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Gordo y Flaca cancels anniversary party for respectSource:
Univision Online, September 26, 2002 On Saturday, September 21, the hit television program El Gordo y La Flaca completed their fourth anniversary. To celebrate, a large party had been prepared, as in the two previous years, and it was scheduled for Tuesday, October 1st. But the kidnapping of Laura Zapata, who is the godmother of the program, caused the party to be suspended until further notice. The following is the complete text which the producers of the program gave in a press release: "Due to the delicate situation in which is found our beloved actress Laura Zapata, godmother of the entertainment news program El Gordo y La Flaca, the Univision network has decided to postpone the celebration of the fourth anniversary of the show. |
All events related to the anniversary remain suspended, including meetings with the press, interviews with Raúl de Molina, and the big party which would have been held on Tuesday, October 1, 2002, in the night club Worka in Mexico City. We ask forgiveness for whatever inconvenience that this may cause you."
Our prayers and thoughts are with Laura, Ernestina, and all their family in these very difficult moments.
(NOTE: Lili Estefan, one of Thalía's close friends, has been on maternity leave and was scheduled to return to the program on the date of the party.)
Source: El
Norte, September 25, 2002
By Arturo Sierra
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
The Department of Personal Security and the Attorney General of the Mexican capitol city, along with federal authorities, are investigating the kidnapping of Laura Guadalupe Zapata Miranda and Ernestina Sodi Miranda, both sisters of the singer and actress Thalía, which took place Sunday night at the hands of an armed command on the streets of precinct Miguel Hidalgo.
The Secretary of Public Safety, Marcelo Ebrard, stated that a special investigations group is being formed among local and federal authorities that will search for them, but there is the priority of safeguarding the lives of the victims until their liberty is obtained. Afterwards, police hope to detain those responsible.
The Prosecutor of the capitol, Bernardo Bátiz, informed that up to now the family members of the actress have not presented a denunciation for deprivation of liberty. He added that he will respect the choice that the family has made concerning the facts, but the preservation and physical integrity of the disappeared is primary. (Note: That presumably means they don't want to anger the kidnappers into beating or mutilating the women, as happened in the case of Vicente Fernandez, Jr.)
According to what is known for sure in the statement of the facts (File #MH-1T2/2666/02-09) presented by persons whose identity was not revealed by Department 9 of the Public Ministry, Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi were traveling in a red Jetta automobile, license plates 837-RNG, belonging to Laura, the same which was encountered by the police on Cacamatzin Street, at an intersection, in the Colonia Tlaxpana. A few meters ahead, on the same street, was located the gray Windstar van, license plates 160-JJH, which were later discovered to have been switched, and which auto actually belonged to a business which had reported it stolen. It was already on file that the Windstar was carjacked last January 31 in Colonia Casas Alemán, in the precinct Gustavo A. Madero. (Note: There were many statements in the beginning that the Windstar had been stolen from Laura herself. THIS IS NOT TRUE, and it is an example of why people need to be aware that rumors often outnumber the facts. Laura DID have a car reported stolen by a former employee while she was in New York at her sister's wedding, but that event had nothing in common with this situation.)
The report stated that the authorities established contact with Claudio Sodi Zapata, Laura's son, who confirmed that the Jetta which was found was his mother's. At the same time, indicates the report, contact was established with Dr. Juan Sodi de la Tijera, Laura's uncle, who said he had been informed of the situation and had told the ex-husband of the actress.
Elements of the SSP which made the denunciation based on the facts of abandonment of the two vehicles informed that after 21:00 hours (9:00 pm Mexico City time) on Sunday, they initiated a pursuit of the vehicles in which the victims and the kidnappers were traveling, after a family member had notified them of the events. Nevertheless, the policemen lost sight of the autos and minutes later found them abandoned.
(NOTE: OK, the above is an example of why many are saying that they would rather that fans do not repeat any news stories; they don't want us to confuse the already-bad situation with rumors. The above "information" has been given and denied twice by officials in Mexico, and several reporters, such as Raul de Molina, have attempted to verify it. From what we have been able to piece together, the PROBABLE facts are these: There does appear to have been a police chase after the fleeing kidnapers, but the story about gunfire being exchanged is almost certainly false. It seems that ONE patrol car who happened to be on duty in the area was alerted after the emergency cell phone call made by Laura's personal assistant, who was following behind them in his own vehicle and who was obviously afraid to interfere. Apparently stopped at a distance behind the Jetta and having to watch helplessly as the armed men carried the women away, he flagged down the patrol car that responded and directed them after the escaping commandos, but sadly the policemen were not able to catch up to them and lost sight of them in the narrow and dark streets of the area. Local residents have testified that they heard the loud squealing of brakes and the noise of a collision, but by the time they identified the source of the noises there was nobody to be seen, just the Jetta in the street.)
