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By Michael Lopez

This coming Monday, the streets of downtown Los Angeles will be flooded with horns, acoustic guitars, black sombreros, and loud chants. Yup, over 100 of So Cal's mariachis will be marching to their own mini #Occupy movement, to demand better wages and immigrant legalization.

The latest protest is the brainchild of Arturo Ramirez, who will be leading the charge and playing the famous traditional hymn, "El Son de la Negra." Interestingly, the United Nations for Education, Science, and Culture (UNESCO) recently recognized mariachi music as an essential part of the global culture.

"Immigrants, descendants of Mexicans living abroad, as well as Latin Americans, have made the modern mariachi a symbol of community identity," UNESCO said in a statement. "It is a bond linking them to their roots in spite of the distance."

Not coincidentally, the recent recognition spawned L.A. mariachis to speak out about unfair wages and the need for legalization. Typical bands consist of seven musicians, most of whom are vastly underpaid for their services. Add to that, the fact that up to 50 percent of Los Angeles mariachis are undocumented and it's easy to see employers taking advantage of the situation.

"We want to scream that the mariachis need legalization, just like the rest of the workers in this corridor," political strategist Javier Rodriguez said. "[With this movement,] we’re helping them to get rid of a group of unscrupulous contractors who are totally cheapening the wages of the mariachis, almost to the tune of almost 70 percent."

As we've mentioned before, the #Occupy initiative in L.A. has taken on a life of its own, focusing heavily on issues like immigrant rights. This mariachi movement seems to be right up that alley and we expect a very big (and very loud) turnout when the sombrero-clad songbirds take to the streets on December 12.

Are you a fan of traditional mariachi music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Immigration, Mariachis, Música, Occupy L.A., Politics, UNESCO

By Michael Lopez

Here’s a word to the wise, don’t ever get arrested in Arizona’s Maricopa County. The jail there (which houses hundreds of undocumented immigrants) is said to be one of roughest in the country, particularly because of its cruel living conditions. And now international singer Manu Chao has decided to speak up about it, with a new video for his song, "Clandestino."

Chao actually shot the footage in front of Maricopa County Jail and made a point to illustrate its intense weather conditions. Obviously being in Arizona, the summers can be brutal, especially without proper air conditioning. And the winters are not easy either, with reports of sub-freezing temperatures in the cells.

Manu got the idea for the video after a visit with reps from the National Day Laborer Network, who emphasized the prison’s heavy immigrant population. "Clandestino’s" video director, Alex Rivera, clarified the message to the press.

"The particulars were the result of the work of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network," Rivera said. "[They] met after a concert with Chao in California a year ago to talk with him about the situation being experienced by immigrants in Arizona."

You can see the video in its entirety by visiting Chao's official site.

Are you a fan of Manu Chao’s music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alex Rivera, arizona, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Clandestino, Immigration, Manu Chao, Maricopa County Jail, Música, Politics

By: Karli Henriquez

It was another hectic day in the city of Angels on Saturday, December 3rd because my radio station KIIS FM held it's annual Jingle Ball concert! The word epic is a great way to define the night. With performances by David Guetta, Gym Class Heroes and Lady Gaga our LA listeners and concert goers were definitely getting an experience they were never going to forget. The days are really hectic for everyone on the stations talent roster including me!

The day began with a quick make-up session with my girl Tania (@LooksByTaniaQ) which by the way is my favorite time of any working day. Who doesn't love make-up and girl time? As soon as my outfit was complete I headed down to Nokia Theater in Downtown Los Angeles! I did a few interviews during our pre-show concert with the cuties from Mindless Behavior. Can I just say those boys are so focused on a big dream and that is extremely inspiring for any one any age, good luck MB! It was almost show time and I was part of the show opener with my co-host on the JoJo on the Radio Show TJ Rhymes (@TJRhymes). Now this is my favorite part because we are the first people to greet our audience to Jingle Ball on the theaters jumbotrons. All the shots are LIVE which can be hectic but we got it together and delivered.

The backstage area is always crazy! You have KIIS staff, Artist entourage, dancers, groupies... picture a complete movie scene. My girl Geena the Latina (@GeenaTheLatina) was the host for our UStream LIVE coverage from the red carpet which was by far the coolest interaction all the fans can have if they weren't able to get tickets. Our station also has a very impressive Gifting Suite for the talent who attend the show. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kat Graham, the cast of Pretty Little Liars are just a few names lucky enough to get some awesome gifts. Shout out to Nelson (@laffit), Amy Sugarman and staff for their amazing work! I was able to walk the suite but I have to admit my favorite piece had to be my new purse from Imoshion (@imoshion), thanks guys!

Now it was time for a little RR after all my duties and enjoy Lady Gaga! I was so happy she included her new Christmas songs during her performance. She even changed the lyrics from Christmas to KIISmas...get it?!?! That’s love! If you were there I hope you had the time of your life until next time Tr3s.com !

