Jose Darey Castro's debut on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart almost didn't happen after his career took a deadly turn in 2004. After a party gig in Chihuahua, Mexico, his tour bus was stopped by gunmen looking for the singer.
Until that day, his band had been building a career out of what had once been just a hobby: playing private parties, baptisms, weddings and quinceañeras, recording their performances and circulating their CDs.
But it was in a ravine by the highway, into which he'd been marched along with his bandmates, where everything changed.
"Suddenly they started shooting me in the arms, in the back, in the leg," says Darey. "They kept shooting another two pistol loads, and they didn't hit my body again but I heard the groans of the people when they were dying."
Of the eight men with him that night, four -- two bandmates, a cousin and the bus driver -- were killed. Three, including Darey, were wounded; the singer was able to wrap a shirt around his arm and walk far enough to call for help.
Like several regional Mexican artists in the last couple of years, Darey found himself caught up in a wave of unsolved killings, rumored to have roots in everything from personal disputes to wars between narco-traffickers who back artists' careers.
"I was never involved. I've never killed anyone, I've never moved drugs. But I've been very close to all those types of things," says Darey, who hasn't played a show in Mexico since the shooting.
He says his attackers didn't touch the $16,000 on the bus, but that the assault may have had to do with the murder of a man whose party they'd been hired to play.
Darey was inactive for a year-and-a-half after the shooting. After a while, "I said, my audience needs me, I have to play songs, I have to make music, sing and play the accordion." He and some of his original bandmates re-formed under a new name, Dareyes de la Sierra, and continued to record what had been a staple of their repertoire: corridos, or songs that narrate stories of the drug trade.
Though the genre is very popular, many radio stations won't play them. With Dareyes' latest album on Disa, the singer had bigger goals.
"We wanted to do something for the girls. There are guys who don't like the corridos as much, and there are women that like corridos and women that don't. We wanted to do something more commercial. We wanted to enter markets that we hadn't entered [before], and we've accomplished that."
The change proved to be a boon to his career, with Dareyes' "Con Banda" in its sixth week on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart as of press time, when it stood at No. 40. Single "Hasta El Dia De Hoy," ("to this day"), a rant against an ex-lover, was No. 1 on Billboard's regional Mexican airplay char and No. 5 on Hot Latin Songs.
"There are intelligent ways to work, and you've got to learn them," says Darey.
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Thursday 19 June 2008
Wednesday 11 June 2008
Lindsay Lohan poses nude in tribute to Monroe
Actress Lindsay Lohan has posed nude in homage to Marilyn Monroe for the new spring fashion issue of New York magazine.
Lohan recreated the legendary actress' final 1962 photo shoot for Bert Stern with the veteran photographer himself.
According to People magazine, the 21-year-old star said she was comfortable being nude before the camera.
She said she was also aware of the parallels between Monroe's tragic fate - dead from an accidental overdose of prescription medicines - and that of Heath Ledger.
Referring to Ledger, Lohan said: "You know, it's also tragic what just recently happened to someone else. They are both prime examples of what this industry can do to someone."
Lohan recreated the legendary actress' final 1962 photo shoot for Bert Stern with the veteran photographer himself.
According to People magazine, the 21-year-old star said she was comfortable being nude before the camera.
She said she was also aware of the parallels between Monroe's tragic fate - dead from an accidental overdose of prescription medicines - and that of Heath Ledger.
Referring to Ledger, Lohan said: "You know, it's also tragic what just recently happened to someone else. They are both prime examples of what this industry can do to someone."
Thursday 5 June 2008
T.I. Reveals His "PAPER TRAIL": Hip-Hop Superstar Announces Hugely Anticipated Album as New Track, "No Matter What," Explodes Online; "PAPER TRAIL" Arrives Everywhere August 12th
Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I. has unveiled early details of his much-anticipated new album, "PAPER TRAIL." The follow-up to 2007's RIAA platinum-certified "T.I. vs T.I.P." will arrive in stores and at all digital retailers on August 12th.
The multiple Grammy Award-winning rap superstar recently gave fans their first taste of "PAPER TRAIL" with the online premiere of "No Matter What." The track -- produced by Danjahandz (Timbaland, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Danity Kane) -- is currently streaming exclusively at http://www.Rapweekly.com/www.StreetCred.com. "No Matter What" is also on sale digitally via the Atlantic Records Media Store, located at http://store.atlanticrecords.com.
Today, May 7th, BET News will present an exclusive half-hour special, titled "T.I. Speaks." In his first televised interview since a plea bargain on weapon charges, T.I directly answers tough questions from host Toure and a group of at-risk students about his life and future after being sentenced to a year in prison. The ATL-based hip-hop icon details how the ordeal has changed his life and delivers a strong message about decision-making.
"I must be a man and stand up and accept responsibility," T.I. says. "I exercised extremely poor judgment, and for that, I must be willing to pay whatever price that comes before me."
"PAPER TRAIL" follows T.I.'s two previous #1 albums, 2007's "T.I. vs T.I.P." and 2006's RIAA platinum-certified "KING." With an unparalleled track record of hit singles -- including "Top Back," "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," "Why You Wanna," and the Grammy Award-winning "What You Know" -- T.I. is without question one of hip-hop's greatest stars. In addition to his multiple Grammy Awards, T.I. has been the recipient of a wide variety of honors, including BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, and Billboard Music Awards.
An accomplished actor as well as a gifted rapper and live performer, T.I. has played acclaimed roles in the major motion pictures "ATL" and "American Gangster." He will be starring in New Line's forthcoming "For Sale," which is being produced by Grand Hustle, and will also make a cameo appearance on the new season of HBO's "Entourage." Other film and TV projects will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
The multiple Grammy Award-winning rap superstar recently gave fans their first taste of "PAPER TRAIL" with the online premiere of "No Matter What." The track -- produced by Danjahandz (Timbaland, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Danity Kane) -- is currently streaming exclusively at http://www.Rapweekly.com/www.StreetCred.com. "No Matter What" is also on sale digitally via the Atlantic Records Media Store, located at http://store.atlanticrecords.com.
Today, May 7th, BET News will present an exclusive half-hour special, titled "T.I. Speaks." In his first televised interview since a plea bargain on weapon charges, T.I directly answers tough questions from host Toure and a group of at-risk students about his life and future after being sentenced to a year in prison. The ATL-based hip-hop icon details how the ordeal has changed his life and delivers a strong message about decision-making.
"I must be a man and stand up and accept responsibility," T.I. says. "I exercised extremely poor judgment, and for that, I must be willing to pay whatever price that comes before me."
"PAPER TRAIL" follows T.I.'s two previous #1 albums, 2007's "T.I. vs T.I.P." and 2006's RIAA platinum-certified "KING." With an unparalleled track record of hit singles -- including "Top Back," "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," "Why You Wanna," and the Grammy Award-winning "What You Know" -- T.I. is without question one of hip-hop's greatest stars. In addition to his multiple Grammy Awards, T.I. has been the recipient of a wide variety of honors, including BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, and Billboard Music Awards.
An accomplished actor as well as a gifted rapper and live performer, T.I. has played acclaimed roles in the major motion pictures "ATL" and "American Gangster." He will be starring in New Line's forthcoming "For Sale," which is being produced by Grand Hustle, and will also make a cameo appearance on the new season of HBO's "Entourage." Other film and TV projects will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
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