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By Michael Lopez

Who knew the members of Los Tigres Del Norte would be stirring up controversy way into their 50's? Proving that you're never too old to have a song banned, Los Tigres have been ousted from Mexico's Chihuahua region over their signature track "La Reina del Sur."

"La Reina" first gained attention in the early 2000's, when it became a platinum-selling hit for the band. Its lyrics soon took on a life of their own and even inspired a hit novela of the same name. And that's undoubtedly where the controversy lies.

La Reina the series featured narco-violence and a powerful cartel leader played by Kate del Castillo. Chihuahua (which has been ravaged by the drug trade) feels the song is not appropriate for their region and have asked Los Tigres to stop performing it live.

The band members responded to the news with a bit of shock, telling fans that they will respect the government's wishes.

"With the news that the government from Chihuahua is vetoing us for having performed 'La Reina Del Sur' We want to make it clear that we had no knowledge about such prohibition until today," Los Tigres said in a statement. "That is why this veto comes as a surprise to us."

Do you think Chihuahua was right to ban the song? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chihuahua, Chisme, La Reina Del Sur, Los Tigres Del Norte, Música, Mexico, popnews

By Michael Lopez

2012 is shaping up to be a very big year for Palenke Soultribe. The Colombian music duo just signed a brand new deal with Nat Geo Records and are prepping themselves for a major U.S. tour.

Formed back in the early 2000's, Palenke gained global attention for their synth-heavy jams and innovative videos. Members Andres Erazo and Juan Diego Borda drew big crowds for their ability to fuse classic Latin rhythms with modern electro beats.

Palenke's sound has such an international flair that even National Geographic came calling. Believe it or not, Nat Geo Records is part of the famous nature brand and they seem thrilled to add the guys to their roster.

Though Andres and Diego's new album isn't quite ready for release yet, they're prepping new material on the road. You can catch them this week in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, followed by two powerhouse performances at SXSW!

Be sure to check out the official Pelenke Soultribe site for all of the details.

What's your favorite Palenke Soultribe track? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Andres Erazo, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Hot Stuff, Juan Diego Borda, Música, Nat Geo Records, National Geographic, Palenke Soultribe, SXSW

By Michael Lopez

Miami certainly seems to be a hotspot at the moment. Not only is it hosting one of the country's most influential film festivals, it just hosted hosted one of the country's most influential fiestas! That's right, we're talking about Calle Ocho, which wound up breaking quite a few Guinness World Records this year.

Known as Miami's "biggest block party," Calle Ocho features live music, food vendors, dancing crowds, and more. Over one million Latinos descend upon Little Havana for the festival and this year, that number included quite a few celebs.

Proud locals Pitbull and Jencarlos Canela made their presence known at Sunday's event, performing for massive crowds and signing autographs. Canela was actually dubbed "Calle Ocho King!" Tr3s Free Latin Music fave Norka stepped up to the concert stage too, performing a live version of her signature hit, "Milagro."

This year was actually extra special for Calle Ocho, as it marked the festival's 35th anniversary. Since its inaugural event, Calle has welcomed legendary cubanos like Desi Arnaz, Celia Cruz, and Gloria Estefan (on more than one occasion). In 2011 Fat Joe brought the crowd to its feet, with a rowdy, festive live performance.

Spanish TV and radio stations covered every wild moment this year, including the Guinness Record breaker where 100 volunteers held up the world's largest flag! Made up 422 smaller pieces, the giant "One World" bandera stretched out 250 feet long and 36 feet wide.

And that's not the first time Calle Ocho partygoers have gotten their name into the Guinness Book. In 1990, the festival built up the world’s largest piñata and in 2000, attendees rolled together the world's fattest cigar!

Clearly Calle Ocho is an event that leaves a major mark every year. And we imagine it leaves a major cleanup job for the Little Havana trash collectors every day after too.

