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By Maria Corina Marrero

Following the unprecedented success of his tribute album to José José, "Viva El Príncipe", Mexican singer Cristian Castro prepares to embark on his national tour.

During a press conference held yesterday at the historic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the singer announced that the first part of his "Viva El Príncipe Tour" will kick off the 28th of July in Chicago at the V Live, then continue onto Los Angeles, San Jose, Orlando, and Miami as well as other cities.

Cristian, who is famous for his massive concerts, promises an amazing tour that will captivate audiences in a magical and romantic environment.  He will be singing all the songs from his new album as well as a repertoire of his greatest hits.

 The tour will take him from coast to coast in major cities throughout the United States. It also includes 112 concerts in 12 countries across Latin America.

During the press conference, the Mexican star, who has sold over 10 million albums and won 64 Gold albums and 31 Platinum, was awarded a plaque commemorating double Platinum and gold certified sales for over 200,000 copies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Cristian's album remained at # 1 for seven weeks in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and broke records with fifteen weeks at # 1 in Mexico.

Here are the dates and cities in the US so you can check him out!

July 28, 2011            Chicago, IL                 V Live
July 30, 2011            McAllen, TX                Pharr Entertainment Center
July 31, 2011            Houston, TX               Arena Theatre
August 5, 2011          Los Angeles, CA         The Greek Theatre
August 6, 2011          San Jose, CA               San Jose Civic
August 7, 2011          San Diego, CA            Copley Symphony Hall
August 12, 2011        Orlando, FL                House Of Blues
August 13, 2011        Miami, FL                   The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason Theater
August 19, 2011        San Juan, PR               Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré

Tags Cristian Castro, Jose Jose, viva el principe tour

By Michael Lopez

Sure we all love browsing tidbits on the web or from those iPad e-reader applications, but every now and then nothing beats picking up a good old-fashioned libro. This weekend, L.A. will be celebrating the world of books with two conventions highlighting printed stories and the people who write them.

Held at two massive southern California venues, the events will feature celebrity scribes and some of the Latino world’s most celebrated authors.

If you prefer your reading material in español, we highly recommend checking out the LeaLA webpage. Highlighting all of the authors, events, and workshops at the three-day event, it’s a great place to get educated on which Spanish books are making an impact right now (plus it’s got some really cool colorful graphics).

Latino authors like Paco Ignacio Taibo II (who wrote a phenomenal biography on "Che" Guevara), Francisco Martín Moreno, and Eduardo Antonio Parra will all be participating in LeaLA panels at the L.A. Convention Center. Even celebrated Mexican crooner Jose Jose will be on-hand promoting his hit autobiography Ésta Es Mi Vida.

And interestingly, the very same weekend USC will be hosting a high-profile libro convention of its own. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is now in its 15th year and attracting more high-profile authors than ever before.

Over 200 professional writers will be on hand to sign autographs, answer questions, and dole out advice for future scribes hoping to get published. Plus, famous faces like Jada Pinkett Smith and The Office’s Rainn Wilson will be appearing and promoting their latest works.

And if you’re looking for a little Latino flavor, the Festival of Books has plenty of that too. Pam Muñoz Ryan, famous for her young adult novels like Esperanza Rising, will be there and so will famed news writer Steve Lopez. Additionally, fans will be able to sit one-on-one with authors Daniel Hernandez (who wrote Down and Delirious in Mexico City) and Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, whose Lupe Solano mystery books have become a hot commodity!

Both LeaLA and the Festival Of Books events will take place April 30 – May 1.

Who are your favorite Latino authors? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Books, Cultura, Festival Of Books, Hot Stuff, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jose Jose, LeaLA, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Reading

By Michael Lopez

Eighteen years into his singing career, pop crooner Cristian Castro is achieving his greatest professional success yet. Not only is his new Viva el Príncipe album wowing critics, it’s also the first to knock Shakira out of the No. 1 slot on the Latin Album Charts.

Recorded as a tribute to his idol, Latin music icon Jose Jose, Vive el Príncipe has already sold more than 100,000 units in Mexico. Jose Jose, famous for songs like “El Triste” and “Lo Dudo,” also appears on Vive, reciting a heartfelt poem on the album’s final track.

The songs “La Nave del Olvido” and “Volcan” (a cover of another Jose Jose classic) were released early via iTunes to help build buzz for the album, and Vive el Príncipe went on to topple Sale el Sol’s eight-week run atop the Latin Album Charts, something even Juanes’ new P.A.R.C.E. record couldn’t do.

We imagine this rejuvenated success is a time of joy and excitement for Cristian. He’s reaching millions of new fans, celebrating one of his all-time musical heroes and making enough cash to help cover all of those alimony payments.

What do you think of Cristian Castro’s new album? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Cristian Castro, Jose Jose, Música, Viva el Principe