Highly Relevant with Jack Rico

Ben Odell On The Ten Year Journey to Make 'Radical' Dec 06, 2023

Producer and CEO of 3Pas Studios, Ben Odell, is our guest this week. He shares the fascinating story behind his critically acclaimed new film 'Radical,' starring Eugenio Derbez. The film centers on a gifted but disadvantaged group of students in Mexico whose lives are transformed by an unconventional new teacher.

Hear how the film was received differently by Mexican versus American audiences, Eugenio’s decade-long journey to becoming a dramatic actor, the challenges Latinos face in gaining Oscar recognition, and the surprising story of how the film's rights were nearly lost.

Highly Relevant Playlist
Alch Si - (Carin León feat. Grupo Frontera)

Nostalgia - (FlowGPT feat. AI Bad Bunny)

Vueltas - (Noah Pino Palo)

Director Angel Gracia Talks "How The Gringo Stole Christmas" Nov 21, 2023

'How the Gringo Stole Christmas' is one of only a handful of Latino-centered holiday films ever made. This week, its director, Venezuelan-American Angel Gracia, joins the show to discuss this pressing question: Why are Latino holiday movies so rare? Plus, we discuss his rich three-decade journey in filmmaking, the challenges of authentically casting Latino roles, and the hard business truths of making art in Hollywood.

Episode Summary:

Angel's diverse upbringing and experiences living as a foreigner in different countries, inform his storytelling
Casting George Lopez and connecting with his real-life experience as a Latino dad to a daughter dating someone outside their culture
Casting considerations and controversies around Latinx actors playing roles outside their specific heritage
The business side of Hollywood casting and how it impacts creative decisions
The importance of authenticity in storytelling while also serving the main genre/purpose of the story
Angel's plans to build Super Studios, a new production studio and school in Texas, as a more affordable alternative to Hollywood

Highly Relevant Playlist
Monaco - Lagos feat. Danny Ocean
Cinturita - Reggie El Autentico
Yasser Tejeda - Pa’ Sembrar
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Gustavo Santaolalla: Crafting the Soundtrack of a Latino Generation Sep 11, 2023

Legendary music producer Gustavo Santaolalla has crafted the soundtrack to Rock En Español, producing career-defining albums for Café Tacvba, Molotov, Juanes, and many more. He is one of only three composers to win consecutive Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Brokeback Mountain and Babel. In our wide-ranging conversation, Gustavo shares his philosophical views on art, humanity, the spiritual connection he finds in music, and the state of the creative industry today. We begin with how Gustavo’s hard-knock life in 1960s Argentina led to an explosion of boundary-pushing creativity still felt in music today.

Episode Key Quotes:

"The album 'Arcoiris' is a blueprint of my career. In that album, you're going to find the music for the movies, the songs, the production tricks."

"It's creativity, art, and music that moves you in any art. It's what keeps us sane."

"In the next 20 years, we're going to have to make big decisions and big changes or this can go away, really."

Highly Relevant Playlist
The Last Of Us - Gustavo Santaolalla
Eres - Cafe Tacvuba
Frijolero - Molotov

Monsieur Periné Talks 'Bolero Apocaliptico' and White Identity in Latin Music Jun 12, 2023

This week, renowned Colombian band Monsieur Periné joins the show to discuss their latest release, 'Bolero Apocaliptico'. We interview them about the evolution of their musical style, how they challenge traditional love narratives, and the influence of Afro-Colombian roots on their work. The conversation also navigates thought-provoking issues, such as cultural appropriation and white identity in Latin music, as well as discovering sources of love in an increasingly loveless world.
Episode Summary

Monsieur Periné discuss their new album, "Bolero Apocaliptico" and what it means
Catalina Garcia and Santiago Prieto share their views on where they find love in a growing loveless world
The band talks about the Afro-Colombian influences in their music and beyond
Monsieur Periné speak on cultural appropriation and white identity in Latin music

Highly Relevant Playlist
unx100to - Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny
Mundo Parallelo - Monsieur Periné y Pedro Capó
Tu y Tu - Los Angeles Azules

Julio Iglesias Jr. Finds His Own Voice Mar 03, 2023

In this week's episode, we welcome singer Julio Iglesias Jr. who celebrated his 50th birthday with a new big band album titled "Under The Covers" out now, his first musical project in 15 years. He also opens up about his father Julio Sr. and superstar brother Enrique and how he defines himself in terms of race, culture, and identity.

Interview with Julio Iglesias Jr.:
Segment 1: Julio's Musical Journey

Julio discussed his love for his last album, Tercera Dimensión, a Spanish rock record in 2003, which is still one of his favorite records.
After that, he did a cover record in Spain, but it was a quicky kind of record that didn't turn out well.
He then joined a French project man band called "Latin Lover," where they did a cover of "BK" in French.
Julio reveals how he found his passion for big band music and how his producer Rudy Perez helped him create his latest album.
Julio explains that he doesn't follow trends and only sings what he loves, which is why he defied the trend of singing reggaeton or urban music.

Segment 2: Julio's Identity

Jack Rico asks Julio how he culturally identifies, whether as Hispanic, Spaniard, or Latino.
Julio admits that he is confused about his identity and explains why.
Julio says that he has always felt comfortable embracing his father's music and sees himself doing that type of music as opposed to his brother Enrique.

Segment 3: Embracing Family and Music

Jack Rico asks Julio why he is so comfortable embracing his family, despite the media trying to create a different narrative.
Julio explains that he grew up listening to his father's music and sees himself as a true fan of his dad's music.
Julio talks about how he doesn't see Enrique singing his father's songs, but he loves doing it himself.
Julio says that he loves his family and enjoys touring with his dad whenever he can.

Highly Relevant Playlist:

Tormenta - Gorillaz feat Bad Bunny
Tu Veneno - Silvestre y La Naranja
Tan Basico - Los Rumberos

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast hosted by Jack Rico, TV host, journalist, and film critic since 2016. He interviews Latino actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives to explore their impact on mainstream culture and entertainment.

Xochitl Gonzalez on Navigating the Complexities of Social Climbing For Latinos Feb 08, 2023

Our first guest of 2023 is Xochitl Gonzalez, the multi-talented Puerto Rican-Mexican American writer of the New York Times best-seller "Olga Dies Dreaming" and staff writer for The Atlantic Magazine. She's here to discuss with me her latest thought-provoking article, "The New Case for Social Climbing," and its impact on people of color, particularly Latinos. In our interview, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of seeking higher social status, the right and wrong ways to do it, and why Latinos are more likely to succeed at it. We also get an update on her Hulu TV adaptation of "Olga Dies Dreaming” starring Aubrey Plaza and Ramon Rodriguez.

Episode Breakdown

Topic 1: What is Social Climbing?

Xochitl's definition of social climbing
Common misconceptions about social climbing
Differences between social climbing and networking

Topic 2: The Pros and Cons of Social Climbing

Advantages of social climbing
Disadvantages of social climbing
How social climbing can impact personal relationships

Topic 3: Strategies for Successful Social Climbing

How to navigate the social climbing world
Tips for building authentic relationships
Balancing ambition and authenticity

Topic 4: Ethical Considerations of Social Climbing

The impact of social climbing on marginalized communities
The responsibility of those who engage in social climbing
The importance of self-reflection and introspection

Highly Relevant Music Playlist:
Diferente - (Steve Aoki featuring CNCO)
Por Si Volvemos - Karol G and Romeo Santos
Only One - Jessie Reyez

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast hosted by Jack Rico, TV host, journalist, and film critic. He interviews Latino actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives to explore their impact on mainstream culture and entertainment.

Marta Tellado, CEO Consumer Reports, Talks New Book 'Buyer Aware' Oct 12, 2022

In this interview with Marta Tellado, the CEO of Consumer Reports, we discuss how she became one of the few Latina CEOs in the country, how her Cuban heritage shaped her democratic ideals, and how her new book, ‘Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace,’ acts as a guide for consumers to reclaim their power against shady business practices.

Marta's Favorite Things:
Casa de Papel, Sound of Music, Esperanza Spaulding

Highly Relevant Music Playlist:
Flores - Nino Freestyle, Dalex
Tomemos un Trago - Kat & Alex
I Know You Know - Esperanza Spaulding

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast. Jack Rico - TV host, journalist, film critic, and podcaster - talks with actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives about how they are influencing mainstream culture and entertainment.

Ximena Sariñana on 'Amor Adolescente,' Singing in English and Experimenting with Reggaeton Aug 30, 2022

Ximena and I discuss her most recent album Amor Adolecente and how her hit ballad 'Una Vez Más' came to be. We also discuss the significance her sophomore English-language album had on her artistic growth, the pressures for Latin artists to succumb to the Reggaeton momentum, why it’s hard for Latina artists to find global acceptance, and we discuss her dreams of one day composing on the New York Broadway stage.

Bomba Estéreo's Simón Mejía Talks Bad Bunny, Petro, Climate Change Aug 03, 2022

In this week’s episode, I talk to Simón Mejía, the founder and band leader of the Grammy-winning Colombian group ‘Bomba Estéreo’. We discuss his latest solo film and music project EL DUENDE, inspired by the Afro-indigenous music of Colombia’s jungles, as well as, what he thinks of Colombia’s newly elected president Gustavo Petro, and how the Bad Bunny collaboration of ‘Ojitos Lindos’ came to be without them ever meeting.

The Highly Relevant Playlist

La isla de Lesbos - Javiera Mena

El Lobby - Micro TDH, Pablo Alborán

Mala Vibra - Gativideo

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Manuel Abud, CEO Latin Recording Academy, On The Future of the Latin Grammys Jul 21, 2022

In this week’s episode, we welcome Manuel Abud, the CEO of the Latin Recording Academy for a chat about this year’s Latin Grammys. We discuss an array of topics including thoughts of taking the Latin Grammys back to CBS and mainstream validation, his vision of taking the show internationally to different countries, competition from other Spanish-language award shows, which award is more important to a Latin artist… the Grammy or the Latin Grammy? and he addresses some of the controversies surrounding the urban/reggaeton backlash of the last several years.

Benjamin Odell, CEO 3Pas Studios, On Why 'The Valet' Is A Love Letter To Immigrants May 16, 2022

This week I interview my good friend Benjamin Odell, who is the CEO of 3Pas Studios, the production company he and his friend Eugenio Derbez formed together. Their latest project is the remake of the French film ‘The Valet’ which premieres on HULU May 20th. In this conversation, Ben and I talk about his unique life and cultural upbringing, as well as the work 3Pas Studios has accomplished in a short time. We discuss in detail the unique ways he and Eugenio have used Latino storytelling to successfully reach general audiences, and why 'The Valet' could very well be a culmination of that work.

Manny Perez Talks 'La Soga Salvation' Feb 05, 2022

Dominican actor Manny Perez, perhaps best known for his films 'Washington Heights,' 'El Cantante,' 'Bella' and the hit action film ‘La Soga,’ is now doing his directorial debut with the sequel - 'La Soga Salvation'. We discuss what it takes to write, direct and produce his own movie, what the future of Dominican cinema looks like, and his opinion on the film ‘In The Heights’.

Justina Machado On The Success Of Latino Animation vs. Live-Action Latino Films Jan 24, 2022

In our first episode, we welcome actress Justina Machado. You know her from the Emmy Award-winning comedy reboot of “One Day at a Time” from legendary producer Norman Lear and several other tv shows and films. Our conversation covered several interesting subjects such as Latino representation in the animation industry, why Hispanic animated films succeed and real-life Latino content doesn’t, and why she stopped using the term Hispanic to describe herself.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Santo - Christina Aguilera y Ozuna

Melancolia - Sinego y Ácido Pantera

Eucalipto - Mario Puglia

Gloria Calderon Kellett's 'With Love' Is The Future of Latinx Content Dec 17, 2021

Gloria Calderon Kellett's 'With Love' is the best Latinx television I have seen. It combines all the American TV characteristics we grew up with, but with a US Latino family at the center. Think of ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ ‘Love Actually,’ 'The Holiday,' but with Latinos. It's all the shows that make us cozy up to a warm fire, a snug blanket, and hot chocolate. Gloria shares the details of how she got into the business, and how legendary producer Norman Lear believed in her.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Eso Es Un Vibe - Omar Courtz

Poema - Las Villas

Pa Poderte Ver - Mareh, Ana Mancebo, Sobrino, julio cesar

Photographer Josefina Santos Is Experiencing A Breakthrough Nov 12, 2021

This week I welcome Colombian photographer Josefina Santos who as of late has been photographing some of the biggest names in music, tv, and film, such as Olivia Rodrigo, MJ Rodriguez from ‘Pose’ and indie director Jim Jarmusch to name a few, plus has photographed covers for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Teen Vogue and more. Josefina and I discuss what she did to make media mainstream’s elite notice her, how Instagram is a blessing and a curse and we tackle the creative’s debate - should a creative work free for career-changing opportunities OR take the opportunity for no pay.

Highly Relevant Playlist

La Fama - Rosalia (feat. The Weeknd)

Supersad - Georgel, Maco Mares, Diamante Electrico

Yate - C. Tangana

Director Lissette Feliciano On Telling Multicultural Stories On Screen Oct 29, 2021

On a new episode of Highly Relevant, I talk to director/producer Lissette Feliciano about her new indie film 'Women Is Losers'. The film which premiered at 2021's SXSW Festival, has gotten good reviews for it's female empowerment story and her use of multicultural characters. She tells me how lies about Latinos in the media has become the driving force behind the mantra of her production company, Look at the Moon Pictures. She also lets me in on how she raised funds for her own film, and how young producers can do the same for themselves.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Mi Fiesta - Bandalos Chinos

Sammy Arriaga - Obvio

Cuestión de Suerte - Natalia Lacunza

Robert Rodriguez On Whether Latino Directors Should Be Responsible For Developing Latino Movie Stars Oct 23, 2021

In this rebroadcast of our interview with director Robert Rodriguez from February 27, 2019, we discuss his new film at that time 'Alita: Battle Angel,' how one of the main goals of his TV network 'El Rey' was to find and hire more Latino filmmakers, and if it is the responsibility of a Latino directors to create Latino stars.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Pa Mis Muchchas - Christina Aguilera (feat. Nathy Peluso, Becky G y Nicki Nicole

Sexy Girl - Ozuna, Megan Stallion y DJ Snake

Amor Como Puñal - Loyal Lobos

Adriana Barraza on Horror Movies, Ageism in Hollywood and Latino Invisibility Oct 08, 2021

Adriana Barraza is one of five Latinas to have ever been nominated for an Academy Award in acting. She is now starring in the new Blumhouse horror film 'Bingo Hell' on Amazon Prime Video, perfectly timed for Halloween. In this new interview, Adriana and I discuss being the first Latina actress in her 60s to lead a film. It was also directed and co-written by a Latina filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero. We discuss her 50 year acting career, ageism in Hollywood, how someone once told her to never speak Spanish, and why she doesn’t mind the label of Latinx.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Bachatica - Leslie Grace

fue mejor - Kali Uchis (feat. SZA)

Debilidad (A Colors Show) - Javiera Mena

Aubrey Plaza on Puerto Rican Identity and Creating Latinx Content Oct 01, 2021

Actress/producer Aubrey Plaza has become a cult indie film queen since her big break as April Ludgate on NBC’s “Parks And Recreation”. Since then she’s done popular films such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and the Child’s Play reboot. She’s nowcoming off of a dramedy with Michael Caine called Best Sellers, is currently working with Jason Statham on the action thriller “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre”, and is gearing up for HULU’s comedy Olga Dies Dreaming. In this interview from November 26, 2020, Aubrey and I discussed her recent comedic psychological thriller Black Bear, her interest in producing Latinx content, and why breaking Latina stereotypes is a priority for her.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Rómpelo - Cimafunk feat. LupeFiasco

En La Ciudad de la Furia - Aterciopelados

Lento - Bomba Estéreo

Eugenio Derbez on Making Latino Movies For Everyone Sep 26, 2021

Known for being one of the biggest comedians in Mexico, Eugenio Derbez made a splash in the indie film scene with his bilingual movie ‘Instructions Not Included,’ which became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film and the fourth highest-grossing foreign film of all time in the United States. He followed that up with ‘How to Be a Latin Lover,’ ‘Overboard,’ ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold,’ ‘Coda,’ and now Acapulco, his latest TV series with Apple TV+ October 8th. In this interview from April 27, 2018, Eugenio and I discussed his new movie at the time - "Overboard" - but what we really talked about was some of the struggles he was having “fitting in” to Hollywood’s exclusive club. We talked about accents, transitioning to starring in English-language movies, how he overcame the sellout stigma from Mexican peers, and why he believes Hollywood is afraid of creating Latino movie stars.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Contracorriente - Camilo Séptimo y Ximena Sariñana

Que Maldición - Banda MS feat. Snoop Dogg and Becky G.

Until The Day - Alexcis and T-Pain

Anthony Ramos on Teachers, Stage Fright and His Biggest Dream Sep 18, 2021

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! I am kicking off a retrospective series for Hispanic Heritage Month where I revisit with you my favorite interviews of the last five years. We start it off with the star of In The Heights and Transformers 7, actor/singer Anthony Ramos. In this interview I did with him on October 5th, 2018, Ramos is coming off of a co-starring role in Broadway’s HAMILTON with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the Oscar-winning film A STAR IS BORN (no pun intended) with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. You can hear him reflective, grateful, and open to whatever the universe has in store for him. It’s an interesting interview with a star in the making.

Highly Relevant Playlist

SacaLaCamara - Manu Manzo

Suerte - J Balvin

Say Less - Anthony Ramos

'Latina' Returns With A New Voice And A New Leader Sep 12, 2021

My guest this week is Camila Legaspi, the Chief Content Officer of Latina Media Ventures, the company which owns Latina Magazine. She joins me this week for an in-depth discussion on the relaunch of Latina.com. We discuss why the brand took a hiatus, why it decided to return, and what role will it play for this new generation of Latinas. Can the brand work its magic again?

Highly Relevant Playlist

UNA NOTA - J Balvin, Sech

PAUSA - Martox y Gian Rojas

DAIKIRI - Simon Grossman

Rodrigo Reyes Discusses Mexico Colonialism With '499'; What Do The New Census Numbers Really Mean To Latinos? Sep 02, 2021

In this episode, director Rodrigo Reyes discusses his new film '499,' a documentary about how Spanish colonialism has traumatized the people of Mexico today. He and I will talk about how he got his movie funded and what inspired him to make this film. And I also talk to Stanford Professor Tomás Jiménez about the latest Census numbers and what they really mean to Latinos.

Highly Relevant Music Playlist

Linda- Tokischa feat. Rosalía

Vil Reptil - Duplat feat. Soy Emilia

Estadio Estudio - CLUBZ

Emilio Sosa Talks Becoming Chair of The American Theatre Wing Aug 27, 2021

Dominican-born Emilio Sosa, the new Chair of the American Theatre Wing, is the first Latino to chair the prestigious organization. He is a Tony-nominated costume designer whose Broadway career includes, ON YOUR FEET!, MOTOWN: The Musical, and his Tony nomination for Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS. We discuss his humble beginnings as a young Dominican living in the South Bronx, how his ambitions and dreams led him to work with the likes of Spike Lee, Celine Dion, and Wynton Marsalis, and what his vision for America’s stages will look like in the next four years. Will it become more multicultural under his tenure?

Highly Relevant Music Playlist

Funk Aspirin - Cimafunk y George Clinton

Gemini Amor - Yoandri

Psicodelico - sete y Giorgio Siladi

A Discussion About Uruguayan Horror Cinema with Director Maxi Contenti and His New Film 'The Last Matinee' Aug 21, 2021

I talk to Uruguayan filmmaker Maximiliano Contenti whose new horror film THE LAST MATINEE is in theaters right now. We discuss the 90’s inspiration behind the film as well as tackle colorism in Uruguayan and Argentine cinema. How does it relate to American cinema today? Plus, how do his generations’ filmmakers feel about the Hollywood industry today? Do they aspire to it OR are they rebelling against it?

Highly Relevant Playlist

Que Locura - J Balvin

Los Viejos Vinagres - Los Auténticos Decadentes y Panteón Rococo

Todo y Nada - Playa Limbo

Asian Creator Teresa Hsiao Explains Why Latinos Are Ready For Hollywood Right Now Aug 13, 2021

It's no secret Asian talent and creators are in high demand in Hollywood right now. Teresa Hsiao, creator and showrunner of 'Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens,' realizes how much interest there is for her and her friends right now. Latinos are starting to see glimmers, but for us, it's not the same. We're struggling in Hollywood, the numbers back it up. So what advice does Teresa have for us? Listen in and hear what she has to tell me.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Trebol - Ben Aler

EME - MIEL, Bardo José

Igual a nadie - vangoura

Our Personal Recommendations On What To See, Listen And Read Jul 31, 2021

In this week's episode, I invite a few friends to recommend what they've enjoyed reading, watching, or listening to as of late. Maybe it'll help you choose your next mental escape.

