2005 December 26 | VivirLatino

Archive for December 26th, 2005

Lost in Musical Translation

4:50 pm By Maegan La Mala · Music · Comments Off

26 Dec 2005

I wish that more Latino musicians would stick with the language that made them popular. I love Shakira’s music when the accompanying lyrics are in Spanish. I don’t like Shakira as much when the words coming out of her mouth are in English. I think that unfortunately much is lost in translation. I understand that it is important for Latino artists to attempt to capture the U.S. market but nowadays that doesn’t mean you have to sing in English.

Two factors have apparently spurred growth of the Spanish-language music market in the United States. The main one is the burgeoning Latino population, currently more than 42 million — practically a country within a country. Some in the music industry also say there is increased interest for Latin music on the part of Anglos, although that may just be wishful thinking. According to Alberto del Castillo, vice president of marketing at Fonovisa Records, a Univision company, ”it is definitively not necessary” to sing in English to sell in the United States.

Via / Monterry Herald

Love at the Border

1:56 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration · 2 Comments

26 Dec 2005

The one thing that disregards race, politics, class, etc., is love. Much like Ricardo Arjona’s song Ella Y El which details the love affair of a Republican and a Marxist Cuban, the militarized border between Mexico and the U.S. also has its share of love stories.

Maria Terrazas, 31, met Jose Ruiz three years ago at LM’s Body Builders in this remote border town. Terrazas, a waitress and mother of two, knew Ruiz was a catch. As a Border Patrol agent, Ruiz belonged to an elite class in town: available men with good jobs and an education.

The two began dating, and their relationship continued even after Terrazas was deported to Mexico in November 2004. She quickly bluffed her way through U.S. customs and back to Ruiz.

Terrazas, who said several of her illegal immigrant girlfriends have relationships with border agents, saw nothing unusual about dating a man whose job was to keep people like her out of the U.S. “He had his own job and I had mine,” Terrazas said in an interview. “I never thought it’d cause problems.”

But it did.

Latinos Surfing in Two Worlds

1:13 pm By Maegan La Mala · Internet · Comments Off

26 Dec 2005

Latinos in the U.S. don’t just live in two worlds, we web surf in two worlds too. According to an article in this month’s Hispanic Business, 70% of English speaking Latinos are plugged in. We prefer the English language internet when we’re at work (is that when you are reading VL?), while we gravitate to Spanish language or bilingual sites in the comfort of our homes. The article also states that:

11.3 million individuals (79 percent) expressed a preference for English or bilingual online materials. More specifically: 7.5 million of the total Hispanic audience (52 percent) prefer English and another 3.8 million (27 percent) prefer bilingual materials.

Via / Hispanic Business

Canada: Spanish Spoken Here

9:49 am By Maegan La Mala · Canada · Comments Off

26 Dec 2005

Latinos are representing in Canada, about 700,000 strong making them the third largest minority in that country according to the Toronto Star.

Via / The Latin Americanist

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Archive for December 26th, 2005

Lost in Musical Translation

Love at the Border

Latinos Surfing in Two Worlds

Canada: Spanish Spoken Here

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