LatinaLista — Latinos have been contributing to the world’s musical treasure trove for decades. Unfortunately, in the United States, recognition for Latin songwriters has been minimal, to say the least. The blaring omission of recognizing Latino performance art talent was highlighted in the recent dispute between Latino organizations and the Kennedy Center Honors which resulted in the Kennedy Center being forced to review how they select honored artists.

Not content to waiting for mainstream arts organizations to recognize Latino songwriting talent, two Cuban Americans with ties to the music industry — Desmond Child, Grammy Award winner and writer/producer of over 70 Top 40 singles in a career spanning over 4 decades; and international songwriter and producer, Rudy Perez, composer of over 1,000 songs in more than 30 years in the music industry — came together and created the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF).

While the official mission of LSHOF is to educate the public on who are the Latino songwriters of yesteryear and today and nurture future talent, the bigger mission is to formally recognize these songwriters in a way that mainstream music organizations have thus far failed to do.

The LSHOF launched in October 2012 by forming a nominating committee and Board of Directors. In December, the inaugural group of nominated Latino songwriters was made public and opened to voting by LSHOF members.

The voting ends on January 27, 2013. The next day the final five inductees will be announced. In April, the Inaugural Induction Gala will be held in Miami, hosted by actor John Leguizamo where the inductees will be recognized with the La Musa Award.

La Musa is based on a 1954 sculpture of the late Cuban songwriter and poet, Elena Casals. Unlike other Latino award shows, there are no plans to televise or even record this first gala but the organizers do plan on creating a documentary about it and the songwriters recognized.

LatinaLista — When it comes to chronicling the history of any era, the music of the day is an easy way to get a feel for the mood of the time. This kind of music is mostly known as popular music and the beauty of it is that it covers every genre.

Wikipedia defines popular music as “a generic term for music of all ages that appeals to popular tastes.” By it’s very definition, popular music is one of those college courses that makes sense to study since it’s usually much more than just the music. It’s usually reflective of the social trends and events of the time.

It was that kind of thinking that inspired this week’s launch of the Institute for Popular Music at the University of Rochester in New York. The Institute is believed to be the first year-round institute of its kind at a U.S. college that is devoted academically to the study of popular music.

Though students won’t be able to major in popular music, the Institute’s courses fulfill the requirements of the bachelor of arts with a concentration in music. For its inaugural semester, the Institute will present a series of three lectures and 15 courses ranging from the History of Jazz and Rock Music in the 1970s to Religion and Hip Hop Culture and Music Analysis of The Beatles.

Founders of the Institute envision it being a center for research able to attract both graduate students and post-doctoral fellows studying this particular genre who will continue their research and teach at the university.

In looking over the courses, Latina Lista noticed that there was not one course dedicated to any form of Latin music. In an email exchange with John Covach, director of the Institute for Popular Music and chair and professor of the University of Rochester’s Department of Music, Professor Covach wrote that while he has some potential candidates in mind to lecture on Latino contributions in the popular music genre, he is open to more suggestions and invites recommendations.

“Absolutely we will include Latino contributions,” Professor Covach replied to Latina Lista in an email. “I’d like to get a lecture on this topic in our series next year and if I can find somebody qualified to offer a class, I’ll pursue it. This is an important aspect of pop, as you correctly point out, and crucial to providing a balanced and representative account of music in the US.”

By Insight Tr3s

Music is an essential part of all the Millennial lifestyle – and for Hispanic Millennials, it’s a fundamental part of their family life. Young Latinos generally have more of a foundation in music than their non-Hispanic peers because their families listen to more music at home, giving them a stronger familiarity with traditional hits and the sounds of their native countries.

Even though the importance of music doesn’t diminish with time, as Hispanic Millennials come-of-age their music consumption habits start to resemble Millennials’ in general. Today, most Millennial music discovery is happening digitally.

Social media – Twitter, in particular – serves as a major tool for finding and sharing music. Being first to turn friends on to a great new music video or catchy tune is a source of pride among Millennials. Twitter also allows fans to communicate directly with artists, connecting them to musicians in ways that were unheard of in earlier generations. This access to celebrities has given Twitter momentum over Facebook in music sharing because it’s so immediate.

YouTube is another dominant music platform. Not only are Millennials watching and sharing videos, music is available for free. Some videos play songs with just a still image of the artist and many full albums, with one video per track, are available for listening in this same format.