Gonzalo Peña - InnoLatino Podcast

Agustina Gamero

Roman Rojas - Tremenda Vaina Podcast

Juan Doe - http://www.juandoe.com

Highly Relevant Playlist

Conexión Total - Bomba Estéreo, Yemi Alade

Don’t Go Yet - Camila Cabello

No Necesito Más - Marissa Mur

The Latinization of Shawn Mendes Jul 23, 2021

In this episode, we discuss Camilo's new 'Kesi Remix' with Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes who sings in Spanish for the very first time. Entertainment reporter Lucas Villa from wearemitu.com joins me to find out how Latino Mr. Mendes wants to be since he's also dating Cuban megastar, Camila Cabello.

I also recommend 3 quality films you might have known about for your viewing pleasure this weekend.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Luna de Plata - La Garfield

Todo El Dia En La Cama - Cheo

Destroy The Empire - Pachyman

The Cuban Protests: Can Cuba Begin A New Era Of Democracy? Jul 16, 2021

Joining me today are the podcast hosts of Pero Let Me Tell Yo, DJ and Ish, two Cuban-Americans based in Miami who give me their perspective of the protests in Cuba and what it all means for the future of Cuba and Cuban-Americans in Miami.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Cabala - Xiomara Fortuna

Cortar - Raquel Sofía (feat. Los Macorinos)

Tú - Okills, Melissa Robles

Are Latinos Reading Newsletters Today? We Ask Axios Latino. Jul 07, 2021

Newsletters have become a very popular way of consuming news. The first newsletter I ever read was Brian Stelter's from CNN. The first Latinx newsletter I remember subscribing to was Elisabeth Rosario's 'The Latinx Collective' which I interviewed her about it almost 3 years ago. Back in March, the news website Axios partnered with Telemundo to create Axios Latino. Co-editor Mariana Franco joins me today to discuss how the newsletter is going, why non-Latinos are subscribing, and she shares some reasons why she believes Spanish-speaking newspapers aren't booming.

Highly Relevant playlist

Perreo y Lloro - Simona y Los del Control

Llueven - Claridad y Oli Miglioli

Yasser Tejeda - El Sol de la Madrugada

What Is 'American Reggaeton'? Jun 22, 2021

Christian Herrera and producer 2Deep, co-founders of LA's Gasolina Records, join me today to discuss American Reggaeton, a new musical movement by US-born Latino reggaeton artists who want to break into the Latin-American market. How did they build their record label, why are American Latino reggaetoneros being iced out by the fans and industry? How will Gasolina Records change that? Listen in and find out.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Deja - Bomba Estéreo

High Season - Poolside y Buscabulla

KTJDN - Nebulossa

Director Carlos V. Gutierrez Talks 'Locked In' And The Future Of Latino Stars Jun 11, 2021

In this week’s episode, Cuban-American writer-director Carlos V. Gutierrez discusses his first feature-length film - LOCKED IN. We discuss what it took him to get his first Hollywood movie made, if directors and writers are responsible for improving the image of Latino-created characters on film, and what we have to do to convince studio executives that Latino stories are worth watching.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Todo De Ti - Rauw Alejandro

Suerte - Yorghaki

Un Millon - The Marias

Juan Pablo Raba Talks 'The Marksman'; Review J Balvin's 'Boy From Medellin' May 17, 2021

My guest today is actor Juan Pablo Raba who co-stars in Liam Neeson’s border thriller The Marksman out on streaming now. He plays Mauricio, a Mexican cartel soldier out to retrieve his missing prize. We tackle Hollywood’s fixation with border stories and why Juan Pablo believes border stories need to continue to be told. We also debate The Marksman’s “white savior” narrative and why he believes the movie is really a “brown savior” film.

Then I review J Balvin's 'Boy From Medellin' documentary.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Nagano - CLUBZ y Ela Minus

Commitment - Luna Luna

Neon - Patterns

Los Rivera Destino Talk Bad Bunny, Pedro Capó and Why Boleros Will Never Die Apr 18, 2021

Los Rivera Destino are a young Puerto Rican band who are driving a new wave of modern boleros in Latin music. They’ve already collaborated with the likes of Bad Bunny and Pedro Capó. We discuss why they believe boleros are having a renaissance, the story behind how they collaborated with Bad Bunny, and whether they are pro or nay for Statehood in Puerto Rico.

Highly Relevant Playlist

Lo Hice, Te Dejé - Daniel, Me Estás Matando

muero x ti- Noah Pino Palo y CLUBZ

Eso Que Me Das - Juan Pablo Vega y Esteman

Christian Chavez On "La Suerte De Loli" And Life After RBD Feb 02, 2021

My guest this week is actor/singer Christian Chavez, former member of the musical phenomenon RBD. Christian has a new Telemundo super-series out now called “LA SUERTE DE LOLI” where he plays Matías, a clever and openly gay assistant who is having problems in his marriage. We discuss identity, language, fame, depression and if there is a RBD super-series reunion in the works.

Highly Relevant Music Playlist

Delorean - Mi$HNRZ

Quedarme Con Vos - Los Hermanos Morgan y Hot Plug Beats

Disco Stu - The Crayolas

Richard Blanco on Poetry Saving America, Puerto Rican Duo 'Buscabulla' on 'Regresa' and Bad Bunny Jan 25, 2021

This week my guests are Cuban Poet Richard Blanco and Puerto Rican band Buscabulla.

Richard Blanco was the first Latino, immigrant and openly gay poet to be chosen to read at a Presidential inauguration. He recited 'One Today' at Barack Obama's 2013 Inauguration. We spoke on the role poetry should play in our country right now.

Puerto Rican duo 'Buscabulla,' founded by Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo Del Valle, have a recent album called 'Regresa' which includes 11 tracks. This is my favorite album of 2020, English or Spanish. We talked how they’ve handled not having a live-audience to perform to, why they won’t sing in English, how their track 'La Fiebre' is really about Bad Bunny, and how Reggaeton is being influenced by indie music.

Highly Relevant Music Playlist

La Luz (Fin) - Kali Uchis y Buscabulla

Lo Vas A Olvidar - Rosalia y Billie Eilish

De Una Vez - Selena Gomez

Vanessa Rubio Talks 'Cobra Kai' S3, Latino Accents, Interracial Relationships and Johnny Lawrence Jan 16, 2021

Colombian actress Vanessa Rubio, who stars as Carmen Díaz in the hit Netflix show ‘Cobra Kai,' joins the show to discuss what it’s like to be on a hit mainstream show, what her first reaction to hearing she was officially cast in ‘Cobra Kai’ was like, what she thinks of more interracial relationships like she has with Johnny Lawrence, and why she believes the arts are needed more than ever right now.

The Highly Relevant Playlist

Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo

Supernova - Chia Cassanova

Puente - Vale

Camilo Lara's 'Mexican Institute Of Sound' Talks Cumbia, Mexican Racism, 'Coco' and 'Narcos' Dec 16, 2020

Camilo Lara is the brainchild of ‘Mexican Institute of Sound,’ one of the most innovative musical bands in Latin music. Why he doesn't play the Grammy's is beyond us. We discuss the meaning behind his new single - 'My America Is Not Your America' - why racism exists in Mexico, how he collaborated with Pixar’s Oscar winning-film ‘Coco’ and how pop culture will no longer come from America, but from other cultures throughout the world. It’s a candid and memorable conversation you won’t want to miss.

Music Playlist

La Fiebre - Buscabulla

Pronto - CLUBZ

Quema - Sotomayor

Aubrey Plaza Wants You To Know She's Puerto Rican Nov 26, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving! Our guest today is actress and producer Aubrey Plaza who has a new psychological thriller called BLACK BEAR out December 4th. We did a deep dive on her Puerto-Rican heritage, if she identifies as a Latina, does she speak Spanish and if she wants to make latinx films. Also she explains why breaking Latina stereotypes is a priority for her.

Will The 2020 Latino Vote Elect The New President? Will AOC Run For President 2024? Oct 31, 2020

With the 2020 election right around the corner, political reporter Rafael Bernal from TheHill.com, helps me breakdown if the Latino vote is a myth or if it will elect the next President of the United States. We also tackle the question that has been on minds of many as of late… should Alexandra-Ocasio Cortés run for President in 2024?

The Highly Relevant Playlist

7’11 - Reyna

Dias de Paja - Clara Cava

Iguanas - Boca Paila

Maximiliano Hernández Talks Marvel and DC's Absence of Latinx Superheroes, Fighting For Hispanic Identity in Hollywood Oct 16, 2020

This week we welcome actor Maximiliano Hernández (The Avengers) where we covered a lot of interesting topics ranging from why there is no Latinx superheroes at Marvel or DC to racism and image representation. Plus, why he considers Peacock's 'Mr. Mercedes' the most fun he's had on a TV show and the question he asked Benicio del Toro on set about the movie that made him want to become an actor.

Music Playlist

Quedate - Debi Nova, Pedro Capó

Paranoia Pop - Bandalos Chinos y LOUTA

Paraiso - Monogem

Latin Grammy Nominations 2020: The Redemption Of Reggaeton Oct 04, 2020

The 21st Latin Grammy Nominations were announced this week and music journalist, Isabela Raygoza, joins the show to help me deconstruct what the plethora of Reggaeton nominations means to music fans and the music industry. Will white and Black artists continue to collaborate with Spanish-language artists? Plus, Isabela weighs in on who will win and lose on Latin’s biggest night in music.

Music Playlist
Bajofondo - Solari Yacumenza (ft. Cuareim 1080)
Dos Extraños - Cero39 (feat. Soy Emilia)
Buenos Aires - Nathy Peluso

How Felipe Esparza Performed A Historic Stand-Up Comedy Show In English and Spanish For Netflix Sep 22, 2020

Mexican-American comedian Felipe Esparza did something special this year. He is the first comedian to record two separate performances – one in English and one in Spanish - of his new comedy specials 'Bad Decisions' and 'Malas Decisiones' for Netflix, marking this moment a first for Latinx comedians and Netflix as well. Esparza joins Jack on this episode to discuss why no other Latino comedians have done bilingual shows before. what made him want to do it and the challenges of perfecting his Spanish for showtime, and what this achievement means for comedy’s evolution? Will all established and upcoming Latinx comedians take note?

Highly Relevant Playlist

Nuestra Historia - Humboldt

Centro - MIEL

Tiempo - Gravité

Genesis Rodriguez Talks 'Centigrade,' Diets and Racism Aug 29, 2020

This week actress Genesis Rodriguez drops by the podcast to discuss her new survival thriller Centigrade out on demand right now. Genesis and Jack have a raw conversation on the unhealthy experience she had filming the movie, she describes how she put her body through extreme torture using a diet where she lost 14lbs. in 20 days that left her physically exhausted and different. She also talks how the pandemic has had a toll on her mentally and professionally, how Tik-Tok and cooking have saved her sanity, and that day she was told at a restaurant to go back to her country even though she was born in the United States.

Music playlist

Explosion - Adrian Bello (feat. Ximena Sariñana)

Los Chicos Si Lloran - Diamante Eléctrico

Solito - Hens

Host Rocsi Diaz Talks Ellen DeGeneres, What Makes A Great TV Host, USA's 'Cannonball' Aug 13, 2020

Honduran-American television host Rocsi Díaz joins Jack Rico on the return of the "Highly Relevant Podcast" to discuss her brand new co-hosting show "Cannonball" from the USA Network. She also shares with Jack what she believes are the components she has used to become a national television host on BET, Entertainment Tonight, E! and now the USA Network. Plus, what does she think of the Latinx term, and her thoughts on the fall from grace of Ellen DeGeneres.

Music Playlist

El Micrófono - Mexico Institute of Sound

Jungla - Monte from Simon Mejía

Universos Paralelos - Juan Galeano

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Jessy Terrero On Why Hollywood Hasn't Embraced Reggaeton Apr 25, 2020

Dominican-American director Jessy Terrero discusses with Jack his Netflix project - "Nicky Jam: El Ganador". He also gives his views about creativity under quarantine, the aesthetic of low tech vs. high-tech productions, his thoughts on virtual directing, why Hollywood still hasn't embraced the reggaeton phenomenon like Latinx youth has and the stigma of urban.

Latinx Playlist

Ahorita - IVANSITO

Coachella - REYNA

In Too Deep - Katzú Oso

Jaime Camil On Bilingual Films And Why You Should Live In The Moment Feb 28, 2020

Jaime Camil joins the podcast to discuss his new bilingual movie “Pildoras De Mi Novio” out in theaters now. We got a chance to discuss the growing trend of bilingual and bicultural movies, his thoughts on why Jane The Virgin was successful with white audiences, and if we reached a turning point in Hollywood viewing Hispanic actors as legitimate stars.

Jencarlos Canela Talks Netflix, Eva Longoria And The Challenge Of Doing Comedy Feb 15, 2020

On this first episode of 2020, we talk to Jencarlos Canela, arguably one of the most beloved singer/actors in the Hispanic market on his new Netflix Latinx sitcom “The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia”. We get into a deep conversation on why he feels comfortable with white showrunners telling him how to play a Hispanic, how he’s handled being told he’s not Hispanic enough, and why he feels people will never grasp the full impact of what Eva Longoria does to push Latinx culture to the American mainstream.

Jack's Curated Playlist

Something - Los Amigos Invisibles

Atomico - Jungle Fire

Hasta Que - Tatiana Hazel

Is Camila Cabello a Racist?, First Reaction 'Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker' Dec 20, 2019

This is the last podcast of 2019. We will be back in 2020 with more episodes and also will be launching a new podcast as well. We will be announcing details very soon on all of Jack's social media platforms.

On this episode, we discuss the Camila Cabello (1:58) racial debacle with culture critic Mike Sargent over some insensitive comments she said seven years ago. We’ll tell you what she said, what the general reaction has been and will her meteoric rise take a hit in 2020.

Then Mike and Jack give you their FIRST REACTION of ‘Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker’ (32:13) from inside the first New York press screening of the film. Will it satisfy fans and will it satisfy the critics?

Holiday Playlist (31:25)

Esta Navidad - Malu Trevejo

Jingle Bell Rock - Matisse

Te Regalo - Sebastian Yatra

William Levy: A Rebel With A Cause Dec 04, 2019

Actor William Levy has a new film out called 'En Abrazos de un Asesino' (8:02) which he co-wrote, produced and stars in. It’s like James Bond meets John Wick, but in Mexico. In our interview, Levy got raw and direct about how the Latino market and Hollywood once told him he was never going to succeed because of his Cuban accent and how he didn't look "Latino" enough play a Latino. Much of these experiences marked him, to the point where he created a production company with the purpose of hiring Latinx actors with all types of accents, and, to develop Spanish language movies for Spanish language viewers like his mother and grandmother who don’t understand English.

"Jacked In" Weekly News Recap (6:28)

Music Playlist (26:57)

Barro En Los Pies - Polock (feat. IZAL)

FuckHim - Girl Ultra (feat. Ximena Sariñana)

Mala Manera - Juanes

Ana Villafañe Talks NBC's 'Sunnyside,' 'New Amsterdam' and Why Being Real Is More Important Than Ever Nov 16, 2019

This week actress, singer and producer Ana Villafane joins me to talk about what it feels like to be a part of not one, but two shows on NBC (Sunnyside, New Amsterdam), the reasons why she hasn’t returned to Broadway yet, why she’s been so transparent on speaking about mental health publicly, and why producing her recent Latinx Cabaret event for Hispanic Heritage Month in NY was such a fulfilling experience.

*Colombian singer Santiago Munera is this week's featured artist.

Marcos Juarez, Pandora's Head of Latin Music, On Genres, Crossovers, Podcasts and Ozuna Nov 08, 2019

Marcos Juarez, Pandora's Head of Latin Music, stops by to discuss a wide array of topics in the Latin music space, including why most Latinos listen to Pandora for Latin music.

Natalia Reyes Talks Star Turn in 'Terminator: Dark Fate,' Author Ed Morales on the History of Latinx Nov 01, 2019

Jack talks ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ with Colombian protagonist Natalia Reyes who shares how she thought she was auditioning for a maid role in James Cameron’s new Terminator sequel. Little did she know she was going to become the lead star of an iconic franchise! Then he talks to Columbia University professor, author, and Latinx authority Ed Morales, about his new book ‘Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture’ as they discuss why America has embraced the new Latinx boom.

Music Playlist

Lo Mejor de Mi - Noel Schajris

Bonito - Marco Mares, Greta

El Vacile - Systema Solar

Danny Pino Talks 'Mayans M.C,' First Reaction 'Terminator: Dark Fate' Oct 25, 2019

Actor Danny Pino joins the show to talk about his role as Miguel Galindo in the Sons of Anarchy spinoff, Mayans M.C., a hit show that happens to be Latinx. Then, Mike Sargent and Jack give their FIRST REACTION of Terminator: Dark Fate, one of the best action films of 2019.

Can Latinx Say The 'N' Word? Oct 19, 2019

Gina Rodriguez, from ‘Jane The Virgin’ fame, uploaded an Instagram video where she is seen saying the ’N’ word as she was singing along to The Fugees “Ready or Not”. This has caused a social media backlash from the African-community and has also sparked a cultural debate on who is allowed to say the ’N’ word and who isn’t. Shouldn't Latinx say it since many have African blood. Film and culture critic Mike Sargent joins Jack to help discuss.

'Joker' Movie Review, Latin Grammy Nominations Debacle Oct 06, 2019

This week, culture and film critic Mike Sargent joins the show to help us discuss the controversial film JOKER… is it worth the time and money to watch? How violent is it? Is it for everyone? And then we deconstruct this year’s Latin Grammy debacle. Reggaetoneros are up in arms calling classism at the Latin Recording Academy for not nominating them in the major award categories this year. Are they right? Also, after Spaniards Alejandro Sanz and Rosalía received the most amount of nominations, social media accused them of cultural appropriation. Are Spaniards considered Latinx in America? Mike and Jack discuss it.

Music Playlist

Te Quiero Ver - Manu Manzo (feat. Feid)

Freak - Vicentico

Algo Más - Valdes

Shalim Ortiz Talks 'Grand Hotel' S2, 'Hustlers' Film Review Sep 13, 2019

Shalim Ortiz talks 'Grand Hotel', Mateo, Season 2 renewal and every question you want answered. Also, film and culture critic Mike Sargent stops by to help me discuss Jennifer Lopez’s new movie 'Hustlers' out this week. She is getting a lot of Oscar talk for her performance, but… what about the movie? Was it any good?

'IT: Chapter 2' Review, Bianca de la Garza Talks Late-Night Show, Beauty Brand Sep 07, 2019

On this week’s episode, Bianca de la Garza, the first Latina late-night host comes on the show to discuss her new beauty brand, ‘In Glow We Trust,’ and film critic Mike Sargent reviews Argentinian director Andres Muschetti’s latest horror sequel “IT: Chapter 2”. The film is almost 3hrs long. Did it hurt the film or help it? Listen in.

Music Playlist

Tocamela - Los Amigos Invisibles

Es Normal - Menor Menor, Dalex, Milly, Lary Over y Sharo Towers

No Nos Sobran Los Domingos (Versión Bachata) - Debi Nova y Vicente Garcia

Juan Doe Talks 'Bad Reception', Social Media, Comic Book Industry Aug 23, 2019

Juan Doe is one of the hottest comic book creators in the industry right now. He is debuting his first graphic novel as a writer called Bad Reception with Aftershock Comics, a thought-provoking look at celebrity, fame and the dark side of social media set against a slasher-horror story. The opening of the story is groundbreaking. It’s a 10-page cinematic blitz with nothing but words, darkness and blood. He’s illustrated dozens of covers and comics for Marvel, DC and is also currently the artist for the hit comics DARK ARK and STRAYED. Many know him for drawing the still relevant Latinx Marvel 2007 comic, “Fantastic Four: Isla de la Muerte,” which took place in Puerto Rico.

Jack's Music Playlist

No Lo Ves - Sebastián Romero

SOS - Surfistas Del Sistema

Mami - Piso 21 (feat. The Black Eyed Peas)

Songwriter Rudy Perez Talks New Memoir 'The Latin Hitmaker': "I think everything in art comes from pain" Aug 17, 2019

Iconic Latin songwriter and producer, Rudy Perez, has a new memoir out now called “The Latin Hitmaker: My Journey from Cuban Refugee to World-Renowned Record Producer and Songwriter” and in it he reveals how he got Christina Aguilera to sing in Spanish, the pressure he felt to write Luis Miguel’s next big song, how José Feliciano changed his life, and his dream to one day do a musical on Broadway.

