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By Rachael Coleman Thompson

If you want some personal insight into Ricky Martin, tune into Tr3s on Saturday, Feb. 12, for the premiere of Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin and hear it straight from the Puerto Rican pop star himself.

The exclusive special, taped Jan. 24 at Comtel's Studio A in North Miami Beach, features exclusive interviews with Martin and performances of songs from his new album, Música + Alma + Sexo, a collection of music culminating from his own spiritual journey. (Don't worry, if you miss it, you can read about the interview here).

Photo by Rachael Coleman Thompson/Tr3s

The songs — written with longtime producer Desmond Child, who collaborated on the smash hit "Livin' la Vida Loca," among others — include "Basta Ya" ("Enough"), a song about being true to yourself; "No Te Miento" ("I'm Not a Liar"), a song about leading "an open life"; "Más" ("More"), a song about pursuing one's dreams in the big city; the ballad "Cántame Tu Vida" ("Sing Me Your Life"); the breakup song "Te Vas" ("You're Leaving"); "Será Será" ("It Will Be, It Will Be"); and "Shine," a love song in English.

As an extra-special treat, Spanish singer Natalia Jiménez stopped by the set to perform a sweet rendition of their duet, "Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú," and boricua reggaetón duo Wisin y Yandel joined Martin for a hoppin' collaborative performance of "Frío."

Child, Martin said, showed him how to let go, an essential step in the creation of this album.

"Desmond Child taught me that to be great, you have to dare to be ridiculous," Martin said. "In the creative process, you have to dare to laugh at yourself ... and when you are writing, write that totally random idea — "disparate" as we say in Puerto Rico. Maybe from that totally random idea emerges an extremely important metaphor, and in this record I surrounded myself with great writers and great people who dared to feel, and they showed me how important it is to not have those fears and just let it flow. And I think they created a monster."

And that's not all. Tr3s.com is featuring an exclusive online performance of Martin's 1998 classic "Vuelve," a song from the album of the same name about rejecting someone, letting them go, but finding out — a little too late — that you are nobody without that person.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

We want to hear from you! Tune in Saturday and tell us what you thought of Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin. Talk back in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Desmond Child, Hot Stuff, Natalia Jimenez, photo, Photos, Ricky Martin, Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin, Wisin y Yandel

By Catalina Walsh

Los Tigres del Norte stopped by the Palladium in Hollywood on Tuesday, Feb. 8, for a special taping of MTV Unplugged: Tigres del Norte and Friends.

The Grammy Award-winning Mexican ensemble, formed in the late 1960s, gave fans a dose of the musical prowess that's kept them at the forefront of Latin music throughout the decades. Fans from different generations sang along to a rendition of "La Puerta Negra" and danced to such popular songs as "La Manzanita" against an atmospheric backdrop accented with chandeliers and lighting that flashed in various combinations of red, blue, violet and green.

A number of guest performers joined in too, adding their own flair to some of the band's classic hits. Diego Torres sat in for a performance of "Mi Buena Suerte," Calle 13 for "América," and Zack de la Rocha for "Somos Mas Americanos." Pop singer Paulina Rubio had fans making heart shapes with their hands while she performed "Golpes en el Corazón" with the band and Andrés Calamaro started his rendition of "La Mesa del Rincón" with a little bit of tango. But the crowd really lost it when the band introduced Juanes as "a great friend ... who is loved throughout the world" before a heartfelt performance of  "La Jaula de Oro," a song about immigrants who must give up their own countries for the dream of a better life in America.

MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends will debut on Tr3s. Stay tuned for updates and air dates.

What's your favorite Los Tigres del Norte song? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Andres Calamaro, Calle 13, Diego Torres, Hot Stuff, Juanes, Los Tigres Del Norte, Música, MTV Unplugged, MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres Del Norte and Friends, Paulina Rubio, Zack de la Rocha

By Rachael Coleman Thompson

"In order to be great, you have to dare to be ridiculous."

So said Ricky Martin during a special taping of Tr3s' Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin in North Miami Beach Monday night.

Photos by Rachael Coleman Thompson/Tr3s

Two hundred fans lined up around the block to get up close and personal with their favorite Latin pop singer and catch the first earful of his ninth studio album, Musica + Alma + Sexo (Music + Soul + Sex). The bilingual album, his first studio recording in six years, features guest appearances by British crooner Joss Stone, Spanish pop star Natalia Jiménez, Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte.

Martin debuted the album's first single, "The Best Thing About Me Is You" featuring Joss Stone, on The Oprah Winfrey Show in November. Since then, its Spanish-language counterpart, "Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú" featuring Natalia Jiménez, already reached No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Pop Airplay chart and No. 11 on its Hot Latin Songs Chart.

"The song is about simplicity and being spiritual," Martin said.