According to the press releases from the Police Department, Zapata and Sodi left the San Raphael theater, where Zapata was playing a part onstage in "La Casa de Bernarda Alba", in order to return to her home in San Jerónimo Lídice, when they were intercepted. (Note: Acting with Laura was Angélica Vale, daughter of Angélica María who played Thalía's mother in "Rosalinda".)
No family member of the kidnapped women made any statements concerning this. In Thalía's New York offices, they said that they were not going to make any comments, since it is a matter for the authorities to handle.
While Zapata, 46 years old, can count an artistic career of more than 30 years, in which she has appeared in movies, TV, and theater, her sister Ernestina represented the Federal District in 1977 in the Miss Mexico beauty pageant. She recently edited a book in collaboration with Víctor Hugo Rodríguez and José Alfonso Valdez about Los Pinos (the "White House" of Mexican presidents). Called "Ésta es tu Casa" (This is Your House}, it shows the Mexicans by means of a photographic compilation what every corner of the Official Residence is like.
The national news service, Notimex, stated yesterday that Juan Imperio, leader of the Actors Guild, manifested his preoccupation for the disappearance of Laura and her sister, to the degree that he asked that the elected representative in Cauhtémoc, Dolores Padierna, would receive him tomorrow to reactivate the security agreement which in the past have given good results in the theaters of that electoral district. (Note: According to Despierta America, this agreement was that during the hours when theater patrons would be coming from and returning to their transportation there would be police patrols prominently watching the area and using their presence to discourage robbery or kidnapping, which had at least once before become epidemic in those few blocks.)
Unofficial sources stated that Thalía had arrived yesterday around noon in order to remain near the case, but this had not been confirmed at the time of this article. But the police report establishes that the authorities contacted all family members after Laura's automobile was found abandoned in Colonia Tlaxpana.
Family is negotiating release of Laura ZapataSource:
El Norte, September 25, 2002 Mexico City. While family members of Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi negotiate their rescue, for which they have requested the capitol city police to stay on the margin of the case, actress Virginia Gimeno will substitute for Laura in her part on stage in La Casa de Bernarda Alba, which today will open in León, Guanajuato. So far, the family of the two women has not wanted the police to investigate their disappearance. Yesterday, the Mexico City prosecutor, Bernardo Bátiz, informed that they are analyzing the first clues discovered in the vehicle in which Thalia's sisters were traveling with the intention of identifying the criminal gang which kidnapped them. He indicated that inside the autos they found fragments of fingerprints which are analyzed by experts, in order to compare them with the archives of the precinct. |
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"The family has not made any denunciation and only the relationship with the vehicles is being investigated. We respect the decision of the family and it would be imprudent to advance any information," Bátiz emphasized. (Note: If that is the case, why have the police released to the news media where they have placed roadblocks in areas outside of the capitol and told in what areas they are conducting searches???? It is no wonder that most citizens believe the police are in collaboration with the kidnapping gangs!)
The sub-prosecutor of Previous Central Investigations, Renato Sales, said that it is very probable that those responsible for the kidnapping are one of the three groups of kidnappers that control this activity in the Federal District.
According to the information from the officers who had knowledge of the kidnapping of Zapata and Sodi, a subject with the name Antonio López is identified as a close friend of the sisters and he went to Agency 9 of the Public Ministry. López gave information about the kidnapping, at which he was present; nevertheless, he did not present any denunciation. (Note: Lopéz has been variously identified by reporters as Laura Zapata's personal assistant.) The officers indicated that the witness received a telephone call while he was in the Public Ministry and a little later indicated that there would be nobody who would file the denunciation.
He said that he was with Thalia's sisters at the Sunday function of "La Casa de Bernarda de Alba", and for that reason he was present at the moment of their kidnapping. López informed that it was he who gave the notice to the patrol car MIH1-3012 from the Tacuba Sector.
"He said that when they left the theater and they were going to get on the freeway, two vans, two Suburban vans, and a green Windstar and a Cherokee with more than 10 subjects closed them off. Two men got out and broke the glass on the right side of their car. He said that they took the women out and made them get on their knees, and then they carried them away in the Windstar", stated the officers.
The disappearance of Zapata and Sodi has singer Thalía and her husband, Tommy Mottola "extremely dismayed", according to what the prosecutor's office said.
At the record label of the singer (EMI), that said that until yesterday none of their executives had any communication with her, and for that reason officially there is no cancellation of the promotional plans that the artist had for this coming November.
From the offices in Manhattan, Mottola's spokesman, Keith Estabrook, limited himself to say that the magnate will not be available to make statements. He refused to indicate if the kidnappers had put themselves in contact with Thalía. Neither was information given if Tommy was in New York or in Mexico with the singer.