Calixto Chinchilla Talks 2019 'New York Latino Film Festival,' 'Dora The Explorer' First Reaction, 'BH90210' Thoughts Aug 09, 2019

We begin the show with Jack discussing the new 90210 reboot with Jason Priestley et.al, he also talks to the founder of the New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), Calixto Chinchilla, about what the festival has in-store for moviegoers this year. They discuss whether the festival should change its name to the NY"Latinx"FF since it is such a champion for Latinx voices, plus he gives his recommendations at the must-see movies you need to see at the festival this year.

Then, Mike Sargent and Jack give you their First Reaction of the live-action version of ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ from Paramount Pictures. Is it the next ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ for Hispanics?

Why Actor Erik Heyser Originally Said No To Starring In Telemundo's "Preso No.1" Jul 18, 2019

Mexican actor Erik Hayser who has a new series on Telemundo called "Preso #1," a political thriller about the President of Mexico who is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Jack asks why political themes have not been prevalent on Spanish-language primetime, if English-language Latinos will watch it, typecasting, if he still auditions, and his thoughts on how he sees social media in his professional and personal life.

What Went Wrong With 'Men In Black International' Jun 15, 2019

Film and culture Mike Sargent joins Jack to discuss the reasons that led to the new 'Men In Black' reboot to get "the boot" from general audiences.

Marquis Rodriguez Talks 'When They See Us,' 'Game of Thrones' Prequel; First Reaction of 'Dark Phoenix' Jun 07, 2019

On this week’s show, film and culture critic Mike Sargent gives us our First Reaction from inside the theater of the first NY press screening of the new X-Men film, Dark Phoenix. (3:06)

Then we talk to Puerto Rican actor Marquis Rodriguez, one of the five young actors in Netflix’s new controversial mini-series “When They See Us” from director Ava DuVernay, but he’s also going to be in HBO’s "Game of Thrones" prequel currently filming in Europe right now.

JackedIn Pop Culture News Recap (1:53)

Music Playlist - (10:42)

Love through the computer - Gucci Maine (feat. Justin Bieber)

Que Bueno! - Noa Sainz

Enjoy Yourself - Charles Goose

Tanya Saracho On 'VIDA', Brujas, and S3 Jitters May 31, 2019

Tanya Saracho, the talented creator of the TV show 'VIDA,' and a leading voice in the Latinx community, comes on the show to discuss how VIDA happened, the pains of writing the pilot while she was mending from a spinal infection, her bouts with anxiety and doubt and the tricks she does to get through them. She also reveals how in a particular Hollywood writing room, the writers called her and her friend Spic and Span, and she opens up about her jitters on not being renewed for S3 before S3 got picked up.

Music Playlist

Aute Cuture - Rosalia

Playa Grande - Sofi Tukker and Bomba Estereo

El Telón - Jenny and the Mexicats and Vetusta Marla

Singer Maria del Pilar Talks 'VIDA' S2 Debut, Money and Music, and Giving Back May 23, 2019

STARZ’s new Latinx show VIDA begins season 2 on Sunday, May 26, and one of the coolest things about the show is the soundtrack. So joining us this week is one of the show’s featured singers, Maria del Pilar, who discusses the blend of musical genres she uses to make up her sound, she also explains the business of being a musician in 2019, and why it’s so crucial for her to give back to her community.

Music Playlist

A mí - Rels B

Solo de Madrugada - Floridablanca

Funeral - Maena

'John Wick 3' Film Review, Univision/Telemundo 2019 Upfronts May 17, 2019

This week on the show, we discuss the Univision and Telemundo 2019 Upfronts with media reporter Michael Malone from Broadcast & Cable Magazine, plus we review the third installment of the John Wick series with film and culture critic Mike Sargent.

Tony Nominated Choreographer Sergio Trujillo Talks 'Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations' May 10, 2019

In an industry of barely any Latino representation, Broadway’s Sergio Trujillo is one of its most shining examples. Trujillo, of Colombian roots, was recently given the second Tony nomination of his career for Best Choreography for “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations”. If you haven’t seen it yet, this Motown jukebox musical features dance moves that are alive, kinetic and spectacular. I spoke to Trujillo just days before his nomination about what the creative process was like to bring the music of The Temptations to life through dance.

Music Playlist

Yayaya - Stella Santana

Don Juan & Cupido - Henry Santos and Anthony Santos

Mañana es Too Late - Jesse y Joy (feat. J Balvin)

Bonus: "After The Endgame" - Where Does Marvel Go From Here? May 02, 2019

We are dedicating the entirety of this episode to "Avengers:Endgame". Film and culture critic Mike Sargent joins me to go through the most pressing questions you might have AFTER you saw the film. We do have to make a disclaimer… if you have not seen the movie yet, don’t listen to this podcast, because the very purpose of this episode is NOT to prepare you to see the film, but to discuss the subsequent questions and future of the franchise and your place in it.

Episode Summary

12:07 - Can Endgame beat Avatar?

15:58 - Spoiler and bullying culture because of Endgame

17:52 - Can anyone ever replace Robert Downey Jr. popularity as Iron Man?

23:29 - Will we ever see an all-female Avengers?

Ep 113 - CNN's 'New Day' Javi Morgado Apr 26, 2019

Javi Morgado is the Executive Producer of CNN’s morning-news program NEW DAY and happens to be the only Latino executive producer in the highly-competitive morning news landscape. We spoke to him about why he believes there aren’t more Latinos in positions of power in the media industry like himself, what he learned from his journey from local news assignment producer to his position today, and why one of the best advices he can give journalism students is to just write.

Ep 112 - Kate del Castillo Talks 'La Reina del Sur 2,' Movie Review "The Curse of La Llorona" Apr 19, 2019

TV Queen Kate del Castillo joins the show to talk Season 2 of Telemundo’s La Reina del Sur 2, easily Spanish-language TV’s most iconic telenovela. Jack asks her being on 'The Tonight Show' for the first time was like, where she found the strength to overcome the darkness and fear during the Chapo moments, and how it’s like to work with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on Bad Boys 3. (2:48)

Then, we review The Curse of La Llorona. But instead of giving you my sole opinion, why not allow me to present to you a more truthful way of giving you a review… a review which I believe to be the purest way to know what people truly feel about a movie. You’re going to want to listen to this. (18:26)

Pop Culture recap (1:16)

Music Playlist (17:27)

Vente - Technicolor Fabrics

Ella Tu y Yo - Girl Ultra

La Plata - Juanes, Los Angeles Azules, Lalo Ebratt

Ep 111 - TV Binging Brazil's 'Coisa Mais Linda,' Insider Secrets To Scoring A Table At Manhattan's Most Coveted Restaurants Apr 13, 2019

How can you can get a table "week of" at the best restaurants in Manhattan? Jack cold-called a white glove concierge and a reservationist at a 3-Michelin restaurant and point blank asked them to come clean on how the game is played. (2:41)

Then, looks like the show you’ll be binging this weekend is going to be Brazilian. My wife shares her latest TV infatuation - 'Coisa Mais Linda'. (8:08)

Pop Culture recap (:55)

Music Playlist (12:17)

Mi Persona Favorita - Alejandro Sanz feat. Camila Cabello

Con Altura - Rosalia feat. J Balvin and El Guincho

Carnavalera - Bomba Stereo y Sistema Solar

Ep 110 - Who is Rosalía?, 'Shazam!' First Reaction, 'Don't Interrupt Me, Por Favor' Apr 05, 2019

We discuss the rise of Spanish singer Rosalía. The NY Times just included her song 'Con Altura' (feat. J Balvin) in their top song picks of the week, and Isabela Raygoza, music journalist for Rolling Stone Magazine will give me a primer on what you and I need to know. (2:30)

Jack suggests 3 new movie releases (19:35)

Then film critic Mike Sargent and I give you our 'First Reaction' of DC’s latest action-comedy 'Shazam!' (20:51)

And one of the things we want to do from time to time is promote other Latino podcasts by inviting them to come on the show and to help expand YOUR podcast tastes. That’s why we chose to begin with Nick Leiber, co-host of Don't Interrupt Me. Por Favor, a bilingual podcast you should subscribe to. (28:44)

Ep 109 - Jordan Peele's 'US' Film Review with Mike Sargent Mar 22, 2019

Jordan Peele’s new highly anticipated horror film, US, is out in theaters and critics are raging about it… except Jack. Film critic Mike Sargent offers his perspective on the good and bad of the film.

'JackedIN' Pop News Recap: (:50)

#HighlyRelevantMusicPlaylist

Calma - Los Wálters

Caballero - Mr.Pig, Fancy Folks, y Bruses

Below - Noah Pino Palo

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Ep 108 - 'One Day At A Time' Cancellation, 'El Espace' From The New York Times Mar 15, 2019

Maria Elena Fernandez, TV reporter for New York Magazine and Vulture.com joins us to discuss how One Day at a Time's cancellation might detour any progress made for US Latino TV shows. (1:49)

Then, Concepción de León of the New York Times pitched and created their first-ever Latinx column EL ESPACE. How did it come to be? Did she encounter any resistance from editors? What’s been the feedback so far? We have an interesting conversation on identity, writing and how she broke into the business. (21:40)

Ep 107 - Sebastian Lelio on Remaking 'Gloria,' 'Captain Marvel' Review, Telemundo's 'Chiquibaby' Mar 08, 2019

Chilean Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio on the art of remaking his own film 'Gloria Bell' starring Julianne Moore. Why did he do it when all his confidants told him no? What did he gain from it? What did he discover through the experience? (4:04) Then film critic Mike Sargent and Jack give their First Reaction to Marvel's first female-superhero, Captain Marvel, inside the theater while the end-credits roll. (23:56) And finally, Telemundo's new 'Un Nuevo Día' star, Stephanie 'Chiquibaby' Himonidis tells how she got into the Spanish-language entertainment business and her approach to social media. (34:03)

Music playlist of the week - (33:13)

No sé - Ximena Sariñana (feat. Girl Ultra)

On Top - Esteman

Illest - Doxamillion (feat. Daramola)

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Ep 106 - Robert Rodriguez, Rosa Salazar Talk 'Alita: Battle Angel' and Latino Representation Feb 28, 2019

Robert Rodriguez, the director of the new film Alita: Battle Angel discusses how it was a happy coincidence that his lead actress Rosa Salazar was Peruvian, how one of the main goals of his TV network EL REY was to find and hire more Latino filmmakers, and if it is the responsibility of a Hispanic director to create Latino stars. (2:22)

Rosa Salazar, the star of Alita: Battle Angel discusses why her Peruvian culture means so much to her, how she had to white-knuckle her way to becoming the star of her own movie, and why seeing Latinos on screen can build viable career aspirations for today’s Latinx. (16:33)

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Ep 105 - Javier Bardem on Acting, Penélope Cruz and 'Everybody Knows,' Oscar Predictions with Mike Sargent Feb 22, 2019

Javier Bardem discusses his new movie 'Everybody Knows' starring Penélope Cruz, the moments on set where his acting just sucked and what he did to overcome it. He talked about working with wife Penélope, he also offers incredible insight on what actors need to do to give the best performance of their life, and what Alfonso Cuarón said to him when I asked why they haven’t worked together yet. (1:25)

Our 'JackedIn' segment, a recap of all the most highly relevant Latinx pop culture news of the week. (19:01)

And film critic Mike Sargent on who will win at the Oscars this Sunday, what they need to improve their poor ratings, and why no one really wanted to host the Oscars this year. (20:19)

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Ep 104 - Director Cristina Gallegos on Narco Film 'Birds of Passage', Antonio Chavez Trejo Shoots a Film on an iPhone Feb 15, 2019

Cristina Gallegos is the co-director of the new Colombian narco film Birds of Passage (Pajaros de Verano). We get into why she’s reclaiming the way Colombian drug movies are seen in Hollywood, the shame Latin Americans carry with their ethnicity, why she chooses to make high-brow films, and how Latina female directors are making a difference on film. (1:10)

Then, Mexican filmmaker Antonio Chavez Trejoshares with us the secrets of how he shot an award winning film with just his iPhone and how YOU can too! (22:11)

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Ep 103 - TV Producer Jaime Davila on Producing Hispanic Content for US Audiences, Entrepreneur John Henry on Helping Minority Businesses Feb 07, 2019

Mexican-American TV producer Jaime Davila Jr. and 26-year-old Dominican entrepreneur John Henry join the show. Davila talks how the new Hispanic content today is being created for general audiences (1:30) and Henry discusses his new entrepreneur show 'Hustle' on Viceland, plus, he gives some advice on what you need to start a small business. (39:43)

Episode Summary

Jaime Davila interview - 1:30

Why he develops Hispanic content for general audiences - 2:20

He explains the formula of US Latino programming - 6:06

Why white Hollywood buyers don't purchase Hispanic content - 7:03

How he convinces buyers that Latino productions are good business - 10:32

He discusses new productions Selena on Netflix and Mexican Dynasties on Bravo - 12:37

Casting indigenous faces - 23:19

Does Hollywood want Latinx stories? - 27:04

His view of the state of Hispanic content today - 29:20

Has he thought of quitting the business of Latino production - 31:04

Advise for young producers getting into the business - 33:32

Music playlist - 38:35

Raquel Sofía - La Persona Que Eres

Aterciopelados - Play

Luis Miguel - Soy Lo Prohibido

John Henry interview - 39:43

Summary of the TV show 'Hustle' - 40:36

How do you pick the people you help on the show - 41:48

How he got the show developed - 43:16

How Alicia Keys and Marcus Samuelsson got involved in the show - 44:13

Due to short attention spans, why are the episodes 1hr long and not 30 minutes - 47:07

Why he wants to help people - 47:55

What you need to start a business - 48:49

Why there's a dearth of wealthy Hispanics in America - 51:16

Lack of interest in business from Latino youth - 54:04

Influences - 56:35

Hispanic role models - 58:22

How does someone with a great business idea get to scale? - 1:00:23

Do you need to know business first before creating a business? - 1:03:47

What he wants people to take away from 'Hustle' - 1:05:58

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Ep 102 - Hugo Balta Talks Latino Journalism, Mike Sargent on Gina Rodriguez, Tom Brokaw, 'Glass' Feb 01, 2019

Film and culture critic Mike Sargent joins me to discuss the Gina Rodriguez anti-black debacle, the Tom Brokaw anti-Latino statements on Meet The Press, and why M. Night Shamalan’s new film 'Glass' is reviled by critics but adored by fans. (1:28)

We also talk to Hugo Balta, President of the NAHJ to help me tackle the bloodbath that took place this past week with over 1,000 journalists who were laid-off. What should unemployed Latino journalists do now, how do journalism students stay hopeful of the media industry and we discuss how he dealt with the Tom Brokaw news as President of the NAHJ and being a Senior Producer at MSNBC. (24:17)

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Ep 101 - Carlos Ponce on 'Jugar con Fuego,' Bilingualism and Social Media and Clayton Davis Talks 2019 Oscar Nominations Jan 24, 2019

Awards season expert Clayton Davis from AwardsCircuit.com joins us to discuss the 2019 Oscar nominations (10:25) and the newly minted Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (1:55), which he founded. I’ll talk to him about what would happen if Roma sweeps the Oscars… will it quiet Latino critics who claim prejudice by the Academy? Also will actress Yalitza Aparicio’s nomination break down doors for indigenous faces in film and TV?

Then we chat with versatile bilingual actor, singer and host Carlos Ponce (38:43) about his new co-starring role in Telemundo’s “Jugar con Fuego”. We talk about attracting a bilingual viewer to Spanish TV, the value of returning to your Latino roots after crossing-over, and why he thinks “Jugar con Fuego” will be a word of mouth hit.

Ep 100 - Alfonso Cuarón Talks ROMA, Nicole Acevedo on Latin vs. Country, Manolo Caro Discusses 'Perfectos Desconocidos' Jan 11, 2019

This is episode 100, and to celebrate, we brought in the biggest director in Hollywood at the moment - Alfonso Cuarón (3:19). He'll discuss ROMA, why critics love it so much and Jack reveals to him his favorite scene. Also, Nicole Acevedo joins the show to discuss her article from NBCNews.com about how Latin music sales have surpassed Country albums (10:30). Then we finalize with Mexican director Manolo Caro who talks to us about his latest comedy "Perfectos Desconocidos". (28:53)

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Ep 99 - Broadway's Michael Longoria Talks New 'Merry Christmas Darling' Album and Mexican Heritage Nov 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks for taking the time out to listen this week. This week we had a lot fun talking to Michael Longoria, Latino singer/actor/dancer who has performed on Broadway’s Jersey Boys as Frankie Valli and many Broadway shows, plus, is a current member ofmusical group The Midtown Men. He’s now out with a new Christmas album called Merry Christmas Darling and I talk to him about how he carries his cultural identity and how it’s shaped him to be the person he is today.

Ep 98 - Reviews of 'Widows,' 'Instant Family,' Elisabeth Rosario on 'The LatinX Collective' Newsletter Nov 16, 2018

Film and culture critic Mike Sargent discusses Steve McQueen’s female heist film 'Widows' and Mark Wahlberg’s family film 'Instant Family' just in time for Thanksgiving. (0:48)

Then we chat with Elisabeth Rosario, founder of the LatinX newsletter The LatinX Collective to discuss why you should subscribe to a newsletter, LatinX culture and why there’s a dearth of Latinos in Silicon Valley. (18:53)

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Ep 97 - LatinX Movies at DOC NYC, We Review 'Overlord' and 'The Frontrunner' Nov 10, 2018

Basil Tsiokas, the program director of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, joins us to speak about this year’s LatinX documentaries and why so many LatinX stories are starting to be made (1:06). And if you’re going to the movies, film and culture critic Mike Sargent talks to me about two new releases - Hugh Jackman’s political drama The Frontrunner and the WW2 horror-action film Overlord (16:09).

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Ep 96 - Why Are English-language Artists Singing in Spanish?; Jose Ignacio Valenzuela Talks "To The End of the World" Nov 02, 2018

Music journalist Isabela Raygoza joins the show to discussabout the new trend of English-language mainstream artists singing in Spanish. Why are they doing this and will Hispanic audiences embrace it?

Then we speak to Chilean writer Jose Ignacio Valenzuela, mostly known for writing telenovelas such as "La Casa de al Lado on Telemundo," he has a new book out called To The End of the World, the first book of a new original trilogy which has been compared to the likes of Harry Potter.

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Ep 95 - The Disaster That Was 'Venom' and Why 'A Star Is Born' Is Top 5 Movie of 2018 Oct 14, 2018

Film and culture critic Mike Sargent joins us to discuss two recent movie releases - VENOM and A STAR IS BORN. One we loved and one we hated. Take a guess at which ones which.

We also give you a quick recap on the most highly relevant entertainment stories of the week.

Ep 94 - 'A Star Is Born' Anthony Ramos on Working with Lady Gaga, Director Matt Tyrnauer Talks 'Studio 54' Doc Oct 05, 2018

Matt Tyrnauer is the director of the new documentary STUDIO 54, which he calls the definitive documentary on the legendary nightclub. We talk why STUDIO 54 co-creator Ian Schrager broke his silence, why the magic of the club was never able to be replicated, and how Schrager overcame jail time to become a hotel magnate.

Then I chat with A Star Is Born actor Anthony Ramos, who plays Lady Gaga’s best friend in the film many critics are calling the best movie of the year. We discuss what director Bradley Cooper saw in him, the madness of his time on Broadway’s Hamilton, and after having already worked with giants Lin-Manuel Miranda and Lady Gaga how he has managed to stay grounded and ambitious.

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Ep 93 - Miguel Sirgado Talks ¡HOLA! USA's Bilingual Strategy, Alonso Ruizpalacios on "Museo" Sep 21, 2018

Miguel Sirgado is the editor-in-chief of ¡HOLA! USA, one of the most important Hispanic magazines in the US. We discuss his bilingual strategy for reaching today’s highly divided US Hispanic, what the criteria is for defining a Hispanic celebrity (for example is Bruno Mars Hispanic?) and why he was at one point hesitant in taking the job.

Then we chat with Alonso Ruizpalacios, the Mexican director of MUSEO, one of the best reviewed Latino films of 2018 starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Him and I explore why he wants to make movies for people who shun predictable endings and why Mexico is more interested in celebrity than its own countries problems.

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Ep 92 - 'The Predator' Review and Controversy, What Are The Oscar Best Pic Frontrunners So Far? Sep 14, 2018

We review The Predator with film and culture critic Mike Sargent (1:17) and we examine the controversy behind the film. Then I talk to film journalist Clayton Davis (21:23) who was at the Toronto International Film Festival and tells us what films have already positioned themselves as the frontrunners for Best Picture at the Oscars.

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Ep 91- Netflix's "El Barco," Sneak Peek (Narcos: Mexico, Halloween 3, Ingobernable 2, Instant Family) Sep 07, 2018

This week, we talk about Netflix’s hit show EL BARCO (The Ship). Its from Spain, spoken in Castillian and Jack's wife will be telling us why the show is so engrossing! Plus, four trailers were released this week, between movies and TV shows, that will be talked about all year. Which ones are they? Listen in!

