Blogamole › Exclusive Entrevista

By Michael Lopez

A while back we reported on rock band Ozomatli’s association with the National Council of La Raza. Before last November’s elections, Ozo and NCLR teamed up to spread voter awareness within the Latino community. Now, five months later, they are partnering again to spread the message of respect. Dubbed the National Latino Advocacy Days, this new campaign is set to create quite a stir on Capitol Hill.

“We are very concerned about the issue of respect,” NCLR director Clarissa Martínez-De Castro told Tr3s. “We need to come together and agree that we can treat each other respectfully.”

Ozo saxophonist Ulises Bella heartily agreed.

“We want to motivate and hopefully move young activists to get the message out,” Bella told Tr3s.

That message has already been heard by hundreds of influential citizens across the country. This week, NCLR’s National Advocacy Days plan to assemble more than 300 community leaders. The goal, according to NCLR communications director Julian Teixera, is to visit Washington and call on Congress to oppose inflammatory rhetoric towards Latinos.

Bella pointed to the anti-immigration movement in Arizona as an example of areas where respect is sorely needed. And it’s clear that Ozomatli is passionate about subject. As part of its last NCLR effort, the group wrote and recorded the human rights single, “Respeto.”

“[‘Respeto’] resonated with a lot of people," said Wil-Dog Abers, Ozo’s bassist. "That song was the most successful pre-download campaign we’d ever done!”

Though the group didn’t confirm whether they were recording material for the new campaign, “Respeto” already seems like a perfect anthem for National Latino Advocacy Days, occurring March 9-10 in Washington D.C.

For more information, please visit NCLR’s website.

Do you think there's enough respect within the Latino community? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Cultura, Exclusive Entrevista, national council of la raza, National Latino Advocacy Days, NCLR, Ozomotli, Politics, Respeto

These days Julieta Venegas has a lot to talk about.  Not only did she just release her new album, Otra Cosa, to much critical acclaim, but la cantante Mexicana has also generated quite a bit of buzz en la farándula with news of her pregnancy.  Still no word on who the baby daddy is, pero if we had to pick an artsy and multi-talented lady who could do it all herself, we'd place our bets on Julieta.

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, we sat down con la cantante to talk about her new single and video "Bien O Mal," how her own mother has influenced her, and her recipes for la canción perfecta.  Watch clips from our exclusive entrevista below, and see the whole interview with Julieta Venegas aquí!

So, what's the song "Bien O Mal" all about?  In her fast-paced but soft-spoken accento norteño, Julieta discussed the way in which el amor is all about taking risks and putting aside the fears of rejection or failed love connections.  She also talked about her creative process that went into the video, and how she put her own unique feminine and playful touches to the production, without succumbing to a "traditional" music video format.

Lo que mas nos impactó de la entrevista con Julieta was when she told us about the biggest influence she got from her mamá.  While not a musician herself, Julieta's mom had a passion for la música that she passed on to Julieta since she was a little girl.  And, boy, do we thank her for it!

We were also curious about how Julieta comes up with ideas for her songs.  Does she have the perfect recipe for songwriting?  Bueno, pues, no.  Como dice la cantante, it's not about sudden inspirations or following a particular model, but rather her creative process is all about the journey and taking her time to create something unique.

Tell us, what do YOU think of Julieta's new video?  And, what was the biggest influence your mother had on YOU?  Hit us up in the comments or on Twitter @MTV3!

For more clips from our entrevista with Julieta and her latest music videos, check out her artist page here.

Tags Artist of the Week, Bien O Mal, Exclusive Entrevista, Julieta Venegas, Otra Cosa

Team Blogamole had a special visitor last week: Rico Rodriguez, from the ABC comedy hit "Modern Family"!

Giselle sat down with the Rico for this exclusive entrevista.

From the moment he walked into the building, Rico was so animated and in such a great mood! I knew it was going to be a good interview.

Check out what the pint-sized star had to say about working on "Modern Family," his character Manny, his favorite type of music y mucho mas!

After our shoot, Rico had a cool idea for a Twitpic (follow him @StarringRico):

Rico is a busy guy — in addition to acting and his clothing line, he's also a filmmaker! Check out the latest video he made with his sister, Disney's Raini Rodriguez! hilarious!

Funny, talented, tech-savvy, and a ladies man — this kid is definitely going places. You're welcome back any time, Rico!