After talking with Tr3s about his upcoming album, Martin rocked Comtel's Studio A with live performances of his new songs, including a beautiful rendition of "Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú" with Jiménez and a fist-pumping performance of "Frio" with Wisin y Yandel.

Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin will air on Tr3s Feb. 12. We'll post more performance photos and behind-the-scenes tidbits in coming weeks. Check Tr3s.com for updates!

What do you think of Ricky Martin's new single? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Hot Stuff, MTV Tr3s, Music Soul Sex, Musica Alma Sexto, Natalia Jimenez, photo, Ricky Martin, Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin, Wisin y Yandel

By Michael Lopez

Get ready to clear your Sunday schedule: Reggaeton superstars Wisin y Yandel are taking over MTV Tr3s on Sunday, Jan. 23! For nine straight hours, W y Y will show off their favorite videos, share stories about their early days and perform live renditions of their greatest hits.

Forget sleeping in until noon. Wisin y Yandel's edition of Music My Guey kicks off at 10 a.m. EST with fan-favorite playlists and exclusive photos of the guys. At 10:30 a.m., W y Y’s Videologia will dig deep into the bachata video vaults.

Stick around at 11a.m. to see their favorite female videos on Chicas Arriba: Wisin y Yandel. Then, at 11:30 a.m., tune in for one of our personal faves, Live: Wisin y Yandel. At 12 p.m., W y Y’s Diary episode will showcase their whirlwind trip through L.A. and all of the behind-the-scenes drama from their music video shoots.

At 1 p.m., check out the Top 20 videos of Wisin y Yandel’s career, featuring everything from such classics as “Pam Pam” to hot hits off the Regreso de los Vaqueros album. Tune in at 4 p.m. for Yo-Yo: Wisin y Yandel, followed by the bachata kings on Qiu & Ey at 6 p.m. Trust us, every question will get answered on that special.

So forget all those lame football games. If you really want to get the party started this Sunday, tune into Tr3s for nonstop W y Y. And if that's not enough, the duo will debut their highly-anticipated “Zun Zun Rompiendo Caderas” video on Tr3s on Monday, Jan. 24.

Does entertainment get any better than this?!

Which Wisin y Yandel show are you most excited about? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Hot Stuff, Música, Tr3s, Tr3s Exclusives, Tr3s shows, Wisin y Yandel

By Michael Lopez

If you’d like to watch Ricky Martin tape a special show for Tr3s, book your tickets to Miami now. If you already happen to live there, that's even better. Tr3s is looking for audience members for a private concert performance Jan. 24 that will be broadcast later this year.

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 30 and can't go a week without listening to some Ricky tunes, clear your schedule and send us an e-mail.

Call time for the audience is at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24. You only need to send your name and phone number for a chance to sit in the audience.

E-mail us at mtv.latinmiamicasting@hotmail.com or follow @MIACastingMTV on Twitter for casting updates.

Does life get any sweeter than this? We think not.

Would you like to see Ricky Martin perform live? Let us know in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags casting, Hot Stuff, Música, Ricky Martin, Tr3s, Tr3s shows

Tags Hot Stuff, MTV Unplugged, panda

By Michael Lopez

If you’ve got Friends like Juanes, Calle 13 and Zack de la Rocha, you must be doing something right. But these three superstars aren’t just buddies of Los Tigres del Norte, they’re hardcore fans. Now they’re all set to take the stage for a Los Tigres del Norte and Friends Unplugged special.

With a slew of Grammy Awards and 50 No. 1 singles to their credit, the Norteños have been entertaining millions for more than 40 years. Their bumping bass lines, gorgeous accordions and four-part harmonies have influenced not just the regional Mexican music scene, but also cumbia, pop, rock and even rap (as Rage Against the Machine's de la Rocha would attest). Billboard magazine called them “the most influential regional Mexican band — widely viewed as the voice of the people.”

With all of this acclaim and a 42-year run as a group, Los Tigres are overdue for an Unplugged special. Imagine Juanes sitting in on an acoustic version of “La Puerta Negra” or Calle 13's Residente or Rage's Zack de la Rocha rapping over “Perdonen Mi Canto” in an intimate live setting.

As Juanes put it, “Los Tigres are the rock of the culture. It’s an honor to join them for this Unplugged. I love their music, attitude and career.”

Los Tigres (humble as ever) added their own thoughts about the upcoming special, “We are looking forward to the opportunity to revisit many special moments in our career, while also creating new interpretations with a wide array of special guests.”

The special is set to tape in early 2011 and will be broadcast shortly thereafter on MTV, MTV Tr3s, MTV Spain and VH1 Latin America. Check Blogamole for updates and air times.

