Category: Television

Way Before Shakira Reached Puberty, the Waka Waka Was Called ‘El Negro no Puede’

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If you are remotely familiar with Univision and it’s exclusive Spanish-language rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I’m certain you have heard the now ubiquitous Waka-Waka, a melody everybody wants us to believe was written from scratch by the super famous 33-year old Colombian singer Shakira.

Well… years before the hip-queen even reached puberty, the Waka-Waka was already a sensation, first performed live on Latin American television by the wonderful Las Chicas del Can, under the original title of Waka-Waka: El Negro no puede, freely translated by myself as: Waka-Waka The Black Guy Can’t Get it Up.

So, without further ado, here are both versions. Watch and judge for yourselves…

Which is your favorite Waka-Waka?

Hat tip: Carlitos [manito] Tropical


Mexico’s National Soccer Team Might Not Score Goals, But they Know How to Make a Good Sandwich

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It is only eight days before Mexico faces South Africa in the first match of this year’s 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. So, the folks from the Mexican national soccer team are busy making, well, Bimbo sandwiches… which is not at all bad, because they could be drinking and smoking…

Oh, wait, they are doing that, too!

oh, and one more thing: since when is a sandwich ‘el alimento ideal’?

In a Sign of His Increasing Popularity, the Naked Cowboy Visits ‘El Show de Cristina’

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[UPDATED: For reasons I do not know yet -but which I intend to investigate- Univision has removed that video from its site, so lucky those of you who managed to watch. Enjoy a photo of the Naked Cowboy sharing the stage with Ivy Queen and Cristina herself]

Too busy celebrating the long weekend that you missed El Show de Cristina last night? Do not despair. This blogger was there to document it all, including the surprising appearance by the one and only Naked Cowboy himself. ¡Ajúa!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Naked Cowboy goes to Cristina“, posted with vodpod

Univision Offers Apology for Stereotyping Africans. Now I’m Just Waiting for Televisa’s

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You might have been resting in your laurels this Memorial weekend, but it was pretty busy at Univision headquarters, where top executives had to issue a public apology for a skit stereotyping Africans as -what else?- half-naked, dark-skinned people with big hair and small spears dancing around.

The skit, which aired on Univision’s popular morning show Despierta America, included hosts wearing Afro wigs and dancing to what civil rights activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson described as a “faux jungle music beat.”

The apology, which was published Saturday in Los Angeles Times, stated that: “[The skit] is completely unacceptable and against our policies, standards and practices. We sincerely apologize to our viewers and all who were offended.”

So far so good, so I’m just going to sit tight and wait for Televisa to issue its own apology for the ad below, currently running on Mexican television.

I Might Not Be Beautiful, But I Crashed People en Español’s Bellos Party

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You might have guessed this, but yesterday was not a good day for this blogger. It was the morning after People en Español’s Bellos Party, an annual ritual for me and 50 other beautiful Hispanics.

This year, the party took place at Guastavino’s and -unlike previous years- it was much, much smaller, and the room looked kind of empty at times. Also missing was some form of entertainment, which last year was delivered by the awesome Cucu Diamantes and her troop.

Still, some celebrities were lucky enough to get themselves photographed with this blogger, something that -I can assure you- will do plenty to boost their careers.

Some highlights:

Sofía Vergara trashed everyone’s high hopes simply by not showing up…

Lili Estefan “limped” the purple carpet…

Sammy Sosa still looks like he will not be detained in Arizona any time soon…

Univision’s news anchor María Elena Salinas reminded this blogger -again- that no matter how smart you are, you can still look very hot…

Saúl Lisazo reminded this blogger that, no matter how old you are, you can still be one hot papacito…

With the one and only: Sammy Sosa

Ricky Martin Opens Univision Upfront Doing What He Does Best… Tweeting

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OK, I’m supposed to write a longer, more serious post about yesterday’s party marathon, but I am going to take my time, as my head is not in a good shape -yet.