*Team Blogamole High Five*

"Modern Family" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Tr3s Comunidad, who else would you like to see in an Exclusive Entrevista on Blogamole? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Exclusive Entrevista, Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, sofia vergara

By Sandra Roldán

This week we're bringing you lo major de SXSW! Meet some of our top Latin indie picks, Maldita Vecindad, Bomba Estéreo, Girl In A Coma, and more!

We caught up with psychedelic experimental punk group XYX while on their way to SXSW this year to ask them about the Monterrey music scene, how they would define their music style and who they're pumped to see perform este año.  Bandmates Mou and Anel also clarified what they think their music really sounds like: trippy! Read on!

Blogamole: We've noticed your music being called "no wave," "avant-punk," "noise punk," etc.  How would YOU describe your music?

ANEL: A powerful trio of sounds on a trip to the outer space: distorted chaotic bass guitar, human machine drumming, delayed melodic shouting vocals.

MOU: Anel does the first and the third, I do the human machine drumming and place the mics when we are recording. I think our music goes beyond those tags. It has pretty well-defined melodies so it is not No Wave and I tend to incorporate as many different and interesting rhythms that definitively can't be labeled as punk.

It's just our own version of psychedelia.

Alaska y Los Pegamoides

Blogamole: What are some of your biggest musical influences? Are there any Latin bands that you look to for inspiration?

ANEL: Roky Erickson, the members of Los Pegamoides (early 80s Spain) and Vodka Family Winstons. The amazing mexican drummer Carlos Icaza [Los Fancy Free] is an inspiration for all music nerds living in me.

MOU: At the moment... Los Tepetatles!

Blogamole: What does it mean for you guys to represent this style of music, and Monterrey, Mexcio's music scene, at this year's SXSW? What kind of audience are you looking to reach?

ANEL: I think we are representing more than a music style. I think we represent a total freedom of expression in the incalculable ways you can create so much with so little. We don't represent THE scene, we represent ourselves as part of a scene, a growing but still very underground one in our country. There are other mexican bands playing SXSW this year, that don't sound like us, not remotely close, at all, we don't even know each other.

MOU: We dont have a target audience, but I guess trippy people always get what other trippers do.

Blogamole: Are there any other bands you think are worth checking out at SXSW this year?

MOU: Ratas del Vaticano from Monterrey and Wounded Lion from LA. But I guess the fun this year is not going to be in Austin. The MtyMx Festival for All Ages is going to be on March 20, 21 and 22nd in Monterrey and there's going to be buses directly from Austin to the festival. 80 bands in 3 days for $30 dollars -- it's the best deal you can get. Amazing bands like Acid Mothers Temple [Japan] or Thee Oh Sees playing. check http://toddpnyc.com/mtymx/ for more info.

Blogamole: Where do you see your music going in the next few months/years? Are you working on releasing a full-length album soon?

ANEL: We just finished recording a whole set of songs that will work for an LP. We'll be looking for labels to put it out on vinyl soon. After that, I guess we can tour for the rest of the year, and the future is unknown.

MOU: Yes! the new album is going to be a good one. Maybe it will be out in the summer. Hope we can bring more good trips to people out there in space!

Check out XYX's Myspace Page to listen to their distorted psychedelic beats, get more info on tour dates and more!

Tags Exclusive Entrevista, indie, Monterrey, psychedelic, punk, Rock, SXSW, XYX

With her new single, "Equivocada," Thalía is paying homage to all those who have made a mistake en sus vidas -- be it en el amor, en la vida, in their professional life or otherwise.  We can certainly sympathize con eso!

We recently sat down con la bella cantante Mexicana to get the scoop on algunas preguntitas we had lying around.  Here's what she had to say!

Por muy famosa que sea, Thalía knows all about being wrong de vez en cuando. We also asked her about this whole "being famous" thing, and Thalía had some choice consejos para los chavos seeking fama.

Ever want to have dinner at Thalía's house? "Forget it!" Watch the clip below to see why you might want to rethink being a dinner guest en la casa Mottola.

Watch the rest of nuestra entrevista exclusiva con Thalía on MTVTr3s.com here!

Tags Equivocada, Exclusive Entrevista, interview, Thalía, Video

We have a countdown going until the premiere of 'New Moon' on 11.20.09 (faltan solo 24 días!), but until then, we're trying to find ways to keep the excitement going.  Gracias a Dios por MTV!

Not only did MTV recently release some hair-raising new photos from the upcoming película, pero MTV News is also rolling out some exclusive entrevistas with the cast of 'New Moon,' starting con la linda Ashley Greene y el guapísimo Kellan Lutz.