Spotify is another player in the new world of music discovery. This easy-to-use streaming application has a great interface and behaves like an iTunes library.

This engaging and heavy music activity online, however doesn’t replace the live music experience among Hispanic Millennials. The big festivals are particularly most influential, with events like Lollapalooza selling out months in advance.

This summer, the H20 Music Festival is targeting bicultural Latinos in Dallas and Los Angeles with a diverse mix of major acts like Maná, Juanes, Snoop Dogg, Paulina Rubio, and Alejandro Sanz. Stronger acts also do big business on tour. Last spring, Maná sold out the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles 11 times over – more than any other artist, including Madonna and Britney Spears.

With so many changes in music listening technology, music is more about songs than albums for Millennials. Just ten to fifteen years ago, people aspired to own and collect CDs; fans identified with specific artists and genres. A trip to a record store was necessary for gaining access to new songs and albums. With the advent of playlists, however, Millennials combine songs on the fly to create any mood that strikes them. It’s immediate, and the bigger picture of how these songs might be classified is of less importance.

Given the shift to online music listening, the concept of music ownership for Millennials is different from the generation before it. In just a few years, physical CD sales transitioned to purchases of digital music files. There was an assumption that digital files would replace CDs — but with the rising popularity of streaming services, ownership of digital files is starting to decline.

Because they’re spending less on music itself, Millennial music budgets are taking on new forms. Instead of buying records or digital files, they’re investing in concert tickets, t-shirts, or other pieces of memorabilia. Heritage artists with older fan bases are still selling records because their audiences are less tech-savvy. Newer acts have to be creative about how they monetize their music, so selling rights to a commercial holds no stigma, today.

The music business has undergone massive changes in a Millennials’ lifetime – and there are no signs the pace of technology is slowing down.

Young Latinos share their parents’ love of music, but their listening habits will continue to look more like their peers’. Because there is no barrier to exploring new music, Hispanic Millennials will continue to express themselves through their music choices in ever-changing ways.

LatinaLista — What happens when musical composers from the United States and Mexico get together? Well, in addition to creating beautiful music they open up a new transborder dialogue spoken through song.

That’s the premise of a new binational initiative known as Entre Mujeres: Translocal Musical Dialogues. Entre Mujeres is a translocal music composition project between Chicanas/Latinas in the U.S. and Jarochas/Mexican female musicians in Mexico. It’s main goal is to document the presence of women in music movements but it’s also a way to document an aspect of female musicians’ lives never before closely looked at.

Through their compositions, the women, from both sides of the border, incorporate the challenges of womanhood and/or motherhood and their feelings on a range of issues from politics and love to their life experiences, in their lyrics. Through public performances, the women share their compositions with audiences.

Entre Mujeres is the brainchild of Martha Gonzalez, a self-described Chicana artivista (artist/activist). The project was inspired by Gonzalez’s Fulbright Garcia-Robles fellowship in 2007-2008, which centered on her research on transnational musical social movements across the Americas and Europe “with a specific focus on innovations of women in the music and dance in the genre of son Jarocho.”

Gonzalez’s research inspired her to share the talents of the women she came in contact with during her fellowship. The easiest way to do that is to put the music on CDs. Yet, it takes money to buy the CDs. To help pay for the mixing, mastering, printing and pressing of 1000 CDs, Gonzalez created a Kickstarter campaign.

She hopes to sell the CDs to recoup some of the expenses incurred thus far and to have a little extra left over to create promotional materials for the project.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Gonzalez foresees taking the women who can make it around the country on mini tours.

“Ultimately it is our hope that Entre Mujeres Project collective knowledge and or “sung theories” will reach a wide audience whom will cherish and enjoy the talent and great wisdom mothers, daughters and sisters have to offer via the power of music,” Gonzalez said.

The deadline for the Kickstarter project has six days left.

By Al Carlos Hernandez
Herald de Paris

HOLLYWOOD — “La India” is one of the biggest salsa music divas in the world. She was annointed ‘Princess of Salsa’ by the Queen of Salsa herself, Celia Cruz. India continues to mesmerize audiences around the world and is currently working on a duet album with Juan Gabriel which will available in a few months.

