Highly Relevant Podcast

Adrian Martinez and Allison Strong join the show today to chat about going at it in Hollywood as Latinx actors. Adrian is in Amy Schumer’s controversial new film “I Feel Pretty,” out in theaters now. We talked why the movie’s premise has angered some women, if he thinks “beauty” is a fact or an opinion, and his #1 advice for any Latinx actor wanting to break into the business.

Allison is a proud Colombian-American actress who has a new movie “The Week Of” coming out on Netflix April 27th with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, plus, she discusses her personal experiences of what acting in Hollywood is like for a bilingual actress; and she reveals the best lesson she learned from Steve Buschemi… 

EPISODE SUMMARY

Adrian Martinez discusses his role in Amy Schumer's new movie "I Feel Pretty" - 1:04

JackedIN Segment (recap of pop culture stories) - 20:16

Allison Strong discusses her new movie on Netflix, "The Week Of" - 22:19

Musical weekend playlist: 44:27

100 Grados - Lali and Achal

Let Me ZAYN - 

Guerrera - DellaFuente, C Tangana

Tease of Eugenio Derbez episode next week - 45:34

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Ecuadorian-American actress and singer Michelle Veintimilla joins us on this episode to discuss her role as the villainess FIREFLY on FOX’s GOTHAM series. She has a solid resumé which includes performing on Broadway with legendary icon Chita Rivera, working in film opposite Russell Crowe, Octavia Spencer, and Aaron Paul, as well as TV credits in “Blue Bloods” and “The Goodwife”. She joins me today to talk how she got the part of FIREFLY, why identifying as Hispanic is crucial in Hollywood and why she doesn’t like… telenovelas. 

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Ben Lopez, Executive Director of NALIP joins us to discuss the rock-bottom depths Hispanic actors have reached in Hollywood. What is the African-American community doing differently than the Hispanic community? Also, Randy Falco, the CEO of Univision, recently announced he’s retiring early. What type of person should replace him? Is it time for a U.S. born Hispanic to run it and should it be a woman? Should they look into doing English-language programming? And we also chat about how NALIP’s whole mission is to help Hispanic creatives break into Hollywood.

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

You've heard them - Miguel, Demi Lovato, Becky G, Jennifer Lopez - all US Latino pop stars who randomly decided to sing in Spanish. Why? What were the reasons behind it? Is it a money grabbing business move or is it a genuine rediscovery of their cultural roots? Music journalist Isabela Raygoza and myself explore whether Latino music listeners buy into their strategy to reach them in their language or if it stinks of commerce.

“Language - it doesn’t define your identity, but it reinforces it.” - Isabela Raygoza

Episode Summary

-Miguel and Demi Lovato singing in Spanish

-Cultural differences between US Latinos and Latin Americans

-Reasons why US Latino pop stars sing in Spanish

-Phoniness vs Authenticity

-Criteria for being a Spanish-language Latino artist

-American accents in Spanish singing

-Selena and her bilingualness

-Jennifer Lopez first Spanish album

-Beyonce Spanish album

-Music and identity politics

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

There’s a new horror movie out in theaters called “The Strangers: Prey At Night” directed by Johannes Roberts. He joins the show to discuss why he feels horror movies are such a thrill for moviegoers and why his new movie is different than many others.

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Latinos win big at the 2018 Oscars, but will anything really change? We also tackle Steven Spielberg’s Latino reboot of the movie musical - West Side Story - and discuss all the reasons this is a bad idea. Mike Sargent, national film contributor for FOX Business, PBS Newshour and chief film critic for WBAI Radio joins us to deconstruct it all.

Episode Summary

Mike Sargent talks about why Shape of Water was a safe choice by the Academy

Why Mudbound didn’t win one award

After the diversity of the Oscars, is Hollywood changed forever?

Inclusion Rider and strong-arming Hollywood. Will it work?

Spielberg's West Side Story Latino reboot and the foreseeable problems it will have

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

On this week’s episode, Hilda Garcia, VP of Digital Entertainment at Univision, returns to the podcast to discuss how Univision.com has planned a MASSIVE digital event for the 30th Anniversary of ‘Premios Lo Nuestro’ airing this week. For the first time, the #1 Spanish language network will simulcast the live TV award show on Univision.com. But will it cannibalize television viewers? 

And we talk to UK director Alex Garland whose new movie ANNIHILATION premieres this week, and he cast 3 of the biggest Latinx names for it - Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson - and somehow still managed to get criticized by the press for allegedly whitewashing star Natalie Portman’s character. We’ll ask him why he cast Latinx actors and why it has nothing to do with the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s protest at the Oscar’s next month. 

"Black Panther" is out and already has broken records and movie myths. On this episode, we talk to three African-American guests: Soraya Nadia McDonald, a culture critic for ESPN's The Undefeated, Mike Sargent, filmmaker and pioneering Afrofuturist, and Wilson Morales, EIC of Blackfilm.com, about the film's significance, the social commentary on race and politics that lies beneath the whole film, and its chances at Oscar gold come 2019.

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Author David Peisner joins the show to discuss his new book “Homey Don't Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution”. What you'll hear today is David speaking about why this book was so important for him to write, the significance of "In Living Color" today, the discovery of talented cast members such as Jamie Foxx, Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey, why an English-language Latino sketch comedy has never been successful, and the reasons why so many people love Black entertainment.

Episode Summary

Why David wrote the book

How race played a huge part in the comedy of the show

The cultural significance behind the show

How popular culture today is informed on Black culture

The recruitment of the talented cast such as Jamie Foxx, Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey

Why the show ended

Will "In Living Color" ever return?

Why Latino sketch-comedies haven't worked on mainstream television

If you’d like to listen to more episodes with this format, leave us your thoughts on Twitter @jackricofficial. Thanks to Simon & Shuster and author David Peisner. His new book “Homey Don't Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution” is out now.

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Natalia Lafourcade, 33, is a highly acclaimed Mexican singer/songwriter who was recently nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 60th Annual Grammys for her album, Musas Vol.1 (Un homenaje al folclore Latinoamericano en manos de Los Macorinos), and is also the singer for the Oscar nominated song “Remember Me” from Pixar’s hit film “Coco”. 

In this episode, Natalia and I sit down to talk about her upcoming album “Musas Vol. 2,” out February 9th. We tackled the question…what’s better… a Grammy or a Latin Grammy?  We then strayed into the subject of the music business, reggaeton, Broadway and how that song “Remember Me” came into her life.

Episode Summary

Potentially performing at the Oscars

How Disney approached her about Coco's "Remember Me" 

Working with R&B star Miguel

Is a Grammy more important than a Latin Grammy

Musas Vol. 2 album

"Hu Hu Hu" album 

Dreaming of Broadway 

Music business and reggaeton 

Natalia Lafourcade explains her concert experience 

If you’d like to listen to more episodes with this format, leave us your thoughts on Twitter @jackricofficial. Thanks to Sony Records and Natalia LaFourcade.

Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at [email protected] and help us spread the word on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!

Ways to subscribe to Highly Relevant with Jack Rico:     

• Click here to subscribe via iTunes    • Click here to subscribe via Spotify    • Click here to subscribe via Stitcher