by Antonio Mejías-Rentas
Penelope Cruz
UP FOR OSCARS: Three Latinos were among Academy Award nominees announced last week in Los Angeles Most prominent of the three is Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, nominated in the best supporting actress category for her performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In the English language film, Cruz speaks some Spanish.
She was nominated in the best actress category two years ago for her Spanish language performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver. T he two other nominees were born in Latin America but raised and educated in Los Angeles One is Chile-born cinematographer Claudio Miranda for his work in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This is the first nomination for Miranda, who was born in Santiago but left his country as a child.
The other is Mike Elizalde, who shares a nomination with Thom Floutz in the makoup category for Hellboy II. Elizalde was born in Mazatlán, Mexico, but migrated with his family as a child. He is a frequent collaboration with Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro.
Winners will be announced Feb. 22 in Los Angeles.
L.A. SAYS ‘BIENVENIDO’: Gustavo Dudamel, the 28-year-old star conductor from Venezuela set to take the reins of one of the nation’s top orchestras, announced his first season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last week.
The orchestra’s 2009-10 season will launch in October with a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl titled Bienvenido Gustavol followed by an inaugural gala at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall to be broadcast live around the world (and a week later in the U.S, on PBS’ Great Performances. “ The Dude”—as L A. media sometimes identify him—will conduct Beethoven and Mahler pieces at those concerts. The season includes a festival dedicated to music of the Americas.
The season also includes an eight-city U.S. tour with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in March and April.
‘CORRIDO’ FOR OBAMA: A Los Angeles musician says he is recording English and Spanish language versions of a folk song he wrote for the 44th President.
Juan Carlos Sánchez, an undocumented immigrant who goes by the artistic name of Sinaloa 21, says he composed his corrido inspired by the election of Barack Obama.
In the song, he urges the new president to move forward with pro-immigrant policies. Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant, is a maintenance worker in Los Angeles. The Obama corrido has received thousands of hits on youtube. His dream, he says, is to perform it in the White House. Hispanic Link.