XO

Karli

Tags David Guetta, Gym Class Heroes, Jingleball, Karli from the Blog, Karli Henriquez, KIIS-FM, LA, Lady Gaga, Mindless Behavior

By Michael Lopez

There is no denying that 2011 was the year of the Tweet. The hashtag social network had a major spike in popularity and was even responsible for breaking a few news stories. But are you curious as to what buzzwords got the most attention? Well guess no longer, Twitter has now released its annual Hot Topic list, which happens to include a few famous Latinos.

On the movie side of things, the 2011 Hot Topics all seemed to be based around comic book flicks. Films like Thor, The Dark Knight Rises, and X-Men: First Class dominated the list. But it’s also interesting to note that The Green Hornet (featuring Cameron Diaz) and Fast Five (with Elsa Pataky) scored high too, proving that sexy Latinas strike a very strong chord in the Twitterverse.

In the music realm, Rebecca Black (who's part Latina) was the number one Tweeted topic. Britney Spears showed she still has plenty of staying power with a #3 ranking for Femme Fatale. You've got to wonder if that massively successful Mexico concert contributed to her continuous stream of Tweets.

Names like Jennifer Lopez and Charlie Sheen dominated the Celebrity Hot Topics, along with several stars who have passed on. Elizabeth Taylor proved to be the most popular female celeb, followed not to far behind by fallen Jackass alum, Ryan Dunn.

In the sports world, teams like the Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks stirred up a flurry of activity. And so did Spanish soccer star, Fernando Torres. Interestingly, on the Hot Topics futbol list, Torres ranked higher than both Lionel "Leo" Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Curious about the most posted hashtags of 2011? Twitter went global for this one. #Egypt was by far the most popular, representing the civil unrest that happened there earlier in the year. #Japan ranked in the Top 5 too, as did #ThreeWordsToLiveBy and the Charlie Sheen catchphrase, #TigersBlood.

And, as a bonus, Hispanically Speaking compiled a list of the most famous Latinos to open Twitter accounts in 2011. That would be Christina Aguilera (who signed on in March), Eva Mendes (who joined in October), and good ol' Charlie Sheen, who's gathered 5.8 million followers in just nine months!

What topics did you Tweet about most this year? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Britney Spears, Celebrities, Charlie Sheen, Christina Aguilera, Egypt, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Mendes, Femme Fatale, Fernando Torres, Hashtags, Hispanically Speaking, Hot Topics, japan, Jennifer Lopez, Música, Movies & CineMás, Rebecca Black, Ryan Dunn, Sports, Texas Rangers, The Dark Knight Rises, thor, twitter, X-Men: First Class

By Larry Yepez Jr.

By now you've probably  heard that the Queen of Pop will be taking center stage on football's biggest night! For the first time ever, Madonna will perform at halftime of the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Like for most things in life, there are lovers and there are haters, and unfortunately the haters have started to speak their minds saying that Madonna shouldn't be performing on the big football day, February 5, 2012. Those in fury over the announcement include Super Bowl fans and some celebrities.

TMZ is reporting that the KISS frontman, Gene Simmons, has come out against Madonna, saying that she isn't an "appropriate act" for the Super Bowl.

"I love all karaoke singers, I love all the girl singers who get up and sing with tapes ... shame on you! By the way, Madonna's terrific ... I hate the tapes," said Gene to TMZ.

Apparently, he feels as though Madonna will lip-synch through her performance. He would rather see a real band play because they will actually perform and not lip-synch.

Madonna's romantic drama W.E. will be hitting theaters two days before the game. She is also currently recording an album that’s slated to be released in 2012, so the timing is perfect for 53 year-old diva to plug her new tracks at the game.

The Superbowl sis the most-watched event of the year, and the queen of pop is going BIG! Madonna will be working with a Cirque du Soleil team to create what promises to be the most stunning half-time act ever seen at a Super Bowl game. Her longtime collaborator Jamie King, who recently directed the Cirque’s Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour will be part of the team for this gig.

Moment Factory is the company in charge of putting together the show, and the company's creative director, Sakchin Besette, put his input by saying that they're "extremely excited to be working with someone as creative, talented and visionary as Madonna." He added,

"[We] always look to engage audiences with something they have never seen before, and we are certain that this show will thrill spectators."

One thing is for sure, Madonna is one heck of a performer and she has probably more lovers than haters rooting for her and excited to see the show she will put on for the Superbowl Spectacle.

Do you think Madonna is an appropriate singer for the Super Bowl?

Tags Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Cirque du Soleil, Cirque’s Michael Jackson, Eric Fournier, Gene Simmons, Jamie King, Kiss, Madonna, Moment Factory, NBC, NFL, Sakchin Besette, Super Bowl XLVI, The Immortal World Tour, TMZ, W.E.

By Ikam Acosta

Britney Spears played a free concert for 60,000 fans on December 4th to celebrate the beginning of Mexico City's holiday season.

