Concert to air on Telemundo on 3 December at 7 p.m.
Christmas came early in Anaheim, California, USA, as some of Latin music's most acclaimed recording artists sang their greatest hits and favorite Christmas songs at Una Noche De Paz Muy Especial — A Very Special Latin Christmas.
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Backstage at Una Noche de Paz Muy Especial (left to right): A Very Special Christmas CD series producer Bobby Shriver, Jose Feliciano, Enrique Iglesias, First Lady of California Maria Shriver and Luis Fonsi. |
The 10 November benefit concert for Special Olympics featured Enrique Iglesias, A.B. Quintanilla & Los Kumbia Kings, Rubén Blades, Luis Fonsi, Conjunto Atardecer, José Feliciano, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Don Omar, Los Horoscopos de Durango, Victor Manuelle and Mariachi Sol de Mexico. The show, hosted by Telemundo's Andres Cantor and Candela Ferro, and produced by Special Olympics, AEG and Telemundo, was held at the Theatre at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. Una Noche De Paz Muy Especial was taped for broadcast on 3 December 2005 at 7 p.m. EDT on Telemundo. Tune in and celebrate the start of the holiday season.
Una Noche De Paz is the latest endeavor in the A Very Special Christmas series, which celebrates the holiday season through music while helping fund the growth of the Special Olympics movement worldwide. Since 1987, A Very Special Christmas has been instrumental to Special Olympics Programs and athletes in China, Russia, Egypt, Brazil and many other countries throughout the world, generating more than US$60 million through sales of holiday music CDs. Among the recording artists who have donated songs to the A Very Special Christmas CDs are Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, U2, Dido, Sting, Cesaria Evora, No Doubt, Eric Clapton, Gipsy Kings, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Aretha Franklin.
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Left-right: Bobby Shriver, Special Olympics Texas athlete Elizandro Vela and Special Olympics President and CEO Bruce Pasternack. Vela holds a plaque showing all the CDs in the A Very Special Christmas series, the sales of which have raised more than US$60 million for Special Olympics. |
The wide variety of music and artists at Una Noche de Paz represents the extensive reach of Special Olympics throughout the hemisphere. The night of celebration will benefit Special Olympics Programs in Latin communities throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Central and South America. In addition to the musical performers, the show also featured powerful stories about the athletes whose lives have been changed by Special Olympics.
Today, there are more than 15 million Latin people with intellectual disabilities and Special Olympics serves only 154,000 of those individuals who could experience the many benefits the movement has to offer. Some of the Latin world's most important public figures contribute their time and effort to support and grow Special Olympics, including Rubén Blades, Pele, Manu Ginobli, Seve Ballesteros Enrique Borja, Gustavo Kuerten, Paola Sousa, Luis Figo, Eva Longoria, Vitor Meira, Guillermo Canas, Amelia Vega, Justin Pasek, Gabriela Sabatini, Quique Wolf, Bo Abreu and Valeria Mazza.
"We are very excited about partnering with Special Olympics for this wonderful event," said Don Browne, President of Telemundo. "They are an incredible organization and we feel extremely proud of working with them in this star-studded, one-of-a-kind event for Hispanics. Serving our community is a central part of what we do. We are thrilled to be able to help Special Olympics inspire thousands of individuals with disabilities, while offering our viewers a very special program for the holidays."
"Special Olympics is in the business of sport, but we are also in the business of changing lives," said Bruce Pasternack, Special Olympics President and CEO. "The extraordinarily gifted and generous stars of Noche de Paz make it possible for us not only to continue transforming the lives of our athletes, but also to inspire the acceptance of differences across the globe."
"I am full of admiration for the many artists who have helped us," said Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. "It is a great tribute that these men and women say to themselves, 'I'll use my talent to help others.'" |
