Danay’s Musings

NEW YORK, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Was it nostalgia or was it spite? Was it relief? Or was it simple courtesy? Or perhaps the novelty of the service. No one knows for sure what led four Latin American presidents to serenade the outgoing Alvaro Uribe of Colombia.

Four traditional Mexican mariachi were sent from www.serenata4u.com to the man who led Colombia for eight years with a steady hand and without fear of controversy.

Senders with the names of the presidents of Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Brazil found in the wide repertoire of www.serenata4u.com the one melody that perfectly defines their feelings for Uribe.

www.serenata4u.com allows friends and lovers to send electronic serenades in the form of music videos. Each song is personalized with a message and two photos uploaded by the person sending them.

So, Hugo Chavez, with whom Uribe exchanged harsh words on several occasions, sent “El Rey” (The King), a selection that some may read as confrontational. Link to Hugo Chavezs serenade  (http://www.serenata4u.com/app/webroot/files/final_serenatas/e6403365350214703763569edef497e0/index.php?configLanguage=es).

Evo Morales, in a message a bit nostalgic, sent the song “Volver, volver, volver” (Return, return, return). Link to Evo Moraless serenade (http://www.serenata4u.com/app/webroot/files/final_serenatas/6dd36e7dc260bc1beeb79a33da67b5df/index.php?configLanguage=es).

Ecuadors Rafael Correa, with whom Uribe had border disputes, send “Serenata Huasteca”, accompanied by a photo of him playing guitar. Link to Rafael Correas serenade (http://www.serenata4u.com/app/webroot/files/final_serenatas/d9976f1c2c0c972d1cee0c3647cbd194/index.php?configLanguage=es).

Luis Inacio da Silva, Lula sent “Las Mananitas” (Mornings), accompanied by warm, but somewhat reflective words. Link to the Lula serenade (http://www.serenata4u.com/app/webroot/files/final_serenatas/46a731f4af282372a4097ba1e4d76b95/index.php?configLanguage=es).

Whatever the reasons behind the serenades to Uribe, it is clear that the Colombian president leaves and indelible mark on the continents history.

www.serenata4u.com is a project of Freydell Torres Diversity.

www.ftdiversity.com, an advertising agency based in New York. Since its launch in February 2010, over 20 000 virtual serenades have been distributed to over 100 countries worldwide.

SOURCE Freydell Torres Diversity

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Who wouldnt want the Quinceanera of their dreams? Traditionally, teenage Latinas across the world dream of celebrating their coming-of-age with family and friends at a Quince party. Verizon Wireless will make that dream come true for one teen as part of its third annual My Fabulous Quince contest. The contest celebrates the Quince tradition as teens in select markets apply online and Verizon Wireless selects 100 semi-finalists for the public to vote for as their favorite. The teen with the most votes wins a Quince celebration valued at $45,000.

This years My Fabulous Quince grand prize includes a performance by pop/R&B singer Jay Sean who will perform his newest single “2012,” catering for 200 guests, ballroom with lavish decorations, an LG Ally(TM) cell phone for the winner and parents, and much more!

“The Quince tradition is revered and is evolving. Although generally celebrated by girls coming of age, more fifteen-year old boys than ever before are celebrating this important cultural event, especially in the United States,” said Christina Gonzalez, Director of Multicultural Marketing for Verizon West Area. “We encourage teen boys and girls of all backgrounds to participate.”

APPLICATION AND VOTING PERIODS
Teens living in the Los Angeles, San Jose, El Paso, Salt Lake City and Seattle metro areas qualify to enter the My Fabulous 15 contest. For a chance to win, teens can enter online at http://www.myfabulous15.com between August 2 and August 29.

Verizon Wireless will select one hundred semi-finalists from all submissions. The public will then vote on the semi-finalists from September 2 to September 14 by casting text message or online votes at http://www.myfabulous15.com. Verizon Wireless will announce the winner during the week of September 13.

DATE OF QUINCE AND OTHER PRIZES
The My Fabulous 15 grand prize party will be held October 16. In addition to benefits already listed, the grand prize also includes:
– A professional photographer and videographer
– Transportation to and from the venue for the winner and up to ten guests
– One DJ/emcee
– Birthday cake for winner and guests

The company will also grant five runners-ups each an LG Ally(TM) cell phone and a Verizon Wireless gift card valued at $75.

