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By Michael Lopez

At this point, any unreleased Michael Jackson footage is as good as gold. Since his untimely passing in 2009, Michael's music and merchandise has become more popular than ever. So you can only imagine the type of loot an entire "lost concert movie" from Argentina could fetch.

Apparently the Argentine holy MJ grail does exist and will be hitting the auction block very soon. Filmed during his 1993 Dangerous tour, some analysts are expecting the footage could sell for as much as $6 million!

Jackson was reportedly aware of the film and had originally intended to release it back in mid-90's. But then, for unknown reasons, he scrapped the idea and decided to have the footage destroyed.

But here's the interesting twist: it seems one of Michael’s trusted chauffeurs was given a VHS copy as a "gift" for his longtime services and now, the driver is ready to cash it in.

In total, the film runs two hours and even includes rare backstage conversations. Let's hope whoever does buy the footage will be kind enough to share it with the YouTube universe.

Would you be interested in seeing new MJ concert footage? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Dangerous, Hot Stuff, Música, michael jackson

By Michael Lopez

Usually bands like earning tons of cash for their concerts, but not Calle 13. In what was actually a pretty noble move, the group's frontman Residente abruptly cancelled an Argentine show because he believed the ticket prices were too high.

Set to take place in the southern city of Comodoro Rivadavia, the Calle concert was charging as much as $500 pesos a seat. That seemed to be too steep for Rez, who informed fans via Twitter that he was postponing the show indefinitely.

"Due to the high Price of tickets for the Comodoro show without our consent, we decided to postpone the date until the prices are lowered," he said. "We travelled to Argentina by land so that the ash from the Chilean volcano didn't have the chance of causing the show to be cancelled. We were 16 hours into the journey when we found out how expensive the tickets were."

Interestingly, Residente's statement may provide some insight into how little bands profit at their own shows. More than likely it was the promoters, ticket brokers, and venue owners that caused the costs to get beefed up. Hopefully, they'll get the message and help Calle put on a concert that everyone can afford.

Do you think concert prices are getting too high? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Calle 13, Chisme, Concerts, Música, popnews, Residente, Ticket Prices

By Michael Lopez

Here's an interesting tidbit. Did you know that one of the largest private collectors of Beatles souvenirs lives in Argentina? Yup, multi-millionaire Raul Blisniuk holds the Guinness Record for owning the most Fab Four memorabilia in South America. And now he's ready to sell off some of his rarities at a Buenos Aires auction.

"My passion for The Beatles comes from childhood," Raul said. "I grew up with Beatlemania and I'm a Beatles fanatic. I came from a poor family so my dad couldn't afford the records, but over time, I started saving newspaper clippings, magazines, and my collection grew."

Bilsniuk actually began nabbing Beatles trinkets at the age of the 13 and as his wealth grew (he currently owns Banco Ciudad), so did his collection. For the auction, he'll be selling off prime merchandise like signed instruments and drawings from John Lennon.

To help promote the event, Raul hired Argentina's most famous Beatles cover band, Danger Four, to perform for the press. Bilsniuk seemed very pleased with the response and expects a lot of rich fans to "Come Together" and bid.

Are you a fan of The Beatles? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Auctions, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Danger Four, Música, Raul Blisniuk, The Beatles

By Michael Lopez

Perhaps when you're pushing 40, shaking your bon bon isn't quite as painless as it used to be. 39-year-old Ricky Martin was forced to cancel a major concert in Argentina this week because of what his promoter calls, "severe muscle spasms."

Before you start mouthing the words "hokey excuse," know this. Martin has been giving each performance on his Musica+Alma+Sexo tour 110 percent. Just this past weekend, he danced his way through an extremely high-energy set in Buenos Aires.

But unfortunately, it looks like his fans in Neuquén that will have to pay the price. It is believed that after that killer set in the country’s capital, Ricky began to experience joint issues. Neuquén would have been his Argentine closer, but it has now been put on an indefinite hold.

Martin even posted about his boo boo on Twitter.

"Neck pain doing its thing.On a scale frm 0 to 10 id give it a 7. To fix it I need #StillnessmoviesPopcorn&sleep.Body is asking 4 sm rest."

