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By Michael Lopez

With six decades in the music business, Vicente Fernandez has definitely had a good run. The legendary Mexican singer has sold millions of albums, performed around the world, and influenced generations of mariachi fans. And now, as he approaches his 72nd birthday, Vicente has decided it's time to retire from the stage.

Fernandez delivered the big news this week and made sure to let his fans know that it was a very difficult decision. But the rigors of life on the road is a bit too much for this aging abuelito.

"An artist needs to retire with a lot of dignity, in the right moment," he told interviewers. "And I think that this year I will say goodbye to all of you, to the public from Central, South America, I will say goodbye to Spain for all the love they gave me for many years."

But keep in mind that Vicente is not retiring from recording. He still plans on making new music and is willing to do TV appearances to promote his songs. And if you're really eager to see a Fernandez on the live circuit, you can always check out his son Alejandro.

Have you ever seen Vicente perform live? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Música, Retirement, Vicente Fernandez

By Michael Lopez

As we come up on the 17th anniversary of Selena Quintanilla's death, the time seems right to honor her memory. Or at least, that's how her record company feels. This April, a new tribute album entitled Enamorada de Ti will hit stores and it's got quite an impressive list of celebrity guests.

Cristian Castro, Don Omar, and Selena Gomez have all lent their voices to the record, which will feature classic Selena songs mixed with new arrangements. The first single, "Amor Prohibido", is an enticing duet featuring Samo from Camila.

"Amor" will be hitting radio outlets first and seems like quite a good lead off for the project. The title track of her 1994 breakthrough album, "Amor", originally reached #1 on the Billboard Latin Songs charts and eventually went platinum in Mexico.

Hopefully we'll get to see some new videos from the Enamorada album too. Perhaps they can mix old Selena footage with new celebrity clips, or at least get a close up of that signature jacket A.B. Quintanilla wore to his latest wedding.

Are looking forward to the Selena tribute album? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Amor Prohibido, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cristian Castro, Don Omar, Enamorada de Ti, Hot Stuff, Música, samo, Selena, Selena Gomez, Selena Quintanilla

By Ikam Acosta

It's looking like baby boy Justin Bieber is teaming up with party animal Ke$ha on his next studio album release. The singer-songwriter will add her talent to Bieber vocals for an undoubtedly energetic ensemble.

Bieber's third studio album, Believe, will contain a track written by none other than Ke$ha herself. She will also be featured on the track, singing a duet with the Biebs, no doubt sizzling it up with her hip hop vibe. This is taking Bieber Fever to a whole other level now, considering Ke$ha is not exactly known for her tame and subtle ways.

This might be just what Justin needs to kick his stardom and up a notch and possibly increase his audience fanbase (if that were possible). Let's hope the "empress of glitter and unicorns" sprinkles some of that crazy powder on Bieber and gives the track some added flair.

Justin has also teamed up with Usher, once again, in the production of this new album. This dynamic duo of hip hop has sold plenty of records before, and will no doubt do it again. Watch out, fans. This might be Bieber's best release yet!

How do you feel about a Justin Bieber and Ke$ha duet?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Música, Usher

By Ikam Acosta

Tell me what you want, what you really really want. Is it a Spice Girls reunion? If so, then you might be in luck.

The Spice Girls are apparently undergoing negotiations in hopes of reuniting in the near future. This time around, they're not just going for "wannabe" status, they're reuniting for more socially conscious causes like teen suicide and bullying.

There seems to be a sense of unfinished business among the group after stopping their 2008 tour short because of "family and personal commitments." The Spice Girls seem to have more on their agenda now. According to a source,

"The whole idea of girl power and using that to fight against bullying and teen suicide is something that has been discussed."

The only thing that seems to be holding the group back is their busy schedules, especially that of Mel B. Scary Spice is a busy bee these days with Dancing With the Stars and X Factor. The source shares,

"They have a lot to figure out. Right now it is all just talking."

Have you secretly been hoping for a Spice Girls reunion?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Música, Spice Girls

By Ikam Acosta

Latin pop group Reik will be performing at the Clive Davis Theatre at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Feb 21st. They will be joining the likes of others who performed in the Grammy Museum, including John Legend, Colbie Caillat, and Ringo Starr.

Reik will be interviewed after their acoustic set, as part of the event to benefit the museum, and asked about their influences by Leila Cobo. Cobo is Billboard Executive Director of Content and Programming for Latin Music and Entertainment and has a new book out, The Second Time We Met.

Reik has been nominated for Pop Album of the Year and Pop song of the Year for their smashing album Peligro. They also serve as ambassadors for VH1's Save the Music Campaign and Ronald Mc Donald's Children's Charity. The Grammy winning band will be performing in Miami as part of their visit to the United States during the month of February, at Univision's Premios Lo Nuestro.

Will you be tuning in to catch a glimpse of Reik's appearances in the United States?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Colbie Caillat, Grammy Museum, John Legend, Leila Cobo, Música, Premios Lo Nuestro, Reik, Ringo Starr, Television

By Michael Lopez

Could you imagine lumping R&B, hip-hop, and rock into one category at the Grammy Awards? Hardly. But in the Norteño world, a similar occurrence is happening with styles like Tejano and Regional getting shoved into just one genre.

That obviously isn't sitting well with Mexican music fans and quite a few are ready to do something about it. According to Regional Mex, several pro-Latino initiative groups will be protesting outside of L.A.'s Staples Center during Sunday's ceremony.