For more information about My Fabulous 15, including rules, eligibility and more, please visit http://www.myfabulous15.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nations most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Jay Sean
Hailing from London, England, Pop/R&B star Jay Sean began honing his craft from an early age and began to explore the possibility of making music a career as he entered college. With a positive response from friends and the organic development of a fan base that ranged from the UK to South Asia, Jay Sean released his debut album ME AGAINST MYSELF in 2004 on digital platforms. It was then that his music exploded on the internet and he began to tour throughout Europe and Asia. He became a major sensation and multi-platinum artist overseas, releasing two smash albums, two top ten singles and was nominated for Britains heralded MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award twice. One song, “Ride It” garnered 20+ million views on YouTube and captivated fans everywhere, including Cash Money Records CEO and co-founder Ronald “Slim” Williams. Jay Sean became the first UK artists to join the Cash Money family in 2008 and released his American debut album ALL OR NOTHING on November 23, 2009, which includes the #1 song on Billboards Hot 100 and 3X platinum hit “Down” featuring Lil Wayne, and the platinum certified track “Do You Remember” featuring Sean Paul and Lil Jon. Further exemplifying his presence on the charts, Jay Sean had four Billboard Top 20 singles in his introductory year in the U.S. “Down”, (#1 on Billboards Hot 100), “Do You Remember” (#9 on Billboards Hot 100), “I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)” (#21 on Billboards Hot 100), and “Written on Her” (#17 on Billboards Rap Chart). To date, Jay Sean has won 11 UK Asian Music Awards, including Best Male Act, Best Urban Act, Best Video, (”Down”) and Best Album “ALL OR NOTHING,” in 2010, a 2009 UK Urban award for Best Collaboration for “Down” featuring Lil Wayne, and received past honors from MTV Russia Music Awards and UK BMI Awards. Jay Sean is gearing up to release his sophomore album this fall on Cash Money Records.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

BALTIMORE, June 8 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Free advice is one thing, but there’s no disputing the heavyweight value of a website that offers “a ton of advice” in Spanish. That’s the idea behind this first-of-its-kind Spanish language site called 1001 Consejos. Translated into English, the name means “a ton of advice,” exactly what this one-stop online shop offers to Latinos “consejos.” Imagine what would happen if Facebook met Fandango, YouTube merged with Real Simple and Craigslist converged with both Ticketmaster and Amazon. Add news, weather, sports, lottery results, postcards, latest music, discussion groups, advice and much more-all in Spanish. The result is http://www.1001Consejos.com .

1001 Consejos is the first comprehensive web portal targeted toward the influential Latino market, as well as those who speak Spanish in South America and abroad. It offers unparalleled opportunity. For Latinos, it’s a place to look up tasty recipes, find the best deals and bargains, buy tickets to the hottest movies and concerts, find up-to-the minute sports scores, or discover the most affordable travel destinations. Here’s a look at some of the many 1001 Consejos around-the-clock offerings:

– Look up daily horoscopes

– Track the progress of your pregnancy

– Find job openings

– Find maps and directions

– Interact with friends and family

– Listen to the latest music

– Get the latest entertainment industry gossip

– Share advice on beauty, business, health, family, education, love and money

– Use the latest tools for translation, currency conversion, baby naming & much more…

For advertisers, 1001 Consejos is the easiest way to connect with Latinos, the fastest growing minority in the U.S., both in terms of numbers and purchasing power, which is expected to exceed $1 trillion this year. Of critical importance: research shows Latinos are more loyal to and prefers Spanish-language sites over those in English. “Latinos can use 1001 Consejos for every purpose,” explains Vice President of Business Development Pilar Lazzati, who says the site engages

Latinos like never before. “A mother can browse 1001 Consejos to find a bargain on their family trip, while her son checks the latest soccer scores. He can then chat with his Dad about the game, while Dad shares financial advice with his best friend. 1001 Consejos is revolutionary!” Visitors and advertisers at 1001 Consejos are bound to keep seeking a ton of advice.

SOURCE 1001Consejos.com

WASHINGTON, July 20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Today a group of 18 civil rights organizations submitted a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Commerce Committees expressing their disappointment with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowskis proposal to regulate the Internet. These organizations are extremely troubled by the potential implications that the FCCs recent adoption of a Notice of Inquiry on broadband classification will have. As a result, the signers are calling on Congress to clarify the Commissions authority over the Internet with narrow, targeted legislation.

Classifying the Internet as a Title II service distracts from, and may ultimately undermine the pursuit of a National Broadband Plan, which would provide broadband access to every American. This will disproportionately impact those who are already lacking broadband access and will serve to increase the digital divide in America.

At a time when too many Americans lack access to the opportunities enabled by broadband, policies that expand broadband access must be a priority. Additional direction from Congress will provide clarity so investment, innovation and job creation in the broadband market can be maintained. The letters signers were encouraged by a June 18 letter from the AFL-CIO, NAACP, LULAC and other leading labor, environmental and civil rights organizations to Congressional leaders which called for congressional intervention.