Have you ever been to the Calle Ocho Festival? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Calle Ocho, Calle Ocho Festiva, Cultura, Fat Joe, Food, Guinness World Records, Jencarlos Canela, Música, Miami, Norka, Pitbull

By Michael Lopez

There's a reason Norka's face is plastered on Tr3s.com at the moment. The Venezuelan-born crooner has been dominating our Free Latin Music page with her sexy single, "Milagro." Filled with catchy lyrics and salsa rhythms, it's a track our fans have certainly embraced and Norka couldn't be more thrilled.

"I've been so focused on this single," she told us in an exclusive interview. "We shot an incredible video for it and we actually recorded several versions. There's a salsa version, a hip-hop version, they all make for a beautiful song."

As she explained to us, Norka definitely knows the ingredients for a memorable tune. Growing up in Venezuela, she was influenced by a ton of Latin artists and several American stars too. It seems they've all played a part in helping her achieve her signature sound.

"My influences were never just Spanish artists," she explained. "I love George Michael, I love Queen, I love Madonna. There's a huge variety of genres I listen to on a daily basis."

And Norka has been working on her craft for many years. Her musical ambitions first led her to Europe after graduating high school. After spending several years in France, she focused her attention on the states and wound up in Miami, Florida. Then a chance meeting with a certain Latin music mogul changed her life forever.

"Life gives you so many surprises," she said. "I was in Miami and actually met Emilio Estefan at a party. I was so nervous to speak to him! But we talked and eventually he gave me the chance of a lifetime."

Not long after, Norka became a staple of the Miami music scene. And this month she solidified her status by performing at the city's legendary Calle Ocho Festival.

"Getting to perform at Calle Ocho was such a great honor," she said. "I know a lot of great artists have performed there and the crowd was enormous! But thankfully, they gave me a lot of love."

For Norka, the momentum is just getting started. "Milagro" is still a huge success on Tr3s and its video has garnered tens of thousands of YouTube views. Norka promised us that she's got a lot more great music in store, which fans can get updated on by following her Twitter account.

"Right now I'm doing a ton of social media," she said. "I personally handle all of it and I love it because it's putting me in direct contact with all of my fans."

Be sure to follow @Norka_Music for all of her latest news!

Who's your favorite Free Latin Music artist? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Calle Ocho, Emilio Estefan, Exclusive Entrevistas, Free Latin Music, Música, Milagro, Norka, Tr3s Exclusives

By Ikam Acosta

Latin music legend Johnny Colon will revisit his roots when he performs a double set of classic hits with his orchestra at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on Wednesday, April 25.

Colon will indulge us with an evening of Latin boogaloo, salsa, and Latin soul titled Village Gate Nights Presents Johnny Colon & His Orchestra. Le Poisson Rouge was home to the Village Gate, where Johnny started performing the club's longest running sets alongside his orchestra.

The performance will feature DJ Turmix, Latin boogaloo specialist, spinning vinyl sets, as well as an opening set by Spanglish Fly, a Latin soul/boogaloo band. When we promised an evening of Latin boogaloo, we weren't kidding!

Proceeds will go to the East Harlem Music School, started by Johnny Colon back in 1972. It is the only school in the whole United States totally devoted to teaching salsa. The show at Le Poisson Rouge will also be a teaser for an upcoming performance by Johnny Colon and DJ Turmix at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing, taking place July 2012.

What are your favorite Johnny Colon hits?

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, DJ Turmix, Johnny Colon, Johnny Colon & His Orchestra, Música, Spanglish Fly

By Michael Lopez

It seems like Bruce Springsteen has a very famous Colombian fan. Latin rock god Juanes has openly spoken about "The Boss" as an inspiration and even caught a Bruce concert this past weekend.

Snapped outside of the Apollo Theater, Juanes was all smiles after Springsteen's big show. He went on to explain how he appreciates Bruce's "working class anthems" and introspective lyrics.