They are especially furious because the Grammy categories used to include more regional styles and just recently changed their policy. Now popular artists like Espinoza Paz and Jenni Rivera will only be eligible in two categories instead of four.

On a positive note, some of our Tr3s faves will still be in the running this year. Joan Sebastian is up for Best Tejano Album for his Huevos Rancheros record and Los Tigres del Norte are going for Best Norteño Album for their recording from the MTV Unplugged Special.

Do you think there should be more regional categories at the Grammys? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Grammy Awards, Grammys, Joan Sebastian, Los Tigres Del Norte, Música, Protests, Regional Music

By Michael Lopez

Yes, we love Naya Rivera, but if you ask us, Glee still deserves to have much more of a Latino presence. And that's exactly what they got last night, with a singing and dancing Spanish teacher played by Ricky Martin!

Martin's role as Mr. Martinez definitely got things jumping, especially after his rousing rendition of "Sexy And I Know It." But more importantly, Glee gave Ricky the chance to flex his acting chops. Mr. Livin' La Vida Loca offered up a bit of comedy, some tender moments with Mr. Schu, and even an interesting backstory about his character's life in Ohio.

And don't just take our word for it. Several critics thought Martin knocked it out of the park too.

"As expected, Martin brought his charm, energy and swiveling hips to the proceedings," the Washington Post wrote.

Best of all, there's a very good chance that Mr. Martinez will return. Now hired as a full-time Spanish teacher at McKinley High, let's hope we can see him in a lot more dance numbers to come!

What did you think of Ricky's Glee debut? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, glee, Hot Stuff, Música, Ricky Martin, Television

By Michael Lopez

Throughout 11 wild seasons, Randy Jackson has remained an American Idol constant. And beyond that, he's a music legend, having played on albums by Journey, George Michael, and Mariah Carey. So clearly he knows his stuff and he's got some very interesting things to say about this latest version of Idol.

"I think we're in a great groove now," Jackson told us during an exclusive conference call. "Everyone makes such a fuss about the judges, but it really is the talent. If you don't have the talent…people might want to watch about five minutes then be like 'Okay.' So, I think it's really about that talent and what we get back from these kids."

Randy may have a point, but clearly the fans are entranced by the antics of his cohorts Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Though they got a little bit of flack last year for being a bit wet behind the ears, Jackson assured us that there are big changes in store.

"[Jennfer, Steven, and I] talk about everything," he explained. "But this season you may see them be a bit more stern. They may surprise you. This Hollywood week was the toughest we've ever had on the kids."

And according to Randy, tough love is a necessity if you want to succeed in the music business. He went on to offer his philosophies on why criticism is important when prepping singers for a life behind the mic.

"This is a process that gets you ready for the future," he said. "You think Idol’s hard? Wait until you become an artist and you're trying to put a record out. After our show, you jump into the ring and duke it out with Madonna, with Rihanna, with Katie Perry. After this, you're setting yourself up for the competition of life and the competition never ends."

Speaking of competition, Jackson also made sure to speak out about Idol’s big rival in the ratings race, NBC's The Voice. Even though TV's other vocal talent show scored huge post-Super Bowl ratings, Randy isn't worried one bit.

"Listen, Idol is in its eleventh season," he proudly stated. "The Voice [had] huge numbers. I think any show after the Super Bowl will have huge numbers. They've got an original show and I think there's room for everyone out there."

Let's hope Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee-Lo Green feel the same way.

What's your favorite reality singing show? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags American Idol, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Exclusive Entrevistas, Jennifer Lopez, Música, Randy Jackson, Reality shows, Steven Tyler, Television, The Voice, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Fresh off the heels of her Super Bowl halftime show, Madonna has announced plans to tour the world in support of her new album. The Material Girl will reportedly kick off the festivities in Israel on May 29 and move across several continents throughout the remainder of the year.

Interestingly, this latest musical run will be the first time she's hit the road since her "Sticky & Sweet Tour" in 2009. And proving she's still got the goods at age 53, Madge will be hitting venues in destinations ranging from Australia, to Europe, to the Middle East.

Fans clearly got a taste of what to expect this past Sunday when the singer debuted a new track alongside Nikki Minaj and M.I.A. And though it's doubtful she'll bring M.I.A. along for the ride (especially after that finger wagging incident), we're sure their song will make the set list.

Several dates are still getting locked in, but you can expect Madonna in Tel Aviv by late May, France by August, and Miami sometime in the fall. And just to prove she's still connected to the Latino crowd, Madge will be hitting South America sometime after that.

Are you looking forward to seeing Madonna live? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Hot Stuff, Madonna, Música, Tours

By Michael Lopez

A while back we mentioned how Don Omar was going to be a headliner at one of Indianapolis' pre-Super Bowl concerts. But unfortunately, that reggaeton jam never came to be. El Don cancelled his appearance at the last minute, possibly due to tension with Univision.

According to Latin Gossip, Omar was upset with the way Univision was handling the television rights. Though it hasn't been confirmed, many believe he bailed because he couldn't secure a deal with the broadcasting giant.

Clearly that left a lot of fans disappointed, but the show still went on. Alejandra Guzman and Larry Hernandez carried the slack, delivering powerhouse performances for the crowd.

And interestingly, Guzman even showed a little New England pride during her set. Before breaking out into one of her signature tunes, the Mexican songstress threw on a colorful Patriots-inspired football helmet.

Do you think it was wrong of El Don to bail on the concert? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alejandra Guzman, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Don Omar, Música, popnews, Super Bowl, univision