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Without a trace....Source:
Univision Online, September 25, 2002 Two days have passed since the disappearance of Thalía's sisters, Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi, in what is presumed is a kidnapping. The official information only is centering on what is a specialized group already looking for them, so long as the safety of the hostages is not put at risk. In recent announcements released by the General Prosecutor of the Federal District (PGJDF), the head of this organization, Bernardo Bátiz Vázquez, said that they will not take actions over the disappearance of Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi because the family has requested it this way and they prefer to be the ones who negotiate the payment of the ransom. In a press conference, the head of PGJDF added: "We respect the decision of the family. I spoke with them, although I cannot reveal with whom, but they told me their decision to not request the intervention of the police in order to guarantee safety." |
Bátiz Vázquez indicated that until the family of the victims presents some kind of denunciation, only at that point may they give the official order to initiate the search and locate those probably responsible.
As an unpublished case, the communications media in Mexico have stayed on the margin of information concerning the disappearance of Thalía's sisters. On Monday, when the supposed kidnapping was already known, only the radio news programs maintained continuous coverage of what had happened. In the television news programs, there were few who picked up the news and others only offered very basic information about what had occurred.
Local programs concerning the entertainment scene, so popular for their scandalous notes, such as La Oreja and Ventaneando, told their viewers at the beginning of their broadcast that they would remain on the margin of the information which might come up concerning the disappearance of the actress and the writer, out of respect for the anguish of the family members. (Note: If only this were true. We have noticed no falling-off of coverage in the media, and a certain TV personality is constantly making announcements of every rumor, which she claims comes directly from the Sodi family.)
Flor María Rubio Loya, a presenter of La Oreja, said that everybody on the production team would offer their prayers for Laura and Ernestina's family and that their location would soon be known.
For her part, Patricia Chapoy, head of Ventaneando, sent a similar message to the family members, specifying that they only would broadcast official information. Perhaps she was moved by an act of reflection that she did not adopt this attitude when Vicente Fernández's son was kidnapped, and he was afterwards mutilated by having two fingers cut off by his captors when they realized that the kidnapping was already in the public domain.
Thalia’s Sisters Missing
Police Believe Mexican Singer’s Siblings Were Kidnapped
Source: The
Associated Press / abcnews.com - Sept 25, 2002
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
Two sisters of Mexican superstar singer Thalia have disappeared in what police believe was a kidnapping, although the family has refused to get the police involved in apparent fear for the women's lives.
Laura Zapata, who is a television and stage actress, and Ernestina Sodi disappeared on Sunday evening. Police found their cars abandoned in a western neighborhood of the capital. The missing women are both sisters of Thalia, famous for hit songs such as "Amor a la Mexicana" (Love Mexican Style) and for romantic soap opera roles such as that of a poor maid who captures the heart of a rich man. Thalia is married to Tommy Mottola, chief executive of major international music label Sony Music Entertainment, a unit of Sony Corp. Family and business representatives of Thalia declined comment.
"It's all out of our hands. We can't intervene. I've been in touch with the family but they said they're not planning to file a complaint for the time being," Mexico City's top prosecutor Bernardo Batiz told reporters at a news conference. "That means that they are probably in touch with the kidnappers and are thinking of paying ransom," Batiz said. "We completely respect the family's decision."
Kidnappings are common in Mexico. Wealthy families facing a ransom demand rarely report kidnappings to police because the kidnappers threaten to kill the victim, and because criminal gangs often have police accomplices who tip them off if there is an investigation. Even more common are cases where so-called express kidnappers, posing as taxi drivers, nab middle-class victims and force them to withdraw cash from automatic tellers.
Batiz said that police, who are investigating the robbery of the two cars that belonged to the missing women, believe the disappearance was carried out by a well-organized criminal operation of at least four people.
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In
the report on the missing vehicles, police said they had given
chase at 9:00 p.m., but lost sight of the vehicles and found them
abandoned soon afterwards.
Zapata and Thalia are both known for their participation in
various soap operas for Televisa.
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Thalía's two sisters kidnapped in Mexico CitySource:
Univision.com, September 23, 2002 Mexico City awoke to the strong rumor that Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi, sisters of Thalía, were kidnapped. According that what was reported on Despierta América early today as "a strong rumor", the incident occurred last night when the two sisters left the theater where Laura is appearing in the play La Casa de Bernarda Alba. The District Attorney informed that a van was found with the windows broken, but that they can't do anything since there has not been a denunciation. |
According to reports broadcast from Mexico, the radio program Monitor, which is conducted by José Gutiérrez Vivó, was the first to give the information of the supposed kidnapping of Thalía's sisters. In the United States, a reporter on the early morning program Despierta América gave the report about what was in Mexico continuing to be a quickly spreading rumor. According to the reporter, Laura Zapata and her sister left Sunday night, accompanied by their bodyguards, from a theater located in the area known as Colonia San Rafael, a central zone of Mexico City, in which the telenovela actress is presenting the work La Casa de Bernarda Alba, when they were intercepted by an organized group of criminals.
(Note: later reports said that in fact the kidnapping took place at 2:00 am in a completely different area, Colonia Tacuba, which is extremely dangerous even during the day time, and that it was the red Jetta belonging to Laura that was found with windows broken out. It was also reported that no bodyguards were with them, as Laura habitually drives alone and had never worried before that something could happen to her.)
The correspondent mentioned that he tried to get in contact with Laura Zapata, but according to what he explained, when he called the house a servant told him that the señora was not available to answer the telephone. "Nothing strange for those of us who know Laura, who is not accustomed to waking up early", added the reporter.
Bernardo Batiz, head of the Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District, said that they will not exert any pressure and will maintain themselves at the margin of the investigations if the family members decide to not announce the fact that they were victims.
(NOTE: It is an unfortunate fact of life in Mexico that anybody is subject to kidnapping, from the richest to the poorest. Kidnapping for ransom has become a major industry and is in fact destroying the economy of the country because important international businesses are no longer willing to expose their executives to the danger. It is also understandable that Thalía's family has not presented a denunciation: the fact is that the majority of kidnappings are either committed by policemen, army officers, gangs run by politicians, or actual government officials. Thus, there is no point in even mentioning it to the authorities. This is adding to the atmosphere of lawlessness and anger in Mexico.)
Among the information which the police force has so far can be found versions from the neighbors of the place where the kidnapping would have been. These informants testified that several subjects who were traveling in a Windstar van forced the vehicle with the license plate 837-RNG, in which supposedly Thalía's sisters were traveling, off the road. The Windstar van was left abandoned by the kidnappers, and turned out to be reported stolen last January, according to police sources.
(NOTE: More current reports broadcast on El Gordo y La Flaca stated that there were no neighbors who came forward. Their version is that a man following the girls in his own car (he is not identified, but he may be the current boyfriend of Laura), witnessed the kidnapping. He claims there were at least 10 men, heavily armed, who apparently were in several vehicles since they abandoned the Windstar. This man called police on his cellphone to get help, but nobody arrived in time to catch the criminals. In this version it was 2:00 am, and Laura and Ernestina were returning to Laura's house after being somewhere else after the theater.)
Source: El
Norte, September 23, 2002
By: Arturo Sierra
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
Mexico City.- The Chief Prosecutor of the capitol city, Bernardo Bátiz, released the information Monday morning that the police are investigating the possible kidnapping of actress Laura Zapata, sister of the singer Thalía, and a companion, after finding the vehicle in which they were traveling abandoned in the Colonia Tlaxpana, in the jurisdiction Miguel Hidalgo. (Note: Conflicting reports continue on where the kidnapping took place because the second vehicle was abandoned in a different place.)
According to the first information available, last night Zapata and her companion left a theater in her red Jetta and were intercepted by some suspects who deprived them of their liberty. (Note: Initially the second woman was believed to be one of Laura's neighbors, who had gone to see the play Laura was appearing in. It was only after the one eyewitness gave his story that it came out that the 2nd occupant of the car was Ernestina Sodi, another of Thalía's sisters.) Bátiz commented that as of now the actress' family has not initiated any denunciation for kidnapping and thus they can only investigate the abandonment of the Jetta in which they were riding, as well as the Windstar van found near the scene, which was stolen last January and in which it appears the kidnappers were traveling. Both cars were relocated to a compound in the aforementioned precinct. (Note: It is reported that fingerprint technicians are examining both cars and have obtained many prints, but whether the kidnappers were wearing gloves is not known.)
Bátiz stated that, so far, Senator Demetrio Sodi de la Tijera, a relative of the actress, has not contacted the Prosecutor to obtain details of the case.
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Thalía’s sisters missing in Mexico City, kidnapping fearedSource:
CNN Español, September 23, 2002 Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi, sisters to the Mexican actress and singer Thalía, were still missing on Monday, and are presumed to be a kidnapping investigated by the authorities. The Attorney General of the capitol, Bernardo Bátiz, said to the press Monday that, although the family has not denounced the crime, an investigation was initiated based on a report by a policeman who found the auto abandoned when presumably Zapata and her sister were driving to her house after leaving a theater in a central zone of the city. |
"There still has not been a denunciation of a kidnapping, but regardless we are investigating the information which the police have......there was a pursuit (of the vehicle which carried them away) but in the end there were no results," stated Bátiz.
The prosecutor added that together with the auto there was also encountered a van, property of Zapata which was reported stolen 6 months ago. (Note: There is some confusion as to exactly who reported the van stolen. Laura had a former employee who wrecked or lost several of her vehicles while she was in New York for her sister's wedding.)
