Thread: Obama on Univision's “Premio Lo Nuestroâ€

March
25 Obama Takes to Univision Awards From Variety's Anna Marie de la Fuente:

With Mexico in the headlines of late, President Obama will talk directly to a massive Hispanic aud when he makes an historic appearance on “Premio Lo Nuestro,â€

Obama offers remarks for Univision show
2 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama told the viewers of a popular Latin music awards show Thursday that they must "stay involved and make your voices heard" as the nation fights its way out of troubled times.

"I want you to know that I will always be listening and my administration is working hard so that we can expand opportunity for all Americans and reach that better day," the president said in a prerecorded message broadcast during the "Premio Lo Nuestro" show on the Univision Spanish-language television network.

It was the second time in a week Obama reached out to Univision; he called on a reporter from the network during Tuesday's prime-time news conference.

The awards show was broadcast live from the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

The White House released a transcript of Obama's statement.

He wished the viewers good evening in Spanish and he celebrated the diversity of Latin music. The president closed by offering another line in Spanish. Translated into English, the president said, "And for all those nominees wondering if tonight is their night, let me just say, yes, you can!"

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Premio Lo Nuestro show falls flat, lacks freshness
Related Content
Premios Lo Nuestro 2009
By JORDAN LEVIN
jlevin@MiamiHerald.com

Univisión's Latin music awards show, Premio Lo Nuestro, cut back in more ways than one in this recession-strapped year. Thursday night's show took place at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, a much smaller venue than the AmericanAirlines Arena, where it had been held.

The cutbacks weren't just in size, with few big production numbers and a smaller live audience. Musically the show felt reduced too, with fewer stars and an almost complete lack of new talent. The past year has seen no major new acts or trends in Latin music, and the lack of energy was apparent in a show that often felt frozen or even regressive in style.

The winners at Premio LoNuestro are so predictably the same that, with a few changes, you could almost copy the same list of artists each year. This year the big winners were urban bachata group Aventura, which won four awards, for Tropical Album, Group, Song and Traditional Tropical Artist of the Year. They were followed by Colombian rock star Juanes, who won all three Rock categories, for Album, Artist and Song of the Year. Enrique Iglesias took home awards for Pop Album and Pop Song of the Year, and reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel also took home two, for Urban Album and Urban Song of the Year.

OTHER WINNERS

Flex, a Panamanian newcomer whose reggaeton lite song Te Quiero has been a big hit, took home the prize for Urban Song of the Year. And Luis Fonsi, a pop singer-songwriter who has had a breakout year with his album Palabras del Silencio, won Pop Male Artist of the Year.

Many of the best moments were the nonmusical ones. President Barack Obama surprised the audience with a video address, arousing screams by saying ''Buenas noches'' and ''Premio lo Nuestro'' in Spanish, and chants of ''Si se puede'' afterwards. ''I want to thank all of you who voted in that other election,'' Obama said. ``Even if it wasn't for me.''

Maribel Nesuda, who came from Texas for the show, said she was impressed, although she hadn't voted for Obama last November. '''It shocked me -- it's the president!'' she said. ``I can't believe, with this economy, that he's taking the time to say a few words for this.''

The host, comedian Eugenio Derbez, supplied some much needed irreverence, announcing his candidacy for president (''It'll cost less, because they pay us Latinos less for the same work'') and showing off a poster with the slogan Green Go (a Mexican phrase that's the origin of the word gringo).

Premio opened with Wisin y Yandel descending from the ceiling with dancers in devil/angel gear hanging from trapezes and bouncing on bungee cords. But many of the production numbers were teeth-grittingly cheesy. Mexican rockera Alejandra Guzman, honored for 20 years in music, tried to defy her age by wearing too little lingerie, rolling on a giant bed, and bouncing in a flouncy tutu.

CROWDED STAGE

With a smaller, simpler production it would have made sense to focus on the music, but most numbers featured two or more artists, often in more than one song: Enrique Iglesias with Wisin y Yandel, Flex with PeeWee, and Franco de Vita, Latin America's Billy Joel, with Mexican regional group K-Paz de la Sierra.

And despite numerous jokes about merengue singer Elvis Crespo, who was recently charged with masturbating on a plane from Houston to Miami, Crespo appeared, grinning, to present the award for Urban Album of the Year.

http://www.miamiherald.com/234/story/970092.html

That's funny! Obama wanted to share center stage with another Osama bin Laden style video message with a guy caught masturbating in public and an old woman in a tutu.

Last week I was missing Bush.

This week I'm missing Clinton.



We are so screwed.

I am with you Judy!! couldn't have said it better!

The Mexicans are welcome to have Obama for their country!

He's an imposter President.

Take that slimy Louis G. with you too!