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By Michael Lopez

Fans attending Selena Gomez concerts are always promised the "possibility" of a surprise Justin Bieber appearance. The Biebs, after all, is currently Selena's main squeeze and is constantly by her side. But alas, fans in Puerto Rico did not get any "Never Say Never" duets during her Saturday concert.

Interestingly, Justin and Selena were spotted throughout the weekend in Isla Verde, prompting many to think he'd be joining her for a song. Gomez even hinted about her famous boyfriend during the live set.

The big tease came when a Bieber lookalike walked onstage for a hug. Dressed in a baseball cap and jeans, fans went wild when they first caught a glimpse. But, it was later discovered that the mystery man was just a member of the production crew.

Nevertheless, Selena still put on an awesome show (and even tested out her improving Spanish skills). Perhaps next time she performs at El Coliseo, it will be graced by the presence of the almighty Biebs.

Have you ever seen Selena Gomez perform live? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Celebrity Couples, Justin Bieber, Música, Puerto Rico, Selena Gomez

By Michael Lopez

Sure their music has an urban edge, but that doesn't mean that Dyland y Lenny support violence. In fact, the reggaeton duo led a march on Tuesday against domestic abuse.

"We feel responsible because when you're an artist, you become a role model for many youngsters who don't have a role model at home and are kids who look up to artists and do what the artists say," Dyland explained in a recent interview.

D y L also took a stand against gunplay on New Year's Eve, which has proven to be a major problem in their Puerto Rican homeland. Often times when the clock strikes midnight, people shoot weapons into the air, which is dangerous and can lead to major injuries.

Lenny went on to say that he felt "alarmed" by Puerto Rico's murder rate. This year alone, 1,116 people were killed on the island. Hopefully the march helped convince their fellow citizens to keep things peaceful and positive in 2012.

Are you inspired by Dyland y Lenny? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Domestic Violence, Dyland y Lenny, New Year's Eve, Puerto Rico

By Michael Lopez

And you thought the Kardashians made outlandish holiday cards! It seems the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico has outdone them all with his bizarre animal-laden family portrait.

Posing happily with his wife and three children, Jorge Santini seems completely unaffected by the outrageous scene happening in front of him. Right above the "Que Esta Navidad" line, there is a stuffed jaguar ripping out the throat of a stuffed gazelle!

Santini later told the press that he purposely picked that scene to promote San Juan's Wildlife Museum. But you've got to wonder, couldn't there have been some friendly birds or cute koalas they could have thrown in instead?

Nevertheless, Jorge's plan does appear to be working. The Santini holiday card strummed up a ton of viral attention today, making it a top trending topic on both Yahoo and Google. Happy Holidays indeed!

What do you think of the Santini holiday card? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Christmas, Holidays, Jorge Santini, popnews, Puerto Rico

By Michael Lopez

Just when you thought we were out of beauty pageant stories, here comes more chisme from a soon-to-be Miss Universe contestant. According to reports, there are some heated debates going on right now about whether or not the current Miss Puerto Rico is qualified to wear the crown.

Apparently Bodine Koehler Peña may have won her pageant under false pretenses. Though she had grown up in San Juan since childhood, it was recently discovered that she was born in the Netherlands and that neither of her parents are of Puerto Rican heritage.

Things got so heated, Bodine had to hold a press conference to address the issue.

"Yo soy de aquí, soy puertorriqueña,” she stated. “Yo he crecido y he evolucionado como ser humano aquí y estoy bien orgullosa de ahora tener la oportunidad de poder representar a Puerto Rico y de traer la próxima corona."

Technically, Koehler Peña has a pretty solid case. Pageant officials insist they knew of her background before she entered the contest. Furthermore, their rules specify that a competitor only be a citizen of Puerto Rico vs. having actually been born on the island.

But that hasn't pleased all of the fans. We're still a little baffled by it all, especially after seeing Bodine's swimsuit picture! She's absolutely gorgeous and has as good of a shot as any Miss of taking down the Universe crown.

Do you think Miss Puerto Rico is a fraud? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Beauty Pageants, Bodine Koehler Peña, Chisme, Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Universe, popnews, Puerto Rico

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Shakira closed her World Tour "Sale El Sol'" with a Bang! After almost a year shaking her hips around the world and performing her biggest hits to sold out venues, Shakira ends her big tour in Puerto Rico, with a concert that is sure to go down in the pages of music history.