The family has not made a public statement about the case.
Laura Zapata, the artistic name of the actress and singer Laura Sodi Miranda (de Zapata), has been part of the cast of more than a dozen telenovelas produced by the television network Televisa. Now 46 (No way, she last claimed she was born in 1960 and that wasn't true either) she began her artistic career in 1977, sharing the credits with Cantinflas in "El patrullero 777". She has also been involved with theater and movies. Known for her portrayals of a villianess, Zapata has acted together with the Venezuelan Gabriela Spanic in the melodrama "La intrusa" and "La usurpadora", among others. In the movies she acted in the cast of "La casa del pelícano". Together with her sister Thalía, wife of the producer and music impresario Tommy Mottola, she was part of the cast of "Rosalinda" and "María Mercedes".
The family Sodi Pallares is composed of the mother, Yolanda Miranda (de Sodi), and her 5 daughters - Thalía, Laura, Ernestina, Gabriela, and Federica.
Source: El
Gordo y Flaca, September 23, 2002.
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
Latest details of the kidnapping horror for Thalía's family were covered for nearly the entire hour of El Gordo y La Flaca this afternoon, clarifying many conflicting statements that have been circulating all day as rumor after rumor was proved wrong.
Doña Yolanda Sodi flew to Mexico on the first available plane from Miami this morning, and Thalía followed her in Tommy's private jet later this afternoon. Thalía was planning on landing at a different airfield in the Valley of Mexico in order to avoid reporters. The family has made no statement whatsoever about the happenings and has not filed a report of a kidnapping with the authorities. Rumors abound, all of them fabricated, apparently, since nobody will return phone calls and the house of Laura is locked and no staff are present. There is no official statement that a ransom demand has been made.
It is not clear at what time the kidnapping took place since Laura and her sister left the theater around 8:00 pm but a man who was following the women in his own car called for help after 2:00 am. The women were supposedly dragged from their car by force by heavily armed men and put in a van, which was found abandoned after it broke down, causing the men to switch their captives to a second vehicle. It is not known by reporters if the man who witnessed the kidnapping attempted to follow the abductors.
Several authorities have hoped out loud that this is one of the so-called "express kidnappings", where the person is returned almost immediately after being forced to drain their bank account or get cash from relatives who will never contact the police. It also appears that the criminals did not expect to get another sister of Thalía's in the bargain, although they obviously had been carefully planning how to grab Laura based on her schedule at the theater and the route she always took when leaving.
TW OPINION: One thing is for sure: they have probably made a serious miscalculation in getting on the bad side of Tommy Mottola. Tommy is not under the thumb of any crooked police officials or politicians in Mexico, and he has the money and determination to hunt the kidnappers down and ensure that they suffer the maximum punishment for this act. We hope these men have the brains to release Laura and Ernestina immediately before Thalía and her family suffer any more anguish.
Source:
Kenmark Group Press Release - September 24,2002
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
LOUISVILLE, KY - Thalia thrilled the crowd with her live performance at the 2002 Latin Grammy Awards with a rendition of her newest single, "No Me Ensenaste."
The high-energy song and dance was one of the highlights of the Latin Grammy Awards show. She was also seen wearing her new Thalia sunwear frames during rehearsals for the show. Thalia was honored to have her sunwear styles as one of the official gifts in the Latin Grammy Gift Baskets. The gift baskets were given to presenters and performers at the awards show. Each basket featured a variety of gifts that included a Thalia sunwear frame and purse case. Some of the celebrities that received gift baskets included: Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jon Secada, Shakira, Jimmy Smits and Justin Timberlake.
Source: El
Norte, September 20, 2002
By: Fernando Toledo
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
Everything indicates that the female stars of music presently all want to look alike, because they resort to the same artifices: heavy makeup, brilliant colors, ethnic-type accessories, and even swaying of the hips in order to project an image of sensuality capable of selling thousands of records.
From Thalía to Shakira, passing through Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, everybody appears with pants of denim cut to the hip, very low for certain (if they are falling off, even better) with blouses that show the navel or brilliantly colored tops with strings of beads, tinted glasses, henna tattoos, precious stones in the navel, blond or streaked blond manes, lips painted red, and smoky tones on the lids.