Following the letters release, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement National President, Milton Rosado stated, “We are not convinced that Chairman Genachowskis third way plan will result in the continued affordability and availability of broadband service. At this time, congressional direction is imperative to achieving the goals of the National Broadband Plan.”

In order to maintain an open and affordable Internet, Congress must take action to directly address this pivotal issue and the Commissions “third way” proposal be abandoned.

To access the letter sent to members of Congress on LCLAAs website, please click here (http://lclaa.org/hot_issues/closing-the-digital-divide-and-creating-jobs.html).

About the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, LCLAA is the home of the Latino Labor Movement. LCLAA is a national Latino organization representing the interests of over 1.7 million Latino trade unionists throughout the country and the Common Wealth of Puerto Rico. LCLAA was founded in 1973 and is Americas premier national organization for Latino workers and their families. LCLAA advocates for the rights of all workers seeking justice in the workplace and their communities. LCLAA is a constituency group representing Latino workers in both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win Federation. Visit us at http://www.lclaa.org

SOURCE Labor Council for Latin American Advancement

MIAMI, April 14 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Major decision makers of the global Latin Advertising, Content and Media world (Latin America, Spain and U.S.) will be present at Portada’s 2010 Panregional Advertising and Media Summit on June 3 in Miami’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

http://www.portada-online.com/conference/main.aspx?cid=9

“Reaching Pan Latin Audiences” is the main theme of the Summit, which last year’s attendee feedback and 2010 sponsor support confirm as the pre-eminent event for the global Latin Advertising, Media and Content markets.

Major decision makers already confirmed their participation, including Kim Allard, Regional Online Marketing Manager for Sony Latin America; Chris Velasco, Director Trade Marketing - Americas for Microsoft; and Guillermo Morrone, VP Marketing Head - MasterCard Worldwide - Latin America & Caribbean.

Other major speakers include:

- Enrique Cuevas, CEO of Editorial Premiere

- Sue Cross, Sue Cross, SVP Global Media - Americas, Associated Press

- Joe Crump, Group Vice President, Strategy and Planning, Razorfish

- Cynthia Evans, Managing Director, Group M, Media Edge

- Milton Longobardi, Managing Director Sao Paulo Tourism Bureau

- Jose Ruiz, Senior Marketing Manager, Oracle

- Raquel Solorzano, Corporate Media Manager, Samsung Latin America

- Roxana Strohmenger, Latin America Lead Analyst, Forrester Research

- Tomas O’Farrell, Founding Partner and CMO, Sonico

- Juan Saldivar, Director Televisa Interactive

The main program will revolve on Best Practices Advertising to Latin American Audiences as well as panregional media buying. There also will be special break out sessions. The first: “The Message: Content Preferences of Latin Audiences”. The second: “Is the Medium the Message? How are different content delivery mechanisms and technological innovation affecting media consumption in the Latin world?” A third break out session will be devoted to the so-called “South-North” trend of Latin American companies marketing to U.S. audiences.

Early Bird Tickets:
Early bird tickets are available at http://www.portada-online.com/CONFERENCE/REGISTRATION.ASPX?CID=9 or by calling 1-800-397-5322.

Sponsors

Premium sponsors of the Summit are:

Sponsor of the Panregional Advertising and Media Awards: El Mundo Americas/Unidad Editorial (http://www.elmundo.es/america/)

Leader Sponsors Plus: Union Radio (http://www.unionradio.com/) and DirecTV Latin America (http://www.directvla.com/)

Leader Sponsor: Sony: (http://www.sptadsales.com/)

Distinguished Sponsors: IMS (http://www.imscorporate.com/site/), Televisa (http://www.televisapublishing.com/) and US Media Consulting (http://www.usmediaconsulting.com/)

Presenting Sponsor:
Razorfish (www.razorfish.com)

About Portada:
Portada is the leading source on the Latin marketing and media space. It offers world-class news and intelligence through online, print, databases and conferences. Portada is present online here:

www.portada-online.com/LatinAmerica (Latin America)

www.portada-online.com/enespanol (Global in Spanish)

www.portada-online.com (U.S. Hispanic)

Contact:
Jennifer Frantz
212-685-4441

SOURCE Portada

NEWTON, Mass., GUATEMALA CIUDAD, Guatemala and LAS VEGAS, March 22 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — International CTIA Wireless Show — MoreMagic Solutions, a leading mobile financial solutions provider, and Claro, a leading mobile network operator, are providing immigrants in the United States, Canada, and worldwide an easy and affordable way to send minutes home to relatives and friends in an expanded set of countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. All Claro mobile operator networks are now connected to the MoreMagic Solutions International Recharge Hub, the leading platform for international TopUp transactions and settlements.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090716/NE47191LOGO )
Customers in other countries recognize the Claro brand due to the consistent reliability of our mobile services.