After nine years without a Britney concert in the area, the pop star returned to Mexico, only to offer playback, instead of singing live for the crowd. At least the fans didn't have to pay if they actually wanted to see her sing live, although they really didn't seem to mind.

Spears' concert wasn't, however, free for Mexico City. Mexico City paid Britney Spears a cool 2 million dollars to play at the Monumento a la Revolución. The concert was part of the December festivities organized by the city's local government.

Although Britney's holiday concert appearance failed to completely fill the venue with adoring fans, the fans who were present seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.

"Tal como lo hizo una noche antes en el Foro Sol, donde congregó a 40 mil seguidores, 'La Princesa del Pop' salió al escenario del Monumento a la Revolución generando los gritos desesperados que la esperaban con ansias y, a ritmo de Hold it against Me, la cantante arrancó la velada", said a local newspaper.

Britney is currently touring Latin America to promote Femme Fatale, her latest album.

Have you ever seen Britney on tour? What did you think of her performance?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Britney Spears, Celebrities, Música, popnews

By Michael Lopez

What fun are the holidays without a little "Feliz Navidad?" The seasonal Español song got a fresh twist last night when crooner Michael Buble joined Thalía for a spirited duet on his NBC Christmas special.

Though it didn’t win the coveted 8pm timeslot, A Michael Buble Christmas did pull in over seven million viewers. Throughout the show, Michael shared the stage with Kellie Pickler, Oscar the Grouch, and fellow Canadian, Justin Bieber.

"The Biebs" joined Buble for a performance of his new holiday track, "Under the Mistletoe." The two definitely shared some strong chemistry on stage and Justin even joked about it to his Twitter followers.

"It's a Canadian Christmas Bromance," Bieber posted.

But we were much more impressed with Thalía's impassioned "Navidad" performance. And funny enough, she even got Michael to test out his Spanish skills on TV (for comic effect of course). Their holiday duet is now available on iTunes and on Buble's new album, Christmas.

What's your favorite holiday song? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags A Michael Buble Christmas, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Holidays, Justin Bieber, Kellie Pickler, Música, Michael Buble, Television, Thalía

By Michael Lopez

Get ready Juanes fans, Colombia’s rock royalty is coming to the Unplugged stage this February. Accompanied by musical director Juan Luis Guerra, El Rockero will be offering up acoustic versions of his greatest hits. And best of all, he’ll be releasing the performance as his first ever live album!

Set to go down at Miami’s New World Center, the Unplugged special promises new interpretations of classic Juanes songs. And you can bet there will be plenty of surprise guests dropping in too! No names have been released just yet, but announcements will be coming in the next few weeks.

Scoring Guerra as a collaborator is a pretty impressive feat too. The Latin Grammy god has sold millions of albums and was asked personally by Juanes to participate in the show. Speaking about the Unplugged event, he said,

“Juanes’ vocals and performances are better than ever! The Unplugged stage will be the perfect space to discover the intimacy of his music.”

We couldn’t agree more! Keep following Tr3s for updates on concert info, air times, and the details of that Unplugged live album!

Are you looking forward to Juanes' Unplugged concert? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Hot Stuff, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Juanes Unplugged, Música, MTV Unplugged, Tr3s Exclusives, Unplugged

By Michael Lopez

Perhaps The Voice isn't as powerful of an entity as we thought. Season 1 champ Javier Colon built up a lot a hype after crooning on stage for Xtina, Adam Levine, and Cee-Lo Green, but has he been able to connect with the music buying public? According to the Billboard charts, the answer is no.

Colon's Come Through For You ranked #134 when it hit the album charts this week, selling less than 10,000 copies. That's a far cry from the numbers pulled by the year's other reality TV crooner, Scotty McCreery. The newest American Idol champ hit #1 with his debut, Clear As Day.

And it's not like Javier hasn't been trying to build buzz. The Dominican-American singer has been making appearances on shows like Showbiz Tonight and The Playboy Club to help get the word out.

But with mediocre reviews and a lack of momentum, it looks like Come Through For You may be out of luck. Let's hope the winner of The Voice Season 2 doesn't suffer the same fate.

Are you planning on picking up Javier's new album? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Come Through For You, Javier Colon, Música, Reality shows, Scotty McCreery, Television, The Voice

By Ikam Acosta

I guess you could say Luis Fonsi was definitely "red hot" during his concert in Argentina last Tuesday. He burned himself with the pyrotechnics onstage.

Fonsi suffered several burns on his arm when he got a little too close to the show's visual effects at his concert in Chubut during his "Tierra Firme" tour.

Fear not, loyal fans. The singer assured us he is fine, tweeting

"Gracias por preocuparse y por sus buenos deseos. Me quemé el brazo con la pirotecnia del concierto de anoche pero estoy super bien. Los quiero!"

Fonsi is now back on the road and ready for his next show in the city of Trelew. We are happy he's fine, but I'm sure he got quite a scare!

Have you seen any accidents go down onstage during concerts?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Luis Fonsi, Música