Knowing his honorable reputation, we're sure he'll book a return Neuquén trip very soon.

Feel better Ricky!

Do you think Ricky should have "toughed it out" for his final show? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Música, Musica Alma Sexo Tour, Ricky Martin, Tours

By Michael Lopez

Who knew so much juicy gossip would emerge from Ricky Martin's trip to Argentina? It had previously been reported that the "La Vida Loca" star would marry in Buenos Aires. And even though that rumor got shot down, a new one has already begun circulating, this time about his desires to have (or adopt) a baby girl.

Now happily committed to boyfriend Carlos González and raising two sons, it's clear that Ricky is relishing his new role as a "family man." But could the brood be expanding? According to Wonderwall Latino, Martin dropped a few hints to Argentine TV host Susana Gimenez.

"Como tengo los dos varoncitos, ahora busco a la nena de papá”, Ricky explained.

Unfortunately, that's all the info he dished out about a possible new addition. But Martin did add a few more thoughts about parenthood when speaking with a local radio station. And these are words we can all take to heart.

"Como padre, quiero que mis hijos entiendan lo que es la igualdad, que no crezcan con prejuicios.,” Ricky said. “Quiero que tengan amiguitos de todas las razas, de todos los colores".

Would you like to see Ricky expand his family? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Carlos González, Celebrities, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Hot Stuff, Ricky Martin, susana gimenez

By Michael Lopez

Sorry "La Vida Loca" fans, there will be no star-studded Argentine wedding for Ricky Martin and his boyfriend Carlos González. Despite ongoing rumors to the contrary, the Puerto Rican pop star has denied any summer marriage plans.

"Puedo aclarar que eso no es verdad. Estamos muy bien como estamos", Martin recently stated. "Yo cuando lo vaya a hacer lo voy a gritar a los cuatro vientos sin ningún problema."

As we all know, Argentina has become famous for its liberal stance on gay marriage. And seeing how Ricky , Carlos, and their two boys made a recent stop in the country, many began wondering if they were laying down plans to officially say "I Do."

Though Martin seems open to the idea, it looks the two haven't quite gotten to that stage yet. But, after Ricky's shout out at that recent GLAAD event, it's very possible that they may be headed in that direction. So don't be surprised if you see a Martin/González registry popping up sometime within the foreseeable future.

Do you think Ricky and Carlos will eventually get married? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Carlos González, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Gay Marriage, Hot Stuff, Ricky Martin

By Michael Lopez

Forget NASCAR. If you want to see some real high-performance racing, head down to Argentina and Chile for the 2011 Dakar Rally, where hundreds of off-road competitors are racing bikes, cars and trucks through the Andes mountains and the Chilean desert as part of a 16-day competition that ends Sunday.

Drivers from all over the world are rallying across 5,900 miles of South America's toughest terrain, including mountains, deserts and wetlands. One racer died in a collision Thursday.

Launched in the 1970s, the Dakar Rally first blazed it trails through the Algiers desert. In the decades that followed, thrill-seekers have created Dakar routes through such places as Cape Town, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; and Granada, Spain.

South America has been home to the Dakar Rally since 2009, in part because of its popularity there. And don't think the countries aren't capitalizing on the event. This year, Chile brought out a memorable artifact to entertain the crowds.

Have you ever tried off-road racing? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Argentina, Dakar Rally, Hot Stuff, Los 33, Racing, Sports

By Sharmaine Jones

It appears that the Portland Trail Blazers' bad luck just keeps on rearing its ugly head. We're well aware of Rudy Fernandez's position of flat-out not wanting to play for the organization, they lost their 2007 number one draft pick Greg Oden for a third straight season due to an injury,  their high-flying rookie guard Elliot Williams must undergo season ending surgery on his right knee, but probably the most disturbing news is the announced retirement of Fabricio Oberto – an intricate part of their dwindling front court.

Image : Getty Images

The 6'10 Center recently announced his decision to retire due to recurrent palpitations related to a prior cardiac condition. The symptoms were visible during the Blazers' game against the Milwaukee Bucks last Tuesday (November 2). Oberto experienced light-headedness and dizziness during the first half.  Oberto initially decided to take a few games off but after speaking to friends and family members decided to put his health first:

"I made this decision to put my health and my family in front of basketball," Oberto said in a statement "It was a tough decision to make after playing for so many years, but it was the right one."

