by Antonio Mejías-Rentas
WILL SING TO HELP: Two veteran California acts will unite for a concert that will raise funds for a pro immigrant campaign. Los Angeles rock band Los Lobos and San Jose-based norteño superstars Los Tigres del Norte will perform at the Truth in Immigration Benefit Concert Sept. 28 at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheatre. The event is a fundraiser for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF) and its ongoing effort to block permanently Arizona’s antiinmigration law.
“This concert marks a new means of promoting accurate information on immigrants and immigration to inform the national debate to achieve progressive immigration reform,” Thomas Sáenz, MALDEF president and general counsel, said in a statement. Ticket information is available at www.maldef.org/tigres.
In a related item, Latino stars on Broadway are performing at a benefit concert for victims of hurricane Alex in northern Mexico. The Sept. 1 event, To Mexico from New York With Love, in Merking Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, is spearheaded by Mexican actress Bianca Marroquín, former star of Chicago, now appearing in In the Heights. She performs with cast members from both shows. NEW REALITY: An Ecuadorian couple and their seven children are the stars of Sextuplets Take New York, premiering Sept. 14 on TLC.
The reality series will focus on how Víctor Carpio, a maintenance worker, and his wife Digna take care of their nearly two-year-old sextuplets: Justin Leo, Jezreel Eliceo, Joel Alberth, Jaden Iván, Génesis Victoria and Danelia Victoria. The couple also have an eight-year-old son, Jhancarlos.
TLC began negotiating for the show when Digna was pregnant; the show has taped for the past six months and network has not revealed how much it has compensated the Carpios. One of the series’ requirements is that the Spanish-speaking couple speak mostly English on In other reality news, a Spanish-language version of the hit competition Project Runway is finishing production in Mexico in time for its Sept. 20 debut. camera.
Mexican actress and model Rebecca de Alba will be the hostess of Project Runway Latin America, which will air throughout the continent on the cablenetwork FashionTV. Fifteen up-and-coming designers from the region will be judged by Venezuelandesigner Ángel Sánchez and Argentinean fashion writer Claudia Pandolfo. The winner will receive a spread on the Mexican edition of Elle, a chance to present their collection during Puerto Rico High Fashion Week and $20,000 to start his or her own line.
ONE LINERS: Julieta Venegas gave birth to a girl Aug. 11. The 38- year-old singer-songwriter has chosen not to reveal the father’s identity… Julio Iglesias and longtime partner Miranda Rijnsbuger were wed Aug. 24 in Marbella, Spain.The couple’s five children were present, but none of the singer’s adult children from a previous marriage were able to attend… and Jennifer López and Marc Anthony are reportedly in conversations with the mayor of Fajardo,
Puerto Rico, to open and operate a state-of-theart film and TV studio in the small town in the island’s East coast… Hispanic Link.