Ep 90 - Why There Is No Latino "Crazy Rich Asians," 'Rotten Tomatoes' Focuses On Minority Critics Aug 31, 2018

RottenTomatoes overhauled their eligibility rules to allow more diverse critics to be heard. What sparked the idea behind the new ruling, what took them so long, and will Spanish-language reviews continue to be allowed on the site? (3:50)

Then we chat with Latina journalist Victoria Leandra who co-wrote a recent Bloomberg article on why Latinos still don’t have a movie on the level of Crazy Rich Asians or Black Panther. Is it a lack of talent or is it prejudice? (17:29)

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Ep 89 - Latinas Rock MTV VMA's, Maluma's Underwhelming Performance, Can You Bring Food Into Movie Theaters? Aug 23, 2018

Rolling Stone Magazine Latina music journalist, Isabela Raygoza, joins us to discuss how US Latinas owned the MTV VMA’s this year (1:05), but what does that say about the dismissal of Latin-American artists? We also talk about that Maluma performance (8:09) that has left some scratching their heads, including me. We’ll break down the good and the bad of Maluma in the VMA’s.

Then… how many of you have heard the rule that you can’t bring food into a movie theater? Is it true or a massive myth? I called 3 big movie chains and asked them point blank about their food policy (22:07).

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Ep 88 - Marysol Castro on Becoming MLB's First Latina PA Announcer, Rejection and Resilience Aug 17, 2018

Marysol Castro was recently named Major League Baseball's first Latina PA announcer and the first female PA announcer in Mets' history. Before this new adventure, the NY native of Puerto Rican parents, began working at WPIX TV in NYC doing traffic reports, later returning to anchor, then becoming the weather anchor at Good Morning America on ABC, The Early Show on CBS and ESPN. She discusses with us the different opportunities she's been given, how she's adapted to them, the rejections of her profession and the traits she's used to bounce back stronger than ever.

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Ep 87 - The 3 Best Spanish-Language Movies of 2018 So Far, The State of Black Theater in America Aug 11, 2018

Latino cinema is once again in vogue and film critic Carlos Aguilar (1:47) stops by to give us his choices for the "3 Best Spanish-Language Movies of 2018 So Far." And Ekundayo Bandele (28:49), founder and executive director of the Hattiloo Theatre, one of only four freestanding black theatres in the nation, who speaks to the hurdles and solutions the African American community faces in the arts in the US.

Episode notes

Latino film critic Carlos Aguilar recommends: ZAMA (Argentina), TODO LO DEMÁS (México), COCOTE (Dominican Republic)

Reach out

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Ep 86 - Is Atom Tickets the Future of Moviegoing? Disney's "Christopher Robin" First Reaction Aug 02, 2018

Matthew Bakal, CEO and co-founder of the movie-ticket app Atom Ticketsstops by the show to talk about why his 2 year old app is the future of movie-going and why it’s different than Moviepass (1:00).

Also, culture and film critic Mike Sargent and I meet up at the press screening of Disney’s new family film Christopher Robin, a live-action Winnie the Pooh movie and we give you our immediate first reactions of the film (23:00).

Ep 85 - Actress Luna Lauren Velez, "Mission Impossible: Fallout" Review Jul 27, 2018

Actress and producer Luna Lauren Velez who you’ve seen many times on TV in her roles on DEXTER, OZ, UGLY BETTY and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER to name a few, plus her film roles in CITY HALL with Al Pacino, the recent horror film THE FIRST PURGE and the upcoming remake of SHAFT with Samuel L. Jackson. We catch up with her to discuss her new film American Adrift about opioid addiction in a Latino family, how social media has become a necessary evil for working actors and the new American optics of being Puerto Rican in this country. (26:55)

Also, film and culture critic Mike Sargent (Fox Business News, PBS, WBAI Radio) gives us a visit to review Tom Cruise’s much hyped movie Mission Impossible: FALLOUT… should Tom Cruise stop doing his own stunts at 56, what makes an action film epic? and… could FALLOUT be the best of the Mission Impossible franchise. (1:38)

Episode Summary

Luna Lauren Velez interview

Her big break "I Like It Like That"
Rita Moreno
How she you got into acting
What kind of stories she wants to tell today
Puerto Rico
Typecasting
"American Adrift" and addiction
Why she’s attracted to emotionally charged roles
Why Hollywood hasn’t embraced Latino families on screen
Latino writers
"First Purge" and its social commentary on race
La Lupe/El Cantante
Being a New York actor
How social media has become a necessary evil for actors
SHAFT

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Ep 84 - 'Skyscraper': Bad or Bad Good?, Best World Cup Coverage... Telemundo or FOX? Jul 13, 2018

Luis Miguel Echegaray, Head of Latino Content at Sports Illustrated, joins the show to share who he thought had the better World Cup TV coverage - Telemundo or FOX - as well as the factors behind the ratings drop, and why Hispanic teams had a terrible turnout this year. (1:00)

Also, film and culture critic Mike Sargent joins me to debate SKYSCRAPER, the new homage to 70’s disaster movies starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I think it’s the worst movie of the year, while Mike lauds it for how enjoyable it was. This leads me to the question… when does the line blur between a “bad” movie and “bad fun” movie?

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Ep 83 - Carmen Cabana on Being a Latina Cinematographer, 'Ant-Man & The Wasp' Review Jul 06, 2018

Carmen Cabana and Mike Sargent joins us to chat to chat cinematography and 'Ant-Man & The Wasp' respectively.

Ep 82 - Director Jim McKay Talks 'En El Septimo Día' Film, Why Are Hispanics Invisible On Morning Political Shows? Jun 28, 2018

Jim McKay, writer/director of the EN EL SEPTIMO DIA, the film that many top critics are calling “one of the best films of 2018 so far,” and a potential Best Picture Oscar nominee, joins us to discuss why as a Caucasian director he felt the need to make this Brooklyn comedy about undocumented Mexican immigrants having to decide between their jobs or a soccer game.

Then we chat with the President of the NAHJ (National Association of Hispanic Journalists), Brandon Benavides, about why Hispanic journalists are invisible on the Sunday political shows and morning network news programs like TODAY and GMA.

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Ep 81- Best Movies of 2018 So Far and Why We Urgently Need Black and Latino Film Critics Jun 22, 2018

Mike Sargent from FOX Business News, PBS and WBAI Radio in NYC visits the show to discuss the best movies of 2018 so far with as well as why we urgently need Black and Latino film critics.

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Ep 80 - Blockchain For Latinos - Can They All Achieve Middle-Class Or More With It? Jun 07, 2018

For those of you who might have heard of Blockchain, but haven’t necessarily done enough research on it, Oscar Garcia, CEO of Uulala, a technology platform company that uses blockchain technology, helps us understand who should use blockchain, why they should use it and how he believes Uulala can elevate Latinos in this country to a middle-class economy and provide 6 trillion dollars to our GDP.

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Ep 79 - 2018 World Cup Preview, Viviana Vila Makes History Jun 01, 2018

We’re days away from the biggest soccer event in the world, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and we're devoting the whole show to the World Cup. We’ll be speaking in Spanish to Argentine sports journalist Viviana Vila (2:46), who this year will become the first Latina to provide commentary for a men’s World Cup on Telemundo. I’ll discuss with her if her Argentine accent will be a problem for Mexican soccer fans, the struggles she had to endure to sit at the table of a male-dominated anchor team, and if we’ll ever see the first female play by play announcer anytime soon.

Then we do a World Cup Preview of all 10 Hispanic teams competing in the tournament with Luis Miguel Echegaray (23:48), the Head of Latino Content at Sports Illustrated. Will any of them go to the finals?

Episode Summary

Viviana Vila interview - 3:48

How this historic opportunity presented itself: 4:42
With Aly Wagner and herself, why are these opportunities presenting themselves now? 5:43
Challenges with men she had to overcome in her career: 7:54
How she's preparing herself to color commentate for the World Cup: 11:02
If her Argentine accent will make Mexican soccer fans uncomfortable: 12:46
When will she do play-by-play? 14:48
Who she thinks the final four teams will be and if Messi will go back to the Final: 16:25
Her thoughts on who will be in the Finals: 18:07
Colombia's chances: 18:42

JackedIN (US Latino Pop News Recap) segment- 22:06

Sports Illustrated's Luis Miguel Echegaray 2018 World Cup Preview of all 10 Hispanic teams - 23:47

Peru: 25:30
Colombia: 30:14
Panama: 32:53
Mexico: 35:42
Costa Rica: 43:04
Brazil: 46:07
Argentina: 48:08
Portugal: 52:50
Spain: 55:47
Uruguay: 58:03

Musical weekend playlist:

Cuando Tu Quieras - J Balvin

Icon (Spanish Remix) - Jaden Smith (feat. Nicky Jam)

Live It Up - Nicky Jam, Will Smith, Era Isteri, produced by Diplo

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Ep 78 - 'Han Solo: A Star Wars Story' Discussion, Are We Ready For An All Black/Latino Science-Fiction Film? May 25, 2018

Culture critic Mike Sargent (FOX News, PBS Newshour, WBAI) to talk this week’s new release “Han Solo: A Star Wars Story” (1:57) and we ask Mike - if we’ll see an all-black or latino cast science-fiction/space film anytime soon? (20:19)

Ep 77 - What The 'Univision' and 'Telemundo' Upfronts Told Us, 'Deadpool 2' Review May 18, 2018

It’s Upfronts Week in NYC and all the TV networks are making their annual pitches to sponsors with the intention of obtaining millions of dollars to advertise on their programming. We speak with journalist/blogger Laura Martinez, about how Univision and Telemundo are trying to adapt to the demographic growth of US born Latinos, if we’re ready for English-language novelas and why the next CEO of either network needs to be a woman. Then Mike Sargent joins us to review Deadpool 2 and why he thinks it’s better than the original - from its diversity down to it’s humor.

Episode Summary

Laura Martinez on Univision/Telemundo Upfront - 1:21

How miblogestublog.com was created: 1:47
Key takeaways of Univision and Telemundo upfronts: 9:00
Why Univision has a better sports portfolio: 11:40
Thougorn Lahts on both programming slates: 13:51
Why Spanish-language programming no longer resonating with viewers: 16:46
Network executives definition of a Latino is wrong: 18:43
Why Univision needs a new executive team and why there is a disconnect with programming: 21:54
Randy Falco's replacement needs to be a US Hispanic woman: 23:32
Why we are ready English-language novelas: 26:58
What needs to be included in next year's upfronts: 30:56
The dismissal of the U.S. born Latino: 33:54
The complexity of figuring out the Latino viewers: 35:51

JackedIN (US Latino Pop News Recap) segment- 41:31

Mike Sargent on 'Deadpool 2' - 43:15

Musical weekend playlist:

Sangria Wine - Pharrell Williams (feat. Camila Cabello)

Fall In Line - Christina Aguilera (feat. Demi Lovato)

Dinero - Jennifer Lopez (falte. DJ Khaled and Cardi B)

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Ep 76 - How Should "Avengers: Infiniti War" Be Watched, Childish Gambino's "This Is America", "Breaking In" Review, Spam Calls May 11, 2018

Culture pundit Mike Sargent joins the show to help us discuss "Avengers: Infiniti War" and how it needs to be watched to maximize its experience, then we talk about Childish Gambino's "This Is America" music video with over 65M already, a review of Gabrielle Union's "Breaking In". Is it like a Lifetime movie or a nice surprise? And an interruption that detoured the whole conversation onto the topic of spam/robo calls.

Episode Summary

Rewatching (AIF) in IMAX 3D - 2:41
Interrupted by a spam call; discussion on how to stop spam calling - 11:47
This Is America - 21:46
"Breaking In" movie review - 33:16

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Ep 75 - Ariana DeBose Talks Donna Summer Musical, Zetna Fuentes on Becoming a Latina TV Director May 04, 2018

This week we speak with triple threat star and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose who is currently one of the three stars of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway. We discuss the intense vocal preparation in becoming The Queen of Disco, why the show cast women in male roles, equal pay, pansexuality and Hispanic identity on Broadway.

Then I chat with Zetna Fuentes, a Latina TV director who has directed some of the biggest shows currently on television - Marvel’s “Jessica Jones,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” ABC’s “Scandal” and Amazon’s “BOSCH” to mention just a few. We discuss why there are so few Latina directors in tv and film and what can be done to fix it, plus, how she uses her Hispanic heritage to influence her tv work.

Episode Summary

Ariana DeBose interview: 1:29

Zetna Fuentes: 31:45

JackedIN (US Latino Pop News Recap) segment: 29:42

Musical weekend playlist: 55:33

Accelerate - Christina Aguilera

Positivo - J Balvin

Simples Corazones - Fonseca

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Ep 74 - Eugenio Derbez on Accents, Clicks and Culture in Hollywood, 3 Problems with "Avengers: Infinity War" Apr 27, 2018

Comedian Eugenio Derbez stops by the show to discuss his new movie "Overboard," but we really talk about his struggles of becoming a star in an industry that has not fully embraced his culture, his accent nor his stories. We unspool why he’s making English-language movies now after a successful career in Spanish, how he overcame the sellout stigma from Mexican peers and why he believes Hollywood is afraid of creating Latino movie stars.

We also analyze Avengers: Infinity War. Is this best superhero of all time? Film critic Mike Sargent don’t think so and we dissect the 3 major problems with the film and why overall we give it a 7 instead of a 10. I’ll also give you a look at the top headlines in US Latino pop culture and recommendations to 3 new tracks I’ve discovered. Keep your volume up, this is the Highly Relevant podcast!

Ep 73 - Adrian Martinez Talks 'I Feel Pretty' and Perseverance, Allison Strong Talks Netflix's 'The Week Of' and Being Bilingual Apr 20, 2018

Adrian Martinez and Allison Strong join the show today to chat about going at it in Hollywood as Latinx actors. Adrian is in Amy Schumer’s controversial new film “I Feel Pretty,” out in theaters now. We talked why the movie’s premise has angered some women, if he thinks “beauty” is a fact or an opinion, and his #1 advice for any Latinx actor wanting to break into the business.

Allison is a proud Colombian-American actress who has a new movie “The Week Of” coming out on Netflix April 27th with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, plus, she discusses her personal experiences of what acting in Hollywood is like for a bilingual actress; and she reveals the best lesson she learned from Steve Buschemi…

EPISODE SUMMARY

Adrian Martinez discusses his role in Amy Schumer's new movie "I Feel Pretty" - 1:04

How many movies has he been in - 1:56
Why he still has to prove himself after 100 acting credits in Hollywood - 2:33
Playing the game Hollywood wants you to play with them - 3:27
Summary of "I Feel Pretty" - 5:03
Why the movie doesn't use the word "ugly" - 7:55
Is beauty fact or opinion? 9:18
Personal story on people's view of him and his wife -10:02
Social commentary of “I Feel Pretty" - 11:54
How he overcame rejection in Hollywood - 14:10
Why he hasn't done Spanish-language movies - 16:21

JackedIN Segment (recap of pop culture stories) - 20:16

Allison Strong discusses her new movie on Netflix, "The Week Of" - 22:19

How she got the part in the movie - 23:10
What getting the role meant for her - 26:50
What it was like working with Adam Sandler - 29:36
What she learned from working with Steve Buscemi - 30:54
The pros of being a bilingual actor in Hollywood - 33:09
Being "ethnically ambiguous" in Hollywood - 34:32
Challenges of being a Latinx actor during the audition process - 35:41
Her love for Colombian culture - 40:59
Speed Round Q&A - 42:26

Musical weekend playlist: 44:27

100 Grados - Lali and Achal

Let Me ZAYN -

Guerrera - DellaFuente, C Tangana

Tease of Eugenio Derbez episode next week - 45:34

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Ep 72 - Gotham's Michelle Veintimilla on Firefly, Why Identifying as Hispanic is Crucial and Why She Isn't A Fan of Telenovelas Apr 13, 2018

Ecuadorian-American actress and singer Michelle Veintimilla joins us on this episode to discuss her role as the villainess FIREFLY on FOX’s GOTHAM series. She has a solid resumé which includes performing on Broadway with legendary icon Chita Rivera, working in film opposite Russell Crowe, Octavia Spencer, and Aaron Paul, as well as TV credits in “Blue Bloods” and “The Goodwife”. She joins me today to talk how she got the part of FIREFLY, why identifying as Hispanic is crucial in Hollywood and why she doesn’t like… telenovelas.

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Ep 71 - NALIP's Ben Lopez On Next Univision CEO, Latinos Breaking Into Hollywood, U.S Hispanic Stories Apr 07, 2018

Ben Lopez, Executive Director of NALIP joins us to discuss the rock-bottom depths Hispanic actors have reached in Hollywood. What is the African-American community doing differently than the Hispanic community? Also, Randy Falco, the CEO of Univision, recently announced he’s retiring early. What type of person should replace him? Is it time for a U.S. born Hispanic to run it and should it be a woman? Should they look into doing English-language programming? And we also chat about how NALIP’s whole mission is to help Hispanic creatives break into Hollywood.

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Ep 70 - US Latino Pop Stars Singing In Spanish... A Business Move or A Cultural Rediscovery? Mar 24, 2018

You've heard them - Miguel, Demi Lovato, Becky G, Jennifer Lopez - all US Latino pop stars who randomly decided to sing in Spanish. Why? What were the reasons behind it? Is it a money grabbing business move or is it a genuine rediscovery of their cultural roots? Music journalist Isabela Raygoza and myself explore whether Latino music listeners buy into their strategy to reach them in their language or if it stinks of commerce.

“Language - it doesn’t define your identity, but it reinforces it.” - Isabela Raygoza

Episode Summary

-Miguel and Demi Lovato singing in Spanish

-Cultural differences between US Latinos and Latin Americans

-Reasons why US Latino pop stars sing in Spanish

-Phoniness vs Authenticity

-Criteria for being a Spanish-language Latino artist

-American accents in Spanish singing

-Selena and her bilingualness

-Jennifer Lopez first Spanish album

-Beyonce Spanish album

-Music and identity politics

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Ep 69 - Why Do We Like Horror Movies? Director Johannes Roberts From "The Strangers: Prey At Night" Explains Mar 15, 2018

There’s a new horror movie out in theaters called “The Strangers: Prey At Night” directed by Johannes Roberts. He joins the show to discuss why he feels horror movies are such a thrill for moviegoers and why his new movie is different than many others.

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Ep 68 - Latinos Win Oscars 2018: What Does It Mean?, Steven Spielberg's Terrible 'West Side Story' Latino Reboot Mar 07, 2018

Latinos win big at the 2018 Oscars, but will anything really change? We also tackle Steven Spielberg’s Latino reboot of the movie musical - West Side Story - and discuss all the reasons this is a bad idea. Mike Sargent, national film contributor for FOX Business, PBS Newshour and chief film critic for WBAI Radio joins us to deconstruct it all.

Episode Summary

Mike Sargent talks about why Shape of Water was a safe choice by the Academy

Why Mudbound didn’t win one award

After the diversity of the Oscars, is Hollywood changed forever?

Inclusion Rider and strong-arming Hollywood. Will it work?

Spielberg's West Side Story Latino reboot and the foreseeable problems it will have

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Ep 67 - Univision's 'Premio Lo Nuestro' Digital Event, 'Annihilation' Director Alex Garland Talks Latino Cast Feb 22, 2018

On this week’s episode, Hilda Garcia, VP of Digital Entertainment at Univision, returns to the podcast to discuss how Univision.com has planned a MASSIVE digital event for the 30th Anniversary of ‘Premios Lo Nuestro’ airing this week. For the first time, the #1 Spanish language network will simulcast the live TV award show on Univision.com. But will it cannibalize television viewers?

And we talk to UK director Alex Garland whose new movie ANNIHILATION premieres this week, and he cast 3 of the biggest Latinx names for it - Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson - and somehow still managed to get criticized by the press for allegedly whitewashing star Natalie Portman’s character. We’ll ask him why he cast Latinx actors and why it has nothing to do with the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s protest at the Oscar’s next month.

Ep 66 - "Black Panther": Race, Colonialism, Afrofuturism, and Oscar 2019 Feb 19, 2018

"Black Panther" is out and already has broken records and movie myths. On this episode, we talk to three African-American guests: Soraya Nadia McDonald, a culture critic for ESPN's The Undefeated, Mike Sargent, filmmaker and pioneering Afrofuturist, and Wilson Morales, EIC of Blackfilm.com, about the film's significance, the social commentary on race and politics that lies beneath the whole film, and its chances at Oscar gold come 2019.

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Ep 65 - Why "In Living Color" Matters Today with Author David Peisner Feb 10, 2018

Author David Peisner joins the show to discuss his new book “Homey Don't Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution”. What you'll hear today is David speaking about why this book was so important for him to write, the significance of "In Living Color" today, the discovery of talented cast members such as Jamie Foxx, Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey, why an English-language Latino sketch comedy has never been successful, and the reasons why so many people love Black entertainment.