The Rabiosa Colombiana had already forewarned the Puerto Ricans that she had a few surprises up her sleeve for the closing shows in the "Enchanted island". Shaki presented on stage her friend René Pérez, lead Singer of Calle 13, and sang Gordita, a collaboration on her latest album.

The notoriously  controversial René painted a hot message to the Colombian Beauty on his back: "Hoy soy tu Piqué"  (Today I'm your Pique).

Gerard Piqué's girl seemed very happy with the surprise that René shared on stage  culminating her concert with a heartfelt ovation by the Puerto Rican public.

René later tweeted:

"Bonito presentarme con la "goldita" en Puerto Rico. Cuando me tumben la censura los veo con toda la banda en concierto en SJ!"

René was the perfect ingredient to close this very special night for Shakira. The tour Sale el Sol started in Canada and hit about 40 countries, including, Russia, Spain, Portugal, France, The United Arab Emirates and the US.

Now that the tour is over, Shakira will certainly have some more time to spend with her sweetheart, the real Pique.

What do you think about Calle 13's René, calling himself Shakira's other Piqué?

Tags Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Calle 13, Gerard Piqué, gordita, popnews, Puerto Rico, Rene Perez, Sale El Sol, Shakira

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to find a musical duo quite like Domino Saints. Comprised of Giselle Ojeda and David Leal, these Puerto Rican powerhouses mix elements of reggae, pop, and dancehall into their inventive tracks and have captured the attention of radio outlets across the U.S. They've also caught the attention of the El Headliner voters, who've crowned them the September champs.

"We were super excited and proud to be chosen El Headliner," Giselle told us in an exclusive interview. "We love the exposure that the contest gives to independent artists and we've always wanted to be on MTV Tr3s. Things happen for a reason and they happen at the right time."

Interestingly both Ojeda and Leal have something in common with last month's winner, Ria. All three attended the famed Berklee School of Music. And it was actually at the famed training ground that Domino Saints had its earliest incarnation.

"Giselle and I have known each other since high school," David explained. "When we moved to Boston for music studies at Berklee, we decided we had to do a project together that felt right. We always wanted to do music you could dance to. Back in those days, we began writing our first songs together."

From there, Domino Saints was born. Starting in 2007, the duo began a string of well-received live shows and two years later they released their self-titled debut. An instant hit out of the gate, the first Domino album featured "Buenos Días San Juan," which won the 2009 Billboard World Song Contest.

"We consider our music Latin urban pop," Giselle said. "We have a pop side to our melodies and always add rap and dancehall elements to the songs. On top of that, you’ll regularly hear Latin rhythms, electronica, and lots of DS flava!"

And if you're curious about where the "DS" originated from, Leal explained the concept behind the group's very unique name.

"Los Santos y el Domino," he said. "Is there a better way to describe Caribbean culture in general? Domino Saints is a metaphor for the musical influences and styles we use in our music. Plus, people play dominoes all across Puerto Rico."

We expect the Domino Saints to score big in the music world with their latest batch of songs. Currently touring and recording, you can find all of the latest DS info by visiting their official site and Twitter page!

Are you looking forward to hearing more tracks from Domino Saints? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Berklee School of Music, Billboard World Song Contest, Blogger: Michael Lopez, David Leal, Domino Saints, El Headliner Contest, Exclusive Entrevistas, Giselle Ojeda, Música, OutStage, Puerto Rico, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Is it possible that Latin American movie-makers are hating on Puerto Rico? Apparently the Academy Awards have now given in to demands to disqualify the commonwealth from competing in their Best Foreign Language Film category. Rumors are swirling that other competitive countries pressured the Oscars to bump out Puerto Rico because they are "technically" part of the U.S.

Since 1986, Puerto Rico has had 11 Foreign Language movies nominated, including classics like La Gran Fiesta and What Happened to Santiago. The snub is actually quite surprising, considering that in sporting events like the Olympics, Puerto Rico is recognized as its own independent entity.

But that hasn't convinced the Academy, which is holding firm with the new ruling.

"We wanted to clear up an inconsistency that allowed a U.S. territory to compete in a category meant for countries outside the U.S.," Oscar COO Ric Robertson said. "We told them in our letter last year that 2010 would be the last time they could submit an entry."

The news may actually go down hardest with acclaimed director Sonia Fritz. Her 2011 feature America was reportedly a shoe-in for the category. Now, it's got to try its luck in the mainstream Best Picture world.