Linda Viera Caballero (India) started out in her early teens with house music and hip hop, then salsa. As the salsa craze hit LA, India’s star rose as she was encouraged by her then-husband Louis Vega and his uncle El Cantante, Hector Lavoe. She worked with the Latin hip hop group TKA scoring many top ten dance hits. When she signed a contract with Warner Brothers in the 1980’s, she seemed poised to follow in the footsteps of singers like Madonna while under the tutelage of Jellybean Benitez, a man who had little respect for the salsa India grew to love.

Band leader Eddie Palmieri was looking for a female singer and when he strolled into the studio one day India’s vocalizations impressed him. Palmieri produced India’s salsa album Llegó La India on Soho Sounds. It quickly received praise as one of the year’s best salsa albums.

India views herself as a true “Nuyorican” – the urban generation of hip, bilingual, bi-cultural Latino second and third generation Americans. Her music references traditional Latin styles like Jibraro, salsa and various dance trends. Her audience includes a large percentage of women who have been alienated by much of salsa’s traditional “macho” attitude. “Women see me as a figure they can respect,” she said in a Chicago Tribune interview. “They know I’ve been through a lot. I’m not going to let no man put me under.”

La India’s self-assertive personal style has also contributed to her success as the voice of a new generation. Known for her striking appearance, set off with sexy clothes and manicured nails, she also manages to undermine her own diva image by smoking cigars as she sings. This is more than a pose. As a composer and arranger of her own songs, La India works closely with her producers and maintains control of her creative process as well as her image.

Herald de Paris Deputy Managing Editor Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez informed two good friends about this interview with India and asked them for comments:

Poet, journalist and historian Felipe Luciano said of India: India’s life is a testament to her faith, her tenacity, her God, her talent, her dreams. The fact that she’s alive and functioning, considering the pain she suffered as a child, is nothing short of miraculous. I love her.

Every song, every concert, every recording is her shout to the demons of failure, doubt, inferiority and despair, claiming in a clarion clear cannon shot across the bow of all challengers: I am free! I’m alive. I’m a beautiful Puerto Rican woman who’s made it and will continue to succeed. And there’s nothing, NOTHING you and the dream-killers can do to stop this energy; God and the ancestors are on my side. And every time India opens her mouth, WE WIN. Amen, Ache and Hallelujah.

Filmmaker, producer and director Franc Reyes said:Give her love. I think she’s a genius. A gift to her people.

La India was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Her parents moved to New York City soon after her birth and settled down in the South Bronx area of the city. Her stage name “India” was given to her by her grandmother because of her dark features and long straight black hair.

In 1985, when Caballero was 14 years old, she was a founding member of the Latin freestyle group TKA and was featured on the cover of TKA’s second single “Come Get My Love.” She left shortly thereafter.

India signed a record contract with Reprise/Warner Bros. Records, which planned on marketing her as the Latin version of Madonna (who recorded for sister label Sire Records). After recording the album Breaking Night, Caballero decided that she didn’t want to take that route in her career.

A life-changing event took place when she accompanied her husband to a studio recording. Salsa band leader Eddie Palmieri happened to visit the studio and was impressed with Caballero when he heard her singing. In 1992, Palmieri produced Caballero’s first Spanish language salsa album Llego La India via Eddie Palmieri(The India has arrived via Eddie Palmieri) which was acclaimed as one of the best salsa albums of the year.

From then on Caballero became known to all as India.

AC: How did it all start?

I started singing gospel at my grandmother’s church before I could even speak. I could hit the high notes, which was a blessing in disguise. My entire family sang and they inspired me. I was surrounded and encouraged by very talented people.

AC: What were the 80’s like for you?

The 80’s, during my teenage years, were some of the best times of my life. Disco music was the fashion and there was a sense of artistic freedom. I was hanging out with my eventual husband, Louie Vega. He was big in the clubs and knew the music quite well. We would check out the scene all over New York at the time: Blondie, Madonna, all the disco queens doing big things.

AC: Why did you turn down the opportunity to be the Latina Madonna?

What happened was, Louie and I were contacted by Madonna’s producer, Jellybean Benitiz. They were looking for a Latina Madonna, but I didn’t feel it was right for me. Most people don’t know that I was a rocker at heart and loved Janis Joplin, Pat Benetar, Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. They wanted me to sing in a different register and the whole thing was a great opportunity, but it wasn’t me. I felt pressure to follow in Madonna’s footsteps and I didn’t want to base my career on sex so I began to change how I saw myself.

