Archive for May, 2006
Adios, Juan Valdez
1:57 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities| Colombia| Marketing · 2 Comments
31 May 2006
The coffee icon and fictional character, Juan Valdez, symbol of the Colombian coffee industry in the U.S. for decades, is hanging up his hat. Probably a good thing, considering a whole generation of us grew up with this stereotypical image of Latino campesinos.
Juan Valdez is retiring. Long live Juan Valdez! The ambassador to the world for Colombian coffee, Carlos Sanchez, is hanging up his trademark poncho after four decades of playing the role of “Juan Valdez.”
I spoke too soon. Juan Valdez, the character, isn’t retiring — just the actor. Let’s hope the new one is a bit updated:
Now the national federation of Colombian coffee producers, owners of the Juan Valdez trademark, is searching for a man to inherit that poncho.Sanchez and his trusty mule Conchita have promoted Colombian coffee since 1969 with a leather bag, bushy mustache and straw hat typical of rural Colombia. That Juan Valdez trademark has become one of the world’s most recognizable, and the fictional figure has become one of the most famous Colombians of all time.
Via / Yahoo! Entertainment News
Photo via TVAcres.com
Nuestro Himno Live at Ellis Island
8:29 am By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism| Controversia| Immigration| Music · 2 Comments
31 May 2006
Remember Nuestro Himno? Of course you do. People were so riled up about the Spanish language version of the U.S. National Anthem that our site was flooded. Well it’s back! Yesterday Tony Sunshine and members of Reggaeton Ninos performed the song live for the first time at Ellis Island. A video to accompany the song, which was actually translated many years ago, was also unveiled yesterday.
Chile’s film industry revitalized
2:47 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Arts| Chile| Culture| Movies · Comments Off
30 May 2006
The Hollywood Reporter reports on new hope for the Chilean film industry via a cash injection from the Chilean goverment, and as evidenced by Chile’s increased presence in this year’s edition of the Cannes film festival:
After years of single-digit production volume, Chile now puts out at least a dozen features a year. The state-run Arts and Audiovisual Industry Council, which oversees financing, development and production for local film projects, estimates the nation will release 14 pictures this year.The recent upswing largely is because of more available state funding. Last year, various government funds provided a total of $5.2 million in financing to the film industry, a significant amount considering budgets range between $300,000-$1 million. Of the 14 feature films released last year, five received full state financing and five others had at least partial support.
Mexicans and Spaniards the best lovers?
1:02 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Magazines| Newspapers| Spain| mexico| sex · 5 Comments
30 May 2006
If you’re a regular VL reader you’ll know that we cite Spain’s 20 Minutos newspaper a lot. I think it’s funny how they tend to have the weirdest stories, yet position them as “hard news”. Today is no exception. The headline:
International Sex Study: Spaniards — the longest-lasting and most imaginative, but we do it less frequently.
Hee. Can you tell this is a newspaper they hand out for free at subway stations?
According to the “international study” (which is actually just a survey done by Men’s Health magazine — a PR tactic as it were — in which the data is based on respondents’ answers), Spaniards and Mexicans rank high in sexual prowess. Some highlights:
According to the study, we Spaniards are outstanding at prolonging the length of the sexual act, since our average is 22.3 minutes, the third best after Mexicans and the Dutch who last 22.5 minutes.We are also third in the world in the variety of positions we put into practice in lovemaking, with 4.63, beaten only by the Hungarians, who confess that they change positions 8,27 times, and by Argentines, who try 5.76 positions.
Again, if you ask someone these questions, what are they going to say? I think all this shows is that it’s clear that Spain had a hand in the creation of the Mexican “macho”.
Via / 20 Minutos
Chavez Keeps Expanding His Ties
12:51 pm By Maegan La Mala · Venezuela · 10 Comments
30 May 2006
As if Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez wasn’t controversial enough and scaring the U.S. government enough, today he’s in Ecuador signing energy treaties with Ecuadorian president Alfredo Palacio. According to Chavez:
Ecuador “exports crude oil and imports fuel, and we have a plan to help it. They will send crude oil to our country to refine about 50,000 barrels at a cost price in our oil refiners.