Do you think Puerto Rico got an unfair snub? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Academy Awards, America, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Movies & CineMás, Oscars, Puerto Rico, Sonia Fritz

By Michael Lopez

A few weeks back President Barack Obama pledged his support for Hispanic Heritage Month and now he’s carrying through on that promise. Appearing at a live online roundtable today, the Commander-in-Chief answered questions about immigration, the DREAM Act, and even the possibility of a Latino President.

"I am absolutely confident that within my lifetime we will have a Latino candidate for president who will be very competitive, and may win," Obama stated at the conference.

Though, by the sounds of it, the President didn’t believe that candidate would come from the Republican party (or at least not now). Obama went on to explain how the GOP lacked leadership on topics like immigration reform.

"Only a few years ago, you had some Republicans who recognized that we needed to fix our immigration system," Obama said, referring to his predecessor, George W. Bush. "Right now you do not have that kind of leadership coming from the Republican party."

But that of course begs the question, what would Obama and his fellow Democrats do to help with the issue? The Prez was quick to bring up the national DREAM Act again, which would give undocumented college students and military personal a path to citizenship. He said he has continually pushed Congress to pass the bill and that he is more than ready to sign it.

Obama also addressed issues like Puerto Rico’s statehood (which he believes will remain a commonwealth) and Cuban relations.

"We are open to a new relationship with Cuba," the President went on to say. "If the Cuban government starts taking the proper steps to open up its own country and provide the space and the respect for human rights that would allow the Cuban people to determine their own destiny."

All of Obama's remarks toward the audience did sound very encouraging. But will he follow through on his promises to help the Latino community? Perhaps the real answers will reveal themselves after the 2012 Presidential Election.

Would you vote for Obama in the next election? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Barack Obama, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cuba, Cultura, DREAM ACt, Hispanic Heritage Month, Immigration, Politics, President Obama, Puerto Rico

By Michael Lopez

Why do we always seem to be fascinated with 1950's Latin America? Be it the golden age of Cuba or, in the case of Johnny Depp's new movie, retro Puerto Rico. The trailer for Johnny's San Juan throwback, The Rum Diary, has just been released and it actually looks quite interesting.

Part of the reason, this particular film is getting a lot of buzz is because it's an "unofficial" followup to Depp's cult hit Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Based on a book by the same author, The Rum Diary seems to offer plenty of the same whacked out moments.

Sadly there's no Benicio del Toro to accompany Johnny on this "trip," but he does have a cast that includes Amaury Nolasco and The Dark Knight’s Aaron Eckhart. And judging by the credits, this is a true passion project for Depp. He's listed as lead executive producer.

But we're most curious to see the great Puerto Rico that once was. The Rum Dairy promises to showcase vintage landmarks, swinging parties, and plenty of boozed out moments that'll put Jack Sparrow to shame!

Are you planning on watching The Rum Diary? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, johnny depp, Movies & CineMás, Puerto Rico, The Rum Diary

By Michael Lopez

Think you’ve mastered the art of baile? If so, you may want to head to Puerto Rico in the next few weeks. The island just announced dates for its 15th annual Salsa Congress event.

Over 30,000 dancers are expected to attend the international competition. And don't think that salsa moves are just reserved for Latin America. Competitors from Australia and Europe are eager to slip into their dancing shoes and hit the floor too.

"La idea de sacar a los visitantes es para que conozcan cómo se baila en la calle y se vive la pasión del baile en festivales, fiestas patronales y en la Isla," organizer Eli Irizarry explained. "Puerto Rico necesita eventos como éstos. La música, sobre todo lo salsa, es perfecta para lograrlo. Por eso sé que al igual que cada año, el evento será un éxito absoluto."

2010's champs, Carine Morais and Rafael Barros, hailed from Brazil, but they're in for some stiff competition this year. Spain's Adrian Rodriguez and Anita Santos are expected to tear the floor up, as are Puerto Rico's hometown heroes, Kelvin Hernandez and Licelot Maldonado.

Either way, it's expected to be one heck of an event. Outside of the dancing, there will be all-night fiestas, live music from Spanish orchestras, and workshops teaching new salsa fanatics all of the tricks of the trade.

Mark your calendars, the 15th Salsa Congress kicks off July 16.

Are you a fan of salsa dancing? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Dance, Hot Stuff, Puerto Rico, Salsa, Salsa Congress