AC: Did Eddie Palmieri turn you on to doing the salsa?

Actually I was working a little bit with Tito Puente at the time and was somewhat involved in the whole salsa thing. My husband Louis’ uncle was the legendary Hector Lavoe and he told me that I should consider doing Latino music because I had lots of heart and soul, and that Latinos worldwide needed leaders, so I was interested when I spoke with Eddie Palmieri. I met him at a session and he was enamored with the fact that I smoked a cigar – and still sometimes do.

There was a feeling in the salsa music community that there was a void when La Lupe passed away. Legendary promoter Ralph Mercado, who was to salsa what Russell Simmons was to rap, really believed in me and started opening doors.

AC: How did the duet with Mark Anthony come about?

From 1994 until 1996 I really was fortunate and became an international act thanks to Louie and Ralph Mercado. Ralph at the time wanted me to do him a favor. He was brinigng up a young singer who was trying to cross over. That singer was Mark Anthony and he asked me to do a duet with him. We did, and the song was a big hit.

What people don’t know is that, at the time we did the duet, I was a very well known international act, selling out venues all over the world, and no one knew who Mark Anthony was. The fact that I sang with him gave him credibility in the Latino genre and his career took off after that flashpoint. He never mentions me in interviews or gives us any credit for helping break him into an international Latino act.

AC: Tell us about Celia Cruz.

I loved Celia Cruz so much,! She wanted me to maintain her legacy and she really believed in me. She was a very spiritual lady with strong self-esteem and she was confident in her talent. She and her husband actually took me to a Catholic church and had me baptized. Celia will forever be my godmother.

AC: Tell us about working with Gloria Estafan.

I really enjoyed working with Gloria. She is very hard-working and knows exactly what she wants. When she is in the studio she is in charge 100%.

AC: Who are you now?

I am reinventing myself…changing my physical image. India will return and become a Barbie. But more than that, I feel like a new woman because I have been blessed with many beautiful things. After many years, I have my family with me now and I am not separated from my mother, in which I suffered greatly. I have her in my life and that brings inner peace that I haven’t had in a long time.

AC: How has fame affected your life?

For me, fame is a part of what I do but I am not in it to be famous. I like to sing songs that mean something. I want to speak to people about their life experiences. And life is tough. As a Latin singer, sometimes people think all I care about is Latin music and that is not true. I grew up on Motown, Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker, Michael Jackson and even Bob Marley. When I perform, all of those influences come into play.

When you are famous you can’t go to the mall or walk done the street like everyone else. It always seems that people want to talk to you as soon as you have a fork and are ready to eat. Ha ha! The condition takes away some of your freedom but sometimes this is the price you pay for the sake of your art.

The best example of dealing with fame happened a few weeks ago. I am currently doing a duet album with the icon Juan Gabriel. We were working all day and decided to go down the street to get something to eat. Once we were there, some fans came over and wanted to take a picture and get some autographs.

Well, we were dressed like we had just come back from the gym and didn’t want to be photographed looking like that. Juan was very calm and sincere with the fans. He simply told them that we really were not comfortable with the way we looked and would rather not be photographed. The way he explained was great and the fans settled for an autograph, went on their way, and we enjoyed a nice meal, I am learning a lot from him and the album we are making is incredible. He has written some fantastic songs.

AC: And your legacy?

I am a dreamer and a spiritual person. I believe in love and am still looking for the right person to spend the rest of my life with – maybe start a family. I would like to continue my musical journey and am quite willing to explore rock, jazz, blues, and other pop forms of music.

I am fortunate to have a voice that can cover several ranges. I plan to grow and perfect my live performances for audiences around the world. I want the world to know that I am proud to be a Puerto Rican Latina and that we have a very proud heritage. We are some of the coolest Latinos on the planet!

Trust me. I’ve been around. India IS the coolest Latina on the planet.

LatinaLista — For many Latinos, cuban-born, Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz was an iconic cultural treasure and epitomized the classic immigrant story involving discrimination, talent, perseverance and rise to success. Her story not only resonated with her fellow Latinos but it seems also with over 10,000 voters of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s “Frame an Iconic American Contest.”