Episode Summary

Why David wrote the book

How race played a huge part in the comedy of the show

The cultural significance behind the show

How popular culture today is informed on Black culture

The recruitment of the talented cast such as Jamie Foxx, Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey

Why the show ended

Will "In Living Color" ever return?

Why Latino sketch-comedies haven't worked on mainstream television

If you’d like to listen to more episodes with this format, leave us your thoughts on Twitter @jackricofficial. Thanks to Simon & Shuster and author David Peisner. His new book “Homey Don't Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution” is out now.

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Ep 64 - Natalia Lafourcade discusses Coco's "Remember Me", R&B star Miguel, "Musas Vol. 2" Feb 02, 2018

Natalia Lafourcade, 33, is a highly acclaimed Mexican singer/songwriter who was recently nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 60th Annual Grammys for her album, Musas Vol.1 (Un homenaje al folclore Latinoamericano en manos de Los Macorinos), and is also the singer for the Oscar nominated song “Remember Me” from Pixar’s hit film “Coco”.

In this episode, Natalia and I sit down to talk about her upcoming album “Musas Vol. 2,” out February 9th. We tackled the question…what’s better… a Grammy or a Latin Grammy? We then strayed into the subject of the music business, reggaeton, Broadway and how that song “Remember Me” came into her life.

Episode Summary

Potentially performing at the Oscars

How Disney approached her about Coco's "Remember Me"

Working with R&B star Miguel

Is a Grammy more important than a Latin Grammy

Musas Vol. 2 album

"Hu Hu Hu" album

Dreaming of Broadway

Music business and reggaeton

Natalia Lafourcade explains her concert experience

If you’d like to listen to more episodes with this format, leave us your thoughts on Twitter @jackricofficial. Thanks to Sony Records and Natalia LaFourcade.

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Ep 63 - 2018 Oscar Nominations, 2018 Grammy Preview, New York Times 'Hispanic Crisis in Hollywood' Discussion Jan 26, 2018

We’re discussing the Oscar nominations this week with our good friend Wilson Morales from Blackfilm.com. We will get to the deeper meaning of how these nominations are influencing our society, and of course, do some predictions on who will win.

Also, the New York Times wrote an article this week called “After #OscarsSoWhite, Hispanics Seek Their Hollywood Moment”. It makes the point that Hispanic actors are in dire need for some needed on-screen inclusion in Hollywood. I talk Brooks Barnes, the media and entertainment reporter who wrote the article about what led him to write the piece and what solutions he can impart after one year of working on it.

And finally, the 60th Annual Grammy Awards are Sunday the 28th and Matt Fish, a hip-hop connoisseur will help me make sense of how hip hop and Latino music owned 2017, and what it will it mean for the mainstream music industry if the mostly Spanish-language song DESPACITO wins Record or Song of the Year?

That plus music suggestions for your playlist and the latest news and in US Latino and mainstream pop culture. Keep your headphones on, this is the Highly Relevant podcast!

EPISODE SUMMARY

Wilson Morales on Oscar nominations and diversity impact - 1:34

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 15:29

Brooks Barnes of the New York Times discusses his article “After #OscarsSoWhite, Hispanics Seek Their Hollywood Moment” - 17:23

Weekend playlist: 34:58

Dont’ Make Me Wait - Sting (feat. Shaggy)

Imagem - Mahmundi

Sunshine - Kyle (feat. Miguel)

Matt Fish from The Hip-Hop Classics Podcast - 46:27

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Ep 62 - COCO's Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson on Multicultural Animated Films; 2018 Awards Season Discussion; 2018's Best Movies and TV Shows Preview Jan 12, 2018

We’re starting 2018 off on the right foot with perhaps the most influential people in animation with Pixar's COCO director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson who join us straight from their Golden Globe win and the first Golden Globe award for a Latino-themed animated film. We discuss why it took so long for Pixar to make a Latino film and if its financial and award acclaim will spawn off more multicultural animated films. Also, we’re in the thick of awards season and who better to talk to about movie awards than Clayton Davis from AwardsCircuit.com, arguably the most tapped in film journalist in the business right now. He was just at the Critics Choice Awards and I’ll ask him how these wins will shape the Best Picture of the Year race at the Oscars. And I stopped by the TODAY show with Hoda and Kathie Lee to give you a taste of 2018’s Best Movies and TV shows to watch out for this year that aren’t Black Panther or Avengers Infiniti War.

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Ep 61 - Vanessa Vazquez from Hulu's "East Los High" Talks Show Finale, the US Latino Appeal and Why You Have To 'Just Do It Dec 22, 2017

This is our last episode of 2017. We want to thank you for listening throughout the year and we're looking forward to another great run in 2018. On this final show, we talk to Vanessa Vazquez from Hulu's "East Los High". She discusses saying good bye to a show she was a part of for 5 seasons, why it never made it to cable or broadcast, and what Latinos need to do to get more US Latino shows on the air. Hint... just do it!

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Ep 60 - 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Review and First Reaction, The Miami Perspective on the Giancarlo Stanton Yankees Deal Dec 12, 2017

Two huge stories that are the talk of the nation this week. First is Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We talk to Adam Garcia (3:45), producer for Yahoo! Entertainment who lives and breathes Star Wars. Then we’ll get to our movie segment FIRST REACTION where we give you our first reaction of the movie, inside the theater with the credits rolling, with film critic Mike Sargent (17:00) from WBAI radio and seen on FOX News.

Then we tackle Giancarlo Stanton (25:09), baseball's freshly minted NL MVP, being traded to the Yankees to create a potential World Series dynasty for the foreseeable future next to Aaron Judge. We talk to ESPN's Cristian Moreno from Miami about the Latin city's perspective on the deal.

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EP 59 - Golden Globe Nomination Predictions 2018, Is "SpongeBob SquarePants" the Best Musical on Broadway? Dec 08, 2017

Crooner Luis Miguel has a new album out titled "!Mexico! Por Siempre" and we get a sneak peak at what it sounds like. Also, the Golden Globe Award nominations are coming up this Monday, Dec 11th on NBC. Our host Jack Rico will be on Megyn Kelly Today on Monday at 9am to discuss the surprises and snubs, but in this episode, we're honored to have as guest, an institution in the world of film criticism, Jeffrey Lyons, who breaks down what movies he thinks have a show at Best Picture and some under the radar films which you should see anyway.

And we had a chance to go to Broadway this week and caught SpongeBob SquarePants the musical. We know you’re not going to believe this, but we think SpongeBob SquarePants is the best new musical on Broadway. It’s a bit genius. Stick around and we’ll explain in detail why we think it's so good.

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Ep 58 - Who Will Replace Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show?, How Epic Will 'Avengers: Infiniti War' Be? Dec 01, 2017

We get to the nitty gritty of how the firing of Matt Lauer will affect the TODAY show moving forward. Who will replace him? Will it be a woman, a person of color? Al Tompkins (5:44) a senior faculty and journalist at the Poynter Institute of Journalism, who’s been in the business for close to 45 years, comes on the show and gives us his choice to replace Matt Lauer. Then… the new Avengers Infiniti War trailer premiered this week and Adam Garcia (19:18), producer over at Yahoo Entertainment! and a good friend of mine, joins me to breakdown why this new movie will be the epic of epics and why DC is on the verge of collapse. And as usual, our recap of the most highly relevant stories of the week (17:30) and our music recommendations for your weekend playlist (40:16) (Si Alguien La Ve - GioBulla // Baby, You Make Me Crazy - Sam Smith // Ella - Alan Rosales, Chel Maya)

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Ep 57: 'Coco' Director Adrian Molina On Celebrating Culture, Guillermo Arriaga On Writing A Good Story, Aimee Garcia Discusses FOX's 'Lucifer' S3 Nov 22, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving! On this episode, we chat with Adrian Molina (2:34), he is the first Latino director of a Pixar and is the co-director of Pixar’s new movie Coco that is currently in theaters right now. We discuss why Coco is not a Mexican film for Mexicans and why it really is a film for everyone.

Also we chat with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Arriaga (18:13), he is known for writing some of the best Latino movies this century such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel. Well, he’s now sharing all his knowledge on screenwriting and directing in a new seminar in Los Angeles. He’ll tell us what you can expect from this immersive workshop.

And finally we chat with Aimee Garcia (34:47), known for her role as Ella Lopez in FOX’s Lucifer. She discusses with me Season 3 of the show, plus reveals the time she got mugged as well as hanging out with Eva Longoria, Gina Rodriguez and others Latin actresses who are also affectionately called - the "Latina Mafia".

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Ep 56 - Latin Grammys, 'Justice League' Movie Review, Gil Robertson on Multicultural Film Critics Nov 18, 2017

We talk Latin Grammy Awards with music journalist Isabela Raygoza from Rolling Stone Magazine. We break down the top categories, the possible upsets, what to expect from the telecast and why some of your favorite stars weren’t nominated.

Also, I review one of the most anticipated movies of the year, DC’s Justice League, with two film critic friends of mine - Julian Roman from MovieWeb.com and Emerson Unger from NY’s K104.7 - as we give our FIRST REACTION as we leave a private advanced screening in NY’s WB screening room. You won’t want to miss that…

And speaking of film critics, Gil Robertson, President of the African-American Film Critics Association joins the show to discuss the future of multicultural film and tv criticism with a new venture his launching called Kaleidoscope Reviews, where he looks to raise awareness of the importance of having African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian and Native American film critics in Hollywood.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Isabela Raygoza on the Latin artists you need to know about at the Latin Grammys - 1:27

On why English-language press has no interest in covering the Latin Grammys
Is a song's popularity a death sentence at prestige award shows
Why Latin Grammys loves Residente so much
Thoughts on Shakira's El Dorado album
The appeal of Danay Suarez
Should a manufactured band like CNCO have a place at the Latin Grammys?
Is Sebastian Yatra here to stay?
Thoughts on Vico-C
Reasons why J Balvin and Romeo Santos were absent from major nominations
The visual home experience of watching the Latin Grammys
The echo chamber of Latin music. Why Latin music needs to share and include their music with English audiences, not share with same Latinos

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 33:55

Justice League movie review with film critics Julian Roman and Emerson Unger - 36:52

The good and the bad of Justice League
Is it better than The Avengers or Wonder Woman?
Overload of CGI
Our rating score of the movie
Explanation on the TWO end scenes

Weekend playlist: 45:20

Palabras Manuales - Danay Suarez

High - Rawayana (feat. Apache)

743 - Miranda

Gil Robertson, President of the African-American Film Critics Association discusses Kaleidoscope Reviews - 46:27

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Ep 55 - Vanity Fair's 'J-ROD' Cover With Writer Bethany McLean, Walter Perez On Eating Good with 'EATGUD' Nov 03, 2017

The new Vanity Fair December issue is out and two Latinos are on the cover - Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, also now known as J-ROD. I talk to the Bethany Mclean, the writer who spent several days with them to do the cover story and we discussed everything from why Latinos are rarely on the cover of Vanity Fair, the how to of her writing process and how she discovered the trait that bonds them together.

And if you’re ever in Los Angeles, South Gate to be exact, and you’re looking to eat healthy food, you might wanna give Eatgud a shot. It’s the vision of a Latino couple, Walter Perez and his wife Briggitte (19:19), him a Hollywood actor from The Avengers and her a business woman, who recently had a child, and at the cost of their life savings they wanted to improve the health of their Latino community and make-a-go of it as small business entrepreneurs.

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Ep 54 - Stephanie Beatriz Discusses Sexual Assault On Film, Arthur Kade On Paco Fuentes Red Carpet Slap, 'Suburbicon' Movie Review Oct 27, 2017

On this week’s episode, we talk to Hispanic actress Stephanie Beatriz (3:00) from FOX’s Brooklyn-Nine-Nine who has a new movie out titled Light of the Moon, where she plays the victim of sexual assault. We get down to the nitty gritty of her thoughts of rape on film and her take on Hollywood’s sexual assault culture… also, we discuss in-depth the Eduardo Yanez and Paco Fuentes debacle… Arthur Kade (19:00), the pre-eminent red carpet reporter in Hollywood hops on the show to discuss his perspective on the culture of red carpet reporting today, how to conduct interview with celebrities when they become news headlines, and that awkward Jim Carrey red carpet interview that everyone is still talking about. Did the reporter handle it right? Plus I review George Clooney's new film Suburbicon starring Matt Damon with friends Neil Rosen, Bill McCuddy and Bill Bregoli on their podcast Sitting Around Talking Pictures.

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Ep 53 - Hamilton's Mandy Gonzalez Talks 'Fearless' Album, Rich Greenfield Discusses Univision/Verizon Debacle Oct 20, 2017

Host Jack Rico is joined by actress/singer Mandy Gonzalez and media/tech analyst Rich Greenfield. Gonzalez (9:35), who is currently playing the role of Angelica Schuyler in the mega-smash Broadway hit Hamilton, talks her debut album Fearless, plus, how she asked Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the title track, her moments of discrimination because of her Latino last name and her upcoming concert appearance at New York's legendary cabaret Cafe Carlyle.

Rich Greenfield (30:29), one of Wall St.'s most quoted media analysts, comes on the show to discuss with Jack EVERYTHING you need to know on why Verizon dropped Univision from FIOS. What can Hispanic subscribers do? Rich offers several suggestions. This is a must-listen to segment if you're a FIOS subscriber!

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Ep 52 - Is it Latino Comedy Or Just Comedy? A Discussion with 3 Latino Comedians Oct 13, 2017

This week on the show, we talk to the star comedians of the new HBO Latino comedy special "ENTRE NOS Part 2" - Shayla Rivera, Frankie Quiñones and Vladimir Caamaño. We discuss social labels, challenges of the comedy business, relationships, cultural identity and the fascination with the wealthy. It's a funny, but smart conversation you will enjoy.

Ep 51 - Luis Enrique Talks Salsa, Discrimination, New Book; Director Mateo Gil Discuss Life and Death In Sci-Fi Movie "Realive" Sep 28, 2017

Luis Enrique and Mateo Gil are our guests on episode 51. Salsero Luis Enrique, who most people know for his global hit "Yo No Se Mañana" from 2009, has a new book out titled "Autobiografía". We discuss many topics from his difficult immigration experience in the US to meeting his mother for the first time at 15, but perhaps the most salient moments of the interview had to do him being discriminated by Latinos, "Yo No Se Mañana" almost being sung in English, should Latinos have their own award shows and how salsa can become #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Then we chat with acclaimed Spanish screenwriter Mateo Gil (Vanilla Sky, The Sea Inside) who has directed a new sci-fi film called REALIVE which explores life and death and whether we turn to dust or if there is an actual thing as a soul.

Ep 50 - Is This The Worst Oscar Season In Years?, HBO's Health Care Doc 'Clinica de Migrantes,' A Latino App For Your Kids Sep 22, 2017

On this 50th episode, we chat with Wilson Morales from Blackfilm.com on the underwhelming Oscar season this year, we also talk to Russian director Max Pozdorovkin about his new HBO documentary 'Clinica de Migrantes', radio personality Yako shares with us his musical selection this week and Deborah Castillero, a Latina entrepreneur who developed a Latino app that teaches children to speak Spanish and English, stops by to discuss the challenges in creating the app and the advantages to having your children learn a second language.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Wilson Morales from Blackfilm.com on the underwhelming Oscar season

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories)

Max Pozdorovkin about his new HBO documentary 'Clinica de Migrantes'

Yako's weekend playlist

Play With Me – DJ Kaskade

Como Antes - Yandel (feat. Wisin)

Future Marches In - Hillsong United

Deborah Castillero on her new educational multicultural app "Care Bears & Amigos in NYC"

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Ep 49 - Andres Muschetti Talks 'IT' Success, 'Bodega' Discussion with Liz Segran, 'NBCLatino20' with Sandra Lilley Sep 15, 2017

On this week's episode, we are psyched to have Andres and Barbara Muschetti, the Argentinian siblings who directed and produced, respectively, the #1 movie currently in America - the horror film “IT”. We discuss how “IT” draws parallels to the Trump administration and the current state of the country, the reason they didn’t cast a Latino kid actor and what Guillermo del Toro texted them on opening weekend.

Did you guys hear about this BODEGA thing that went viral this week? We talk to two woman, one who wrote the article, Liz Segran, and she tells us her reaction of her story going viral and the passionate people of all cultures who went in defense of bodegas. Then we chat with Jessica Ramos, the Director of Latino Media for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who chimes in on the cultural significance bodegas have with New Yorkers.

Diego del Sol curates some out of this world music for us and we end the show with Sandra Lilley, Managing Editor of NBCLatino.com. She calls in to give us the exclusive on their first BIG list - the "NBCLatino20". Who made the list? Make sure you don't miss it.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Andres y Barbara Muschetti talk success of horror movie "IT" – 2:50

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 19:22

Jessica Ramos on bodegas in NYC - 22:00

Liz Segran on her BODEGA article that caused a social media firestorm - 30:45

Diego del Sol's weekend playlist - 41:33

Wait – Max New

Pasión y Vida – Los Angeles Negros

Mini Symph #1 - Moondog

(Exclusive) NBCLatino's Sandra Lilley on the "NBCLatino 20" List – 49:07

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Ep 48 - DACA And What It Means To You, Kids Cursing In Movies, Review of 'IT' Sep 08, 2017

If you are someone who’s been hearing about DACA this whole week and are curious about how it works and why it’s so important, we talk to Caitlin Patler, she basically holds a PHD in DACA, and has written several important papers on the subject. She joins us to explain in detail what you need to know. Then, what’s with kids cursing in movies? Between the Bad Moms 2 trailer and the IT clown movie, has Hollywood lost its values? We talk to Tara McNamara, an authority on family films about why parents have been silent on the topic. And speaking of the new horror remake of IT, we have our FIRST REACTION of the film. Is it really scary and was "it" worth the wait ?

EPISODE SUMMARY

Ph.D. Caitlin Patler talks DACA – 2:46

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) – 15:18

Tara Mcnamara on kids cursing in movies. Is it ethical? 17:21

This week’s music playlist – 41:07

Tu Para Mi – Man de Barro

Temporary Feeling – Hannah Ellis

Glorioso Dia – Passion (feat. Kristian Stanfill)

First Reaction of horror remake”IT” with Diego del Sol – 41:56

Juan Martin del Potro speaks in Spanish at US Open – 49:07

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Ep 47 - Sports Illustrated Goes Latino, The Future of Latin Music in the US Sep 01, 2017

We're sending love and prayers to Houston, Texas. On this week’s episode, our good friend Luis Miguel Echegaray, the head of Latino content for Sports Illustrated stopped by to talk about their new initiative for Hispanic sports fans. Also, as the 'Despacito' phenomenon winds down, where does Latin music go from here? Some say it has a bright future in mainstream, others aren’t as optimistic. Pop culture writer Julyssa Lopez visits the show to discuss her most recent article in the Washington Post titled, “What's next for Latin music after the summer of 'Despacito?” where she explores these questions thoroughly.

We are also asking our Caucasian friends from the showbiz industry to weigh in on Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood brought up by John Leguizamo's article on Billboard.com that really made the rounds this week. Give a listen on what they had to say about it.

EPISODE SUMMARY

A perspective on Latino underrepresentation from our Caucasian friends - 1:04

Luis Miguel Echegaray talks how SI.com is reaching out to Latino sports fans - 6:24

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 20:26

Julyssa Lopez on the future of Latin music in the US - 22:02

This week's music playlist - 32:45

Refugee - Skip Marley

Yo Voy Ganao - Systema Solar

She’s On My Mind - JP Cooper

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Bonus Edition: A Breakdown of John Leguizamo's Call-Out Article and What It Means For All Latinos Aug 31, 2017

Colombian Actor John Leguizamo has had enough with how Hollywood treats Latinos. This week he wrote an article on Billboard.com, "From Music to Movies to TV, Latinos Are Widely Underrepresented - And I'm Done With It” and he essentially calls out executives for being ignorant and blind, he calls out Latinos for being silent and not doing anything to improve the situation and he calls out mainstream media for mostly dismissing our culture altogether. Is he right? Our good friend Kellvin Chavez, founder of LatinoReview.com and EIC of SplashReport.com weighs in on what Leguizamo got right and wrong about Latinos in Hollywood. Have a listen.

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” - Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor

Ep 46 - Dolores Huerta & Carlos Santana, 'Narcos' Season 3, NY Times Simon Romero on Spanish, #HispanicsBreakTheInternet Aug 25, 2017

On this week's show, we talk to Latina icon Dolores Huerta and music legend Carlos Santana. They spoke to me about their new documentary DOLORES that focuses on the impact Huerta and Cesar Chavez had in the life of millions of Latino immigrants in the 60’s in this country.

Then we head to Cali, Colombia, that is viaNarcos Season 3, and I talk to its Colombian director Andrés Baiz who tells me in a very candid and honest interview about how he wrestles with the dilemma of being a Colombian and filming a cartel show that reopens wounds for many of his people.