What Los Tigres song would you most like to hear Unplugged? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Calle 13, Hot Stuff, Juanes, Los Tigres Del Norte, Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends Unplugged, Música, Tr3s shows, Unplugged, Zack de la Rocha

By Michael Lopez

Now we know you’ve all seen our politically charged documentary 9500 Liberty, right? Seeing how it explicitly details the immigration issues America is facing (and it’s free on our site), there is really no excuse not to. But just to sweeten the deal, we’re now offering 20% off t-shirts from Surropa.com to everyone who visits the video page!

Don’t worry, all of you who’ve seen the movie already (and helped spread the word) get to enjoy the discounts too. And these aren’t just bland run-of-the-mill tees. Surropa’s fashions include hot colors, innovative designs, and important messages about political change.

You can grab stylish jabs at Arizona and SB 1070, fun Chilean miner designs, and hot pink Dia de los Muertos imagery designed to fight discrimination. And seeing how the tees are pretty reasonably priced anyway (no $80 Ed Hardy stuff here), 20% off means even less dollars out of your pocket.

So remember, keep getting the word out about 9500 Liberty and flex your political muscle every chance you get (you DID vote, right?). Together, we can make a difference in immigration reform and, thanks to Surropa, we can look even more stylish doing it.

Click here for more info on the 20% off coupon!

What’s your favorite Surropa T-shirt design? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags 9500 Liberty, Cultura, Discounts, Hot Stuff, Immigration, SB 1070, Surropa

By Michael Lopez

After an intense summer battle, the public has spoken and chosen Alex Camacho as their Dame Un Break superstar. And you KNOW if he beat out hundreds of applicants (and the other four super-talented finalists), he’s got to be good! Now you’ll get to see for yourself since his “Dame Dame Dame” video premiered exclusively on Tr3s this Wednesday (October 13)!

By all accounts, the Dame Un Break competition was a huge success. Thousands of fans chimed in on their favorite rising estrellas, the Facebook Fan page was overflowing with positive feedback, and it looks like we are really in the process of creating a new music sensation.

New York’s Alex Camacho has a voice destined for stardom. He’s been cutting his singing chops for 25 years and has a unique ability to mix thumping reggaeton rhythms with smooth Latin pop. Best of all, he’s completely humbled by the experience and couldn’t be more gracious to all of the voters who put him over the top.

Spreaking to Team Blogamole, he said,

“Uno de los mejores premios que puede recibir un artista es que reconozcan su talento
y ser el ganador de Dame un Break me ha dado la satisfaccion de recibir es reconocimiento. Por lo tanto me siento super contento y mas que feliz de haber vivido esta experiencia.”

Alex cites Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, and Wisin Y Yandel as major influences on his particular style. And it sounds like he’s incorporating a bit of their showmanship into his “Dame Dame Dame” video. Set in a nightclub and full of fast-paced energy, it’s a great kickoff track and guaranteed to stir up attention.

It’s obvious Alex expects to be in the music game for a long time and even shared a bit about his five-year plan.

“Siempre trato de ser optimista en todo lo que me propongo por lo tanto de aqui a 5 años me veo como un artista mas profesional con mas experiencia, con un disco producido por alguna disquera y sobre todo disfrutando del cariño de mi publico.”

Be sure to check Alex Camacho out on Facebook for all kinds of updates and see for yourself why he’s more than ready for his big Break, with the world premiere of “Dame Dame Dame!”

Want to watch the video? Look no further!

By Michael Lopez

Be honest, how well can you really speak Spanish? Even if you’re completely bilingual, there’s a good chance that your kids (and their kids) will have a tougher time keeping up with Español. In fact, research group, Pew Hispanic Center, is saying that 71% of third-generation Latinos claim English as their dominant language. That’s why it’s no surprise that novelas and other Spanish-language programming are starting to embrace subtitles en inglés.

Image: MTV

It’s an interesting move and is already getting put to use on networks like Telemundo. Well-known novelas like Decisiones Extremas and Amor Descarado have experimented with the process, and though it’s not completely clear whether it led to increased ratings, most fan reaction has been positive.

Of course, others have spoken out against the idea. Thomas Ihde, a professor in the Departments of Languages and Literatures at the City University of New York said,

“The second, third generations are losing something by relying on the subtitles. Subtitles encourage passive knowledge. That's part of the tradition in America: losing our ethnic languages in opting for the majority one."

So the question is, would you want to see white text on the bottom of your screen when you watch Juegos Prohibidos? Even we have to admit some of those characters talk pretty fast (especially Nacho’s dad, does he mumble or what?), and there are plenty of positive benefits from the idea. Like using it as a tool for those trying to learn English, since they could see translations for Spanish phrases and words.

Source: [L.A. Times]

Do you think novelas should have English subtitles? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Cultura, Juegos Prohibidos, telenovelas, Television, Tr3s shows