a fan. Pero, why simply write about my distaste for their current music, I needed to go to the source. I spoke to Taboo, the Mexican member (pause, just in case) of BEP, and expressed my disillusionment with his music.

Let’s face it if you’re a Colombian pop singer you’re never getting out of the immense shadows of Shakira and Juanes. With that said, Fonseca has done pretty good for himself considering he’s got two of the world’s musicians as compatriots. Well, on June 9th The Grammy Museum in L.A. is hosting an exclusive Q&A and performance by the Colombian star. The Latin Grammy-winning artist joins an all-star list of past musicians including Nas, Annie Lennox, Brian Wilson and Tom Morello.

1.It’s my birthday today and you didn't get me anything . . . not even a lousy card.
2.I had beans for breakfast. It's the breakfast of champions.
3.I speak many Latin American dialects/slang. Hence, I can break bread with my ñañas, vatos, parceros, tiguerazos, gatas, etc. 
4.I have huge crush on Salma Hayek like “get a restraining order” huge.
5.Please don't tell Salma.

Ok, so it wasn’t the best NBA All-Star Game in the world (the West cruised to a 146-119 victory), but the 2009 All-Star Weekend ranked pretty high in overall entertainment value.  A green-clad Nate “Kryptonate” Robinson leaped over Dwight “Superman” Howard en route to taking down the Slam Dunk title, Shaq danced with the Jabbawokeez (and showed off some serious skills), and Allen Iverson even shaved off his cornrows (big news if you’re a basketball fan).  So you might be wondering – did any Latinos get involved in the All-Star pageantry?  Funny you should ask…

This is a post about love. It’s a post about Latino love. And it’s a post about how music brought my wife and I together. It was February 2004, and I was an editor at a music magazine; I was working on a feature on DJ Enuff and was shadowing him for a day. We met up at Hot 97, where I waited in the lobby. There I met Yva. She had a baseball cap on (she doesn’t wear them often) and studying hip-hop. WTF? She was there to become Angie Martinez’s apprentice. But my only question was who studies hip-hop? You either live it or you don’t.

Juanes wins again. After sweeping last year’s Latin Grammys (five statuettes), he won his first Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album with La Vida . . . Es Un Ratico last night. He used a bit of superstitious dumb luck (how Latino of him) and decided not to attend. Why? Because every other time he was nominated and attended the ceremony he lost. Below are four other ways the Colombian Bon Jovi-turned-Colombian Bono can get luckier. Like he needs it, I know.

Uno,

Jesús

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Play-N-Skillz Pre-Grammy Party

After going through the list of Grammy nominees, I realized there are a ton of Latino categories. Therefore why the heck do we need the Latin Grammys?! I guess it’s an advertising thang and since the Grammys won’t waste air time on Los Tigres Del Norte they rather give us our own award show. Sounds like segregation…pero whatever. Below are my picks for the Grammys Latino categories or is it picks for the Latin Grammys…sheesh this is confusing!

Uno,

Jesús

Best Musical Show Album
Gypsy
In The Heights
The Little Mermaid

The Elephant in the Room: Daddy Yankee endorsed John McCain for U.S. president and simultaneously lost his barrio cred. Not only did Cangri fans have a WTF moment but MCs such as Pitbull and Fat Joe labeled him a “sellout.” Pit called it a “failed publicity stunt” and Joey Crack challenged DY to a debate. Thank God for all our brain cells it never came to fruition but DY’s image became as tarnished as an Illinois governor.