Out of a field of five notable U.S. historic figures — Audie Murphy, Alice Paul, Samuel Morse, Frederick Douglass and Celia Cruz — Cruz was recently named the winner as the subject of a new biographical portrait by Robert Weingarten, a noted photographic artist.

Weingarten’s ‘portraits’ defy traditional expectations. Rather than taking a classic picture of an individual, Weingarten asks his subjects, “What makes you who you are?” He then digitally layers images of places and things that are important to his subjects creating a visual biography. Unfortunately, Celia Cruz died in 2003 and won’t be able to help Weingarten — but her thousands of fans can.

The National Museum of American History, collaborating with photographer Robert Weingarten, is asking the public to help make a list of what made Celia Cruz who she was. The list will help Weingarten assemble a montage of images that will memorialize the Queen of Salsa in a finished portrait that will be unveiled this fall and displayed at the Smithsonian.

The deadline is through June 10, 2012.

Insight Tr3s

Ten years ago, the Billboard Latin Music Awards were dominated by artists that were ‘imported’ to the United States. This year, Bronx-born bachata star Prince Royce took home Artist of the Year and other bicultural acts such as Romeo Santos, Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias racked up key nominations, making it clear that Latin music tastes have evolved – and a new generation of U.S.-born artists and music fans are redefining the genre of this generation.

Marc Anthony and Pitbull.

The mix of American and Latin sounds coming out of the US isn’t exactly new: Tito Puente in the 50s, Joe Cuba in the 60s, Santana’s in the 70s, Miami Sound Machine’s in the 80s and Ricky Martin in the 90s.

But what’s tipped the balance toward biculturalism is the major demographic change that’s occurred over the last decade.

Today, 65% of Hispanics in their 30s are foreign-born*. Their musical histories are deeply rooted in their home countries, with Spanish as the primary language. In contrast, 59% of Hispanic Millennials (18-29) are US born. They grew up hearing their parents’ favorite songs from back home, as well as Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and the Foo Fighters – paving the way for the blend of languages and musical styles that we’re experiencing today.

Being part of a generation known for multi-tasking – moving from screen to screen, audio to instant messaging – has also influenced Hispanic Millennials’ eclectic tastes, which can go from Flo Rida one moment to Aventura the next.

With acts like Wisin y Yandel and Enrique Iglesias playing major U.S. arenas, general market music labels are aware of the power of this audience – which has opened up the door to collaborations between Latin and non-Latin artists to broaden commercial appeal.

Most recently, former Aventura front man Romeo Santos partnered with Usher on “Promise,” the first release of his debut solo album. In this bachata duet, Santos croons in Spanish and Usher in English, opening up their fan bases to new sounds.

Pitbull is particularly known for taking advantage of the audience-expanding possibilities that collaboration can offer, partnering with Ne-Yo to add R&B smoothness to “Give Me Everything” and Marc Anthony for “Rain Over Me,” singing almost entirely in English. Pitbull recently confirmed in an interview that he chooses his lyrics wisely so they can be translated easily and gain maximum duo-play on English and Spanish radio.

Another cultural phenomenon that’s impacted the Latin music scene is the concept of digital music discovery and sharing, which now allows acts that would never have made it past the gatekeepers a few years back, to get noticed and played.

Hispanic Millennials are known for being digitally savvy and active social networkers. What their friends listen to is probably the main driver of how they hear and consume music, so a Facebook post can be an influential endorsement that has the potential to make something obscure go viral.

Ten years ago, the top Latino acts were imports from Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Latin America. Now, the trend is reversing… the US is becoming an exporter of Latino talent to the rest of the world.

Wisin y Yandel, Pitbull, Aventura and Prince Royce are becoming household names outside of the US. Between the recent shift among young Hispanics from mostly foreign-born to mostly U.S.-born, the growing cachet of cross-cultural mixing, and the rising influence of online music sharing, Hispanic Millennials are changing the sound not just of Latin music — but American music as well.

By Angela Covo
La Prensa de San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO — This Sunday, the exuberant sounds and dance moves of Cuba will grace the Majestic when “The Kings of Salsa,” on tour in the U.S. from Havana, swing into action to share “el sabor de Cuba” with San Antonio.

Cuban choreographer Roclan González Chavez explained the upcoming performance is more of an experience than a show. And you might want to grab you own dancing shoes because it’s a San Antonio kind of experience: “Es una fiesta – vamos a bailar!”