Also, what is the ultimate fate of the Spanish language in the United States? Will it become Spanglish or will it eventually disappear? Should Univision and Telemundo become English-language networks, should MTV welcome Spanish-language videos and should Miami Latinos stop speaking Spanish so much and embrace English more? New York Times national correspondent, Simon Romero, drops by the show to discuss his new article on the relationship Latinos have with Spanish in the US.

And did you guys hear about #HispanicsBreakTheInternet? It’s a hashtag that went viral this past weekend and ended up trending #1 in the country! We spoke to James Detar, the person who revived and set off the whole thing.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Dolores Huerta, Carlos Santana on 'Dolores' documentary - 1:59

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 12:00

Colombian director Andrés Baiz on Narcos season 3 - 14:17

This week's music playlist - 27:08

Es Tarde - Juanes

Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

Regageton Lento - CNCO (feat. Little Mix)

New York Times Simon Romero on the Spanish language - 28:05

James Detar on #HispanicsBreakTheInternet - 53:14

Jose Díaz-Balart speech on hate and discrimination - 56:35

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Episode 45 - Is MTV Culturally Bias Against Spanish-language Music?, Bomba Estéreo on Spanglish, Dunkirk Review, 6 Binge-Worthy TV Shows Aug 18, 2017

We’re sending our love and prayers to the people of Barcelona who suffered a senseless terrorist attack. But on a lighter note, this is probably one the best podcast shows we've done. We chat with Mesfin Fekadu, music editor of the Associated Press, who broke the story about Despacito not being nominated at this year’s VMA’s. Did this happen because of cultural bias? We dissect all the variables, along with some of our thoughts on whether MTV should start playing Spanish-language music videos.

Then I talk to Colombia’s hottest band of the moment, Bomba Estéreo, about their new album AYO, music and race, coca leaves, payola in the music business, and their love for the street language of Spanglish.

There’s a film no one’s been able to stop talking about and that’s Dunkirk. I reviewed the 70MM IMAX experience with my brother Alex in a new segment I’m calling First Reaction because the review is done inside the theater as you get to hear our immediate reaction as the end credits are rolling.

Also, I went on the TODAY show this week and recommended my top 8 must-binge TV shows!

EPISODE SUMMARY

Mesfin Fekadu, Music Editor of the AP on MTV, Universal Latin, 'Despacito' controversy - 2:03

What made this story newsworthy 3:34
Who is right in this controversy? 9:00
Is MTV culturally bias against Spanish-language music? 11:31
Latin music influencing mainstream English-language music 14:19
Why the new TRL needs to include Spanish-language music 16:44
Will Latin music become mainstream in the next 3-5 years? 19:21

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 22:18

Bomba Estéreo interview - 24:44

Why they weren't into Colombian music growing up - 30:07
Their spiritual journey to create the AYO album - 32:49
The problems and benefits of album deadlines - 34:10
Coca leaves are not a drug - 35:20
How is AYO different than AMANECER? 36:46
Dealing with fame - 37:20
Radio airplay and payola - 39:17
Social Media and music - 41:44
Growing big and playing stadiums - 44:19
Their music and race - 44:52
Spanglish - 46:51
Musical influences - 49:59

This week's music playlist - 52:35

La Que Me Gusta - Los Amigos Invisibles

Slide - Calvin Harris (feat. Frank Ocean and Migos)

Somos Dos - Bomba Estéreo

Lion King Giveaway - 53:30

First Reaction: DUNKIRK (Movie Review) - 54:09

TODAY Show "Binge-Worthy" TV Shows 1:01:51

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Episode 44 - How Will Maria Elena Salinas' Departure Affect Univision? Will 'El Diario La Prensa' Go English? Aug 11, 2017

This week we’re focusing on Spanish-language news. As you might have already heard, Univision news anchor Maria Elena Salinas announced her departure last week and it has left many unanswered questions: Why is she really leaving? What triggered her departure? Where is she going? Does Salinas already have a job lined up with an English-language network? Veronica Villafañe, editor-in-chief of Mediamoves.com and Hispanic media reporter for Forbes Magazine, joins me to discuss her exclusive interview with Salinas herself and what does not only her future hold, but what is the future of Spanish-language news as we know it?

Also, can you imagine NY’s El Diario La Prensa, the country’s oldest Spanish-language newspaper, written in English? I chat with Rafael Cores, VP of Digital Content for Impremedia, about how the paper is modernizing its ways and defying the challenges of its demographics and business marketplace.

That plus the latest in music, movies and tv on the Highly Relevant Podcast!

EPISODE SUMMARY

Veronica Villafañe talks Maria Elena Salinas - 1:23

Thoughts on Salinas' next step 2:02

Why English-language media didn't cover Salinas with the same zest as NBC's Tom Brokaw? 4:45

Salinas' chances of working in English 7:04

Reasons why Salinas might have left 15:39

How will Univision News fare without Maria Elena Salinas? 21:17

Afro-Latina Ilia Calderon as replacement could make a major statement to POC in Spanish news 23:39

What is the future of Spanish-language news? 25:14

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 30:18

Rafael Cores on 'El Diario La Prensa' and the state of Spanish language newspapers - 32:15

What is Impremedia? 33:09

Rafael's start in the media business: 34:34

Challenges of the Spanish-language newspaper business 37:10

How to transform a print business to digital 39:38

Has the new modern approach alienated older readers 43:45

Hispanics use Facebook for news more than any other platform 45:06

Should newspapers disappear and be converted directly to digital? 46:42

Will 'El Diario La Prensa' go English someday? 51:02

Thoughts on New York Times en Español 56:07

Thoughts on Maria Elena Salinas departure 58:48

This week's music playlist - 1hr

Internacionales - Bomba Estereo

What About Us - Pink

X - Prince Royce (feat. Zendaya)

Singer Pedro Capó on become a professional singer and songwriting inspiration - 1hr 1m

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Episode 43 - April Reign on Boycotting HBO's 'Confederate,' How Will Venezuela's Problems Affect US Latinos?, August Movie & TV Preview Aug 04, 2017

On the podcast this week, we talk MTV's TRL reboot and how they need to seize the Latino music opportunity to be successful, plus, we discuss HBO and it’s controversial new slave series CONFEDERATE with the creator of the #OscarSoWhite April Reign. She and four women have now created the #NoConfederate campaign to boycott the show. Will HBO succumb to social media pressure?

Also, Venezuela has spun into utter chaos and the US has imposed financial sanctions that could cripple it for good. Rafael Bernal, reporter for The Hill Latino, joins me to discuss how these sanctions will affect gas prices in the US and if Venezuela will ever regain its prosperity.

And if you’re interested in knowing what to watch this month, I had a chance to visit the TODAY Show with my August Preview of what to see in theaters and on TV.

EPISODE SUMMARY

MTV's TRL reboot and the Latino opportunity :15

The Hill Latino's Rafael Bernal on Venezuela and its murky future 4:33

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 22:11

April Reign discusses her new social media campaign #NoConfederate against HBO - 23:39

This week's music playlist - 31:05

Unforgettable (Latin Remix) - French Montana (feat. J Balvin)

Rollin - Calvin Harris (feat. Future and Khalid)

Gran Ciudad (Barzo Remix) - Debi Nova

TODAY Show August Movie and TV Preview 32:10

Univision's Jorge Ramos TED Talk on Journalism 35:34

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Episode 42 - Romeo Santos' 'GOLDEN' Album Review, Can J Balvin's 'Mi Gente' Become #1? Cáthia Talks Prince Royce FiveWorld Tour Jul 28, 2017

On this episode, we talk J Balvin's 'Mi Gente'. Many people are already calling it the next 'Despacito' phenomenon for its potential to become #1 on the HOT 100. So... can it make it to #1?

We also review Romeo Santos' new album 'Golden' with Isabela Raygoza, Rolling Stone Magazine’s Latina music critic, who also discusses with us her Q&A with Romeo and whether he can make Bachata mainstream in America.

And, how is the Prince Royce tour going? I speak with singer and good friend, Cáthia, who is currently touring with him as his back-up singer, on an impromptu phone call where she tells me the inside details of her sexy solos she performs with Royce every night, how she got the gig and how she felt to sing in her front of her hometown NY at MSG.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Can J Balvin's 'Mi Gente' Become #1 on Billboard's HOT 100? :28

Rolling Stone Magazine's Isabela Raygoza reviews Romeo Santo's new album "Golden" 4:33

Lack of Latina music critics 4:58

How did she started writing for Rolling Stone Magazine 7:02

The business of crossing over artists to the mainstream in print 9:04

Reviewing Romeo Santos' "Golden" album 10:11

Isabela's impressions of the album: 11:53

Why Romeo has no interest in singing in English or crossing over: 13:26

What Romeo ultimately want to achieve as an artist: 17:50

Favorite tracks from "Golden": 21:02

Does Romeo's arrogance turn people off: 22:20

Jesse Reyez and Romeo's new sonic explorations: 24:30

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 27:03

Cáthia discusses being back-up singer and singing solo with Prince Royce on Five World tour - 28:59

This week's music playlist - 40:42

Bella y Sensual - Romeo Santos (feat. Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee)

Sit Next To Me - Foster The People

Edge of the Night - Sheppard (feat. Colombian Sebastian Yatra)

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Episode 41 - Will "Despacito" Open Floodgates For More Spanish Music Crossovers? Tomás Reyes On How "Beyond Food" Doc Can Improve Your Life Jul 21, 2017

On episode 41, we talk Despacito with Senior Media Reporter from the NY POST, Claire Atkinson, to breakdown for me how the song became that big and how much $$ she thinks Justin Bieber made from this summer hit. Also, Colombian director Tomas Reyes, who did an English language documentary about healthy living called BEYOND FOOD, stops by to discuss how you can improve your health by making more educated decisions.

Episode 40 - Best Movies of 2017 So Far, Gabriel Chavarria Talks 'War For Planet of the Apes,' ESPN's Cristian Moreno on Aaron Judge Jul 14, 2017

On today’s episode 40, all our guests are once again diverse and we pride ourselves in that. We talk to Wilson Morales, Editor-in-Chief of Blackfilm.com to discuss the Best Movies of 2017... So Far. Did Wonder Woman make our cut?

Then, we talk War For Planet of the Apes. I sat down with American-Honduran actor Gabriel Chavarria, who plays the Preacher in the film, to talk his emotional reaction of being cast in the film, the time he quit acting, what it means to be an American Latino and where he gets his confidence when dealing with rejection.

And finally, it’s been a crazy week in sports. We had MLB’s HomeRun Derby and All-Star Game, the ESPY’S, The Gold Cup and the rumors about the Knicks Puerto Rican star, Carmelo Anthony, being traded to the Houston Rockets. ESPN’s Cristian Moreno recaps everything you need to know.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Takeaways from HBO's 'The Defiant Ones' Documentary :47

1. Absurd work ethic: Bruce Springsteen and Bono took Jimmy Iovine to his physical limits and that’s where he learned that to be truly successful, you have to live your job or project. You can’t half-ass it.

2. Believing in your work: Dre experienced unanimous rejection for his album The Chronic, but he knew he had something special and after knocking on dozens of doors, he met Jimmy Iovine and the rest is music history.

3. Gut Feeling: Dre and Jimmy always had taste and a nose for talent. They listened to their gut and it brought them to the promise land.

4. Pure luck: This is what you heard Dre say at the beginning of the podcast. Without luck, you will see results with the aforementioned factors, but with luck, you’ll go supernova.

Wilson Morales on the 'Best Movies of 2017... So Far' - 3:07

Our Top 5 Movies

Get Out
Baby Driver
Logan
The Big Sick
Split

JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) - 27:44

Gabriel Chavarria Interview on 'War For Planet of the Apes' - 30:15

This week's music playlist - 50:34

Me Llamas - Piso 21 (feat. Maluma)

Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato

Por Un Beso de Tu Boca - Silvestre Dandong

ESPN's Cristian Moreno on Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, Aaron Judge, State of Baseball, Gold Cup 51:31

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Episode 39 - 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' RottenTomatoes Review, Angélica Celaya on Telemundo's New Jenni Rivera Biopic, Can the NYLFF Return Better Than Before? Jul 07, 2017

On today’s episode 39, we talk Spider-Man Homecoming with Grae Drake, Senior Editor of Rottentomatoes.com, who joins us to review and dissect the new reboot. We think its better than Wonder Woman.

We also chat with Angelica Celaya, the star of Telemundo’s new Jenni Rivera biopic, Mariposa del Barrio, about the challenges in becoming Jenni, handling the love and hate from Rivera’s fanbase and how bilingual latino actors still have a hard time not being seen as real Latinos.

And finally, the New York Latino Film Festival is back from the dead and Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility at HBO, joins us to talk about why they brought back the festival, what’s in it for HBO and can this Latino festival ever become as big as Sundance?

EPISODE SUMMARY

Grae Drake, Senior Editor of Rottentomatoes.com, on 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' - 3:35

Is 'Spider-Man Homecoming' the best Spider-Man movie ever made? 6:49
How 'Spider-Man Homecoming' is really a coming-of-age Peter Parker action comedy 7:44
'Spider-Man Homecoming' and diversity 13:44
Is 'Spider-Man Homecoming' better than DC's 'Wonder Woman'? 15:05
Are we ready for a Latina Spider-Woman? 17:30
Grae's favorite movie of the year so far 20:50

This week's music playlist - 24:44

Ni Tú, Ni Yo - Jennifer Lopez feat. Gente de Zona

Switch - Iggy Azalea

Get Low - Zedd feat. Liam Payne

Angélica Celaya on Telemundo’s new Jenni Rivera biopic, 'Mariposa del Barrio' - 25:36

Auditioning for Jenni Rivera role - 26:51
What sold the Rivera family and Telemundo on Angélica Celaya - 28:30
Gaining weight for the role - 30:12
Criticisms from Mexicans on her Mexican-American background - 34:02
Shedding the character of Jenni Rivera - 36:11
Rivera fans on Angélica Celaya performance - 38:22
Was it worth playing Jenni Rivera? 40:47

Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility at HBO talks return of New York Latino Film Festival - 43:11

Why did HBO return as sponsor of NYLFF? 44:24
Why the NYLFF is important - 47:11
What is the main appeal for HBO to be associated with the NYLFF? 49:40
Differences between the former NYILFF and the new NYLFF? 51:01
Will NYLFF become a content pipeline for HBO? 53:14
Can the NYLFF ever become as big as Sundance? 54:52

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Episode 38 - 'Premios Juventud' Preview, Miguel Arteta's Ending Explanation of 'Beatriz at Dinner', Diversity and 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Jun 30, 2017

Thank you for listening to episode 38 of the Highly Relevant podcast. This week we’re focusing on Spider-Man: Homecoming and how everyone has been raving about how diverse it is. We’ll talk to our intern Andrea Huswan, who attended the press conference in NYC on our behalf and set off a chain of diversity questions that ultimately got us covered by NewYorkMagazine.com!

We also preview Univision’s Premios Juventud with Hilda Garcia, VP of Digital Entertainment at Univision.com the new innovative elements that are establishing the event as the most modern award show in Spanish language TV.

But we begin with an interview with Puerto Rican director Miguel Arteta, who filmed Salma Hayek’s Beatriz at Dinner. It is considered “the first movie of the Trump era”, and we discuss the difficulties of directing movies starring Latinas, the single reason Latinas are connecting with the film, and his explanation on its controversial ending that has angered and even baffled moviegoers.

That plus all the top headlines in US Latino pop culture in our popular original segment - "JackedIN".

EPISODE SUMMARY

Miguel Arteta on directing Salma Hayek in "Beatriz at Dinner" - 2:14

Puerto Rican’s didn’t think of him as Puerto Rican 1:48
How does Hollywood view him from a cultural point of view 3:34
How Puerto Ricans didn't think of him as a Puerto Rican 4:38
How much of the film is about him? 5:19
Is this a Trump movie for Latinos? 7:22
Why independent film are so crucial to our culture 8:44
Difficulties in making a movie with a Latina star 9:49
The secret to how Salma Hayek got the money to make "Beatriz at Dinner" 10:48
How is Salma different than other Hollywood actresses? 11:25
A full length explanation on the controversial ending of "Beatriz at Dinner" 12:36

JackedIN* - 19:10

Univision's "Premios Juventud" preview, Hilda Garcia, VP of Digital Entertainment at Univision.com - 21:47

What Premios Juventud has done to become innovative 23:00
How Univision used a team mentality to make Premios Juventud the best award show possible 25:56
How Premios Juventud is approaching social media this year 28:39
A focus on bilingualism and mainstream artists 33:42
Social causes on award shows 34:56

July 4th music playlist - 37:57

Don’t Quit - DJ Khaled, Calvin Harris, Travis Scott, Jeremih

Dilo Como Yo - Chico Mann

Tamó Happy - Ilegales

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" press conference, diversity chatter with our intern Andrea Huswan - 38:49

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Episode 37 - Can 'Combate Americas' Latin MMA Beat UFC?, 'Transformers: The Last Knight' Movie Review Jun 23, 2017

Thanks for listening to episode 37 of the Highly Relevant podcast. This week we’re talking Latino MMA with former WWE Champion Alberto del Rio, who is now the President of Combate Americas, one of the biggest rivals of the UFC. They’re doing a huge fight event in Miami on July 27th around the Real Madrid/Barcelona soccer classico and its a game-changer for the company. Alberto will tell us all about it.

And we also tackle the new Transformers: The Last Knight movie. Is it so bad that its good or is it so bad that it’s… well, bad!

That and a recap of the top headlines in US Latino pop culture happening this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Alberto El Patrón, former WWE Champion and now President of Combate Americas, talks Latin MMA Combate Clasico event in Miami on July 27th: 1:09

JackedIN: 8:31

Mike Sargent, Chief FIlm Critic of WBAI Radio, discusses why Transformers 5 was so bad: 10:50

Playlist songs: 20:30

-Feels - Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean

-Películas - Cohetes

-Perfect Places - Lorde

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Episode 36: Can Mexico Win The Confederations Cup 2017?, What HBO Latino Is Doing About Latin Comedy Jun 15, 2017

    Thank you for listening to episode 36 of the Highly Relevant podcast. It’s soccer week and between World Cup Qualifiers and International Friendlies, soccer fans are getting ready for this weekend’s CONFEDERATIONS CUP, a precursor tournament before the WORLD CUP 2018. We talk to Luis Miguel Echegaray, Head of Latino Content at Sports Illustrated about why we should watch it, Mexico’s clash vs. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Colombia’s superstar James Rodriguez, what is his future, what team will he eventually play for, will Mexico and Colombia make it to the World Cup?

In addition to fútbol, we talk comedy. HBO Latino is presenting their first Latino stand-up comedy special Friday June 16th and we chat with Mexican comedians Esewey and Monica Escobedo about how they’re universalizing Mexican comedy for all Latinos. That and a recap of the top headlines in US Latino pop culture this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY

Confederations Cup 2017 with Luis Miguel Echegaray 1:15

Vision for Sports Illustrated's Latino content 1:41
Can golf, NASCAR and the NFL ever gain major, genuine interest by Latinos? 3:31
Why should people watch the Confederations Cup? 7:46
Mexico v Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will win? 10:31
Can Chile win the Confederations Cup? 11:45
Has the USMNT regained its form in time for the World Cup? 13:52
Is Christian Pulisic the real deal? 14:35
Can Colombia make the 2018 World Cup and equal their results from 2014? 16:42
What team will land James Rodriguez? 19:12

JackedIN (Pop culture recap) 21:21

*HBO Latino 'Entre Nos Part 1' Comedy Special chat with Ese Wey and Monica Escobedo (Interview done in Spanish) 23:51

How did you get to be involved in the show? 24:36
When did they discover they were going to become professional stand-up comics? 26:40
What topics will be explored on the comedy special? 29:38
As Mexican comedians, how are they translating their Mexican jokes to US Latinos? 32:14
Where do their best jokes come from? 36:15
How has Latin comedy changed? 38:15
What kind of comedy do Latino viewers want to see today? 39:48
What to expect from the show 42:41

Movies coming out this weekend 45:23

Cars 3
Rough Night
All Eyez on Me
47 Meters Down

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 35 - Is Pixar's 'Coco' Too Mexican For Other Latinos? How Did Tom Cruise's 'The Mummy' Go So Wrong? Jun 09, 2017

    On episode 35 this week, we focus on Tom Cruise’s 'The Mummy' reboot which is out this weekend.  I’ll be talking to Mike Sargent, Chief Film Critic of WBAI Radio who also contributes film reviews nationally on the FOX Business Network with Maria Bartiromo, on what went wrong and what it means for Universal Pictures Dark Universe.