Paulina Rubio just declared in Spain that it was she who began this style: "Shakira grabbed one of my photos and copied it exactly, from the position of the shoulder to the tattoo with the name and the color of the hair. She was smart. She has talent and is my friend, what am I going to say to her? She know what she has done," stated the singer. (Our comment: on the best day of her life Paulina has never looked as good as Shakira.)
| But beyond knowing who is the "original"
and who are the copies, for some image analysts, Thalía,
Paulina, Britney, Shakira, and Jennifer would be able to
trade their outfits between them and the public would
never know the difference, since the follow the same
style of dress. Although on occasion the wife of Tommy Mottola adds to her "basics" - leather coats with tall boots, not to mention jeans, she also resorts to sweatshirts or the complete track suit, just like "La Chica Dorada", Britney, and Jennifer. All have used denim vests with rhinestones and accents of leather, high leather boots and corsets of lace which reveal physical attributes obtained in the best salons of plastic surgery or with exercise, according to the declarations of the stars. For casual styles, nothing like the peasant blouses with Mexican embroidery which permits them to show the shoulders. They wear them with fitted cowboy pants and wide leather belts with ethnic embroidery or in macramé. |
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All have their favorite designers. Thalía, for example, prefers Versace, and especially when it deals with special occasions like the most recent awarding of the Latin Grammys in which she showed off three dresses made especially for her. Also she likes Dolce&Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Moschino, and Bebé.
Britney, the American whose visit to Mexico did not leave a very good taste in the mouth among her fans, opts for Cavalli, Versus, Armani, Guess, and GAP. In Paulina’s case, she also likes Cavalli, Calvin Klein, and Carlos Miele. And well, Jennifer Lopez is not left behind: she likes her own “J.Lo” brand, Versace, Chanel, and Marc Jacobs.
As far as the mane of hair, they wear it long, curled or frizzed (according to the occasion), and color it blond, very blond. Paulina cultivates her brown roots, and Shakira preserves hers at all cost. Thalía has blond streaks and Kyle Minogue just finished coloring hers more blond.
Their preferred accessories are big and expensive jewels, especially in gold, silver, turquoise, and precious stones. Purses by Vuitton, Hermés, and Gucci are also obligatory and in the trunks of these singers.
Like the majority of the stars, Paulina, Thalía, Britney, and Shakira maintain their stylized bodies with exercise, strict diets, and personal trainers that give them fabulous waists, and they attend the best spas for expensive treatments which include Botox, the toxin which helps avoid wrinkles.
Source: El
Norte, September 19, 2002
By: Lorena Corpus
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
| If Thalía
arrived "arrasando" at the awarding of the
Latin Grammys it was thanks to Versace. The distinguished
house of haute couture specially created both of the
styles that she displayed at the ceremony for the 3rd
awarding of prizes for Latin music this last Wednesday. "The black dress (Note: It was BLACK? I didn't look black at all to us, it seemed a rich mink brown) which she wore on the stage to interpret 'No Me Enseñaste' and the blue model which she wore upon her arrival at the Kodak Theater were designed exclusively for Thalía", said a spokesperson from the singer's office in New York. Thalía appeared on the stage with an enormous skirt which was several meters long, illuminated with hundreds of lights, to begin the song "No me Enseñaste", but in the middle of the song she peeled away the this garment and remained in a black minidress. (Maybe it was the gold lights that made it look brown, but it was superb whatever color it was.) Representatives of the Versace brand approached the artist about being the one to display the exclusive clothing during the gala. In other similar events celebrated in Hollywood, the stars who have worn Versace models have been Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Naomi Campbell, among others. "On this occasion Thalía was invited because she is an important figure in the Latin market," the source added. |
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(Note:
It is appropriate to point out that Donatella Versace,
heiress to the empire of her brother, is the next-door
neighbor to the Mottolas in New York, and therefore it
would not necessarily have been "representatives"
who approached Thalía out of the blue; it was probably
something which Thalía and Donatella had discussed
before.) The worth of the garments which Thalía wore was not revealed, nor whether the singer had to return them after the event. "I don't know if I can tell you that she didn't have to return them, but what is definitely a fact is that they were designed exclusively for her." Thalía is scheduled to appear on Saturday, September 21st, at Madison Square Garden in New York, together with other Latin artists. |
Sources:
Grammy.com, EsMas.com (Televisa), Univision.com, CBS Network
September 18, 2002
TW Correspondents: Tonchi & Luisa
Hollywood, USA. For the second consecutive year, the Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz was the great winner at the awarding of the Latin Grammys, which was held tonight in the Kodak Theater. He won a total of 3 of the little statues, but unfortunately Thalía did not win in the only category where she was nominated.
Conducted by Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Smiths, third edition of the Latin Grammys turned into quite a celebration, in which besides the awarding of the prizes there were several live performances which were outstanding for being so spectacular or for their great interpretive quality.
