Highly Relevant With Jack Rico

We’re starting 2018 off on the right foot with perhaps the most influential people in animation with Pixar's COCO director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson who join us straight from their Golden Globe win and the first Golden Globe award for a Latino-themed animated film. We discuss why it took so long for Pixar to make a Latino film and if its financial and award acclaim will spawn off more multicultural animated films. Also, we’re in the thick of awards season and who better to talk to about movie awards than Clayton Davis from AwardsCircuit.com, arguably the most tapped in film journalist in the business right now. He was just at the Critics Choice Awards and I’ll ask him how these wins will shape the Best Picture of the Year race at the Oscars. And I stopped by the TODAY show with Hoda and Kathie Lee to give you a taste of 2018’s Best Movies and TV shows to watch out for this year that aren’t Black Panther or Avengers Infiniti War.Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevan

This is our last episode of 2017. We want to thank you for listening throughout the year and we're looking forward to another great run in 2018. On this final show, we talk to Vanessa Vazquez from Hulu's "East Los High". She discusses saying good bye to a show she was a part of for 5 seasons, why it never made it to cable or broadcast, and what Latinos need to do to get more US Latino shows on the air. Hint... just do it!Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstagramIf 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

Two huge stories that are the talk of the nation this week. First is Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We talk to Adam Garcia (3:45), producer for Yahoo! Entertainment who lives and breathes Star Wars. Then we’ll get to our movie segment FIRST REACTION where we give you our first reaction of the movie, inside the theater with the credits rolling, with film critic Mike Sargent (17:00) from WBAI radio and seen on FOX News. Then we tackle Giancarlo Stanton (25:09), baseball's freshly minted NL MVP, being traded to the Yankees to create a potential World Series dynasty for the foreseeable future next to Aaron Judge. We talk to ESPN's Cristian Moreno from Miami about the Latin city's perspective on the deal.Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstagramIf 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:     •

Crooner Luis Miguel has a new album out titled "!Mexico! Por Siempre" and we get a sneak peak at what it sounds like. Also, the Golden Globe Award nominations are coming up this Monday, Dec 11th on NBC. Our host Jack Rico will be on Megyn Kelly Today on Monday at 9am to discuss the surprises and snubs, but in this episode, we're honored to have as guest, an institution in the world of film criticism, Jeffrey Lyons, who breaks down what movies he thinks have a show at Best Picture and some under the radar films which you should see anyway. And we had a chance to go to Broadway this week and caught SpongeBob SquarePants the musical. We know you’re not going to believe this, but we think SpongeBob SquarePants is the best new musical on Broadway. It’s a bit genius. Stick around and we’ll explain in detail why we think it's so good.Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstagramIf you enjoyed this episode head o

We get to the nitty gritty of how the firing of Matt Lauer will affect the TODAY show moving forward. Who will replace him? Will it be a woman, a person of color? Al Tompkins (5:44) a senior faculty and journalist at the Poynter Institute of Journalism, who’s been in the business for close to 45 years, comes on the show and gives us his choice to replace Matt Lauer. Then… the new Avengers Infiniti War trailer premiered this week and Adam Garcia (19:18), producer over at Yahoo Entertainment! and a good friend of mine, joins me to breakdown why this new movie will be the epic of epics and why DC is on the verge of collapse. And as usual, our recap of the most highly relevant stories of the week (17:30) and our music recommendations for your weekend playlist (40:16) (Si Alguien La Ve - GioBulla // Baby, You Make Me Crazy - Sam Smith // Ella - Alan Rosales, Chel Maya)Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstag

Happy Thanksgiving! On this episode, we chat with Adrian Molina (2:34), he is the first Latino director of a Pixar and is the co-director of Pixar’s new movie Coco that is currently in theaters right now. We discuss why Coco is not a Mexican film for Mexicans and why it really is a film for everyone.Also we chat with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Arriaga (18:13), he is known for writing some of the best Latino movies this century such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel. Well, he’s now sharing all his knowledge on screenwriting and directing in a new seminar in Los Angeles. He’ll tell us what you can expect from this immersive workshop. And finally we chat with Aimee Garcia (34:47), known for her role as Ella Lopez in FOX’s Lucifer. She discusses with me Season 3 of the show, plus reveals the time she got mugged as well as hanging out with Eva Longoria, Gina Rodriguez and others Latin actresses who are also affectionately called - the "Latina Mafia".Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrel

We talk Latin Grammy Awards with music journalist Isabela Raygoza from Rolling Stone Magazine. We break down the top categories, the possible upsets, what to expect from the telecast and why some of your favorite stars weren’t nominated.Also, I review one of the most anticipated movies of the year, DC’s Justice League, with two film critic friends of mine - Julian Roman from MovieWeb.com and Emerson Unger from NY’s K104.7 - as we give our FIRST REACTION as we leave a private advanced screening in NY’s WB screening room. You won’t want to miss that…And speaking of film critics, Gil Robertson, President of the African-American Film Critics Association joins the show to discuss the future of multicultural film and tv criticism with a new venture his launching called Kaleidoscope Reviews, where he looks to raise awareness of the importance of having African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian and Native American film critics in Hollywood.EPISODE SUMMARYIsabela Raygoza on the Latin artists you need to know about at t

The new Vanity Fair December issue is out and two Latinos are on the cover - Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, also now known as J-ROD. I talk to the Bethany Mclean, the writer who spent several days with them to do the cover story and we discussed everything from why Latinos are rarely on the cover of Vanity Fair, the how to of her writing process and how she discovered the trait that bonds them together. And if you’re ever in Los Angeles, South Gate to be exact, and you’re looking to eat healthy food, you might wanna give Eatgud a shot. It’s the vision of a Latino couple, Walter Perez and his wife Briggitte (19:19), him a Hollywood actor from The Avengers and her a business woman, who recently had a child, and at the cost of their life savings they wanted to improve the health of their Latino community and make-a-go of it as small business entrepreneurs.Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstagramIf y

On this week’s episode, we talk to Hispanic actress Stephanie Beatriz (3:00) from FOX’s Brooklyn-Nine-Nine who has a new movie out titled Light of the Moon, where she plays the victim of sexual assault. We get down to the nitty gritty of her thoughts of rape on film and her take on Hollywood’s sexual assault culture… also, we discuss in-depth the Eduardo Yanez and Paco Fuentes debacle… Arthur Kade (19:00), the pre-eminent red carpet reporter in Hollywood hops on the show to discuss his perspective on the culture of red carpet reporting today, how to conduct interview with celebrities when they become news headlines, and that awkward Jim Carrey red carpet interview that everyone is still talking about. Did the reporter handle it right? Plus I review George Clooney's new film Suburbicon starring Matt Damon with friends Neil Rosen, Bill McCuddy and Bill Bregoli on their podcast Sitting Around Talking Pictures. Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread t

Host Jack Rico is joined by actress/singer Mandy Gonzalez and media/tech analyst Rich Greenfield. Gonzalez (9:35), who is currently playing the role of Angelica Schuyler in the mega-smash Broadway hit Hamilton, talks her debut album Fearless, plus, how she asked Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the title track, her moments of discrimination because of her Latino last name and her upcoming concert appearance at New York's legendary cabaret Cafe Carlyle.Rich Greenfield (30:29), one of Wall St.'s most quoted media analysts, comes on the show to discuss with Jack EVERYTHING you need to know on why Verizon dropped Univision from FIOS. What can Hispanic subscribers do? Rich offers several suggestions. This is a must-listen to segment if you're a FIOS subscriber!Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and help us spread the word on social media:TwitterFacebookInstagramIf you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and please subscribe!W

This week on the show, we talk to the star comedians of the new HBO Latino comedy special "ENTRE NOS Part 2" - Shayla Rivera, Frankie Quiñones and Vladimir Caamaño. We discuss social labels, challenges of the comedy business, relationships, cultural identity and the fascination with the wealthy. It's a funny, but smart conversation you will enjoy.