In the meantime, I thought you wanted to know Ricky Martin opened Univision’s upfront in Lincoln Center by -what else?- tweeting “Viva el Español,” which was Univision’s theme for this year presentation.

Is the U.S. Ready for ‘President Martínez?’ NBC Says Yes! [Well, Not Really]

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I looooove television! Because only on TV you get to see fantastic things that would never happen in real life.

Take NBC’s upcoming thriller The Event, which was presented this week as one of the “biggest television events of the upcoming fall season.”

The conspiracy thriller follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) who is investigating the disappearance of his fiancé, Leila thereby “exposing the biggest cover-up in U.S. History.” Mind you, all of this is happening while a black, Latino president occupies the White House: President Martínez. Yay!

…Except, of course, that in the world of television, President Martínez is portrayed by Blair Underwood, a non-Latino actor. Perhaps that is because in the near future -and thanks to Ms. Brewer y sus compinches– there will be not many dark, skinned Latino people left to portray Latinos on television.

Who knows? This blogger is already rejoicing with the possibility of having a primo en la Casa Blanca.

Microsoft Takes Telenovela Approach to Pitch Bing

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I was watching Jay Leno the other night, when I bumped into the following commercial -entirely in Spanish. For a second I thought I had sat down on my remote and the channel had switched back accidentally to Univision. But… nope.  This ad was running on NBC and is still airing on most English-language nets.

A friend tells me this spot is part of a bigger plan by Microsoft to tap into the so-called “Hispanic Millenials” (whatever that might be). I just love the fact that Los Links are Evil, and that la muchacha is stolen away in a white horse -all of this while another cute muchacha keeps dusting the furniture in the background.

Hat tip: The Green Beetle

Arpaio Goes to Univision… and He Is Armed!

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Univision this Friday hosted an unprecedented town hall on immigration, Inmigración: Un Debate Nacional featuring some of the country’s most prominent figures on immigration law and public policy, representatives of Hispanic organizations and -who else? Maricopa County Sheriff Mr. Joe Arpaio, who couldn’t resist showing up wearing a gun-shaped tie pin.

Unless he was at the Univision Studios auditioning for the upcoming Hermanos Almada movie, I would start thinking this guy is dangerous… Oh, wait, he IS dangerous!

¡Ay, nanita!

Good Lord! Procter & Gamble Preps ‘Pedro & María,’ a Hispanic Version of ‘Romeo & Juliet’

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And just when you thought Hispanic television couldn’t get any more entertaining [read it with irony, please] former NBC exec Ben Silverman is ready to give us a new telenovela (both in English and Spanish) to be called Pedro & María, and billed as “modern-day version of Romeo & Juliet.”

The show will be brought to you by Procter & Gamble (which the press continues to call “Proctor & Gamble“) and “will give its audience the ability to vote on the direction the characters and story lines take.”

So, without further ado, here’s my vote: Have Pedro and María take a swig of poison during the first episode and spare us the whole thing. Will you?

As for “Hispanic” adaptations of Romeo & Juliet, this blogger will stick to her favorite one, the one and only, brought to you by Mario Moreno Reyes himself.

Dennis Haysbert Now Speaks ‘Español’

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Who said only Cristina or Don Francisco could endorse your product en español?

Dennis Haysbert, whose baritone voice has assured us like, forever, that with Allstate we are in “Good Hands,” now wants you to to know that with Allstate you are en “Buenas manos.” Haysbert this month made his Spanish-language debut in a series of television commercials now airing on most Hispanic networks.

Dobbs Promises Ramos the Exclusive About His Political Future [Well, After Telling Wife]

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This past weekend, I was invited as a guest to Univision’s political weekly show Al Punto, hosted by veteran anchor Jorge Ramos. Little did I know I would end up sharing the hour-long program with one of Hispanics’ Bête noir, the one and only Lou Dobbs, who took the opportunity to promise the popular anchor the exclusive story about his political future [should there be any.]

Click here or on the photo [above] to watch the video: