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By Larry Yepez Jr.

After several months of hiatus, Colombian rock star Juanes has described his "rebirth" following a short break in his career where he had time to focus on himself, his family and his music.

The musician, who's sold more than 15 million albums and won 17 Latin Grammys, said that after this time out spent with his family he felt like a new man.

In an interview with Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, he said,

"Now I am myself and that is a rebirth. I don't know if it's because of my age, my life, my children...but at this moment I feel a strong connection with God, with myself and with my music."

Juanes decided last May to terminate his professional relationship with his longtime manager and friend Fernan Martinez, amidst rumors of disappointing  sales of his record P.A.R.C.E..

The singer said,

"I took the decision because I didn't feel comfortable. I needed to be at home with my children, I needed to stop. I was a long way from the center of who I am. It was a moment of important reflection for strengthening my inner world, [to] return with the desire and love that I always had for music."

Juanes said his hiatus was like a detox where everything came out, the good and the bad alike. It was the closing of one era and the beginning of another.

Juanes recently signed for new management with Rebeca Leon, VP of Latin Talent for AEG/Golden Voice. Juanes will now be handled by Leon jointly with Randy Phillips as part of AEG's management arm.

He's currently rehearsing for an MTV Unplugged album to be recorded in Miami Beach, Florida, in February.

Would you like to sing with Juanes? Enter the Tr3s "Unplug with Juanes" Competition for a chance to sing with Juanes himself in front of a live audience.

Tags AEG/Golden Voice, By Larry Yepez Jr., El Tiempo, Fernán Martínez, Juanes, Latin Grammys, MTV, Randy Phillips, Rebeca Leon

By Astrid Rivera

Go anywhere on a weekend in Miami and chances are you're likely to hear DJ Mr. Pauer aka Toto Gonzalez. A founding father of Miami's alternative Latin music scene, Gonzalez is no stranger to risk. Ten years ago Latin rock group Soniko found themselves not being able to afford their rehearsal space in Wynwood and Toto decided that hosting weekly parties could provide them with some much needed cash.

The problem was they couldn't find a DJ who could supply the perfect mix of alternative and Latin music that Miami's young Hispanic crowd craved. Fast Forward a decade later and Mr. Pauer's risk paid off, his first debut album Soundtrack, has been nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Album.

Gonzalez, 36, raved to the Miami Herald,

"I'm already celebrating, since the day I got nominated. That's a big, big deal for me. Do I want to win? Hell yeah. But I think it's a celebration for all the nominees."

Mr. Pauer set himself apart from the very beginning, mixing the tropical sounds of Miami with electronica beats. Even his name, Mr. Pauer, which is a play on words for the Spanish pronunciation of "power", placed him apart from the types of DJ's Miami was accustomed to having. The truth is that Mr. Pauer has worked non-stop to create the musician that he is today and he proved that to the Las Vegas crowd Wednesday night before the 2011 Latin Grammys. Unlike many other artists in this industry, Gonzalez is his own promoter, distributor, producer and the list goes on.

A Venezuelan native, he was always involved in the alternative music scene while studying graphic design in Miami. This gave him the ability to begin branding himself and even start a company called Fabrika, which promotes Latin and U.S. alternative music in Miami for Latinos who have a dual sense of culture. It is his ability to create truly unique sounds that has landed him gigs with Calle 13 and Manu Chao.

Besides promoting his music, website and company, Mr. Pauer has one thing very close to his heart and that's sharing Miami's music scene with the world. He says,

"I really want to take music from Miami and promote it outside."

Although Mr. Pauer didn't take home the gold on Thursday night, this is just one of many recognitions that are sure to come. It is great to know that the Latin Recording Academy is recognizing one of our own, let's all keep up the support and check out Mr. Pauer's Grammy nominated album Soundtrack.

Tags Astrid Rivera, Calle 13, Fabrika, Latin Grammys, Manu Chao, Música, Miami Herald, Mr. Pauer, Toto Gonzalez

By Michael Lopez

We have to admit, we were a little shocked when we heard the news that Zoe Saldana had broken up with her longtime steady Keith Britton. Engaged since 2010, the couple had been together for over 11 years and were even business partners in Zoe's successful MyFDB.com venture.

No official reason was given for the split, but the couple did issue a joint statement to Access Hollywood, saying they separated "amicably." Interestingly, Saldana appeared to be all smiles at last week's Latin Grammys, showing no signs of personal turmoil.

The only telling quote seemed to come from Zoe’s Twitter account, which read,

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."

Could that be an indicator that Keith hadn’t been showing his fiancée enough love? They had been engaged for nearly a year-and-a-half with no wedding date in sight, so you never know.

But we get the feeling, the newly-single Saldana will have no trouble scoring dates once she's ready to play the field again.

What fashion styles do you find most intriguing right now? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Celebrity Breakups, Chisme, Keith Britton, Latin Grammys, popnews, Zoe Saldana

By Ikam Acosta

Award shows are the time to let your original style shine through. La Santa Cecilia was beat out by Calle 13 in their category for Best Tropical Song, but were still looking fun and festive on the green carpet. They always look lively and radiant.

Shows like the Grammys are also a time for looking your best. Erik Estrada made an appearance on the green carpet, looking quite sharp in his black tuxedo, reminiscing about his Poncharello days.

If you're anything like me, you love tuning in to award shows to see what outrageous outfits artists wore on the red carpet. The more ridiculous, the better. Much to my surprise, the crazy costume-like clothing started pouring in early during the 12th annual Latin Grammys, and a few couldn't help but catch my eye.

Venezuela's La Vida Bohème could probably win a prize for the most bizarrely dressed band, when they came strolling onto the green carpet splattered in paint.

Los Huracanes Del Norte came in wearing matching bedazzled black suits with white rhinestones. They glittered on the green carpet as they talked about their nominations. Meanwhile, Aaron Nicholas entered wearing a black and white custom-made "hand embroidered suit" with his name on the back, looking like a mariachi. That was original.

Marco Antonio Solís had a beautiful performance. His voice was phenomenal, and the peacock-like-stage performers added an ethereal quality to the show. I was, however, distracted by his red and black lion-tamer-style outfit. He looked like a circus performer, or, at the very best, someone welcoming me to the big top.

The award for worst dressed female presenter goes to Sandra Echeverría. She was wearing a shimmery pink cocktail dress, which I personally thought looked awful and was way too puffy. She strolled in looking like something from an 80's prom. Too much shine and way too short. It looked comical, not sexy. Like a little girl playing dress-up with her big sister's clothes. No me gustó.

Who do you think wore the most outrageous outfits at he Latin Grammys this year?

Tags Aaron Nicholas, Award Shows, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Calle 13, Celebrities, Chisme, Eric Estrada, Fashion, La Santa Cecilia, La Vida Bohème, Latin Grammys, Los Huracanes del Norte, Marco Antonio Solis, Sandra Echeverria, Style, Television

By Ikam Acosta

There were several phenomenal performers that shone on the Latin Grammys stage at last night. Sie7e's 'Yo Tengo Tu Love' was a huge sensation with the crowd, while Pepe Aguilar brought his mariachi band for a full-on Mexican performance during the latter half of the Latin Grammys.

Shakira made it snow at this year's Latin Grammys with a subtle shower of glitter during her long-awaited performance. She brought the winter wonderland to Las Vegas, wearing a sparkly fitted dress with a loose peaches and cream skirt. The cherry blossom trees decorating the stage gave her act a fairytale quality, and her soft vocals lent an eerie dreamy quality to her song.

I guess the theme was precipitation this year, because Maná also made it rain on stage while they played 'Lluvia Al Corazon.' More rain is forecast to come later in the evening, during Marc Anthony and Pitbull's performance. Stay tuned.

The Colombian songstress did an encore performance later on that evening after they announced her much-deserved honor for person of the year. Her humanitarian efforts were highlighted in a comprehensive video montage right before she took the stage for a second time.

Shakira then proceeded to serenade us with some Steven Tyler-inspired moves, complete with scarves on the microphone stand and all. She then took her red jacket off and proceeded to rock the house to 'Loca,' with her amazing voice and hypnotic dance moves.

Demi Lovato was a big hit with her duet with Pablo Alborán, singing "Solamente Tú." I don't think many people are used to her singing in Spanish, but she proved she could hold her own. Her voice sounded amazing.

Mark Anthony’s performance with Pitbull for 'Rain Over Me' was very dynamic, and the chorus line of dancers behind them made it a great act. Half the dancers were getting rained on, while the other half re-enacted a number that seemed straight from the Broadway hit Chicago, complete with chair dances and all. These two Latinos sure know how to work a crowd!