Luis Enrique and Mateo Gil are our guests on episode 51. Salsero Luis Enrique, who most people know for his global hit "Yo No Se Mañana" from 2009, has a new book out titled "Autobiografía". We discuss many topics from his difficult immigration experience in the US to meeting his mother for the first time at 15, but perhaps the most salient moments of the interview had to do him being discriminated by Latinos, "Yo No Se Mañana" almost being sung in English, should Latinos have their own award shows and how salsa can become #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.Then we chat with acclaimed Spanish screenwriter Mateo Gil (Vanilla Sky, The Sea Inside) who has directed a new sci-fi film called REALIVE which explores life and death and whether we turn to dust or if there is an actual thing as a soul.

On this 50th episode, we chat with Wilson Morales from Blackfilm.com on the underwhelming Oscar season this year, we also talk to Russian director Max Pozdorovkin about his new HBO documentary 'Clinica de Migrantes', radio personality Yako shares with us his musical selection this week and Deborah Castillero, a Latina entrepreneur who developed a Latino app that teaches children to speak Spanish and English, stops by to discuss the challenges in creating the app and the advantages to having your children learn a second language. EPISODE SUMMARYWilson Morales from Blackfilm.com on the underwhelming Oscar season JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) Max Pozdorovkin about his new HBO documentary 'Clinica de Migrantes' Yako's weekend playlist Play With Me – DJ KaskadeComo Antes - Yandel (feat. Wisin)Future Marches In - Hillsong United Deborah Castillero on her new educational multicultural app "Care Bears & Amigos in NYC" Would you like to get in touch with us? Email us at highlyrelevant@showbizcafe.com and

On this week's episode, we are psyched to have Andres and Barbara Muschetti, the Argentinian siblings who directed and produced, respectively, the #1 movie currently in America - the horror film “IT”. We discuss how “IT” draws parallels to the Trump administration and the current state of the country, the reason they didn’t cast a Latino kid actor and what Guillermo del Toro texted them on opening weekend. Did you guys hear about this BODEGA thing that went viral this week? We talk to two woman, one who wrote the article, Liz Segran, and she tells us her reaction of her story going viral and the passionate people of all cultures who went in defense of bodegas. Then we chat with Jessica Ramos, the Director of Latino Media for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who chimes in on the cultural significance bodegas have with New Yorkers.Diego del Sol curates some out of this world music for us and we end the show with Sandra Lilley, Managing Editor of NBCLatino.com. She calls in to give us the exclusive on their first BIG l

If you are someone who’s been hearing about DACA this whole week and are curious about how it works and why it’s so important, we talk to Caitlin Patler, she basically holds a PHD in DACA, and has written several important papers on the subject. She joins us to explain in detail what you need to know. Then, what’s with kids cursing in movies? Between the Bad Moms 2 trailer and the IT clown movie, has Hollywood lost its values? We talk to Tara McNamara, an authority on family films about why parents have been silent on the topic. And speaking of the new horror remake of IT, we have our FIRST REACTION of the film. Is it really scary and was "it" worth the wait ?EPISODE SUMMARYPh.D. Caitlin Patler talks DACA – 2:46JackedIN (recap of pop culture stories) – 15:18Tara Mcnamara on kids cursing in movies. Is it ethical? 17:21This week’s music playlist – 41:07Tu Para Mi – Man de BarroTemporary Feeling – Hannah EllisGlorioso Dia – Passion (feat. Kristian Stanfill)First Reaction of horror remake”IT” with Diego del Sol –