If you thought that the cast of 'New Moon' was too cool for 'Twilight' merchandise, guess again, porque Ashley revealed that she not only owns a few camisetas, pero she's also a champ at the Twilight trivia game!

"I have a couple shirts. I have a couple things from "Twilight" that I want to keep as memorabilia, and so I have a couple shirts. I definitely have the necklace. While filming, Kellan bought the "Twilight" game, and we played. We made Xavier [Samuel] play it, the poor new kid. We were like, "The new kid will play!" and so we had Xavier come over and Peter Facinelli came over. Me and him and those two guys and Kellan played the "Twilight" game. And I won. I'm just saying. No big deal."

Watch a clip from the exclusive interview with Ashley Greene below:

Stay tuned for MORE exclusive entrevistas con el resto de los chicos from 'New Moon' leading up to the premiere.  Pero si aún quieres más de Rob Patz, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and the rest of the gang, make sure you tune in to MTV Tr3s on Halloween night (Oct. 31st) a las 6:30pm & 9pm EST to catch the MTV Ulalume: Howling At The New Moon Festival! With performances from Paramore, A.F.I., and Kid Cudi, you know el concierto is going to be rockin'!

Make sure to stick around on Halloween for My Super Psycho Sweet 16 and the Top Tr3ce Halloween Spooks! as well, starting at 2pm!

Watch a clip from Kellan Lutz' entrevista behind the cut!

Read more...

Tags A.F.I, Ashley Greene, Concert, Exclusive Entrevista, Halloween, Halloween Spooks!, Howling At The New Moon, Kellan Lutz, Kid Cudi, Kristen Stewart, MTV Ulalume Festival, My Super Psycho Sweet 16, New Moon, Paramore, Peter Facinelli, photo, Robert-Pattinson, rpatz, Top Tr3ce, Twilight, Video

We announced last week that Beyoncé would be gracing the VMA stage with her "Diva" presence, but we are personally just as excited about Cuban rapper Pitbull participating in the Wale-emceed house band.  Pit, along with the All-American Rejects and 3OH!3 will be performing versions of their hit canciones with Wale throughout the VMA espectáculo.   We pulled Pitbull aside to ask algunas preguntas about how the whole VMA gig went down and to find out which of the VMA nominees have Mr. 305's stamp of approval.  Read the whole thing below!

You're gonna be part of the VMA house band in this year's show. How did that come about, and what can viewers expect to hear from you during the show?

What can be expected is great energy, a good vibe.  We going to put it down Dade County style!

What do you think are the chances of Wisin y Yandel winning the VMA for Best Pop video, and do you think they deserve to win?

I really don't know what their chances are, but if they win it's a great victory para todos los Latinos.

Who are you rooting for at the VMAs for Video of the Year?

Lady Gaga, because she has taken the music industry by storm with her distinctive music and style.

What do you have in store for us for your future music videos? Do you think we'll see a Pitbull video nominated for a VMA anytime soon?

I think you will see a Pitbull video nominated in the near future.  We will continue to make sexy, sophisticated videos with nothing but the finest, most exotic beautiful women in the world!

Lastly, congrats on being granted the key to Miami!  What does that honor mean to you?

It's a blessing and a great honor, especially for someone born and raised in Miami.

Ahí lo tienes.  Check out VMA.MTV.COM para más información about the show, and make sure to tune-in to the VMAs on September 13th at 9pm EST on MTV.  Watch it again con la familia entera when it airs con subtítulos en español on MTV Tr3s, September 20th at 5pm EST!

Photo via Ace Buhr (RCA Music)

Tags 2009 mtv video music awards, 3OH!3, All-American Rejects, Beyonce, Exclusive Entrevista, Lady Gaga, Los-Angeles, Miami, Mr. 305, Pitbull, VMAs, Wale, Wisin y Yandel

September is here y es hora de volver a la escuela, but there is one school that is still as cool as ever -- la escuela de Isa TKM.  With such rockin' classmates as Isa, Alex, Rey, Linda and the rest of the gang, we probably wouldn't mind summer ending and going back to school so much ourselves!

We recently caught up with los chicos behind nuestros personajes favoritos de Isa TKM to find out what is la mejor parte of working on the smash hit teen novela, and what it is that makes Isa TKM un programa tan especial.

See what Reinaldo Zavarce, María Gabriela de Faría, Micaela Castellotti and Willy Martin (aka Alex, Isa, Linda y Rey) have to say below, y después cuéntanos -- what do you think is the best part of Isa TKM?