Who was your favorite Latin Grammy performer?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Demi Lovato, Latin Grammys, Mana, Marc Anthony, Música, Pablo Alboran, Pepe Aguilar, Pitbull, popnews, Shakira, Sie7e, Television

By Michael Lopez

Just remember, we warned you about following our Latin Grammy predictions. Yes, most of our picks didn't come true. But that doesn't mean that every winner of the night didn't deserve their statuettes. Far to the contrary, particularly in the case of Calle 13. The Puerto Rican duo put out an incredible album last year and it's clear the Latin Grammy voters were listening.

Believe it or not, Calle 13 took home nine awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Thursday night, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Tropical Song, and Best Urban Album. And though the guys had previously won big in 2008, they seemed quite humbled when taking the stage.

Residente, in particular, made a point to thank the group's devoted fans and promised that Calle would never stray from their Latin hip hop roots.

"It's very difficult for us navigating against the current," he stated. "I know that we're those who are heard not on the radio, but in the heart of the people."

And in between all of the Calle acceptance speeches, there were still plenty of dominant forces on the Latin Grammy stage. Shakira performed three songs during the night (including "Loca") and got huge cheers when she accepted her Person of the Year award. She also happened to take home Best Female Pop Album for Sale El Sol.

As you may have remembered, we were rooting hard for Alex, Jorge y Lena in the Best Album category. Though they didn't win, the talented trio still nabbed the Best Pop Album by a Group award. And, for the record, our Best New Artist prediction did come true! Tr3s fave Sie7e happily accepted the award and definitely proved himself to be an artist to watch in 2012.

In regards to the live performances, the Latin Grammys did not disappoint! Usher had great onstage chemistry with Romeo as they belted out the popular "Promise" track from Formula Vol. 1. And Pitbull brought out a pretty famous duet partner too. Newly-single Marc Anthony poured his heart out with a live rendition of their new single "Rain Over Me." Even Demi Lovato flexed her Spanish tongue with a riveting performance of "Solamente Tú."

But we're sure the live song that will be getting the most buzz was Calle 13's show opener, "Latinoamérica." The newly-crowned Song of the Year was performed alongside the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. Not only that, guest conductor Gustavo Dudamel used his baton to give it an even more bombastic touch.

Of course, the show was just half of the fun. Seeing how the event took place in Vegas, you can bet that many of the stars are probably still celebrating at this very moment!

What did you think of this year's Latin Grammys? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alex Jorge Y Lena, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Calle 13, Celebrities, Demi Lovato, Gustavo Dudamel, Hot Stuff, Latin Grammys, Marc Anthony, Música, Paulina Rubio, Pitbull, popnews, Promise, Romeo, Shakira, Sie7e, sofia vergara, Usher

By Michael Lopez

What a way to kick off the month! Prince Royce has now officially become the hottest Latin music star of 2011. His debut album just sold three million copies, making him the only U.S. Hispanic artist to reach triple platinum status this year.

Royce happily posed with execs from the Recording Academy as he accepted his triple platinum plaque and seemed to be genuinely touched by the accomplishment.

"[This] means that dreams certainly can be made into reality,” he stated during the event. "That there are people who still buy an album and that there are people who still consume music. And I don't think that's something that happens every day."

Of course, Prince couldn’t stick around too long to enjoy the honor. He had to rush over to Vegas to begin rehearsals for his Maná Latin Grammys duet.

We expect Royce will get a lot more fans after tonight’s performance. And we can only imagine what kind of sales numbers he'll reach when album #2 comes out!

Are you looking forward to Prince Royce's new album? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Hot Stuff, Latin Grammys, Mana, Música, popnews, Prince Royce

By Ikam Acosta

My favorite category in the Latin Grammys is usually best video, where you can truly see your favorite artist's vision of their work in action. Every year we are blown away by some particularly wonderful videos, whatever your criteria may be. Here's my pick for this year.

Shakira's 'Loca' makes me want to just get up and dance. It also makes me want to go to the beach. It's an upbeat, sexy video that is fun to watch and listen to. I like videos that do that: make you want to just go out and do some random thing. Also, seeing Shakira shake it like a Polaroid picture makes me want to go hit the gym.

One of my favorite videos this year would have to be 'Calma Pueblo,' by Calle 13. It's bizarre visuals, like, for starters, nuns playing guitar and a naked person mosh pit, are definitely something that will make you say, "What?" It also has a nice message of unity. Just don't get distracted by the naked guy playing guitar on the roof.

I feel I should give an honorable mention to Ricky Martin's 'Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú.' This effervescent and care-free video makes your worries melt away just watching it. The bright vivid scenes paired with Ricky's melodious voice are harmony to my ears and eyes. I also feel it has a bit of a retro feel, taking me back to the 1990's. I dig it.

What music videos will you be rooting for this year?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Calle 13, Latin Grammys, music videos, Ricky Martin, Shakira

By Michael Lopez

Here we are, just hours away from the 12th annual Latin Grammy awards. And seeing how the event is taking place in the gambling capital of the world (aka Las Vegas), we thought it would be fun to place some bets on which artists we're hoping will take home statuettes.

Now, of course, we love all of this year's honorees. But as we peruse the nomination lists, there are definitely a few Tr3s faves that stand out.

Let's start with Shakira. Now it's already confirmed that she'll be getting this year's Person of the Year award and she already has seven Latin Grammys sitting at home. So perhaps the Academy may decide the spread the love and not give her Album of the Year.

Instead, we're actually rooting for the underdogs Alex, Jorge y Lena. We've loved this trio right from the start and were thrilled when they made the cut in the Album category. Granted, they're up against Calle 13, Enrique, Shaki, and Franco De Vita, but they've got just enough momentum to nab the win.

Moving on to Record of the Year, our vote is going for Los Tigres del Norte. Their "Golpes en el Corazon" track is gorgeous (and happens to feature Paulina Rubio on guest vocals). It was also the highlight of their recent Unplugged special, which got a huge response when it aired on Tr3s. Can you tell we're a little biased?

In the Best New Artist category, we're rooting for Sie7e. His "Tengo Tu Love" was the laid-back Latin anthem of the summer and it's clear he's truly connected with the viral universe. Sie7e's gotten millions of YouTube hits, showcased an endless array of talent, and genuinely seems like a nice guy. Let's hope he takes this one down.

As far as the Best Urban Music Album goes, our money's with Calle 13. It's clear the Latin Grammy voters love them (ten nominations this year!) and this is definitely their category. Plus, how awesome and original was their Entren Los Que Quieran record? Truly a gem and a deserving winner.

For Best Rock Album we're going with the underdogs again. Sure Maná is the easy choice (their Drama y Luz record was a massive hit), but Don Tetto feels like they've worked harder to earn this prize. Their Miénteme album is fresh, original, and sounded great live when we saw them at the House of Blues!

In the Alternative category, we're playing favorites again. Zoé did an incredible job with their MTV Unplugged special and it's clear they're overflowing with talent. Plus, they've been around for over two decades and more than deserve some Latin Grammy gold at this point.

Now there are zillions of more categories to make predictions for, but those are the ones we feel the most confident about. Keep in mind, we may be totally off (so DON'T bet your hard earned money on our predictions), but it sure is fun to speculate.

And stay tuned for our complete Latin Grammy coverage tomorrow morning!

Who are you rooting for at the Latin Grammys? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alex Jorge Y Lena, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Calle 13, Don Tetto, Hot Stuff, Latin Grammys, Los Tigres Del Norte, Mana, Música, Paulina Rubio, popnews, Shakira, Sie7e, Zoe

By Michael Lopez

You know you're doing something right if guitar god Carlos Santana is mentioning you in interviews. The legendary musician recently heaped praise on both Maná and Molotov, telling reporters he would love to jam with them in the near future.

Santana is currently in Las Vegas playing a series of private shows before tomorrow's Latin Grammys. Coincidentally, Maná will be appearing at the event too, so an onstage collaboration may not be out of the question.

Speaking about both Molotov and Maná, Carlos said that he admired their authenticity. He also explained how they were "not plastic",  which we assume refers to their rootsy, non-synth style of playing.

We're particularly glad that Santana extended the invite to Molotov. The groundbreaking Mexican rockers don't always get their due and deliver strong political messages that we're sure Carlos can identify with. Hopefully they can all get into the studio and lay down some tracks within the next few months.

Who would you like to see Carlos Santana collaborate with? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Carlos Santana, Latin Grammys, Mana, Música, Molotov, popnews