We're sending love and prayers to Houston, Texas. On this week’s episode, our good friend Luis Miguel Echegaray, the head of Latino content for Sports Illustrated stopped by to talk about their new initiative for Hispanic sports fans.  Also, as the 'Despacito' phenomenon winds down, where does Latin music go from here? Some say it has a bright future in mainstream, others aren’t as optimistic. Pop culture writer Julyssa Lopez visits the show to discuss her most recent article in the Washington Post titled, “What's next for Latin music after the summer of 'Despacito?” where she explores these questions thoroughly.We are also asking our Caucasian friends from the showbiz industry to weigh in on Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood brought up by John Leguizamo's article on Billboard.com that really made the rounds this week. Give a listen on what they had to say about it.EPISODE SUMMARYA perspective on Latino underrepresentation from our Caucasian friends - 1:04Luis Miguel Echegaray talks how SI.com is reach

Colombian Actor John Leguizamo has had enough with how Hollywood treats Latinos. This week he wrote an article on Billboard.com, "From Music to Movies to TV, Latinos Are Widely Underrepresented - And I'm Done With It” and he essentially calls out executives for being ignorant and blind, he calls out Latinos for being silent and not doing anything to improve the situation and he calls out mainstream media for mostly dismissing our culture altogether. Is he right? Our good friend Kellvin Chavez, founder of LatinoReview.com and EIC of SplashReport.com weighs in on what Leguizamo got right and wrong about Latinos in Hollywood. Have a listen.“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” - Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor

On this week's show, we talk to Latina icon Dolores Huerta and music legend Carlos Santana. They spoke to me about their new documentary DOLORES that focuses on the impact Huerta and Cesar Chavez had in the life of millions of Latino immigrants in the 60’s in this country. Then we head to Cali, Colombia, that is via Narcos Season 3, and I talk to its Colombian director Andrés Baiz who tells me in a very candid and honest interview about how he wrestles with the dilemma of being a Colombian and filming a cartel show that reopens wounds for many of his people.Also, what is the ultimate fate of the Spanish language in the United States? Will it become Spanglish or will it eventually disappear? Should Univision and Telemundo become English-language networks, should MTV welcome Spanish-language videos and should Miami Latinos stop speaking Spanish so much and embrace English more? New York Times national correspondent, Simon Romero, drops by the show to discuss his new article on the relationship Latinos have with

We’re sending our love and prayers to the people of Barcelona who suffered a senseless terrorist attack. But on a lighter note, this is probably one the best podcast shows we've done. We chat with Mesfin Fekadu, music editor of the Associated Press, who broke the story about Despacito not being nominated at this year’s VMA’s. Did this happen because of cultural bias? We dissect all the variables, along with some of our thoughts on whether MTV should start playing Spanish-language music videos. Then I talk to Colombia’s hottest band of the moment, Bomba Estéreo, about their new album AYO, music and race, coca leaves, payola in the music business, and their love for the street language of Spanglish. There’s a film no one’s been able to stop talking about and that’s Dunkirk. I reviewed the 70MM IMAX experience with my brother Alex in a new segment I’m calling First Reaction because the review is done inside the theater as you get to hear our immediate reaction as the end credits are rolling. Also, I went on the

This week we’re focusing on Spanish-language news. As you might have already heard, Univision news anchor Maria Elena Salinas announced her departure last week and it has left many unanswered questions: Why is she really leaving? What triggered her departure? Where is she going? Does Salinas already have a job lined up with an English-language network? Veronica Villafañe, editor-in-chief of Mediamoves.com and Hispanic media reporter for Forbes Magazine, joins me to discuss her exclusive interview with Salinas herself and what does not only her future hold, but what is the future of Spanish-language news as we know it? Also, can you imagine NY’s El Diario La Prensa, the country’s oldest Spanish-language newspaper, written in English? I chat with Rafael Cores, VP of Digital Content for Impremedia, about how the paper is modernizing its ways and defying the challenges of its demographics and business marketplace. That plus the latest in music, movies and tv on the Highly Relevant Podcast!EPISODE SUMMARYVeronica