array(6) { [0]=> array(6) { ["title"]=> string(38) "Julio Iglesias Jr. Finds His Own Voice" ["datetime"]=> string(14) "March 03, 2023" ["description"]=> string(2566) "

In this week's episode, we welcome singer Julio Iglesias Jr. who celebrated his 50th birthday with a new big band album titled "Under The Covers" out now, his first musical project in 15 years. He also opens up about his father Julio Sr. and superstar brother Enrique and how he defines himself in terms of race, culture, and identity.

Interview with Julio Iglesias Jr.:
Segment 1: Julio's Musical Journey

Julio discussed his love for his last album, Tercera Dimensión, a Spanish rock record in 2003, which is still one of his favorite records.
After that, he did a cover record in Spain, but it was a quicky kind of record that didn't turn out well.
He then joined a French project man band called "Latin Lover," where they did a cover of "BK" in French.
Julio reveals how he found his passion for big band music and how his producer Rudy Perez helped him create his latest album.
Julio explains that he doesn't follow trends and only sings what he loves, which is why he defied the trend of singing reggaeton or urban music.

Segment 2: Julio's Identity

Jack Rico asks Julio how he culturally identifies, whether as Hispanic, Spaniard, or Latino.
Julio admits that he is confused about his identity and explains why.
Julio says that he has always felt comfortable embracing his father's music and sees himself doing that type of music as opposed to his brother Enrique.

Segment 3: Embracing Family and Music

Jack Rico asks Julio why he is so comfortable embracing his family, despite the media trying to create a different narrative.
Julio explains that he grew up listening to his father's music and sees himself as a true fan of his dad's music.
Julio talks about how he doesn't see Enrique singing his father's songs, but he loves doing it himself.
Julio says that he loves his family and enjoys touring with his dad whenever he can.

Highly Relevant Playlist:

Tormenta - Gorillaz feat Bad Bunny
Tu Veneno - Silvestre y La Naranja
Tan Basico - Los Rumberos

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast hosted by Jack Rico, TV host, journalist, and film critic since 2016. He interviews Latino actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives to explore their impact on mainstream culture and entertainment.

" ["episode_id"]=> string(135) "default?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=cfba8d2e-0146-4dd3-8d63-1602b7a7aedc&feed=wm2GqLEC" ["show_id"]=> NULL ["episode_audio"]=> string(269) "https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9/episodes/cfba8d2e-0146-4dd3-8d63-1602b7a7aedc/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=cfba8d2e-0146-4dd3-8d63-1602b7a7aedc&feed=wm2GqLEC" } [1]=> array(6) { ["title"]=> string(78) "Xochitl Gonzalez on Navigating the Complexities of Social Climbing For Latinos" ["datetime"]=> string(17) "February 08, 2023" ["description"]=> string(2375) "

Our first guest of 2023 is Xochitl Gonzalez, the multi-talented Puerto Rican-Mexican American writer of the New York Times best-seller "Olga Dies Dreaming" and staff writer for The Atlantic Magazine. She's here to discuss with me her latest thought-provoking article, "The New Case for Social Climbing," and its impact on people of color, particularly Latinos. In our interview, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of seeking higher social status, the right and wrong ways to do it, and why Latinos are more likely to succeed at it. We also get an update on her Hulu TV adaptation of "Olga Dies Dreaming” starring Aubrey Plaza and Ramon Rodriguez.

Episode Breakdown

Topic 1: What is Social Climbing?

Xochitl's definition of social climbing
Common misconceptions about social climbing
Differences between social climbing and networking

Topic 2: The Pros and Cons of Social Climbing

Advantages of social climbing
Disadvantages of social climbing
How social climbing can impact personal relationships

Topic 3: Strategies for Successful Social Climbing

How to navigate the social climbing world
Tips for building authentic relationships
Balancing ambition and authenticity

Topic 4: Ethical Considerations of Social Climbing

The impact of social climbing on marginalized communities
The responsibility of those who engage in social climbing
The importance of self-reflection and introspection

Highly Relevant Music Playlist:
Diferente - (Steve Aoki featuring CNCO)
Por Si Volvemos - Karol G and Romeo Santos
Only One - Jessie Reyez

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast hosted by Jack Rico, TV host, journalist, and film critic. He interviews Latino actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives to explore their impact on mainstream culture and entertainment.

" ["episode_id"]=> string(135) "default?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=23edbd6f-cf39-4d2c-9d74-d3ed77ab55ae&feed=wm2GqLEC" ["show_id"]=> NULL ["episode_audio"]=> string(269) "https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9/episodes/23edbd6f-cf39-4d2c-9d74-d3ed77ab55ae/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=23edbd6f-cf39-4d2c-9d74-d3ed77ab55ae&feed=wm2GqLEC" } [2]=> array(6) { ["title"]=> string(65) "Marta Tellado, CEO Consumer Reports, Talks New Book 'Buyer Aware'" ["datetime"]=> string(16) "October 12, 2022" ["description"]=> string(1035) "

In this interview with Marta Tellado, the CEO of Consumer Reports, we discuss how she became one of the few Latina CEOs in the country, how her Cuban heritage shaped her democratic ideals, and how her new book, ‘Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace,’ acts as a guide for consumers to reclaim their power against shady business practices.