We also tackle Pixar’s new Latino movie 'Coco'. The trailer and cast announcements were released this week and we talk to Kellvin Chavez, former owner of LatinoReview.com and now Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of SplashReport.com to discuss if white audiences will go out in droves to watch a Mexican Pixar movie. That and a recap of the top headlines in US Latino pop culture this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY

'The Mummy' review with Mike Sargent 1:14
(@Mikeonscreen)

JackedIN (Pop culture recap) 26:56

Latino film critic Kellvin Chavez discusses Pixar's 'Coco' 29:34
(@Kellvin_Chavez)

What I'm listening to this week 47:11

Everything Now - Arcade Fire
2U - David Guetta feat. Justin Bieber
Pendulum - Katy Perry

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 34 - 'Wonder Woman' Discussion with RottenTomatoes, Alexa PeñaVega on Life & Career, FOX's October Gonzalez on 'Beat Shazam' Jun 01, 2017

    Thank you for listening to episode 34 of the Highly Relevant podcast. On this week’s episode, I have an in-depth discussion on 'Wonder Woman' with the editor-in-chief of RottenTomatoes - Matt Atchity. We also discuss the future of movie critics and what RottenTomatoes.com is doing about the lack of Spanish movie reviews on the site. Hispanic actress Alexa PeñaVega, you know her from the very successful Spy Kids franchise films from Robert Rodriguez, this time around she’s starring in a new TV movie on the Hallmark channel called Destination Wedding and we talked about everything from why she got sick of the LA scene and moved to Hawaii, the ambiguity of non-ethnic looking Latina actresses, and her opinions on today’s use of social media and her place in it. And we finish by chatting with October Gonzalez, the co-host DJ of FOX’s new game show “BEAT SHAZAM” hosted by Jamie Foxx. She tells me how she landed her new gig, her first encounter with Jamie Foxx and if she could take on SHAZAM and win.

EPISODE SUMMARY
Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of RottenTomatoes Matt Atchity on WONDER WOMAN 1:25

JackedIN (Pop culture recap) 25:46

Alexa PeñaVega interview 26:59

What I'm listening to this week 47:49

Baby Who - The Aces
Alguna Vez - Juanes feat Fonseca
Miracle - Cannons

October Gonzalez interview 48:51

TODAY Show segment 59:16

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 33 - NYC Spanish Radio with "El Pachá," Carolina Cadillo, 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' Movie Review May 26, 2017

    Welcome to episode 33 of the Highly Relevant podcast. On this week’s episode, we’ve dedicated it to NYC Spanish-language radio. We interview the controversial Dominican radio star “El Pacha” and ask him about why he’s such a lighting rod for controversy, the surprising reason he left Telemundo’s Acceso Total and his blunt and truthful opinions on Luis Jimenez’s new radio show on Univision. Also, we chat with NY radio royalty - Carolina Cadillo Skywalker. We discuss how she got her big break in radio, the creation of the Skywalker last name, criticisms of her Spanish, and her first encounter with radio fame. It’s an interview not to be missed. That, plus a review of “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” and a recap of the top stories in US Latino pop culture this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY
Frederick Martínez “El Pachá” interview 1:11

Crazy fans 3:15
His English 4:24
How he began in radio 5:20
From Univision Radio to "Al Despertar" 7:56
Why morning newscasts are so boring today 8:41
Personality conflicts lead to leaving Telemundo's Acceso Total NY 13:45
Reasons to his success on Mega 97.9FM 15:24
Thoughts on current state of Spanish radio in NY 16:38
Thoughts on the new Luis Jimenez radio show 18:52
Opinions on what a morning radio show should sound like today 19:23
His religious beliefs 20:31
What people think of him 22:00
His controversies 22:49
Major World commercials 23:37

JackedIN (Pop culture recap) 28:14

Carolina Cadillo interview 30:31

How she got into the business 31:08
Big break 32:33
Her Spanish 33:29
How the Skywalker last name came to be 35:59

What I'm listening to this week 44:17

Nada - Shakira
There for You - Martin Garrix and Troye Siván
Tiernos - Technicolor Fabrics

Carolina Cadillo (Part 2) 45:19

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 32 - Juanes Talks New Visual Album, Shakira, Reggaeton and Crossing-Over / The Latinization of ESPN May 20, 2017

    Welcome to episode 32 of the Highly Relevant podcast. This is the show for those of you who love to live on the intersection of American and Latino pop culture. We talk to Colombian superstar JUANES about some important questions such as why he hasn’t ever collaborated with his Colombian counterpart Shakira, why he will never ever sing reggaeton and why it’s not in him to do a English-language crossover. Also, I talk to Hugo Balta, the senior director of Hispanic Initiatives for ESPN, who is one of the executives responsible for Hispanicizing ESPN. We discuss everything from Latino accents to bilingual sports shows and everything in between. Plus, we listen to the top new songs from Latino artists and a recap of the most highly relevant US Latino stories of the week!

EPISODE SUMMARY
Juanes interview :47

Why he hasn’t ever collaborated with his Colombian counterpart Shakira
Why he will never sing reggaeton
Why it’s not in him to do a English-language crossover

JackedIN (Pop culture recap) 5:24

ESPN Executive Hugo Balta on "Latinizing" ESPN 7:36

Peruvians in sports 9:24
How he began working at ESPN 10:34
Do ESPN executives give him pushback on Latino ideas 13:05
How to make a bilingual sports show successful 15:25
Feedback and criticisms on bilingual show Nación ESPN 22:26

What I'm listening to this week - 25:22

Bad Liar - Selena Gomez
No Vacancy - One Republic feat (Sebastian Yatra)
Crying In The Club - Camila Cabello

ESPN's Hugo Balta (Part 2) 26:13

NBC's UNIVERSO channel. Will their all-sports, only Spanish, format work? 26:13
ESPN Deportes 31:47
Latino accents 33:24

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 31 - Theo Rossi talks 'Lowriders,' 'Combate Americas' and the Future of Latino MMA, 'King Arthur' Movie Review May 10, 2017

    Thank you for listening to episode 31 of the Highly Relevant podcast. It’s testosterone week! On this episode we get some LOWRIDER culture! Theo Rossi, known for his work as “Juice” Ortiz in Sons of Anarchy, joins me to talk about his new role in the Latino film LOWRIDERS! We also go one on one with two of the toughest men in MMA - the CEO and President of Combate Americas - Campbell McClaren and Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez, formerly  known to many WWE fans as Alberto Del Rio, in what I can only describe as an uncensored, candid and entertaining interview with two men in search of becoming the #1 MMA federation in the world. And we also review Charlie Hunnam’s new action adventure film - KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD, plus, a listen at my week’s favorite music playlist and a recap of the top stories in US Latino pop culture this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Theo Rossi interview 1:12

Who do you play and why did you choose to be part of Lowriders?
How much of the lowrider culture did you know before you started working in the film?
There is such a lack of Latino films in Hollywood. Do you feel a movie like this has the added pressure of being successful so more heads of studios feel comfortable in telling more Latino stories?
What do you think is the enduring quality of this movie?
I want to talk a bit about your heritage. I couldn’t find anything on what your nationality is. Are you of Hispanic origin?

JackedIN 12:28

Combate Americas interview with UFC co-founder Campbell McClaren and Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez, formerly known to many WWE fans as Alberto Del Rio - 14:18

Hiring Alberto "El Patron" Rodriguez to be President of Combate Americas - 15:23
What does McClaren see with Combate Americas that he didn't see with UFC - 19:24
Reaching the Latino millennial audience/Media strategy - 21:48
John Castañeda - 25:41
Showmanship for athletes - 31:07
Will Alberto "El Patron" Rodriguez return to MMA for a one time heavyweight fight? - 35:15
The future of Combate Americas 5 years from now - 37:50

What I'm listening to this week - 40:12

Goodbye After Tomorrow - Juanes
Safe - Bay Ledges
Aquel Incendio - Sara Valenzuela

Review of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - 41:07

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 30 - Univision's 'El Chapo,' ViceLand's Panama 'Jungletown,' Reviews of 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' & Broadway's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' Apr 28, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 30 of the Highly Relevant podcast. On this week’s episode, we talk with the creator of the most anticipated show in Spanish language TV right now, Univision’s EL CHAPO. We get to the moral and ethical controversies of getting the show done, the fascination of cartel tv shows and if actors Kate del Castillo and Sean Penn will be making cameos. Also urban millennial network VICELAND has a new show called JUNGLETOWN that takes place in Panama. Why are they there and why should we care? I talk to Jimmy Stice, the man behind it all. That, plus highlights of The Premios Billboard, reviews of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Broadway’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Univision's Silvana Aguirre, creator of 'EL CHAPO' :57

Who approached her about creating the series El Chapo?
How she got actors to commit to the show given their moral dilemmas.
What factors convinced her that Marco de la O could play El Chapo?
Why viewers are fascinated with drug cartel villains
Will Kate del Castillo and Sean Penn be involved in the show in any way?
Why Latinos aren’t being considered to direct Hollywood's Chapo movies?

JackedIN 18:19

Jimmy Stice, Viceland's 'Jungletown' in Panama 20:33

The basis for creating Jungletown?
Why South America’s Panama?
Are Latinos involved in the series ?
Was the Panamanian government aware of the filming and what was the reaction from them?
What are the serious issues addressed in the series?
Why he thinks the way he does about the environment

Review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 - 31:24

What I'm listening to this week - 32:20

That's What I Like - Bruno Mars
Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran
Humble - Kendrick Lamar

Review of Broadway's Musical 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' 33:02

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 29 - Why Justin Bieber's 'Despacito' Remix is a Cultural Failure, Ozomatli on Juanes Collab, Billboard's Leila Cobo on J Balvin & Nicky Jam Apr 21, 2017

    This might actually be the best show we’ve done. We break down the new Justin Bieber “Despacito” Remix with well known Radio DJ and performer Diamond Boy Luis. We didn’t like it and we’ll explain why.

Also, Ulises Bella from the popular LA band Ozomatli joins us to talk about their NYC concert in Brooklyn, the electricity of their live-performances, plus their collaboration with Juanes and Gaby Moreno on their new album “NONSTOP-LA→MEXICO→KINGSTON”.

And then to cap it off, we welcome Latin music’s most respected voice, Billboard’s Leila Cobo to discuss her exclusive interview with J Balvin and Nicky Jam on this week’s Latin Billboard Magazine.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Jack and Diamond Boy Luis discuss Justin Bieber's Despacito Remix 1:12

JackedIN 9:33

Ozomatli Interview 11:06

What I'm listening to this week 21:59

There’s Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes
Lost In Your Light - Dua Lipa (feat. Miguel)
Que Me Has Hecho - Chayanne (feat. Wisin)

Billboard's Leila Cobo discusses her exclusive interview with J Balvin & Nicky Jam 22:51

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 28 - Jessica Lucas on 'Gotham' and 'Wonder Woman,' 'Fate of the Furious' Movie Review Apr 14, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 28 of the Highly Relevant podcast. On today’s episode, we welcome GOTHAM’s Jessica Lucas who plays the villain Tigress and she discuss her thoughts on women in superhero movies plus working with Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez. Plus, my review of the highly anticipated Fate of the Furious and a recap of all the top music, tv and movie news you’ve missed this week!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Jack discusses how television sets are becoming obsolete: :49

Gotham's Jessica Lucas: 3:13

First time viewers to GOTHAM. Will they like it? 3:40
Diversity and how that dynamic has played out in the show: 5:02
Are female superheroes oversexualized? 5:42
Thoughts on upcoming Wonder Woman movie: 6:23
Working with Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez in Evil Dead: 6:53

JackedIN 8:49

What I'm listening to this week 10:28

Vicio - Camilo Septimo
Turn Out The Light - Cris Cab (feat. J Balvin)
Cama de Calvos - Teleradio Donoso

Movie review of 'Fate of the Furious': 11:18

TODAY Show/Ricky Martin: 12:26

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 27 - Diversity in Comic Books, Megan Grassell On Starting A Business at 17, "Amelie" Review Apr 08, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 27 of the Highly Relevant podcast. io9/Gizmodo's Beth Elderkin talks diversity in comic books, plus, a chat on the three key problems affecting its industry. Also, we welcome one of the youngest business owners in America, Megan Grassell, to talk to us about how at 17 she came up with an idea that changed the course of her life.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

A discussion on diversity in comic books :54

JackedIN 14:46

Megan Grassell on starting a business at seventeen - 16:18

How idea for Yellowberry came to be, making a business of it 17:12
Financial resources. How did she find it and who managed it: 23:47
Yellowberry challenges and how they were overcome: 25:18
Moment Yellowberry took off: 27:25
Yellowberry social media strategy: 29:59
Yellowberry outreach for young Hispanic and African-American girls: 31:26
Advice for teenagers who want to start their own company: 32:19

What I'm listening to this week 33:48

Angel - Juanes
Ganas de verte - Humbe
Azul - Mahmundi

Broadway review of "Amelie" 34:37

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 26 - Netflix's 'Ingobernable,' Ben McKenzie on 'Justice League,' 'Miss Saigon' Review Apr 01, 2017

    Welcome everyone to the Highly Relevant Podcast and thank you for downloading episode 26. This week we talk Netflix's Ingobernable, our intern attends FOX's Gotham cast party and ask Ben McKenzie on 'Justice League,' plus, we review the Broadway revival of 'Miss Saigon' and we give you our six spring TV shows you must see now!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

A discussion on Netflix's #Ingobernable. The good and the bad :10

JackedIN 3:39

Intern Andrea Huswan on Gotham, Ben McKenzie, Justice League: 4:57

What I'm listening to this week 8:23

En Direccion Contraria - Natalia y La Forquetina
Nada Que Perder - Juan Pablo Vega
Heatstroke - Calvin Harris, Young Thug, Pharell Williams and Ariana Grande

Broadway review of Miss Saigon 9:27

Our TODAY Show appearance, 6 Must-See TV Shows for Spring 11:03

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media. If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe.

Episode 25 - Shalim Ortiz Talks ABC's 'Las Reinas,' Bilingual Acting and Narconovelas Mar 24, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 25 of the Highly Relevant podcast, which you can now subscribe to via the reVolver Podcast network. This is the show for those who love to have their finger on the pulse of English and Spanish language pop culture in the US. And one person who embodies that description faithfully is my really good friend, Shalim Ortiz, who was just cast as a regular on ABC’s new Latin drama LAS REINAS. He gives me all the details about the show, his cast-mates, which include John Corbett and Sonia Braga, plus, info on his new novela on UNIVISION called LA PILOTO and his opinion on the new television trend - the narconovela.

Episode Summary:

Shalim Ortiz :57

Shalim (Part 2) 18:32

JackedIN 16:50

What I'm listening to this week 30:36
Nuestra Canción - Monsieur Periné
Don’t Fight It - Gavin Turek
Mar (Lo Que Siento) - Bomba Estereo

Broadway review of Arthur Miller's "The Price" 31:30

You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:

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Episode 24 - 'Betting On Zero' and Herbalife's Latino Exploitation Mar 17, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 24 of the 'Highly Relevant Podcast' which you can now subscribe to via the Revolver Podcast network. This week, an important new documentary called "Betting On Zero" hits theaters and it centers on the alleged pyramid scheming of the nutrition company Herbalife. It also chronicles in detail how Latinos have been exploited by Herbalife as well. Ted Braun, the director of the film and Latina activist Julie Contreras also a part of the film, join me to discuss the film’s central premise and the financial ramifications Herbalife’s sketchy business dealings have had on the Hispanic community.

Episode Summary:

Ted Braun :48

JackedIN (news recap) 11:50

Julie Contreras 13:38

What I'm listening to this week 27:52
Pasos de Cero - Pablo Alboran
Breakfast In Bed - Mayer Hawthorne
Mas Que Suerte - Beatriz Luengo feat. Jesus Navarro from Reik

My NY1 Movie Review of "20 Feet Stardom" 29:01

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Episode 23 - ABC's 'American Crime' Benito Martinez Talks Season 3 and Tom Cruise, Jack Hobbs on Future of Podcasts Mar 10, 2017

    Thanks for downloading episode 23 of the Highly Relevant Podcast! This week we're joined by Mexican-American actor Benito Martinez gives us details on Season 3 of ABC’s hit show 'American Crime' and what it was like to work with Tom Cruise in the new movie 'American Made' coming out Fall of this year.  Then we chat in an exclusive interview with Jack Hobbs, President of the new reVOLVER Podcast network, about multiculturalism, Spanish language radio, the future of podcasts and an announcement about this podcast you’re listening to right now.

Episode Summary:

Benito Martinez :51
Why networks have embraced diverse programming 1:17
On his new role in Season 3: 3:36
On his Spanish and Spanish on network TV: 4:55
Does American Crime captures the plight of Mexican jornaleros: 6:29
On Latino directors in television: 7:21
On working with Tom Cruise in 'American Made': 11:02

JackedIN (news recap) 13:31

Jack Hobbs 15:17
Highly Relevant podcast joining reVOLVER Podcast Network: 15:50
On what is the vision for reVOLVER: 16:47
What differentiates reVOLVER from every other podcast network: 18:12
From executive to entrepreneur: 19:36
His views on multicultural podcasts: 20:34
On his affinity of the Hispanic culture: 22:31
Will podcasts be the evolution of radio?: 25:14
Why has radio not evolved? 26:18
On how anyone can get on the reVOLVER podcast network: 31:56

What I'm listening to this week 34:34
Los Amigos Invisibles - Espérame (feat. Elastic Bond)
Pitbull, JBalvin, Camila Cabello - Hey Ma
Jósean Log - Beso
TODAY Show segment 35:30
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If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:

•   Click here to subscribe via iTunes

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•   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
  <p> </p>

Episode 22 - Jose Diaz-Balart on Trump, Hispanic Media and Immigration, Singer Tommy Torres on Latino Crossovers, 'Logan' Movie Review Mar 03, 2017

    Thank you for downloading episode 22 of the Highly Relevant Podcast! This week, I interview Tommy Torres, a former Ricky Martin producer turned singer, who for the first-time ever, revealed to me why he and other Latin musicians fear crossing-over into the English-language mainstream. We also chat with the premiere Hispanic news anchor in our country - Telemundo and NBC’s Jose Diaz-Balart - who was invited to the private Donald Trump meeting with network anchors and reveals to us never-before heard details on the meeting and what he said to Trump himself. That plus my film review of Marvel’s new Wolverine film…LOGAN. Episode Summary:  Tommy Torres :53  How he became a producer 1:15 What differentiates his live shows from other Latin acts: 3:48 How he met Daddy Yankee for the first time and how he describes his song "Tu y Yo": 5:36 What makes Daddy Yankee so special from the rest of the Reggaetonero acts: 8:03 Does he think Spanish language music will ever reach mainstream: 10:39 Tommy reveals exclusively his concerns and fears on why he and other Latin pop stars don't crossover in English: 14:50    JackedIN (news recap) 19:33  Jose Díaz-Balart 21:31  What Telemundo is doing different than Univision to be #1: 22:03 Impact of his immigration town halls: 22:31 How real is the fear of immigration deportation amongst Latinos: 23:26 On bilingual political analyst Ana Navarro: 25:57 His views on Hispanic media adapting to media crisis confronting America: 26:47 Does the "fake news" term offend him: 27:46 Exclusive details on Balart's private meeting with Trump and what he said to him: 29:39 Diversity in general market newsrooms. Is there more work to be done? 36:16   What I'm listening to this week 40:21  Luis Fonsi (feat. Daddy Yankee) - Despacito John Mayer - Moving On Getting Over Frankie J - Not So Dangerous     LOGAN movie review 41:24  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
  <p> </p>

Episode 21 - 'Everybody Loves Somebody' Director on Bilingual Films, April Reign #OscarsSoWhite Creator on Oscar Night, 'Get Out' Movie Review Mar 01, 2017

    Thanks for listening to episode 21 of the Highly Relevant podcast! We have a pretty darn good show on tap for you this week. We interview the female director of the hit bilingual film Everybody Loves Somebody, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, about creating bilingual and bicultural cinema for a new generation of US Hispanics. Also, the Oscars are this Sunday and who better to talk to about the state of multiculturalism at the Academy Awards than April Reign, the creator of the #OscarsSoWhite movement, plus, my review of Jordan Peele’s black horror film "Get Out".  Episode Summary:  Catalina Aguilar Mastretta on bilingual movies 1:44 JackedIN (news recap) 16:22 April Reign on Oscar night 18:35 What I'm listening to this week 30:19 'Get Out' movie review 31:33  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
  <p> </p>

Episode 20 - An Interview with Director Gore Verbinski (A Cure For Wellness) Feb 20, 2017

    Welcome to episode 20 of 'The Highly Relevant Podcast'. Filmmaker Gore Verbinski won an Academy Award for the cerebral and highbrow animated film RANGO and has enjoyed tremendous success as the director of the Hollywood blockbuster franchise PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, but it’s his latest psychological thriller - A CURE FOR WELLNESS that has many people remembering his earlier acclaimed remake of THE RING.   You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 19 - Ice Cube on Hit Movies, Jesse y Joy on Bilingual Music, Carrie Keagan on Cursing with Celebrities Feb 20, 2017