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The
night began with a presentation by Marc Anthony, but it
wasn't until the appearance of Thalía on the stage that
the glamour and spectacle became apparent. The curtain
opened to reveal Thalía nearly in the rafters, perched
on a pedestal and wrapped in a long trailing skirt of
stars against a midnight blue background. (Upon seeing a
film of Thalía rehearsing this opening, Raul de Molina
commented that it was longer than the train on her
wedding dress made by Mitzy). As Thalía sang “No Me Enseñaste” against this starry background, a spotlight opened to illuminate her from above. After completing one verse of the ballad version, the skirt of lights fell away and the pedestal with Thalía on it descended to the stage where the orchestra switched to the Marc Anthony salsa arrangement of the song. The lighting changed to bright gold and red lights and platforms of real flames flared up as she danced around the stage. Her dress was impressively elegant, with the look of crushed velvet, ruffles, and a gauze top with stripes. She wore stiletto sandals which had laces that wound around her ankles. The vibrant image she presented in her network television debut will not soon be forgotten. |
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Although it was not shown as part of the broadcast, there was a red carpet parade as the stars arrived at the Kodak Theater earlier in the evening. Thalía was photographed arriving with husband Tommy Mottola in an elegant and exotic gown with a plunging back design and a shawl draped over her hair.
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As an event, the Latin Grammys actually cover several days of activities, which culminated with the presentations tonight. Thalía was prominently featured in several of these, and the network even showed her Dr Pepper commercial, the English version, during the program.
Source:
GRAMMY.com September 18, 2002
Photo: Grammy.com
TW Correspondents: Tonchi & Luisa
(Note: The Latin Grammys actually covers 3 days of activities. Die-hard Thalia fans will be glad to know that Thalia was prominently featured in the activities this year. Could this signify a possible a prelude to her cross-over promotions?)
First it was Alejandro Fernández. Then Juanes. This year, the GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Mentor Session put kids face to face again with one of pop music's biggest superstar. "What?" asked Marisela Chávez, 17. "Was that Thalía? I thought she was Paulina Rubio! Oh, my God, I love her!"
Marisela was one of 30 students from four Los Angeles high schools invited to attend this year's Latin GRAMMY rehearsals and tour the backstage area. Music and technical students from Hollywood High School, Irvine High School, Washington Preparatory High School and Huntington Park High School, accompanied by their principals and music teachers, were able to see how the Latin GRAMMYs are put together.
The exciting field trip was part of the GRAMMY Foundation's Mentor Sessions, a program that enables students to interact with top recording artists through a variety of music settings, including soundchecks. During these unique opportunities, artists and music professionals candidly address everything students want to know about - from careers in the recording industry, to issues about music, to the music itself.
Earlier in the morning, Murray Allen, sound designer for all of the show's audio, took the kids on a tour through Kodak Theatre and explained how 300 men and women are able to reduce a complex system of electrical cords into the simple push of a button. "See? All these instruments here are ready for Marc Anthony's band to play live. All they have to do is plug it in and play."
| When the students settled in their seats to watch Thalía's (literally) fiery rendition of "No Me Enseñaste," standing atop a tall platform, their jaws dropped. But that was nothing compared to what was coming to one of them. After the Mexican singer and actress finished TV interviews, she stopped by where the students were and, one by one, with a big smile, proceeded to shake their hands. "Thanks for coming," Thalía said. "I'm very glad to meet you. Poor things, you waited for so long." Then, she spotted spiky-haired Edgar Velásquez, 15, a student at Washington Preparatory High School. "Look at this guy's hair!" Thalía said. "May I touch it?" "You bet!" said Edgar. Then, Thalía bent over two rows of seats and felt the spikes on Edgar's head, to the applause of the other students. Asked about what he felt when Thalía touched him, a still visibly shaken Edgar simply replied, "A hand..." It was one of those unforgettable moments of a GRAMMY Mentor Session that's quickly becoming a favorite behind-the-scenes event during Latin GRAMMY Week. |  |
The GRAMMY Foundation, a non-profit arm of the Recording Academy, has the challenging responsibility of bringing attention on a national level about issues like the value of musical and artistic education and the preservation of our cultural legacy for generations to come. Through its national efforts, the Foundation has made many inroads. In between each GRAMMY and GRAMMY Latin telecast, the Foundation, in association with the Recording Academy and its regional offices throughout the country, implement a variety of educational and preservation programs meant to cultivate understanding, appreciation and advancement of music and arts for all ages.
Source:
latingrammy.com - September 18,2002
Photos: latingrammy.com
TW Correspondent: Luisa
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Thalia is hard at work rehearsing for her
killer number at the Latin Grammys airing Wednesday,
September 18 as broadcasted on the CBS television network
at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). As the report from the Latin Grammy
website says: Pop music is spectacle and if her rehearsal is any indication, viewers will get their money's worth with Thalía's performance on Wednesday's show. Thalía, up for an award in the Best Banda Album category, sings "No Me Enseñaste" in a spectacular setting that includes raisers, faux flames and real, on-stage fire. At one point Thalía even joked with her backup singers: "No hairspray, please." Below are a photos taken from Thalia's rehearsals at the Kodak Theatre. Just a preview of the pomp and pageantry that is to come on Wednesday night. |
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Source:
Vanguardia.com - September 4, 2002
TW Correspondents: Tonchi & Luisa
A special disc will be produced by Alexander Abaroa to celebrate the first 30 years of the educational television program Sesame Street in Mexico. The celebration begins towards the end of this year and will last throughout 2003. Some artists participating in the disc are Ricky Martin, Celia Cruz, Manna, THALIA and Paulina Rubio.