The Trail Blazers organization are well aware that this is a tough blow to recover from but they respect and understand Oberto's decision:

“We want to thank Fabricio for his professionalism and hard work during his short time here,” said Trail Blazers General Manager Rich Cho in the release. “It's unfortunate to lose him, but we respect his decision to do what's best for his health and his family.”

Oberto was signed one day before the start of the season to fill the void that the injuries of Oden and Joel Przybilla – their other injured center – presented by coming off the bench for starting center Marcus Camby. The Trailblazers definitely have the offensive firepower in “lights out” shooting guard Brandon Roy, the post-up play of LeMarcus Aldridge (PF) and the “slashing” Andre Miller (PG) but aside from his size (6'10, 245 lbs), Oberto provided was leadership and experience that this young team needed. The Argentinian center was a part of Argentina's 2004 Olympic Gold Medal Team as well as starting center for the San Antonio Spurs' 2007 NBA Championship Team.

We wish Fabricio the best and we must say, the Trail Blazers would be fools not to keep the veteran on staff in some sort of mentoring or consulting capacity. After all, the man knows how to win. Just saying.

Do you agree with Fabricio's decision to retire? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Argentina, basketball, Fabricio Oberto, NBA, Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez

By Michael Lopez

Yes Ugly Betty may be long gone, but fans of the show’s witty tongue-and-cheek style may be in for a treat. The show’s creative team (including producer Salma Hayek Pinault) is now working on translating another novela for ABC!

Image : Getty Images

Salma and her producing partner, Jose Tamez, have gotten the greenlight to create a “re-imagining” of the Argentine soap Los Roldan. Unfortunately there won’t be any brace-faced America Ferreras involved, but reports say it will have plenty of romance and comedy.

And to sweeten the deal for hardcore Betty fans, they’ve even brought back the show’s old writers to help bring the project to life. The plot of the new series will supposedly revolve around a man who saves the life of a rich female executive and, in return, is given control of her company.

Of course, that’s just the overview. There was plenty of other drama in the 2004 Argentine novela (like suicides, illegitimate babies, cheating, and false imprisonments) and we’re hopeful it all gets mixed in there too. Now if we could only convince those execs to make an English version of Juegos Prohibidos!

Source: [Perez Hilton]

What other novelas would you like to see ‘re-imagined’ for America? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Argentina, Los Roldan, Salma Hayek, Salma Hayek Pinault, telenovelas, Television, Ugly Betty

By Sharmaine Jones

FIBA Basketball preliminary rounds are still underway and with three Latin American teams in the competition (Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico) we have lots to cheer for!

photo via ESPN

Argentina (playing in Group A) is one of the strongest teams in the competition. Aside from USA, Argentina is the only other team to win three straight games thus far. At this point, they're leading their group and if last night's (Monday) 21 point romp over Angola is any indication of how Argentina will continue to play throughout the tournament, well, we'll see you in the finals!

NBA superstar and fellow Argentinian Manu Ginobili couldn't get enough of the action. He watched Brazil and Argentina play simultaneously, and posted about it on his Twitter.

"Acá me instalé, c BRA-USA en TV y ANG-ARG en la compu ~ ANG-ARG on the PC & BRA-USA on TV. "

He followed the games very closely tweeting numerous updates.

“ARG 45 ANG 32 & BRA 46 USA 43 @ Halftime. Parece q el 2do va a ser más interesante. Veremos como sigue todo.”

Ginobili was also kind enough to advise us of Argentina's 16-0 run that undoubtedly sealed the win:

“Parcial de 16 a 0 para Argentina. Ya lo tiene liquidado."

Argentina's next game is tomorrow (September 1) against the so far win-less Jordan team.

Get more details on the FIBA World Games after the jump!
Read more...

Tags Argentina, Brazil, Carlos Arroyo, China, Derrick Rose, FIBA World Games, J.J. Barea, Leandro Barbosa, Manu Ginobili, Puerto Rico, USA