The agreements are expected to worth about $300 million.
Via / Univision
Don’t Be Fooled By the Roots That She Got
8:45 am By Maegan La Mala · Celebrities| Chismes · 5 Comments
30 May 2006
She’s still not pregnant Jenny from the block. Last week Jen wrote about how Jennifer Lopez was feeling a little blue everytime she spotted her ex and how greying roots may be a sign that she’s expecting. Pics published over at Hollywood Rag show that if la Lopez is depressed, shopping therapy seems to work for her and how not getting your hair done doesn’t mean that you’re knocked up, maybe just a little busy.
Via / Hollywood Rag
Frida’s “Roots” sets record
29 May 2006
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s piece entitled “Roots” has set a record for being the most expensive Latino painting sold to date:
A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $5.6-million (U.S.), setting a new record for the artist and for a Latin American work of art at auction.Roots, among Kahlo’s few full-length self-portraits, was sold to an anonymous phone bidder at Sotheby’s auction house Wednesday evening. The 1943 oil-on-metal shows the artist reclining in a bright orange dress with leafy roots growing out of her body into the ground — a symbol of being nourished by the Earth. It had never before appeared on the public market, Sotheby’s said.
The previous record for a Latin American work of art at auction also was for a Kahlo work, Self-Portrait, executed in 1929. It sold for $5-million, Sotheby’s said.
Via / Globe and Mail
Almodovar’s “chicas” sweep Cannes
5:48 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities| Events| Movies| Spain| Women · 1 Comment
29 May 2006
Spanish director Pedro Almódovar has often been applauded for raising the profile of women in Spanish film. Indeed, most of his films’ protagonists are strong women who know how to survive. His latest cast of actresses has been awarded a very special award at Cannes for their performance in his latest film, Volver.
The honour, given out in a glittering ceremony in this French Riviera resort, reflected the flawless performances and on-screen intimacy of Cruz and actresses Carmen Maura, Lola Duenas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo and Chus Lampreave in the Spanish film.“It’s such an honour to share this award with these amazing women who have been so inspiring,” said Cruz as she accepted the award with some of the other actresses next to her.
Many of these actresses have worked with Almódovar on past projects. This is the first time in the history of the festival that Cannes has awarded a collective best actress award.
Via / Entertainment.iafrica.com
Photo via 20 Minutos
See more photos on 20Minutos’ Cannes slideshow
When Immigration Rules and Reality Aren’t Seeing Eye to Eye
3:09 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration · 3 Comments
29 May 2006
Excuse the slow posting day everyone. It’s a beautiful holiday out there today but while people are enjoying the beach and bbq’s and maybe taking a few moments to remember that this is Memorial Day and not just the unofficial start of the summer season, the immigration debate continues to dominate in the media. An article worth reading today is in the New York Times, which points out why immigration policy isn’t always in tune with immigartion reality. According to the article:
The United States offers 5,000 permanent visas worldwide each year for unskilled laborers. Last year, two of them went to Mexicans. In the same year, about 500,000 unskilled Mexican workers crossed the border illegally, researchers estimate, and most of them found jobs. “We have a neighboring country with a population of 105 million that is our third-largest trading partner, and it has the same visa allocation as Botswana or Nepal,” said Douglas S. Massey, a sociology professor at Princeton.
Immigrant Families Wait and See
12:46 pm By Maegan La Mala · Controversia| Family| Immigration| Women| children · 2 Comments
26 May 2006
AlterNet has been doing a really good job at showing the real stories behind the immigration debate. The latest follows a mother from Guatemala who left her six children behind to earn money for her family. According to Gloria:
My husband worked, but he drank all his earnings. I had to work full-time and take on extra jobs so that I could feed our six children.” Though her two older children, 15 and 20, worked alongside her at a fireworks factory, the younger ones ranged from 2 to 9. “We lived humbly,” she adds, “in a rickety shack made of shabby wooden boards.”
Hola!
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- Transgender Day of Remembrance and Latin@s
- Dear Troll(s):
- Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man
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- Russell Athletic rehires fired union organizers
- When Things Go Wrong…Terribly Wrong.
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