If the event this Sunday is anything like the troupe’s presentation at New York’s Lehman Center for the Performing Arts last month, where more than 1,700 people were on their feet dancing on the stage and all around the auditorium to the beat of hot Cuban rhythms, Chavez will have accomplished what he set out to do, which is to bring the freshest view of the art scene in Cuba right to our doors.

The whole goal of this international tour from Cuba is to allow a cultural exchange between the two countries.

“Culture has no borders,” Chavez said.

That may be true today, but for almost 60 years, since the U.S. and Cuba parted company in 1962, America has not had many opportunities to see and hear dance and song, Cuban-style.

So this young troupe, hand-selected from the top talent of Cuban-trained dancers and who range in age from 21 to 35, worked hard to bring the cutting edge of Cuban dance to the stage.

“This show was born in Cuba and took years to come together as a real team-effort,” Chavez said. “People will get a glimpse of today’s Cuba – and meet a new generation of Cubans, with cutting- edge dance moves, and today’s expression of contemporary Latin arts and culture.”

And while just Salsa is magical and even addictive in and of itself – this show is much more. According to the program notes, the high-voltage performance get plenty of its cues from and pays homage to the great Cuban performers and dance styles – all the while hanging on to the Chavez’s cool, contemporary twist.

“We are always looking for the new thing, the innovation – we want to give people a taste of that, a glimpse of the modern Cuba,” Chavez explained.

So the flavors should really come to life as we watch this troupe perform classic Cuban dances like the Mambo, Rumba and Cha Cha juxtaposed seamlessly against the Afro-Caribbean flavor of Havana’s modern-day street salsa and modern dance.

And to make sure it’s all completely authentic, Cuba Ashire, an amazing nine-piece band made up of some of Cuba’s top musicians, will set the scene with an electrifying mix of performers and styles filling the Majestic with intoxicating Latin rhythms and stratospheric brass sections.

According to the program notes, the troupe travels all over the world to rave reviews.

Critics from the Bangkok Post said the show “… echoed the beauty of youth and human desire. Undeniably, the male dancers’ ripped bodies and female dancer’s voluptuous figures played a major role in hypnotizing every eye in the hall.”

In Germany, Hamburg Culture & Media said, “Salsa, Rumba, Mambo, Cha Cha and Reggae — The Kings of Salsa exercise their mastery of them all to perfection … with hips gyrating, the senoras flow lithely over the bodies of their partners, whose movements beat out the rhythm like flashes of lightening.”

While Chavez, who is very proud to be in the US representing his country, agrees that such a spectacular show required Cuba’s top-tier talent, he says the results are driven by hard work.

“Really, it’s thanks to God and 10 percent talent/90 percent hard work that we are here,” he said.

Tickets for “Kings of Salsa” are available from ARTS San Antonio at 222 East Houston, or call (210) 226-2891. Tickets and information are also available online at www. artssanantonio.com. The show is one-night only at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Majestic Theater.

By José Villa, Senior Editor
Hawaii Hispanic News

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Saying that Sacha Boutros is a “jazz singer” is like saying a Porsche Turbo Carrera is a “car.” The maternal grandparents of this multilingual singer/
composer/producer – a frequent visitor to Hawaii – were born in Mazatlán and Guadalajara, Mexico. Her mother was born in San Diego and her father in Beirut, Lebanon. As a child, her mother spent her summers in Guadalajara.

Boutros said: “I grew up in San Diego in a very close-knit family with a lot of values, morals, faith, and, of course, lots of food.” And she is proud of the fact that she has a strong connection to both sides of ethnic roots.

She still has a lot of relatives in Mexico and describes herself as a “super-Latina.” That pride is also reflected in the name of her publishing company: Diva Latina Productions.

How did she start her singing career? She said: “I developed a love for singing from my
grandfather. I started singing with him in church in the Spanish church we attended. He
would sing one verse and I would sing the second. So I was singing with him or harmonizing with him, but it was always for God. Then at home, he was always making up funny songs – or rhyming songs – for the kids and he would make us laugh.”

Boutros added: “My grandmother was the one who introduced me to the piano. She started me with piano lessons when I was 4. I had to sit on a pillow to reach the keys.”