In an interview, Abaroa assured that the record production, which will be released by the record label BMG, will be on sale next December and will contain between 12 and 15 classic songs of the program made for Latin America by Televisa and the Sesame Workshop.
"It is a special disc that is going to signify the 30 years of Sésame Street in Mexico and Latin America. For the two years we have been with the project, we have been trying to unite singers of great stature with the jester's outfits. We are going to be recording the best subjects of Sesame Street,along with the best Mexican students. In the list of singers appear 19 artists like Juanes, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Jerry Rivera, Celia Cruz, Manna, OV7 and Kabah ", Abaroa indicated.
Source:
GRAMMY.com
TW Correspondent: Tonchi
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Shakira, Juanes, Nelly Furtado, and Thalía will perform live on the 3rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards telecast set for September 18. Added to the list of presenters are Justin Timberlake, Hector Elizondo, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Esai Morales, Cheech Marin, and Laura Pausini. These performers join a lineup that includes previously announced Latin GRAMMY nominees Carlos Vives and Marc Anthony, and presenters Jon Secada, Daisy Fuentes, and Nick Carter. The show, to be co-hosted by Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Smits, will be broadcast on the CBS television network at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).
Multi-talented
singer/songwriter Shakira currently holds two Latin GRAMMY Awards
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Female Rock Vocal
Performance - from the inaugural Latin show in 2000, and a GRAMMY
Award for Best Latin Pop Album from the 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Her video "Suerte" is nominated for Best Music Video.
Three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Juanes will perform on stage with
GRAMMY-winning recording artist Nelly Furtado. Juanes currently
holds three nominations for the single "A Dios Le Pido,"
including Song Of The Year, Best Rock Song and Best Music Video.
Recording artist and actress Thalía is a nominee this year for her album Thalía Con Banda Grandes Exitos. Last year, the Latin superstar earned a 2nd Annual Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Arrasando.
Pop superstar Justin Timberlake ('N Sync) will be on hand to present, along with noted actor Hector Elizondo ("Chicago Hope"), recording artist/actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, actor Esai Morales ("NYPD Blue"), actor Cheech Marin ("Nash Bridges"), and previous Latin GRAMMY nominee Laura Pausini.
The 3rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be telecast on CBS; carried on radio via the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation and Westwood One worldwide; and featured on the Internet on GRAMMY.com and America Online, Inc. (AOL Keyword: Latin GRAMMY). The 3rd Annual Latin GRAMMYs will present awards in 40 key categories covering many genres and sub-genres of Latin music.
To help promote the 3rd Annual Latin GRAMMYs, and further expose this year's outstanding nominated music and artists, the Latin Recording Academy and Warner Music Latina will release the 2002 Latin GRAMMY Nominees CD on September 10. The compilation disc contains 17 nominated tracks from artists including Record Of The Year nominees Celia Cruz, Alejandro Sanz, and Carlos Vives; Best Salsa Album nominees Marc Anthony, El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico, and Tito Rojas; Best Music Video nominees Juanes, Paulina Rubio, and Shakira; and Best Ranchero Album nominees Ana Bárbara, Aida Cuevas, and Alejandro Fernández, among others.
(Note: Though the genre has plenty of tradition, young acts dominate the Best Banda Album nominees. Reconnecting with her Mexican roots, pop superstar Thalía brought a danceable, syncopated sensibility to Thalía Con Banda Grandes Exitos. )
Thalia meets with Pearle Vision Executive during World-Wide Tour to Promote her new CDSource:
Kenmark Group Press Release - August 20,2002 LOUISVILLE, KY - Thalia recently took a break from her busy publicity tour to meet with Victor Martinez, Director of Operations Caribbean for Pearle Vision. While in Puerto Rico promoting her new CD, Thalia took time out of her busy schedule to talk about her eyewear and sunwear collections. Thalia spoke with John Justice, Vice President of International Sales and Rafael Oyarbide, International Sales Representative from Kenmark about her excitement over Pearle Vision and other large chain optical stores being interested in carrying her eyewear collection. Thalia was thrilled to meet with Martinez, Justice and Oyarbide to discuss not only her new CD that was number one on the US Latin charts for the first five weeks but also her eyewear collection and its success Internationally. "Pearle Vision Puerto Rico is thrilled to be carrying Thalia Eyewear and Sunwear in our stores. The product looks great and I am sure it will be a tremendous success," said Victor Martinez. |
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