"[I really enjoyed] his energy on stage with the political nature of his music," El Rockero said after the concert.

And it's probably a good idea for Juanes to take a few Springsteen refresher courses. He'll be opening for "The Boss" at SXSW this week and may even throw in a cover song or too (if we're lucky).

Would you like to see a Juanes/Springsteen duet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, bruce springsteen, Juanes, Música, SXSW

By Michael Lopez

It looks like we're down to one Tr3s fave this season on American Idol. Though Jessica Sanchez continues to wow the fans, Latino crooner Jeremy Rosado failed to impress last night and was ultimately bumped from the Top 13.

Rosado had been a favorite of Judge JLo and she had even used her wild card to keep him alive him last week. But when it came time to the voting, Jeremy didn't make the cut.

Thankfully, he was a good sport through it all. Speaking about the experience after his elimination, Rosado seemed upbeat and eager to still pursue his musical ambitions.

"I've been so blessed to know each and every one of these contestants. I love them," he told Entertainment Weekly. "This is just like the break-in to show business, right? This is the dream. Livin' the dream."

Are you bummed about Jeremy's Idol elimination? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags American Idol, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Rosado, Jessica Sanchez, Música, Reality shows, Television

By Michael Lopez

If there's one way to win votes on American Idol, it's by mimicking the voice of a rock goddess. And Tr3s fave Jessica Sanchez nailed every note this week, when she performed Whitney Houston's classic "I Will Always Love You."

The 16-year-old half-Mexican contender drew huge cheers from the studio audience and left the judges floored.

"[I think you] just made 40 million people cry," Steven Tyler proclaimed.

Randy Jackson was quick to chime in too, saying,

"Not only are you one of the best singers tonight — I think you're one of the best singers in the whole competition!"

Videos of Jessica's performance are already blowing up the web, with over 65,000 YouTube views since yesterday. That being said, it's safe to say that Sanchez won't be hearing Scotty McCreery's A.I. goodbye song anytime soon.

Do you think Jessica sounds as good as Whitney? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags American Idol, Blogger: Michael Lopez, I Will Always Love You, Jessica Sanchez, Música, Randy Jackson, Reality shows, Steven Tyler, Television, Whitney Houston

By Michael Lopez

It looks like the American Idol producers are working hard to lessen the blow for dejected contestants. Though it's sad to see fan faves eliminated, we can at least revel in the vocals of Scotty McCreery as they say goodbye. Yup, McCreery's version of "Please Remember Me" has become A.I.’s official sendoff anthem.

Originally sung by Tim McGraw, "Remember Me" is poignant and effective when capturing the emotions of a voted off Idol. And Scotty's rich country twang gives it a signature touch that's certain bring back memories of last year's competition.

Clearly Idol made the choice to promote Scotty, whose debut album still has a presence on the Billboard charts. And he seems thrilled to be a part of the show, even if it's during the downer moments.

"I was ecstatic and I'm glad to get to be on there," McCreery told USA Today. "It's cool to still be connected to the show every week."

He went on to say that he's planning to make some "in-person" appearances too, both as a singer and an Idol mentor.

Have you picked up Scotty's debut album yet? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags American Idol, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Música, Please Remember Me, Reality shows, Scotty McCreery, Television, Tim McGraw

By Ikam Acosta

Get ready, Juanes fans! The new single from the Juanes MTV Unplugged show, titled 'La Señal,' gets released today, much to the anticipation of Juanes fans everywhere.

'La Señal' will be one of three new singles off of Juanes' MTV Unplugged album. The single was produced by Juan Luis Guerra, who joined Juanes onstage during the live recording of the show.

Juanes MTV Unplugged will also feature new interpretations of his more popular songs, as well as a few other surprises and guest appearances. 'La Señal' will be the first single from Juanes MTV Unplugged since it was recorded in February.

Make sure you go check out 'La Señal' and let us know what you think!

Tags Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Juanes MTV Unplugged, Música