Highly Relevant with Jack Rico

Producer and CEO of 3Pas Studios, Ben Odell, is our guest this week. He shares the fascinating story behind his critically acclaimed new film 'Radical,' starring Eugenio Derbez. The film centers on a gifted but disadvantaged group of students in Mexico whose lives are transformed by an unconventional new teacher. 

Hear how the film was received differently by Mexican versus American audiences, Eugenio’s decade-long journey to becoming a dramatic actor, the challenges Latinos face in gaining Oscar recognition, and the surprising story of how the film's rights were nearly lost.

Highly Relevant Playlist
Alch Si - (Carin León feat. Grupo Frontera)

Nostalgia - (FlowGPT feat. AI Bad Bunny)

Vueltas - (Noah Pino Palo)

'How the Gringo Stole Christmas' is one of only a handful of Latino-centered holiday films ever made. This week, its director, Venezuelan-American Angel Gracia, joins the show to discuss this pressing question: Why are Latino holiday movies so rare? Plus, we discuss his rich three-decade journey in filmmaking, the challenges of authentically casting Latino roles, and the hard business truths of making art in Hollywood.

Episode Summary:

• Angel's diverse upbringing and experiences living as a foreigner in different countries, inform his storytelling
• Casting George Lopez and connecting with his real-life experience as a Latino dad to a daughter dating someone outside their culture
• Casting considerations and controversies around Latinx actors playing roles outside their specific heritage
• The business side of Hollywood casting and how it impacts creative decisions
• The importance of authenticity in storytelling while also serving the main genre/purpose of the story
• Angel's plans to build Super Studios, a new production studio and school in Texas, as a more affordable alternative to Hollywood

Highly Relevant Playlist
Monaco - Lagos feat. Danny Ocean
Cinturita - Reggie El Autentico
Yasser Tejeda - Pa’ Sembrar

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Legendary music producer Gustavo Santaolalla has crafted the soundtrack to Rock En Español, producing career-defining albums for Café Tacvba, Molotov, Juanes, and many more. He is one of only three composers to win consecutive Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Brokeback Mountain and Babel. In our wide-ranging conversation, Gustavo shares his philosophical views on art, humanity, the spiritual connection he finds in music, and the state of the creative industry today. We begin with how Gustavo’s hard-knock life in 1960s Argentina led to an explosion of boundary-pushing creativity still felt in music today.

Episode Key Quotes:

"The album 'Arcoiris' is a blueprint of my career. In that album, you're going to find the music for the movies, the songs, the production tricks."

"It's creativity, art, and music that moves you in any art. It's what keeps us sane."

"In the next 20 years, we're going to have to make big decisions and big changes or this can go away, really."

Highly Relevant Playlist
The Last Of Us - Gustavo Santaolalla
Eres - Cafe Tacvuba
Frijolero - Molotov

This week, renowned Colombian band Monsieur Periné joins the show to discuss their latest release, 'Bolero Apocaliptico'. We interview them about the evolution of their musical style, how they challenge traditional love narratives, and the influence of Afro-Colombian roots on their work. The conversation also navigates thought-provoking issues, such as cultural appropriation and white identity in Latin music, as well as discovering sources of love in an increasingly loveless world.

Episode Summary

• Monsieur Periné discuss their new album, "Bolero Apocaliptico" and what it means
• Catalina Garcia and Santiago Prieto share their views on where they find love in a growing loveless world
• The band talks about the Afro-Colombian influences in their music and beyond
• Monsieur Periné speak on cultural appropriation and white identity in Latin music

Highly Relevant Playlist
unx100to - Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny
Mundo Parallelo - Monsieur Periné y Pedro Capó
Tu y Tu - Los Angeles Azules

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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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.