Look To The Stars News: Juanes

Springsteen, Mellencamp, Harper To Perform at Clearwater Concert

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:30:00 -0000

This Sunday, May 3rd, will see star performers such as Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Juanes, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen come out to support Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday bash benefitting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders is a one night only concert, which raises awareness and funds for continuing Clearwater’s work educating the public and protecting the Hudson river. The event begins at 7pm, at Madison Square Garden, and will feature over 40 artists from a wide variety of musical genres.

Some of the scheduled performers are Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Michael Franti, Emmylou Harris, Tao Rodriguez–Seeger, Taj Mahal, Bela Fleck, Keller Williams Billy Bragg, Tom Morello, Tom Paxton and Eddie Vedder.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com, starting at $19.19 and going to $250, with the majority priced at $90 to honor Pete’s birthday. Special Clearwater Legacy Tickets will also be available. For more information, please visit www.Seeger90.com.

And don’t miss the Clearwater Festival, taking place June 20th and 21st. For those who really want to get involved, volunteer positions are available for the weekend-long event.

Stars Support YouthAIDS at Company 81 Launch Event

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Michelle Vink

On November 5, 2008, Adam Gregory (90210) and the trendy Santa Monica boutique, Fred Segal Fun hosted a launch event for the clothing line Company 81 to benefit YouthAIDS.

YouthAIDS is an education and prevention program of PSI, a non-profit organization to improve the health of poor and vulnerable people in the developing world. Youth Aids uses the power of music, media, and pop culture to reach over 600 million young people in more than 60 countries with pop concerts and marketing campaigns featuring Alicia Keys, Diddy, Ludacris, Rihanna and Good Charlotte to name a few.

Ashley Judd is the Global Ambassador for Youth Aids and is supported by her fellow celebrity ambassadors, Emmy Rossum, Josh Lucas, Wynonna Judd, and 12-time Grammy winner Juanes. These celebrities have traveled all over the world visiting schools and clinics, raising funds and awareness and providing student outreach, education, and prevention programs in support of the charity.

This night, the stars came out again to support the cause at a boutique that is no stranger to charity or celebrities. In attendance were host Gregory’s 90210 costars Jessica Lowndes and Brandon Michael Vayda, along with Amanda Bynes, Holly Montag (“The Hills”), Jason Kennedy (E! News Daily), and many more—enjoying cocktails and shopping for a cause made possible by Company 81 and the local celebrity, Jackie Brander, owner of Fred Segal Fun Boutique.

Stars To Be BRAVE For Veterans

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hip Hop stars 50 Cent and Ludacris will perform at a concert to raise awareness of veterans causes next month.

“A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE” is part of MTV’s Choose or Lose campaign, an initiative designed to engage, inform and empower young voters on the political issues that matter to them most. The concert hopes to draw attention to a new petition launched by MTV called the Bill of Rights for American Veterans (or BRAVE) which calls on politicians to support vets’ issues and enact positive legislative changes.

“It doesn’t matter where you stand on the war — we can all agree that young veterans serving our country must receive the benefits they’ve earned for their sacrifices,” said MTV President Van Toffler. “By raising awareness through ‘A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE,’ and by launching the BRAVE petition, we aim to elevate these issues and ensure they’re a top priority for our government officials.”

The concert – which will be taped on October 23 and aired on MTV on October 24 – will also feature performances by Kanye West, Kid Rock, Fall Out Boy, Juanes, Nelly and Taylor Swift, with appearances from Beyoncé Knowles, Will Ferrell, Common, Fat Joe, Seth Green, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and Wyclef Jean.

Shakira Takes Part In Colombian Peace Rallies

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

South American pop princess Shakira led nationwide demonstrations in her native Colombia yesterday demanding the liberation of hundreds of hostages held by rebels.

The 31-year-old made a pledge last week to keep fighting for the release of hostages held by Colombian rebels after 15 captives were freed earlier this month. She met with Ingrid Betancourt – a former Colombian presidential candidate and hostage – on Wednesday to raise awareness of the on-going struggle against violence in the country, and agreed to be part of the worldwide rallies that took place yesterday.

Over a million people took to the streets of Colombia for the rallies, and demanded the rebels stop their regime of violence. Many of them – wearing white clothes to symbolize peace – attended concerts held around the country, including one in the city of Leticia, where Shakira performed the national anthem in front of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

“Today is a historic day,” said Shakira. “We unite, unite our voices in a single shout: Liberty!”

Over 80 solidarity rallies were held around the world on Sunday, with Betancourt staging one of the biggest in Paris. Several thousand people attended the concert, which featured more than 30 artists including Colombian star Juanes and Spain’s Miguel Bose. French artists Renan Luce and Michel Delpech were also present.

The Colombian government estimates that over 700 hostages are still held by the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Shakira and Latin Singers Unite Against Child Poverty, Again

Tue, 20 May 2008 10:12:26 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

The ‘Concert For The Children’ was staged last weekend, simultaneously in Mexico and Argentina, free to the over 300,000 expected viewers.

Packed with Latin stars including Shakira, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Chayanne, Diego Torres, Juanes, Maná and Miguel Bosé, the concerts’ goal was to raise funds that charity ALAS will use to help the millions of children living in poverty throughout Latin America, and where an estimated 350,000 children die from poverty every year.

“People are condemned to poverty because there are no exits or choices,” Shakira said. “And children who don’t receive an opportunity end up as adults being involved with things that they never imagined they would be doing in the first place, like drug trafficking or being recruited into criminal groups. Imagine what Latin America could achieve if we invest in developing the potential of these children.”

ALAS, founded in 2006, has been bringing artists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs together to address the social emergency, and focuses on improving nutrition, health and education for children.

32 out of 54 million children in Latin America under the age of five live in poverty.

Shakira, who performed at the Buenos Aires venue, secured $200 million in donations for the performance. Ricky Martin played at the other venue at Mexico City’s main plaza, Zócalo.

“The funny thing is that Latin America produces three times what it needs to feed its population. So, it is doable, we can really eradicate poverty,” Shakira said. “What’s very inspiring is to see Latin America for the first time in charge of its own issues.”

Ricky Martin Joins Poverty Campaign

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:03:51 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Latino singing star Ricky Martin met with several other artists in Miami last week to launch a new campaign in the fight against poverty.

The hip-swinging singer joined with fellow Latino heartthrobs Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes to become spokespersons for the Yo Amo America Campaign, an initiative that plans to use the performers’ profiles to raise awareness among policymakers about the importance of making investments in early childhood development, financial services, housing, and safe drinking water. And with over 360 million people in Latin America who live on less than $300 a month, it is an issue that requires immediate attention.

Martin has agreed to promote birth registration as part of the campaign, an area he believes will increase access to education, health, and other public services. Around 8.5 million children in Latin America presently lack any form of identity papers, a fact Martin thinks also contributes to the high proportion of child trafficking. Human trafficking is a major source of concern for Martin – a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF – and he established the Ricky Martin Foundation to combat it.

Martin, Guerra, and Juanes will all be featured in an advertising campaign for Yo Amo America, and will soon embark on a tour to meet with government officials around Latin America. You can see a video about the campaign here.

Colombian Charities Benefit From BeLive 2007

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:36:47 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Six of the largest non-profit organizations in Colombia joined efforts at Karu & Y Restaurant in Miami on November 15 for BeLive 2007, a gala to raise awareness of the problems plaguing the South American country. NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya, his wife Connie, and the charity they founded, the Formula Smiles Foundation, hosted the gala.

“We were planning 300 people, it was maximum 350. Then it went up to 500 and now its up to 600,” Montoya said. “It’s been amazing and overwhelming with how much support we’ve had.”

The red carpet was rolled out for guests as they arrived for dinner, a silent auction, a fashion show by designer Silvia Tcherassi, and an unplugged concert from twelve-time Latin Grammy winner Juanes.

The silent auction offered up such items as a race helmet signed by Montoya, a guitar from Juanes, an autographed art palette from renowned artist Fernando Botero, a painting by Colombian artist Jorge Cavelier, a haute-couture outfit from Tcherassi, several vacation packages and a cooking experience with acclaimed Colombian chef Harry Sasson.

Montoya, who credits his wife for planning the gala, said they use their Formula Smiles Foundation to build playgrounds in Colombia to encourage sports participation in a country that does not have physical education programs. The foundation also hires instructors, provides equipment and athletic gear, and encourages children to attend school.

“I don’t want to take away anything from the problems we have in the States, but the problems in Colombia – the poor people in Colombia are 10 times poorer than the people here,” he said. “In a cynical way, the poor people here are middle class in Colombia. And when people are poor there, they have nothing. They don’t have houses, the kids hardly go to school. They just have nothing.”

Among the VIP guests was one of People Magazine’s Hottest Bachelors of 2006,
PGA golfer Camilo Villegas. Born in Medellin, Colombia, Villegas is a well-known supporter of Montoya’s Formula Smiles Foundation, and in 2006 Villegas launched his own foundation, Fundacion Escuela Circo Momo, which offers arts and education to the poor. He, along with others, were able to raise thousands of dollars to aid children and low-income communities in Colombia in the areas of health, education, nutrition and social development.

The six non-profits involved in BeLive 2007 included Give to Colombia, Colombianitos, Fundación Mi Sangre, United for Colombia, the Genesis Foundation, and the Formula Smiles Foundation.

Shakira Joins Latin American Solidarity Action Foundation

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:53:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Shakira has announced her plan to raise $200 million for the charity América Latina en Acción Solidaria (ALAS).

The singer, who is already a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and founder of Colombian charity Pies Descalzos, will stage four fundraising concerts in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and New York this year.

ALAS is dedicated to aiding impoverished communities throughout all of Latin America, focusing on improved nutrition, health and education for children. “ALAS came about because of a social emergency: 350 thousand children die each year due to avoidable causes; 40 million children work and live on the streets,” Shakira said.

Funding for ALAS comes from businesses, international institutions, NGOs and charity concerts. Other musicians involved since ALAS’s launch last December include Juanes, Alejandro Sanz, Diego Torres, Maná, Wyclef Jean and Daniela Mercury. Shakira said, “Each person has worked on projects or foundations on his own, but only now we are able to work together to develop interesting projects that will benefit everyone.”

Many more artists, such as Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, have since joined the foundation. REM’s vocalist Michael Stipe has confirmed his participation in the ALAS benefit concert cycle in 2008, the dates of which will be officially announced later this month.

Concrete ALAS health care programmes cover mass vaccinations and pre-natal care for more pregnant women. “Let’s not forget that at the end of this day when we all go home, 960 children will have died in Latin America,” Shakira said at a UN award ceremony. The ALAS web site states, “Because we are Latin Americans we are determined to change this reality.”

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