By going online at www.etopuponline.com, or to any of thousands of independent retail stores, a customer can purchase minutes for a Claro mobile phone. When a customer sends an international recharge, the airtime is immediately available, and the recipient is notified with a personalized SMS message. Travelers in the United States, Canada, and other countries are also able to recharge their own phones. Since MoreMagic Solutions offers the best foreign exchange rates (FX) available, Claro customers receive maximum airtime value.

“A wide-ranging community of Central Americans living in the United States, Canada, and throughout the rest of the world, gives continuous financial support to family and friends back home. Members of this vital group prefer to send airtime as a gift over any other gift, since it is inexpensive and instantaneous,” said Pankaj Gulati, CEO of MoreMagic Solutions. “Responding to growing demand from this community, MoreMagic Solutions offers international recharge service for Claro mobile phones through www.etopuponline.com, as well as at hundreds of thousands of store locations worldwide.”

“Customers in other countries recognize the Claro brand due to the consistent reliability of our mobile services. In conjunction with MoreMagic Solutions we welcome the opportunity to offer airtime to our customers at today’s exchange rate,” said Monica Ruiz, Value Added Services, Director for Claro Central America. “The extensive availability of retail locations, as well as internet purchases through www.etopuponline.com, make it easier than ever to give a gift of airtime for a Claro mobile phone, and friends and family members can immediately receive calls from the community back home.”

Claro in Central America
Claro is a subsidiary of America Movil, the third largest telecommunications company in the world, in terms of equity subscribers. America Movil uses the trademark Claro in eleven countries in Latin America. In Central America the trademark Claro is used in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua since September 2006. Claro offers comprehensive services in telecommunications, which included mobile phone, Internet, landlines, and cable television, as of December 31st 2009 for 11.8 million subscribers for its Central American operations.

America Movil
America Movil is the leading provider of telecommunications services in Latin America. As of December 31st 2009 America Movil surpassed the 200 million wireless subscribers mark worldwide, closing the year with 201 million subscribers in 18 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay).

MoreMagic Solutions
With deployments in more than 60 countries worldwide, MoreMagic Solutions offers transaction platforms for mobile operators, financial institutions, content providers, and distributors, enabling consumers to purchase goods and services on demand using a mobile phone, POS, or web. The MoreMagic Solutions high-throughput payment engine and pre-packaged applications enable revenue-generating services, including mobile recharge and mobile money transfer, both domestic and international; mobile banking; bill payment; and mobile commerce; with integration into diverse network environments, languages, and currencies. Through MoreMagic Solutions worldwide distribution, MNO-branded services are available for out-of-country customers, enabling communications with relatives back home, and increased usage on mobile networks worldwide.

SOURCE MoreMagic Solutions

Since we deal a lot with Brazilian campaigns and affiliates who target this country, I get this question ALL the time, “Where can I buy traffic other than Google, Yahoo & MSN for Brazil?

Here is a list that is always changing. Some I have bought from, some have been suggested to me, etc. The ones I have used and I would recommend have an asterisk.

The list is not all-inclusive, as there are many engines, Google, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook and others like Bidvertiser, that have significant traffic in Brazil.

The list is a good start for anyone wanting to get their feet wet. Also, don’t be scared to use Google Translator to visit non English sites. It works wonders for those who are not native speakers or don’t know the language.

Achei http://powered-by.achei.com.br/
Aonde (Portugese) http://www.aonde.com/
Boibaeo (Portugese) http://www.boibao.com.br/
Brazil Crawler http://www.brazilcrawler.com/
Brazil Studies Guide http://www.umich.edu/~port150/
Brazil Travel http://brazil.start4all.com/
Brujula http://www.brujula.net/brazil/
* Buscador http://www.uol.com.br/busca/
* Buscapique http://www.buscapique.com/busqueda/
Buscar http://www.buscar.com.br/
Cadê?http://www.cade.com.br/
DMOZ http://dmoz.org/Regional/South_America/Brazil/
Exploora http://www.exploora.com.br/
Gigabusca (Portugese) http://www.gigabusca.com.br/
Guiaweb http://www.guiaweb.com/
Ondeir http://www.ondeir.com.br/
Ondeachar http://www.ondeachar.com.br/
Ponteiro http://www.ponteiro.com
Radaruol http://www.radaruol.com.br/
Sobresites (Portugese) http://www.sobresites.com/todos.htm
Star Media http://www.starmedia.com.br/
Terra http://www.terra.com.br/busca/
Todobr http://www.todobr.com.br/
* UOL http://www.uol.com.br/erros/index.htm
Yahoo! Brazil http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Brazil/
Zarp http://www.zarp.net/