More after the jump...
Read more...

Tags alex, Exclusive Entrevista, ISA TKM, linda, maria gabriela de faria, Micaela Castellotti, Reinaldo Zavarce, rey, Video, Willy Martin

The Black Eyed Peas are no strangers to hit canciones, pero el grupo has now made chart history by becoming the band with the longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 ever.  After the 12-week run at #1 by "Boom Boom Pow," the Peas replaced themselves at #1 with "I Gotta Feeling" for another 8 weeks and counting.  We gotta feeling it won't be The E.N.D. for the eclectic pop super-grupo any time soon!

We sat down with our favorite Pea, Taboo, to get some impressions about their historical chart feat, as well as catch up on some chisme del fabuloso artista, including who he'd like to collaborate with y cuentos de su nuevo hijo, Jimmy Jalen.  Read the exclusive Q&A below!

What is it like making Billboard history and having these two songs sit at the top of the charts for 20+ weeks?

First of all, I'm so honored and pleased to have such a great album come out in this day and age of the music industry, and have it be the most successful one to date.  As far as the new singles, I am grateful to have such great supporters who have been with us all since 1995, and to all the new Peabodys -- we welcome you to the Black Eyed Peas!

How has the recording experience been different as a solo artist working on T.A.B.O.O. vs. working with the Black Eyed Peas?  Do you prefer one experience over another?

As far as recording with my best friends apl, Fergie and will.i.am, it's the greatest feeling of accomplishment and I love every minute of it... It's not the same working on my solo.  It's not as exciting.

Are there any Latin artists you would like to collaborate with on the new album?

I would love to work with Café Tacuba, Marc Anthony, Juanes, Calle 13, RBD, Pitbull, A. B. Quintanilla, Cruz Martinez and Maná.

Felicitaciones to you and your wife on the recent birth of your baby!  Will you raise him to be bilingual?

YES!  My son Jalen will speak Filipino (Tagalog) and Spanish!

What message do you have for Latinos celebrating su cultura this September for Hispanic Heritage Month? How will you celebrate your Mexican roots?

I will be representing for all Latinos and give a great Spanish speech when we win those Billboard Awards and them Grammys!! As far as advice to all the Latinos coming up, stay true to yourself and don't let anyone say you can't do it!  Dream big and live life to your fullest potential...

Taboo can chant "Si Se Puede!" with the best of them!   Keep it locked for more news on The Black Eyed Peas and Taboo!

Tags A.B. Quintanilla, apl.de.ap, Billboard Charts, Black Eyed Peas, Boom Boom Pow, Cafe Tacuba, Calle 13, Cruz Martinez, Exclusive Entrevista, Fergie, I Gotta Feeling, interview, Juanes, Mana, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, RBD, Taboo, The End, Will.I.am

Selena Gomez has a lot to be excited about!

The Latina Disney star recently announced the creation of her new band, "The Scene," as well as the name of her upcoming debut album, Kiss and Tell.  Her new single, "Falling Down," is due out in a few days y la cantactriz has been working on her new music video (see the photo she posted from her video shoot here!).  In addition to her budding music career, Selena just won a Teen Choice Award for her role in Disney summer TV-movie Princess Protection Program with Demi Lovato, and is promoting the upcoming TV release of Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (August 28th).

When we asked the bewitching tejana what her favorite part of shooting on location for Wizards in Puerto Rico was, she was quick to respond:

My favorite part of shooting in Puerto Rico would have to be the food and the people.  The people were very nice.  My favorite food there were the rice and beans, for sure.  They were so good!

Guess we'll have to put an order in to abuelita, porque Selena's making us hungry!

But what we really wanted to get out of Selena was something no one else knows about.  Tu sabes, the juicy chisme!  May we present to you, dos cositas you did not already know about Selena Gomez!

Bueno, don't you feel fulfilled ahora que sabes how many times Selena can spit her gum out and catch it again? Lo que queremos saber is how many times has she done this, that she's kept track of her personal best score??  Um... qué tierna... no?

Catch more of Selena Gomez in the new Disney's Friends for Change music video (con subtitulos en español!) featuring Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, "Send It On."

Photos via MySpace and Getty Images

Tags Demi Lovato, Disney, Exclusive Entrevista, Jonas Brothers, Kiss and Tell, Miley Cyrus, Puerto Rico, Selena Gomez, Selena Gomez and the Scene, Send It On, Video, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie