The Business & Technology Issue
OYE MI CANTO! • Sohanny • Frank Reyes
…featuring inspirational business stories from:
• Restaurateurs • Politicians • Marketers • Media Managers …and more!
Getting a Gun in NYC: Easier Than You Think?
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ALBERTO DEL RIO
Can You Handle Him? LatinTRENDS.COM 1
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CONTENTS LT 04.2011 Juan Guillén Publisher Bernadette Giacomazzo Associate Editor Dominika Bajuk Graphic Designer Hope Lawrence Administrative Assistant Javier Castano Translator / Writer
Writers
Lolita D’Souza, Ray M. Figueroa, Carl Lamarre, LeAura Luciano, Eddie Olmo, Zayda Rivera, Giselle Rodriguez, Gina Santi, Hedwin Salmen-Navarro
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16 ENTERTAINMENT Sohanny Couture Fashion Week
On the Move: NYC
METROPOLIS
28 Arecibo: Puerto Rico’s Hidden Jewel
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Fashion 12 Trendspotting 14 Reel to Real 16 Movies 18 Books 19
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ICONOMY Frank Reyes: Still the Prince Hispanicize Salsa Catering How to Get a Gun in NYC
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HEALTH & BEAUTY The Hunger Crisis in NYC The Power of Storytelling Grocery Shopping
Iconomy Expo
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COVER STORY Alberto del Rio: Wrestlemaniac
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40 42 44
Photographers
Karla Ayala-Quervalu, Cathrine Westergaard
Interns
Esteban de la Cuesta, JiaLin Gu To request media information and advertise with us, contact our advertising department at 1-800-313-1869. Para anunciar su negocio, llame a nuestro departamento de anuncios al 1-800-313-1869. LatinTrends ™ 60 West 39th Street, Suite 2W New York, NY 10018 Tel. (212) 851-6164 Toll Free. 1-800-313-1869 www.latintrends.com Copyright © 2010 LatinTrends is published 10 times a year by Defining Trends Media Group L.P. Reproduction or use of the content in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited by law. LatinTrends reserves the right to determine the suitability of all materials submitted for publication, and to edit all submitted materials for space and clarity. LatinTrends assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials being submitted for possible publication, and should they be published, no fee is due to the photographer, writer or model, unless otherwise agreed upon, in advance in writing. Printed in the USA. Defining Trends in Latino Culture, since 2001 DTM Group Delivers The Market TM
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS Eye Candy: Miguel Perdomo Ask Judy: Crushed Over a Crush Horoscopes
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On the Cover: Alberto del Rio Photos Courtesy of the WWE
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PUBLISHER’S COLUMN
Publisher’s Column ...from the desk of Juan Guillen
English
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Keep Moving! In these tough economic times, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that, in order to progress, we have to keep moving. However, in this spirit, we here at LatinTRENDS have put together a one of a kind event: the 3rd Annual iConomy Expo. Known as the premiere event in NYC to educate, inform, get connected, & keep moving, the 3rd Annual iConomy Expo features moderated panel discussions and seminars on such topics as: money & finance, entrepreneurship, social media, technology, home based business opportunities, effective networking, career options career development, real estate, education, health, consulting, secondary income opportunities and how New York politics & policy affects our communities.
Publisher’s Photo Courtesy of: Juliet P. Aldana
Juan Guillén Publisher
Of course, in this spirit, we also bring you a series of articles in this month’s issue about various aspects of business, finance, and more. For example, check out our profile on Danny Garcia of Salsa Catering. Read about his challenges, and his triumphs, on page 35. Then, check out our unique fashion story about secondhand shops – a growing trend nationwide, these shops are a great way to look like a million dollars on a
“thousand-aire” budget! Read all about it on page 12. Finally, Manny Ruiz explains his innovative approach to digital marketing to Latinos on page 34 On a different note, our cover feature on WWE champion Alberto del Rio is sure to inspire you in a very different way. The son of a legendary luchero, del Rio is the first Mexican in the WWE to rise through the ranks and compete for a shot at the Heavyweight Championship Title Belt at Wrestlemania…a feat not even accomplished by the legendary Rey Misterio (whom del Rio took on in a legendary ring match… and won!). Hear his story on page 24. The great Latino revolutionary Cesar Chavez once said, “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” We here at LatinTRENDS want to encourage you to take Cesar’s advice: read our articles in this issue, evaluate yourself & your strengths, and judge for yourself. Whatever you decide to do, however, don’t forget to keep movin’!
Spanish
-------------------------------¡No desfallezca!
En estos tiempos difíciles a nivel económico, a veces nos olvidamos que para progresar debemos mantener el ritmo. Con este espíritu, aquí en LatinTRENDS hemos planeado el gran evento que es la Tercera Exposición Anual iConomy. Se conoce como el evento más destacado en la ciudad de Nueva York para educar, informar, conectar y seguir avanzando, con paneles de discusión y seminarios en tópicos tan importantes como dinero y finanzas, espíritu empresarial, social media, tecnología, oportunidades de negocio en el hogar, conexiones efectivas, opciones de desarrollo de carreras, finca raíz, educación, salud, oportunidades para una segunda entrada financiera, y cómo la política y las estrategias de Nueva York afectan a nuestras comunidades. Con este espíritu también les brindamos en esta edición una serie de artículos sobre negocios, finanzas y mucho más. Por ejemplo, lea nuestra reseña de Danny García de Salsa Catering. Conozca sobre sus desafíos y triunfos en la página 35.
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Además, lea nuestro artículo único sobre tiendas de ropa usada, una gran tendencia a nivel nacional, porque estas tiendas son estupendas para lucir como un millonario con muy poco dinero. Lea el texto
completo en la página 12. Finalmente, Manny Ruiz explica en la página 34 su método innovador de mercadeo digital para los latinos. Como algo diferente, nuestra portada destaca al campeón de la WWE, Alberto del Río, que estamos seguros inspirará a los lectores en diferentes formas. Hijo de un luchador legendario, del Río es el primer mexicano en ascender hasta competir por el título de Wrestlemania como Campeón de Peso Pesado… una dicha que ni siquiera logró el legendario Rey Misterio (a quien del Río enfrentó en un combate histórico y logró vencer). Lea su historia en la página 24. El gran latino revolucionario César Chávez alguna vez dijo: “No podemos lograr el éxito para nosotros y olvidar el progreso y la prosperidad de nuestra comunidad. Nuestras ambiciones deben de ser tan grandes hasta incluir las aspiraciones y las necesidades de otras personas, por su destino y el nuestro”. Aquí en LatinTREDS queremos desafiarlos a abrazar las enseñanzas de César: lea nuestros artículos de esta edición, evalúese, mida su capacidad y juzgue por su cuenta. Cualquier cosa que termine haciendo, por favor, ¡no desfallezca!
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Sohanny: Dominican Bachata Urban Fusion!
by Giselle Rodriguez Combine a little pop and merengue, add a touch of cumbia, mix in some bachata with a sprinkle of urban funk, and you will end up with the booty shaking sounds of Sohanny. The Dominican-American Renaissance woman is in the midst of laying out the foundation for the empire she has every intention of manifesting. You can’t help but believe her as she animatedly lays out the plans for her future: music career, acting presence, a clothing line, perfume…a Dominican J.Lo perhaps? Sohanny’s appreciation for music began early in her life. Raised in a home filled with love, laughter, y musica (!), it was almost impossible not to notice the healing effect music could have on the human soul. She’s come a long way from singing in her living room with a wooden spoon,
but her positive outlook of the possibilities that lay before her continue to resonate with a youthful fervor. Personal gumption motivated her to participate in talents shows as a child (which she won) – she even managed to convince her family to relocate to Florida so she could pursue her musical inclinations. Luckily they listened. Four months after they unpacked their boxes, Sohanny was a part of Miami Sound Machine – the new generation. She used the experience to polish her live performing chops, but still dealt with the overwhelmed reality: she wanted to be a solo artist. With sheer wit and determination, Sohanny continued to push forward towards her brighter horizon. Good move on her part.
These days she’s enjoying life on the top of the charts - her latest hit, No Es Normal, reached #5 on Mediabase’s Tropical Latin chart. Produced by Grammy award winner Richy Pena, and featuring Fuego, the song exemplifies Sohanny’s pride in her Latin roots. It’s the strong ties she holds to her culture that motivates Sohanny to create the music her talent allows her to. No Es Normal is only a fragment of the project Sohanny hopes will fulfill the hopes she has for her career. “In this album, I want to show the world my perspective on what it means to be Latin, happy in life, and still maintain a danceable party vibe. I want to impact people not with my music alone, but also through dance. I want to be a total package to my fans and at the same time show the richness of our culture. I want to share my music with people in all corner of the world”.
ye mi canto!
Snippets of Sohanny:
8 APRIL 2011
Her Many Musical Influences: Michael Jackson, Celine Dion…overall epic performers…I also love Marc Anthony’s interpretation of music. And La India. And of course growing up it was Las Chicas del Can! In One Word, Sohanny Is: Sensitive. Source of Inspiration: I’m inspired by a little bit of everything.
Personal moments especially inspire me - the small details of life…interactions between a man and woman. The feelings you experience in everyday things. And my family. Sohanny’s Success Defined: I feel there is a lack of female figures with a solid voice (metaphorically speaking). I would like to be that voice for them, especially in Latin Tr o p i c a l music - that’s definitely something that drives me. Being recognized on an iconic level as a positive voice, to be heard, that would be my ultimate success.
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Since 2003, Couture Fashion Week has presented a series of couture and luxury fashion shows multiple times each year in New York City, Palm Beach, and other selected cities. The venue for Couture Fashion Week New York is the Waldorf-Astoria Featuring: * Fine designers from around the world presenting exquisite garments and accessories * World class entertainment * Exhibits of art and luxury products and services
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Fashion
The Art of Consignment Shopping in Washington D.C.
By: Christina Violeta Jones Our nation’s capitol has had its share of fashionable moments. Think of Jackie Kennedy’s elegant flair during her first lady years, or the days when then Georgetown socialite Deeda Blair was featured in the editor’s pages of Vogue magazine. Fast-forward to the 21st century with first lady Michelle Obama‘s cutting fashionable, chic, and commanding suits and gowns. But keeping it real, D.C. is not known for being on the sartorial cutting edge of fashion as New York City and Milan. However, when it comes to their second hand stores…. that’s just another story. In the trendy and stylish neighborhood of Georgetown is Second Time Around (www.secondtimearound.net). Conveniently located on M street, Second Time is an upscale consignment boutique that offers a variety of both new and used garments by brands such as Milly or Rebecca Taylor. Over to the traffic ring of Dupont Circle, stopover at Secondi (www.secondi.com), a delightful store with high-end designer handbags by Stella McCartney, Chloé, and Channel or the iconic wrap dresses by Diane von Furstenberg all at affordable prices. Amongst the politicians of Capital Hill, there is Clothes Encounters of A Second Kind, a good selection of high-end designers such as Michael Kors, Escada, Roberto Cavalli, and Coach. The small quaint boutique can get crowded quickly during the weekday afternoons and Saturdays. However, it is a place where one could find that perfect dress, suit, or casual wear. Last is the newest hip-trendy Black-Eyed Susie (www. BlackEyedSusiedc.com). Located in the heart of Columbia Heights at 14th and Meridian, the Black-Eyed Susie is a unique, affordable, gently used clothing store that also carries great accessories and footwear for both men and women. Consignment stores are a refreshing take on shopping especially in today’s economy. They provide a new sense of value and variety back to one’s retail experience.
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BRONXNET GARNERS FOUR 2011 EMMY NOMINATIONS
Bronx teens can now count a New York Emmy nomination among their honors. OPEN 2.0, a BronxNet program by youth, for youth – nominated in the Teen Program/Special category – is one of four Emmy nominations BronxNet recently received from the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. BronxNet’s culinary tourism program Bronx Flavor received a nomination for Musical Composition/Arrangement, and longtime BronxNet Producer Walter Garaicoa received two craft awards – one for his Graphics and one for his Editing – on a number of programs. OPEN 2.0, which serves as a behind-the-scenes and in-frontof-camera training ground for high school students, is Executive Produced by BronxNet Executive Director Michael Max Knobbe and Produced by BronxNet Youth Media Coordinator Marisa White. Students from participating schools are guided through program production as they serve as on-air talent, technical crew and members of the producing team. Bronx Flavor, the entertaining and always comedic, Bronx restaurant showcase program hosted by Baron Ambrosia features original music composed by Noah Goldberg. Walter Garaicoa received his first hands-on television production training years ago at BronxNet. Today, he is not only the recipient of the two Emmy nominations mentioned above, but also a winner of multiple Emmy and other industry awards over the years. “The workforce development training, media access, and other opportunities BronxNet offers generate many positive outcomes including building careers, quality local programming, and industry recognition. We are proud of our amazingly talented team and invite you to join the open work that is BronxNet,” says BronxNet Executive Director Michael Max Knobbe. BronxNet programs four channels - 67, 68, 69 and 70 - on the Cablevision system and six channels - 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 on the Verizon FiOS system in the Bronx. For more information on BronxNet’s programs and production training classes visit www. bronxnet.org. LatinTRENDS.COM 13
Illustrations D 3 g n i t a n i Illum 3D illustrations have been the heart and soul of hundreds of video games, movies and television shows from the past years, and it is in that spirit that these Albert Sustantio artworks take their cue.Featuring vividly rendered creations that range from the fantastical to the every day, this collection highlights Albert Sustantio’s ability to approach diverse subject matter with equal attention to detail and genre sensibilities.
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parking spot may soon be as easy as opening an app thanks to Park Circa. Park Circa is a peer-to-peer parking spot network in which people can list and lease their parking spots for an hourly rate. Users search their local area for parking spots listed as open. Users can then park their car in the open spots, provided they pay a perhour fee set by the owner of the spot. Park Circa has a prepaid system that lets users load money into a Park Circa account for use on-the-go.
Trendspotting Hot...new...innovative trends from around the world!
WTF?
Trend: Dating Your “Twin”
We agree that the dating world is a minefield, filled with brokea-joke dudes & hoodrat chicks. However, even we have to admit that this FindAFacemate.com is a little too creep-tastic. Purported to match you up with your physical “twin” -- that is, someone who looks remarkably similar to you in facial features -- the website is basing its proposition on a decades-old, sincedisproven theory that couples who look alike tend to last longer than those who do not. Need proof? Founder Christina Bloom looks remarkably like...her ex-husband. Besides, unless you live somewhere in Kentucky, you probably won’t find dating your twin attractive.
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Parking Apps Peer to Peer Finding a
Photography a n o l e c r a B l l Oddba Every city has its eccentric side, so Jukka Male seems to have decided to capture Barcelona’s very own. A unique look at the romantic and exotic city, Jukka Male’s portfolio is full of candid and often intimate images. Although this series focuses on Barcelona, he has done the same for other cities in Poland, Greenland and more. The common theme, according to Life Lounge, is the “theme of human significance.” In Jukka Male’s own words, “We live allmost everywhere on this planet. Every environment creates its own ethics and aesthetics, but their principles are often surprisingly similar.”
Furry Wedding Gowns
pired Kicks Hollywood Ins
The Armand de Brignac Midas is a stunning 30-liter vessel, equivalent to 40 regularsized bottles of Champagne, and weighing over 100 pounds! The massive bottle is named after King Midas, remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn whatever he touched into gold. Like all of the regular-sized bottles of Armand de Brignac, the Midas is filled with the same No. 1 rated prestige cuvee and is entirely hand-produced from grape to glass. The first Armand de Brignac Midas sold for a whopping $100,000 at the famous nightclub XS in Las Vegas’s Encore casino – a part of Steve Wynn’s uber-luxurious Wynn Hotels group.
As part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Nike released this limited edition, “East L.A.” Sneaker Pack. The shoes have a blue theme (there’s a silver shoe, but blue is still dominant) with a glittery look. The sneaker’s designs pay homage to the Latino culture that’s dominant within that area of the city -- and, like most Latinos, they’ve got style, sparkles and even a bit of class to them!
m Vouchers y G k c o l B r e Cind y Tattoo-ograph Though the newest smartphones on the market have pretty much every feature we could dream of in a cellular device, they are still made as stiff, fragile machines. AMOLED puts the “user” back in “user-friendly,” as it was designed for heavy and extensive play. The AMOLED flip phone by Kristian Ulrich Larsen is comprised of three touchscreens, as well as a QWERTY keyboard, all of which are held together by separate mesh hinges allowing the device full maneuverability without the risk of severe damage.
Anyone can collect and keep paper tear-offs in his wallet, but one gym’s solution to attracting the built and burly is these heavyweight Iron Kore concrete coupons. Instead of being printed within newspapers or on public bulletin boards, these solid vouchers consist of spray-painted masonry. These big bricks can be exploited only by the super strong with the ability, and the tenacious who have the determination to haul one of these cinder blocks into the Iron Kore Performance Training fitness center.
Geek-tastic Necklaces Most pieces from Milkool are carved out of perspex plastic and hung on metallic chains. The Milkool designs include the words nerd, dork and geek spelled out in old-school comic book prints. Other designs from Milkool use iconic symbols like the Deathly Hallows, Pac-Man Ghost and Legend of Zelda Triforce. Created by an Israeli artist named Ran, the items from Milkool are quirky and playful with nerdy charm.
-Like Ferris Wheel es Eco-Structur Designed by Atelier CMJN, which was led by Julien Combes, Gaël Brulé of France, the LO2P: Delhi Recycling Center may look like a ferris wheel, but it certainly does not belong in a carnival. Instead, it is a recycling center, power plant and air filter all wrapped up in one. Like a vertical garden, the LO2P: Delhi Recycling Center could bring a lot of good to many cities around the world. As waste goes in, clean energy, air and food comes out.
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1. Charlie Sheen (a/k/a Carlos Estevez) breaks character...and acts crazier than an outhouse rat in Los Angeles. 2. Christina Aguilera, mami, PLEASE get yourself together. This is NOT a good look for you. 3. Kat Von D and her fiance, Jesse “Vanilla Gorilla” James, get cozy in Santa Monica, CA. 4. Lady Gaga looking like a Goth Lolita in Los Angeles.
5. Lovely Latinas Kat De Luna & Maluca whoop it up at a Fashion Week party in NYC. 6. Michelle Rodriguez gets goofy on the red carpet at the Battle: Los Angeles premiere in Los Angeles. 7. Miss Universe Ximena Navarette visits M Restaurant and Lounge.
9. Mark Ballas has been announced as a castmember in this season’s Dancing with the Stars. Here he is with his partner, Chelsea Kane. 10. In a new ad campaign for Disney, Penelope Cruz is “Belle” to Jeff Bridges’ “Beast.”
8. At the Basketball Wives reunion show, Tami Roman & lovely Latina Evelyn Lozada were fighting it out!
for more pics go to latintrends.com 8
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