Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas Identifies 'Coolturistas' for 2011 to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Month

MIAMI, Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the bilingual/bicultural entertainment destination for Latinos in the US, recognizes Latin influencers who are making an impact in the industries of art, food, fashion and music across the US. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Hispanic Heritage month, Tr3s identifies 'coolturistas' who are threading the Latin culture into the fabric of American culture. Their journey to success will be revealed through a series of on-air profiles with never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews starting today on Tr3s, and additional footage on www.tr3s.com.

"The Latino community is a driving force in American society, continuously weaving their creativity, sound, flavor and style into the American culture," said Jose Tillan, GM & EVP of Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas. "As a brand that prides itself on elevating the next generation of Latinos, Tr3s is very proud to applaud and shine a spotlight on this group of inspiring 'coolturistas' who work hard to engage, empower and build on our legacy in the US."

2011 COOLTURISTAS  

FERNANDO GARIBAY  

This Mexican-American music producer, DJ and songwriter skipped high school and went straight to college with a scholarship from USC at the age of 13. While majoring in music, he began to circulate his demo to practically every recording company and signed with an indie-dance label. At 16 his music topped the Billboard charts and he was soon remixing for Popstars Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony. He's worked alongside legendary producers Giorgio Moroder, Quincy Jones and David Foster. In 2006, he signed with Interscope Records as an artist, producer and executive. He has worked with such artists as Britney Spears, Pussycat Dolls, U2; and close collaborator Lady Gaga. Fernando has 2 Grammy nominations, five #1 singles and has his own imprint Paradise/Interscope.  http://www.fernandogaribay.com

ERNESTO YERENA  

As a young Mexicali-native, artist Ernesto crossed the US border about four to five times a week to visit his grandparents in the South. With access to both worlds, he embraced the education system in the US and the cultural richness and authenticity of his Mexican roots. Inspired by his 'car painter' father, Ernesto's artistic ability flourished and he learned to stencil and cut at an early age. At 19, he took off to Los Angeles to assist street-art phenomenon Shepard Fairey, and four years later, he relocated to Arizona to become a visual voice in the immigration movement. Today, he uses ancient Aztec colors to create the art project 'Hecho con Ganas" (Spanish for 'made with motivation/desire/passion'), which is inspired by the Chicano & Mexican cultures in honor of those who work against all odds to reach success regardless of culture, race or gender.  http://hechoconganas.com/

THE PAVON SISTERS  

Mexican sisters Luz (age 19) and Victoria (age 24) both fell in love with the fashion industry and went to study in Madrid before moving to NY to launch the PAVON line.  Discovered by Sex and the City stylist Patricia Field, the innovative designs of PAVON have lured superstars such as Eva Longoria, Amber Rose, MIA and Nicki Minaj, among other trendsetters.  Inspired by neon flowers and geometric shapes, their muses included Andy Warhol, Madonna and the legendary Studio 54 scene. Today, the PAVON empire has expanded to include a production company and their appearances in magazine covers, editorial, print campaigns including ADIDAS, UNIQLO and PUMA, runway and multiple music videos. http://www.pavonnyc.com

ZOE DAMACELA

Growing up in a low-income family and living in homeless shelters drove this half Ecuadorian and Afro-Mexican Fashion Designer to her success. At 14 years old, her love of fashion and her savvy street smarts helped build her brand Zoe Damacela Apparel.  Today, Zoe's custom-made designs sell at price points of up to $1000, with hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces sold across the country. Her designs have been featured on the cover of Seventeen Magazine, Oprah.com, C-SPAN, the "Tyra Banks Show", and even put her in the White House for a 'meet and greet' with President Obama. Zoe also makes it a priority to give back, donating clothes to homeless shelters and charity fashion shows, in the hopes of helping transform the lives of other struggling young women.   http://www.zoedamacela.com/

LEBO

Born in New York City to Cuban immigrants, artist David Lebatard, aka LEBO's, formal training in the arts blossomed in Miami, and culminated in his residency at the "International Museum of Cartoon Art" in Florida, where he lectures on the practical and technical approaches to illustration.  His unique style of combining cartoon imagery with richly saturated balances of color and unique linear composition helped establish the "Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism" movement.  His work has been recognized around the world with exhibits in Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Toronto, South Africa, Swaziland, Germany and Italy. His colorful murals and innovative installations have energized communities from Miami's "Calle Ocho" to "Uptown" New Orleans to San Francisco's "French Quarter".  http://www.lebostudios.com/

MARCELA VALLADOLID    

Chef Marcela was born into a family of chefs and landed her first cooking job at her grandparent's Mexican restaurant in Tijuana.  Her passion for food motivated her to get her culinary degrees from both the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and the prestigious Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. Later, she became an editor for Bon Appetit magazine and was 4th runner up on the show "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart".  Marcela Valladolid is the host of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy and the author of two cookbooks: Fresh Mexico and the soon-to-be released Mexican Made Easy. As a native of Tijuana, Mexico who resides in San Diego, she combines both cuisines for fresh, accessible but authentic food. www.chefmarcela.com 

About Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas

Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, owned and operated by MTV Networks Latin America, reaches 6.1 million Hispanic TV households (45% of US Hispanic Total TV HH) and 34 million total TV households. The network's programming embraces the trilogy of cultures that represents Latino life – Latin American plus American equals US Latino - through original productions, key acquisitions, and content from MTV Networks' portfolio of entertainment brands. Tr3s embraces the key lifestyle aspects of Latino identity -- milestones, making it and music -- as well as social responsibility through its initiative "Agentes de Cambio", which tackles issues that affect Latinos today. The network also taps into the growing number of Latinos that are digitally connected through www.tr3s.com.

SOURCE Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas

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