She continued: “Then I sang at school and in the church choir. But I really didn’t start ‘singing’ until I was 20 years old. I was playing soccer then and was a soccer freak. I lettered in soccer and tennis in high school. Then I got soccer and tennis scholarships to the University of San Diego. I was actually training for the Mexican national team, but I got a severe knee injury and that ended the dream.”

While taking a forced break from soccer, Boutros went to a club, heard a singer and thought: “I can do that.” And by the next week, she had a gig.

In listening to some of her YouTube videos, I was struck that someone so young was singing classic songs from the 40s and 50s. I asked about that.

She said: “I love that music. When I was a little girl, I had a record player and would collect the old 78 rpm records. I’d go to music stores and buy old records. And I used to listen to a radio station that played music from the 20s, 30s and 40s. And I tap danced, so I really loved it. I like the old stuff.”

What part does music play in her life now? She responded: “Music is my life. I think everyone has…not a predetermined future, but…I think God kind of hands out jobs sometimes and you’re supposed to do something for him. In retrospect, I think I was doing soccer for me. I still think I was a better soccer player than I am a singer. But as I’ve proceeded on this 12-year-long musical journey, and have come to love it, I think God had a better plan for me.”

Boutros continued: “I now feel it’s my job to make people happy and make them feel better. And I can give them that gift through the music. And this true whether I feel like singing at the time or not. It’s my job. It’s what I do. Obviously I sing to make a living. I’m my own agent, publicist, album cover designer, website designer and manager, etc. I
have help here and there, but primarily it’s on me.”

A lot of her time is spent marketing and promoting herself. She said: “So my job is not just the singing. It’s all the work I have to do to have the opportunity to sing. Many times
singing is a relief. It’s a luxury for me to sing once in a while. It’s almost like a reward for all the work I do to get there.”

She added: “However, in the process of making a living, I try to help people as well. I’m
just an artist, and don’t have a lot of money, but I’m able to raise money for the things that are important to me. I help raise funds for homeless children, women’s programs and other causes that are dear to me. I am also especially drawn to programs that empower women and help them changer their lives for the better.”

Does she still live in San Diego?

She responded: “I do, but I get to New York City about every four to five weeks, so I think of myself as ‘bi-coastal.’ I would really love to live there, but it’s very expensive, so I haven’t made the move yet. However, the frequent trips allow me to stay in touch with my contacts, explore new opportunities and keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the music scene.”

According to her website: “Boutros is well versed in classical music and sings in seven languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Latin. Sacha is fluent in five of these languages…” Our staff won’t be surprised if this talented young lady is soon doing her “God’s work” in the Big Apple!

LatinaLista — Virtual classes are nothing new. Answering roll call from behind a computer monitor in your pajamas is common from kindergarten to college these days. Yet, there has always been an understanding that some classes just don’t translate well in the virtual classroom, like learning to play instruments.

After all, don’t teachers need to see for themselves the mistakes students are making in order to correct them? Well, thank goodness for online video services like Skype.

In fact, one new venture based in the United Kingdom plans on using Skype to spread their love of teaching Latin music styles to students throughout the world.

Called HispaTune, the business was co-founded by Josh Lloyd, a Latin music enthusiast in the United Kingdom and Pablo Dominguez, a professional Spanish musician. The bilingual site will feature a Teacher’s Page where students will watch a short introductory video by each teacher and learn more about what they teach. Music genres will cover everything from Bachata, Bossa Nova, Flamenco and Salsa to Samba,Tango and Portuguese Fado.

Instruments taught will include nylon string acoustic guitar, bass/double bass guitar, cajón, saxophone, flute, accordion and Latin percussion.

Tuition will be paid via PayPal and lessons are broken down into various packages: Weekly £16.99 ($27.78) for one lesson a week; Monthly £124.99 ($204.33) (8% savings) for 8 lesson or 2 a week; Quarterly £364.99 ($596.68) (10% savings) for 24 lessons and Annual £1500.00 ($2,452.18) (15% savings) where the student will receive 104 lessons.

Each lesson lasts 45 minutes.

The concept is in the start-up phase and the founders, while busy filling in the pages on their website, are also looking for more teachers who will work from their homes via Skype to teach the students.

“Students can join us at any stage of their learning,” co-founder Josh Lloyd said. “Whether they’re a complete novice, at an intermediate level, or experienced. We dedicate our time and attention to all students the same.”