Marta's Favorite Things:
Casa de Papel, Sound of Music, Esperanza Spaulding

Highly Relevant Music Playlist:
Flores - Nino Freestyle, Dalex
Tomemos un Trago - Kat & Alex
I Know You Know - Esperanza Spaulding

Highly Relevant Podcast
‘Highly Relevant' is a Latino pop culture podcast. Jack Rico - TV host, journalist, film critic, and podcaster - talks with actors, musicians, journalists, and media executives about how they are influencing mainstream culture and entertainment.

" ["episode_id"]=> string(135) "default?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=f218be13-2875-4986-bae4-4e6dc2d1fb74&feed=wm2GqLEC" ["show_id"]=> NULL ["episode_audio"]=> string(269) "https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9/episodes/f218be13-2875-4986-bae4-4e6dc2d1fb74/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=f218be13-2875-4986-bae4-4e6dc2d1fb74&feed=wm2GqLEC" } [3]=> array(6) { ["title"]=> string(91) "Ximena Sariñana on 'Amor Adolescente,' Singing in English and Experimenting with Reggaeton" ["datetime"]=> string(15) "August 30, 2022" ["description"]=> string(432) "

Ximena and I discuss her most recent album Amor Adolecente and how her hit ballad 'Una Vez Más' came to be. We also discuss the significance her sophomore English-language album had on her artistic growth, the pressures for Latin artists to succumb to the Reggaeton momentum, why it’s hard for Latina artists to find global acceptance, and we discuss her dreams of one day composing on the New York Broadway stage.

" ["episode_id"]=> string(135) "default?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=d16ae663-a4ea-483c-bdb0-b9e9b1b4b82e&feed=wm2GqLEC" ["show_id"]=> NULL ["episode_audio"]=> string(269) "https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9/episodes/d16ae663-a4ea-483c-bdb0-b9e9b1b4b82e/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=017b1f29-f526-4ea7-9c12-fcbfd2874ef9&awEpisodeId=d16ae663-a4ea-483c-bdb0-b9e9b1b4b82e&feed=wm2GqLEC" } [4]=> array(6) { ["title"]=> string(69) "Bomba Estéreo's Simón Mejía Talks Bad Bunny, Petro, Climate Change" ["datetime"]=> string(15) "August 03, 2022" ["description"]=> string(2393) "

In this week’s episode, I talk to Simón Mejía, the founder and band leader of the Grammy-winning Colombian group ‘Bomba Estéreo’. We discuss his latest solo film and music project EL DUENDE, inspired by the Afro-indigenous music of Colombia’s jungles, as well as, what he thinks of Colombia’s newly elected president Gustavo Petro, and how the Bad Bunny collaboration of ‘Ojitos Lindos’ came to be without them ever meeting.

The Highly Relevant Playlist

La isla de Lesbos - Javiera Mena

El Lobby - Micro TDH, Pablo Alborán

Mala Vibra - Gativideo

Like to give us your feedback? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com

Follow Jack:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackRicofficial

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackrico40/

Subscribe to Highly Relevant:
iTunes http://apple.co/2nh2db1

Spotify http://spoti.fi/2mEJfyy

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In this week’s episode, we welcome Manuel Abud, the CEO of the Latin Recording Academy for a chat about this year’s Latin Grammys. We discuss an array of topics including thoughts of taking the Latin Grammys back to CBS and mainstream validation, his vision of taking the show internationally to different countries, competition from other Spanish-language award shows, which award is more important to a Latin artist… the Grammy or the Latin Grammy? and he addresses some of the controversies surrounding the urban/reggaeton backlash of the last several years.

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Highly Relevant with Jack Rico

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About the Show

Category: Society & Culture, Television & Film

Join Jack Rico, ShowBizCafe’s founder and editor-in-chief, as well as entertainment analyst for TODAY, Telemundo, NY1 and NBCNews.com, for a weekly Hispanic-American podcast breaking down the week’s most highly relevant stories in the mainstream and Latino entertainment scene. From movies, music, television, books, politics and media, ‘Highly Relevant with Jack Rico’ offers engaging in-depth interviews, reviews and personal recommendations on everything currently shaping our tastes and opinions of today’s America. This is a podcast for people who live a bicultural and bilingual lifestyle and who love to have their finger on the pulse of American and Latino pop culture.

Jack Rico

Jack Rico is a bilingual entertainment journalist, with a focus on ﬁlm and bicultural pop culture. He is one of the rare personalities who can seamlessly traverse ﬂuidly between the Spanish and English language mainstream market. Jack is also the founder and editor in chief of ShowBizCafe.com, a pop culture website that is a fusion between the American and Latino pop culture experience, the ﬁrst of its kind. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Jack contributes his pop culture knowledge on major outlets such as NBC’s TODAY Show, VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live with Nick Lachey and Telemundo NY. His written work and interviews can be seen on NBCNews.com. He also is the host of The Highly Relevant Podcast, a weekly Hispanic-American pop culture show. Rico is credited with creating the ﬁrst Spanish language syndicated movie review radio segment on Univision Radio, plus he was the ﬁlm critic for People En Español magazine, the largest Spanish language magazine in the United States, for almost a decade. Jack Rico made journalism history when he became part of the founding on-air anchors that launched Univision’s Al Despertar in 1999, the ﬁrst Spanish language morning newscast in New York City. Rico holds a degree in journalism from Miami Dade and has held various television awards, including the Associated Press, El Diario ‘EL‘ Award and The Ace Award. He is currently a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, one of the most prestigious and largest ﬁlm critic organizations in the United States, as well as the New York Film Critics Online. In 2011 Jack was named Chair of the ¡Viva Broadway! Advisory Board, the ﬁrst Hispanic initiative ofThe Broadway League.