Universal City, CA – Tuesday July 28, 2009 – In this edition of Telemundo and mun2’s “Descarga”, bilingual alternative California sounds take the stage, featuring: West Coast soul-infused Monte Carlo 76, Latin alternative rock band Soy Disco, Central American-born/Oakland-bred recording artist Santero and the renowned Mucho Wednesdays DJs ‘Pitxu’ and ‘Frank Leopold’ (Remixer) on Sunday, August 2, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Monte Carlo 76’s music merges the sweet sounds of West Coast soul with vivid stories ranging from love to gentrification, led by the luminous vocalist Marisa Ronstadt (cousin of Linda Ronstadt). Monte Carlo 76’s new album titled “Marisela” is a plea to Marisela Norte, the infamous East L.A. writer, for guidance through troubled times. Interweaving the band’s personal struggles with love and heartbreak, death and relocations, this album is an ode to East L.A. and the people who live in it. http://www.montecarlo76.com/
Santero was raised in the mountains, jungles and Atlantic shores of Central America, where he traveled extensively from Guatemala to Panama, performing with his father’s salsa and cumbia bands. He arrived to the United States at a young age as a refugee, escaping the political upheaval that was tearing Central America apart in the late 70’s and 80’s. Once in the United States, Santero immediately started the musical street hustle that would later define his style and sound. From the ghettos of New York and New Orleans to the barrios of San Francisco and Los Angeles, he refined his sonic palette drawing from such diverse musical influences as reggae, jazz, punk, funk and hip-hop.
On this evening, Santero will be performing songs from his latest release, co- produced by veteran multi-GRAMMY©-nominated producer Greg Landau (Patato Valdes, Susana Baca, Maldita Vecindad, Quetzal) and legendary beat maker One Drop Scott (E-40, Scarface, Mac Dre, Luniz): “El Hijo de Obatala”, an album that brings together the bump of urban beats with elements of traditional salsa. http://www.santero.net/
Latin alternative powerhouse Soy Disco is fresh off the heels of winning first place at the ‘Tu Ciudad, Tu Musica’ talent contest that took place a few months ago at ‘Fiesta Broadway 2009’. The win awarded the group a promotional tour in Miami plus a cash prize. Soy Disco’s music is a fusion of alternative sounds -ranging from indie, funk and electronic – with lyrical content that explores personal life experiences. The band will be performing songs from their self-titled EP. The band has acquired an extensive following in Southern California as they’ve performed in the city’s hot spots, such as House of Blues, Conga Room and The Troubador, among other popular venues. http://www.myspace.com/soydisco
Joining the party are the renowned Mucho Wednesdays DJs, Frank Leopold and DJ Pitxu! Since joining the Mucho family, Frank Leopold has remixed several songs for artists like Pilar Diaz, while DJ Pitxu has been asked to spin his Spanish pop at various L.A. hot spots. Both work the turntables together at Mucho, spinning classic Spanish pop as well as the latest dance tracks that are coming out of the Latin alternative world! www.myspace.com/muchoparty
Now in its 3rd consecutive year “Descarga” has solidified its status as one of the leading free outdoor music events in Southern California, drawing over 70,000 fans by showcasing international, national, and emerging talent as well as DJ performances on an outdoor stage in CityWalk. Since its inception in 2007, “Descarga” continues to build on its overwhelming success by delivering on its mission: to provide Latino artists and audiences with the best in quality entertainment with a phenomenal promotional platform and, in this way, becoming ‘the must play concert series’ for Latino artists touring in Southern California.
Following is the “Descarga” line-up” for the summer:
August 2: Monte Carlo 76, Santero, Soy Disco & Mucho Wednesdays DJs
August 9: Cesar Brizuela y Los Rams
August 16: Fanny Lu & Melissa, Su West Coast Swing, Denise
August 23: Grupo Naukalli, Grupo Nice, Son Del Sur
August 30: Flex, Banda Recoditos
For a full event schedule and more information on the festival’s featured artists, photo gallery and other talent, visit mun2’s website at www.holamun2.com or the Telemundo site, www.telemundo52.com
Visit us at the social networking sites Facebook/Visita. Descarga and Twitter/Descarga2009.
About Telemundo:
Telemundo Communications Group (“Telemundo”), a division of NBC Universal, is a world-class media company, leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish-language content across its multiplatform portfolio to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. Telemundo’s multiple platforms include Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network featuring original productions, theatrical motion pictures, news and first-class sports events reaching 93% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 15 owned-and-operated stations, 45 broadcast affiliates, and 800 cable affiliates; mun2, the preeminent voice for bicultural Hispanics in the U.S. reaching over 30 million U.S. TV households nationwide on digital and analog cable, satellite and free television; Telemundo Digital Media, which leverages Telemundo’s original content for distribution across digital and emerging platforms, including mobile devices and www.telemundo.com and www.holamun2.com and Telemundo Internacional, the company’s international distribution arm, which has positioned Telemundo as the second largest provider of Spanish-language content worldwide by syndicating content to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.
KVEA-TV, Channel 52, is Telemundo Network’s flagship station in the Los Angeles market.
About mun2:
mun2 (moon-dos) is the lifestyle cable network for today’s culture connectors (C2s) – bicultural Latinos 18-34. As the bilingual network that amplifies the Latino experience, mun2 is culturally-grounded and reflects the best of both worlds, making it uniquely American. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content across a multi-screen platform. As the only bilingual cable network nationally-measured by Nielsen NTI, mun2 has an increased distribution to over 30 million households, and is a part of the Telemundo Group, a division of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment.
About Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk:
Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com), The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a movie-based theme park and Studio Tour, the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal Cinemas and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event venue. The theme park features the groundbreaking attractions “The Simpsons Ride,” “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride,” “Shrek 4-D,” “Jurassic Park—The Ride” and the newly enhanced Studio Tour, with a state-of-the-art Hi-Def monitor system and new movie and TV sets on the historic backlot. Universal CityWalk features 65 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment options. The Universal CityWalk Cinemas, which includes California’s largest IMAX venue, features the best movie-going experience in Los Angeles.