    Welcome to episode 19 of the "Highly Relevant" podcast! Our friend Carrie Keagan (26:00), host of Bravo After Hours, stops by the podcast to promote her new book "Everybody Curses I Swear," Ice Cube (1:20) joins me to discuss his new high school movie "Fist Fight". We also talk a bit about the American educational system, why raunch comedies aren’t offensive to people anymore and his secret to making hit movies. And if you like Latin pop music, you probably have heard of the Mexican brother/sister duo - Jesse y Joy (8:14). They have a new self-titled bilingual album and we chatted at length about bilingualism in music and in this country. It’s a great show, so put your headphones on or if you’re listening in your car, crank it up. Episode Summary:  Ice Cube 1:20 Jesse y Joy 8:14 Carrie Keagan 26:00  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 18 - Trump v Mexico, Oscar Nominations, Latino Actors Jan 31, 2017

    This week, I breakdown the Oscar nominations with NY1's film critic Neil Rosen (:55). We’ll talk snubs and surprises and go over the top categories. Also, I’ll tackle the lack of visibility of Latinos in Hollywood films with my good friend and film contributor on The Insider and Entertainment Tonight, Tara McNamara (29:30). Why are we so invisible when we should also be at the forefront of film and pop culture? And finally, I discuss Trump, the wall, our new Mexico feud and sanctuary cities with The Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler (20:41). Will cities abide by the new immigrant proposals? Miami already has and that is bad news for Latinos. Episode Summary:  NY1's Neil Rosen on Oscar nominations :55 The Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler on Trump/Mexico feud 20:41 Tara McNamara on how Latino actors need to get outraged 29:30  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 17 - Trump vs. The Media: It's War!, Obama Post-Presidency, Most Anticipated Movies/TV Shows 2017 Jan 18, 2017

    In our 17th episode, we tackle the lunacy of what was the Donald Trump news conference this week with The Atlantic’s David Graham. From Trump’s harsh comments of CNN and Buzzfeed, what will be the future of these media organizations in the next 4 years? We also discuss Barack Obama’s Farewell Speech with Salon.com’s Chauncey DeVega and his article “Farewell, my black president”. He was there at the event and we’ll discuss if history will vindicate Obama’s legacy, will Donald Trump destroy it or will Obama stay politically active and defend it? And what are the most anticipated movies and tv shows of 2017? I’ll share with you the list on announced on the TODAY show. Episode Summary:  The Atlantic’s David Graham on Trump vs Media 1:15 Salon.com’s Chauncey DeVega on Obama Farewell Speech 7:30 Most Anticipated Movies and TV Shows 2017 26:45  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 16 - Megyn Kelly to NBC, Zootopia, Movie Talk with Kellvin Chavez Jan 06, 2017

    Happy New Year! On this first show of 2017, we tackle the Megan Kelly departure from FoxNews to NBC and its overall impact in the media industry with Rachel Stockman (1:15) of the media website Mediaite.com. We also catch up with Zootopia’s director and producer Rich Moore and Clark Spencer (7:30) to discuss the creative power and appeal of the film, as well as the details on how they managed to lure superstar Shakira to perform on the soundtrack. And finally, we shoot the breeze with our good friend Kellvin Chavez (26:45), founder of the movie website LatinoReview.com. We cover everything from the Golden Globes, today’s digital movie culture to fraudulent movie trailers.    Episode Summary:  Rachel Stockman on Megyn Kelly 1:15 Rich Moore and Clark Spencer on Zootopia 7:30 Kellvin Chavez on movies 26:45    You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 15 - A Discussion on the 3 Best Movies of 2016 Dec 31, 2016

    Christmas is here and instead of repeating a show, why not give you an original episode based upon 3 marvelous films. Joining me to discuss them is Mike Sargeant from WBAI and seen on FOX News and Lisa Rosman from NY1. The movies are La La Land (3:14), Moonlight (7:15) and Arrival (17:55). We also chat a bit about Martin Scorsese's Silence, Birth of a Nation and diversity in Hollywood.  Episode Summary:  Silence :48 La La Land 3:14 Moonlight 7:15 Birth of a Nation 10:00 Arrival 17:55 Nocturnal Animals 22:16 Best Actress 2016 22:38  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 14 - Fake News, Rogue One, Golden Globe/SAG Nominations Dec 18, 2016

    On this episode 14 of the Highly Relevant podcast, we’re reintroducing some pop culture elements back into the show, but I’m keeping politics because Donald Trump has blurred the lines of the affairs of the state and entertainment. No one seems to know what’s what anymore? Regardless, many things have happened in entertainment this week such as the Golden Globes/SAG/Grammy nominations as well as the arrival of “Star Wars: Rogue One” in theaters worth talking about plus more. I’ll chat with my good friend Adam Garcia, Yahoo Editor and author of The Green Lama novels about what you can expect for your money (1:18). And what’s the required reading and viewing to understand where we are in America today? Well, I suggest a book and a documentary for you to see and read to familiarize yourself with the rust belt of pour nation and race history in our country (25:05). Plus, we speak with Oliver Darcy from BusinessInsider.com about arguably the most talked about topic in media - FAKE NEWS. What do you have to do to not get fooled? (18:58) Episode Summary:  Adam García on Rogue One 1:18 Jacked IN 17:25 Oliver Darcy on Fake News 18:58 Require Reading: Hillbilly Elegy, 13th 25:05  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 13 - Trump: Twitter Dangers, Conflict of Interests and Cuba Dec 02, 2016

    On this 13th episode we discuss Trump and his pugnacious relationship with the media. We’ll specifically focus on how Twitter has not only become Trump’s best friend, but a transformative tool for politicians. How will journalists confront this new media evolution. I speak to Eli Stokols (1:45), a national politics reporter for Politico.com about this very topic. Also, should liberal Americans really be worried about Donald Trump’sconflict of interests with businesses and the Oval Office?  How will it affect their lives? Alex Shepard (15:12), news editor at The New Republic gives us insights on what could go wrong. And finally, Fidel Castro died this past week and Trump has already vowed to terminate the Cuba/US relations if he doesn’t get what he wants from them. Spanish director Olatz Pérez Garmendia (22:26), who’s new HBO documentary about Cuba is out this week, weighs in on the harm of Trump ending the new alliance. Episode Summary:  Eli Stokols from Politico.com, Twitter, Media and Trump 1:45 Alex Shepard from The New Republic, Conflict of Interests 15:12 Olatz Pérez Garmendia, Cuba 22:26  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 12 - Trump as President... How Do We Move Forward? Nov 18, 2016

    In this episode I chat with Sean Braswell (2:18), a Senior Writer at OZY.com, to take me through who he thinks are the top political contenders poised to challenge Trump in 2020; and are we officially now in the “Age of the Celebrity Presidents”? With The Rock now also interested in becoming President, how serious do we take our celebrity’s political ambitions moving forward? Also, is the psychology of America shifting to the 60’s culture wars? What is the future of multiculturalism in America and what is our role in it? VOX.com writer Sean Illing (11:33) explains the complexities in maintaining a multiethnic democracy. I will then be joined by reporter Oliver Staley (21:56) from the business website QUARTZ to illustrate the potential threat to corporate workplace inclusion under the Trump administration. And we end with same-sex marriage attorney and Trump supporter Brad Berfas (30:42) about the realistic outlook at Trump nullifying same-sex marriages.  Episode Summary:  Sean Braswell, Age of the Celebrity Presidents 2:18 Sean Illing, Multiethnic Democracies 11:33 Oliver Staley, End of Workforce Inclusion 21:56 Brad Berfas, Same-Sex Marriage Nullifications 30:42  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 11 - The Impact Of A Donald Trump Presidency Nov 11, 2016

    Welcome everyone to the 11th episode of the Highly Relevant podcast. It’s a new day, a new United State of America and happy pop culture escapism is taking a back seat on this episode as I want to use this forum to talk about the reality of a Trump Presidency. People are upset. Half of America is protesting in the streets across the nation and there’s this feeling of hopeless that has seeped into half of the country. The only way to get passed this is by opening the right channels of conversation, by asking direct, but honest questions that you won’t hear from particular news networks. Think of this platform as an alternative voice to legacy media, a place where YOUR voice does matter, especially right now. In today’s episode we are speaking to an wide array of people such as Glenn Albright (11:26) a clinical psychologist about the malaise that many people are feeling at this moment. What is it and how do we recover from it? I also chat with reporter Alex Emmons (21:30) from the news website The Intercept about his article THE NIGHTMARE PRESIDENT - how bad does he think America will be under Trump? I then chat with Debbye Turner Bell (28:10), an African-American journalist and mother about her view of the media right now and what she’s telling her children of this new future. And finally, I interview Jessica Reyes, a Latina Trump Supporter (2:38), whose answers will make you rethink about the “so-called unity” of Latinos in the United States today. Episode Summary:  Jessica Reyes, a Latina Trump Supporter 2:38 Glenn Albright, Psychologist 11:26 Alex Emmons, The Intercept 21:30 Journalist Debbye Turner Bell: 28:10  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 10 - FX Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry Reacts To Donald Glover 'Han Solo' Casting News Oct 29, 2016

    On this 10th episode, I chat with the one and only Brian Tyree Henry (a.k.a. Paper Boi) of one the most acclaimed TV shows on right now - FX’s ATLANTA. We discuss everything from the reasons why the show is resonating with viewers, the new golden age of black pop culture, his affinity to Latino culture, why Broadway still lacks diversity compared to film and TV and a passionate discussion on why the use of the ’N’ word in today’s arts and culture landscape is okay with him. That plus a look at why the website Quartz decided to create a Spanish language newsletter with its senior editor Gideon Lichfield as well as horror film recommendations for this Halloween.
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Episode 9 - Should Tom Cruise Still Be Making Action Films?, 'Queen Sugar,' Broadway's 'Holiday Inn' Oct 21, 2016

    On this ninth episode, I talk about Tom Cruise’s new movie 'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' with my good friend Mike Sargeant as we tackle Tom’s career, his longevity and our opinions on why he doesn’t seem to want to collaborate with another A-List actor (3:20). We also review Broadway's new family feel-good musical Holiday Inn (24:46) as well as take a look at Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar (21:34), and I ask a New Yorker what he’s seeing, listening and downloading (27:43), plus, we recap the most important pop culture news you might have missed this week. Episode Summary:  Tom Cruise chat with Mike Sargeant 3:20 Jackie Hernandez tells me why she likes OWN's 'Queen Sugar' 21:34 Jacked IN 22:50 Broadway review of 'Holiday Inn' 24:46 Preview of Jorge Ramos's 'Hate Rising' documentary 25:52 Robin the Super gives us his pop culture preferences: 27:43  You'd like to give us your feedback or get a shout-out? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 8 - David Zayas on 'The Lennon Report,' Kent Jones on NYFF, Linda Ong on the Future of Hispanic TV Oct 16, 2016

    On this eighth episode, I welcome one of the quintessential NY Latino character actors in Hollywood, David Zayas (1:17). We converse about his new movie “The Lennon Report”, his lack of desire to be the star in movies and which stories he thinks Latinos should be writing about for Hollywood. Also, the NYFF begins this weekend and I spoke to Kent Jones (14:30), the director of the festival himself, to share his must-see movies, what we can expect from Pedro Almodovar’s new film Julieta and why there’s such an absence of US born Hispanic directors in cinema today. And ADVERTISING WEEK has hit NYC and I decided to speak with one of the great minds in multicultural marketing, Linda Ong (23:20), the CEO and Founder of TruthCo. about the future of Hispanic television. What language will it be in? What kind of programming will be on it? That and a recap of all the best pop culture stories that you might’ve missed this week.‘Highly Relevant’ Podcast Ep. 7   Episode Summary:  David Zayas 1:17 Pop News 11:47 Kent Jones 14:30 New Movie Releases and TV recommendations 21:15 Linda Ong 23:20  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 7 - Mark Consuelos On Breaking Hispanic Stereotypes, Anthony Mendez On Emmy Love, Tanzina Vega On Media Diversity Sep 23, 2016

    In this seventh episode, actor Mark Consuelos (1:27), whose new show PITCH premiered this week on FOX, talks to me about what it’s like to co-host with his wife, "Live with Kelly Ripa," the most coveted seat in morning television right now, plus, his opinion on whether he feels more Hispanic or American, and his answer on what his favorite album is… will leave you crying.  I also caught up with Jane The Virgin’s Latin Lover, two-time Emmy nominated voice narrator Anthony Mendez (14:21) tells me what his second Emmy nomination meant to him, his involvement with Disney’s first Latina Princess and why his decision to leave the NY area for Hollywood was a tough one. And finally, have you ever wondered why there are barely any people of color on-air and off in national newsrooms today? Is it management or is it us? What can we do to fix it? I discuss this important matter with former NY Times and current CNN digital reporter on race and inequality Tanzina Vega (38:53) on the tribulations of being a minority in the media industry today. That and a recap of all the best pop culture stories   that you might’ve missed this week. Episode Summary:  Mark Consuelos 1:27 Pop News 11:17 Jane the Virgin's Anthony Mendez 14:21 Fox's PITCH review 37:00 CNN's Tanzina Vega 38:53  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 6 - Rafael Amaya on Narco Novelas and Crossing Over, Enrique Santos Chairman of iHeart Latino Sep 16, 2016

    In this sixth episode of “Highly Relevant,” we have two of the biggest names in Hispanic entertainment: Rafael Amaya (1:05), the star of “El Señor De Los Cielos,” Telemundo’s #1 novela in the country and arguably the most famous actor in telenovelas right now. He’s here  to discuss his crossover move to USA’s The Queen of the South, bilingual TV viewership and the reasons narco-novelas are the hottest thing going in television right now.  Also joining us is Enrique Santos (15:21), a tour de force Latin radio jock who departed Univision Radio to take on the one of the biggest roles in the radio industry. What is that new role, why did he leave, what are his opinions on podcasts and music streaming services and his answer on which is best language to reach Hispanics on radio… that plus all the top bicultural stories in pop culture (12:45) that you might’ve missed this week. Episode Summary:  Rafael Amaya 1:05 Pop News 12:45 Enrique Santos 15:21 Emmy's / TODAY show 35:00 Movie Previews 36:00  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher  
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Episodio 5 - Cristy Marrero de HOLA! USA, Kika Rocha habla sobre NY Fashion Week Sep 09, 2016

    En este quinto episodio de HIGHLY RELEVANT he decidido hacerlo completamente en español en celebración del mes de la Herencia Hispana. Dejenme saber que les parece. Tuve el placer de conversar con Cristy Marrero, la VicePresidenta Editorial de la nueva revista HOLA! USA para platicar sobre la demora de la revista al mercado estadounidense y la decisión en publicarla en español e ingles. Además, New York Fashion Week llega a la Gran Manzana y la celebre periodista de moda, Kika Rocha, me explica la importancia del evento, las razones por su inaccesibilidad y cuales diseñadores latinos debemos de estar atentos. Eso y un resumen de las noticias culturales más importantes de la semana.   Resumen del episodio: Cristy Marrero: 1:05 Noticias de entretenimiento: 20:44 Kika Rocha: 23:38 Crítica de la película SULLY: 34:21  ¿Deseas darnos su opinión? Envíanos un correo electrónico a highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com y ayudar a correr la voz en las redes sociales: Twitter Facebook Instagram Si te ha gustado este episodio de la cabeza de más a iTunes y la amabilidad de dejarnos un grado, una revisión y suscribirse!   Maneras de suscribirse a Highly Relevant con Jack Rico:  • Haga clic aquí para suscribirse a través de iTunes • Haga clic aquí para suscribirse a través de Spotify • También puede suscribirse a través de Stitcher
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Episode 4 - Willie Geist on the Art of Interviewing, Juan Gabriel and Gene Wilder, Director Richard Tanne from 'Southside With You,' Fall Movie Preview Sep 02, 2016

    In this 4th episode, I have the distinct pleasure of speaking with none other than Willie Geist (1:05), one of NBC News’ biggest stars and one of the most likable men on morning television. We discuss his new SUNDAY TODAY show, soccer in America, hip-hop and the art of interviewing amongst other interesting subjects. And if you haven’t seen the Obama’s “first date” movie SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU, I have its director Richard Tanne (26:30) to talk about the inspiration in making this movie, John Legend’s involvement and if the Obama’s have already really seen the film. Did they like it? Do you love movies, get ready to see Hollywood’s best films of the year at a theater near you. Notable NY film critic and my good friend Wilson Morales (43:40) joins me to do my “Fall Movie Preview” as we select our must-see films. That and a recap of the most important bicultural pop culture news you might’ve missed this week! Episode Summary:  Willie Geist :1:05 Juan Gabriel and Gene Wilder audio homage :23:46 Richard Tanne :26:30 Bicultural Pop Culture Recap :40:58 NY1 Movie Review of "The Sea of Trees" :43:00 Fall Movie Preview with Wilson Morales :43:40 Personal Recommendations on TV including TODAY show appearance :1:02:52  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 3 - Angie Romero on the State of Latin Music, Fede Alvarez on Horror Movies, Jim Shearer on the VMA's Aug 26, 2016

    In this third episode, Angie Romero, the Senior Editor of US Latin Content Programming at Spotify (1:10) joins the podcast to discuss the evolution and the globalization of the reggaeton sound today. Also why is the best Spanish-language music right now not being played on radio? We share our favorite Latin artists and Spotify playlists you should really be listening to, plus, our opinion on why Luis Miguel hasn't evolved his music in 20 years. We also had a chance to catch up with the director of the new horror film DON'T BREATHE, Uruguayan Fede Alvarez (14:06), on why it’s so difficult to do an original horror film and why he declined to direct Marvel’s Doctor Strange.  And Jim Shearer, former VH1 and MTV2 VJ (18:50) comes on the show to discuss whether the MTV VMA's are even relevant anymore.  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Sneak Peek at Episode 3 of 'Highly Relevant with Jack Rico' Aug 24, 2016

    It's the midweek and we wanted to get you pumped up for the great show we'll have in store for you this Friday, August 26. Angie Romero from Spotify Latino, Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez from his new horror film 'Don't Breathe' and Jim Shearer, former MTV2 and VH1 VJ stops by to discuss the VMA's this Sunday.  You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 2 - Nick Lachey, WWE Summer Slam, Netflix's 'The Get Down' Aug 19, 2016

    In this second episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with none other than singer/producer and host Nick Lachey (1:13) about headlining this summer’s MY2K Tour with 98Degrees, as well as taking a journey behind the artists and albums that served as the foundation of his musical career, plus, how television became an unexpected career changer. I also go toe to toe with WWE’s SummerSlam event (24:13) happening this Sunday. My good friend Andrew Goldstein joins me to discuss what fans can expect this weekend, and the bigger picture on whether the WWE can continue its ratings dominance in a digital streaming world. And I'll also recap Baz Luhrmann’s new multicultural Netflix musical THE GET DOWN (43:31), along with the most relevant entertainment stories of the week,as well as share my review of KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, a movie I believe is the frontrunner to win the Best Animated Film at next year's Oscar Awards (41:42). Hint, it comes out this weekend! Delving deeper on our interview with Nick Lachey, he is one of the more versatile people in show business. He’s the lead singer for 98 Degrees who has sold over 10M albums worldwide, an actor who has appeared on film and on the small screen, a producer of hit programs, a host for various popular TV shows and a savvy business entrepreneur. But what is most admirable about Nick is his longevity in the business. He always seems to take on projects that keep him relevant, fresh and somehow grounded. We discuss how he's managed to stay so humble despite so much praise and attention in his career, how Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight, Dave Grohl left such a mark on him, his experience on being a part of the legendary Motown record label, meeting Michael Jackson, a deep breakdown of his "2.0" album and tracks, plus, what a discussion on who and what makes a great lead singer of a boy band. You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 1 - Jose Diaz-Balart on Bilingual Journalism and The Failure of 'Suicide Squad' Aug 12, 2016

    Our first episode of Highly Relevant is here!. I am very fortunate to have on as our first guest Jose Diaz- Balart (1:00), arguably the highest-profile Hispanic journalist we have in our country to discuss bilingual journalism and what that means for the future of the journalism industry. I’ll also tackle the debacle that was "Suicide Squad" with my good friend Adam Garcia, author of "The Green Lama" novel(26:20). Plus Jacked In, plugging in to recap the most Highly Relevant pop culture news that happened this week. ((21:33) You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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Episode 0 - Welcome to Highly Relevant Aug 08, 2016

    Welcome to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico. This brief episodes is our primer for what will be your weekly destination for conversations with the people and about the moments currently shaping our American and Latino pop culture experience. You'd like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:      •   Click here to subscribe via iTunes     •   Click here to subscribe via Spotify     •   You can also subscribe via Stitcher
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