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A who’s who of tropical music royalty, including Ivy Queen, Tito Nieves, Aymee Nuviola, Albita and Gente de Zona performed for nearly three hours as part of the Latin Grammy Foundation’s fundraiser honoring the legacy of Celia Cruz.
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The private event, which took place Saturday (Dec. 14) at the Miami-area home of Loud and Live founder/CEO Nelson Albareda and his wife, Elena Albareda, not only played tribute to the late “Queen” of salsa and tropical music, but raised money for the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, with all proceeds going to the foundation’s scholarship, grant and educational programs for young musicians.
Backed by the Celia Cruz All-Stars as house band, one star after another got on the outdoor stage to perform songs popularized by Cruz during her prolific career. Albita opened the evening with a rendition of “Que le den candela,” where she improvised at length about Cruz; Gente De Zona stepped into the audience to sing “La Negra Tiene Tumbao;” Aymee Nuviola jammed to “Bemba Colorá;” young guns Christian Alicea and Peter Nieto performed a dazzling duet version of “Toro Mata;” and reggaetón queen Ivy Queen and pianist Arthur Hanlon turned Cruz’s farewell anthem “Yo Viviré” into a funk/Latin improvisational party.
Other performers included Spanish singer Beatriz Luengo, Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique, Jorge Alberto El Canario, Tito Nieves, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lenier, Lena Bruke, Brenda Navarrete, Carmen de León and dancer Siury. Many punctuated their performances with personal recollections of Cruz and the big and small ways she touched so many people’s lives.
“Celia Cruz was a cornerstone of the soundtrack of my life,” said Albareda, who as a teen worked at the offices of RMM, where Cruz was signed. It was there that he met a young Omer Pardillo, who worked in marketing, and who would become Cruz’s manager. Cruz would leave him in charge of her estate after her death in 2003 at 77 years old.
As the steward of Cruz’s legacy, Pardillo is steering the many events and celebrations that surrounding the centennial of Cruz’s birth in 2025. This year’s preludes included the launch of an official Celia Cruz quarter and Saturday’s concert, which also celebrated the creation of the Celia Cruz Legacy Scholarship, benefitting the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
To date, the foundation has given out more than $10 million to different programs and provided 427 students with scholarships. Some of those students performed on Saturday night as part of an impressive all-student group.
Beyond the performances, the evening was full of poignant moments, including a recollection by host Enrique Santos, who serves as president/CCO of iHeart Latino, that illustrated both Cruz’s spirit and joie de vivre. A Miami downpour, Santos said, shut down an outdoor music festival where Cruz was slated to perform. When organizers came backstage to tell her it was ok to cancel because the stage was wet and muddy, Cruz was unfazed. “Are there still people out there in the audience?” she asked. “In that case, I’m performing,” she said firmly, and went onstage.
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez; Jelly Roll with Power to the Patients; and Becky G with NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts’ “El Tiny” Takeover are among the winners of the fourth annual Anthem Awards. The awards, presented by the Webby Awards, recognize the purpose and mission-driven work of individuals, companies and organizations.
Other Gold Anthem Award winners include Google; George Lucas Educational Foundation; Gayle King with The Schoolys; Keke Palmer with Google’s ‘Black-owned Friday’; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Amazon Music; GLAAD; and the Clinton Global Initiative.
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“This year’s Anthem Awards Winners are a crucial reminder of the many inspiring and courageous leaders around us committed to creating change,” Patricia McLoughlin, Anthem Awards general manager, said in a statement.
The Anthem Awards also honor individuals with special achievement awards for their commitment to spurring long-lasting change. This year’s Special Achievement Winners include Teun van de Keuken, for his work to promote ethical consumption and business practices through the chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely; Padma Lakshmi, for her work to promote social justice, empower women, and create a broader understanding and appreciation of different cultures through food; and Christy Turlington Burns, in recognition of her commitment to improving maternal health outcomes and advocating for mothers everywhere.
This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from more than 2,300 submissions from 34 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS). Anthem Award judges are leaders from across the impact industry with expertise that spans the Anthem cause areas – diversity, equity, & inclusion; education, art, & culture; health; human & civil rights; humanitarian action & services; responsible technology; and sustainability, environment, and climate.
The Anthem Awards were launched in 2021 to highlight social impact work happening around the globe. The awards were founded by The Webby Awards in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.
Fans can watch each winner’s “Call to Action Speech” in the Anthem Winners Gallery at anthemawards.com/winners.
Performances by Brittney Spencer, Chris Janson, Clay Aiken, Jonathan McReynolds and Tyler Hubbard highlight the United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief, a one-hour special which is set to air on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and CMT.
Proceeds from the special, which was taped Oct. 27-28 in Nashville, will raise funds for relief and recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused an estimated $50 billion in damage.
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The special will also include “messages and appearances” by Backstreet Boys, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Burke, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cedric The Entertainer, Cody Alan, Jackson Dean, JB SMOOVE, Kelsea Ballerini, Max Thieriot, Nate Burleson, Stephen Colbert, Taye Diggs and Zac Brown Band.
The United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief special is produced by Black & Bespoke (executive producer Myiea Coy), 5X Media (executive producers Gil Goldschein and Maria Pepin), Digital Cinema Collective (executive producer Aaron Cooke) and Berman Productions (executive producer Al Berman) for CBS and CMT. The special was created by Byron V. Garrett, chief revenue officer at United Way Worldwide, and Melissa C. Potter, executive director of Content for Change at Paramount Global.
In the last four years, United Way around the world has responded to more than 200 disasters, including droughts, water crises, hurricanes, fires and floods, and mobilized resources by facilitating more than $219 million in outside investments to support local needs.
Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers will be able to stream the show live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service.
John Mayer is set to perform at the annual Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisinefundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Comedian Jeff Ross will host the event. Mayer and Ross will both be honored with the Bob Saget Legacy Award, recognizing their commitment to continue Saget’s mission of raising […]
Judd Apatow’s New York Comedy Festival show Judd Apatow & Friends at the Beacon Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 9, will benefit the American Red Cross in North Carolina. The filmmaker and comedian will donate all artist proceeds to the organization in the wake of Hurricane Helene. “This show is about more than just making people […]
Finalists were announced on Tuesday (Oct. 15) for the fourth Annual Anthem Awards, which celebrate purpose and mission-driven work. Finalists from the music, media and entertainment worlds include Jelly Roll, Foo Fighters, Valerie June, Lainey Wilson and others with “Power to the Patients”; Becky G with NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts’ ‘El Tiny’ Takeover”; Rare Beauty […]
If you or someone you know has been impacted by this severe hurricane season, MusiCares may be able to help. MusiCares’ comprehensive support for music professionals includes emergency financial assistance, mental health and emotional support, medical and housing resources and support around basic living expenses. Whether it’s a natural disaster, personal emergency, or unexpected hardship, […]
Sara Bareilles is set to perform at the 2024 CARE Impact Awards, which will take place Monday, Oct. 21, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Ali Velshi, chief correspondent for MSNBC and host of Velshi on that network, will host the seventh annual awards ceremony. The honorees are Lynsey Addario, MacArthur Fellow, Pulitzer […]
Andrea Bocelli is the recipient of the 2024 Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, which is presented by The Ruderman Family Foundation. Bocelli is being recognized for his career, as well as for his philanthropic work through the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. Bocelli will formally receive the award when he is in Boston later this year, coinciding with his 2024 holiday tour.
The Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) will receive a $100,000 contribution to help rebuild ABF schools throughout Haiti.
“Whether it be through my personal journey, musical career, or philanthropic projects, I have always prioritized giving a voice to the voiceless — to give back to the world all the good things I have received, so the less fortunate or most vulnerable members of our society get a chance to achieve a life full of opportunity and beauty,” Bocelli said in a statement. “It is therefore a tremendous honor to receive this award from the Ruderman Family Foundation, an organization that shares my worldview in both word and deed. Together, we will continue to work to build a better world than the one we have found.”
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The ABF, together with the local partner Foundation St. Luc, has already helped rebuild several schools in Haiti in five of the poorest and most remote communities, offering educational access to more than 3,500 students every day.
Bocelli’s foundation has raised 70 million Euros, has funded 10 schools in Haiti and Italy, and has improved water access for more than 400,000 people since it was established in 2011.
“Both in his musical career and his philanthropic work, Andrea Bocelli has unmistakably demonstrated that through perseverance we can achieve even the most ambitious goals and dreams,” said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.
The award, now in its 10th year, was named after Morton E. Ruderman, a founder of the Ruderman Family Foundation. Past recipients of the award who were honored specifically for effectuating change on the issue of inclusion include Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly. (Peter Farrelly won two Oscars in 2019 for co-producing and co-writing Green Book.)
Several other recipients of the award have been recognized for their efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, including actress Eva Longoria, actor and recording artist Selena Gomez, five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love, Oscar-nominated actor Taraji P. Henson, and Olympian Michael Phelps.
Bocelli, a world-renowned tenor, has amassed nine top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including Si, which debuted at No. 1 in November 2018. Five of his albums have logged a full year or more on Billboard’s flagship album chart: Romanza (91 weeks), Sogno (72), Aria – The Opera Album (69), Amore (59) and My Christmas (52).
Bocelli’s only hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was a 2010 collaboration with Mary J. Blige – a remake of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Surprisingly, Bocelli has yet to win a Grammy, despite five nominations.
Emmylou Harris will receive the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award at the 2024 Humane Awards, which will be held at a luncheon in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 10. The award, given to an individual or institution for their commitment to animal welfare, is named after the founder of the American Society for the Prevention […]