MIAMI (AP) – Latin rock star Juanes will be singing again at the Grammy Awards, but this time it will be a song of his own, in Spanish.

The Colombian singer-songwriter, who in 2013 sang an English-Spanish version of Elton John's "Your Song," says appearing on the telecast again on Sunday is like a dream come true.

"I'm very excited. I can't believe this is going to happen. You know, I've been waiting for this moment for many years and we are very excited now that it's about to come, to happen," Juanes told The Associated Press on Monday in an interview at his recording studio in Miami, where he lives.

"We are going to perform a new song called 'Juntos,' or 'Together,' the song that we made for the Disney movie 'McFarland, USA,'" he added. "So, yes, we're rehearsing and practicing a lot, and just ... (getting) ready for that big night."

It may be the biggest Latin moment at the Grammys since Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony sang "Escapemonos" 10 years ago.

"A two-time Grammy and 20-time Latin Grammy winner, we are thrilled that current nominee Juanes has been added to the exciting lineup of artists performing at the 57th annual Grammy Awards," said Neil Portnow, president/CEO of The Recording Academy, in an email to The Associated Press.

Juanes, nominated for best Latin pop album with "Locos de Amor," sees the telecast as a "big window," as "something very special" that will allow him to connect with many people and once more be among other musicians like him.

He said that when he saw "McFarland, USA" in Los Angeles, after Disney Studios contacted him to ask if he could write a song for the movie, he liked it so much that he accepted.

"It touched my heart in a very positive way, in a very deep way," he said. "It's a very inspiring story."

The movie, starring Kevin Costner as a cross-country coach in Bakersfield, California, follows a group of young Latin American immigrants that through very hard work get to be championship contenders. It opens Feb. 20 in the U.S.

"The inspiration (for the song) comes from the movie itself, the idea that when people work together and when people believe in ... (each) other anything can be possible," said Juanes, who co-wrote it with fellow Colombian Fonseca and Cuban Descemer Bueno, under the production of renowned Dominican singer, songwriter and producer Juan Luis Guerra, also a Grammy winner.

Juanes is working on a new album. He plans to go on tour next year around the U.S. and Latin America.

The 57th annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS.

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Which ladies from Chris Soules’ season of the Bachelor will end up on Bachelor in Paradise Season 2? There are rumors that several of the girls that Chris sends home this season will be mingling with other Bachelor Nation cast-offs in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where they will either find love or drama.

The 4th Annual TASTE OF LA CRUZ will feature a unique blend of businesses, services and restaurants including this year’s sponsors Los Arroyos Verdes,

Every Saturday evening is an evening of Art and Culture in Guayabitos. All through February people can visit Guayabito’s Main Plaza and enjoy all kind of top line presentations and performances.

The Bucerías Patron Saint Feast and the Taste of La Cruz have become the focus of intense activity both by locals and tourists; the migratory birds have arrived in San Blas and everything is ready for its own Patron Saint Feast.
The Riviera Nayarit has natural attractions that serve to, well, attract visitors.

However, the local traditions and the events created to promote the micro destinations have also been an important factor in the recovery of the regional tourism.

The Bucerías Patron Saint Feast and the Taste of La Cruz are good examples. These two festivities have considerably increased the influx of tourists and revenue to the coastal villages that host them.

For instance, the day of the marine pilgrimage that was held during the festivities of Our Lady of Peace was witnessed by nearly four thousand people, when normally there are only about 500 people on any given day around the main plaza.

This 54-year-old tradition highlights the union among the fishermen, divers, shopkeepers and the townspeople. With the support of the authorities, they were all able to affirm their faith through this festival, which enjoys a mixed audience of nationals and foreigners.

On the other hand, the Taste of La Cruz is a culinary event that mainly targets foreigners but is equally appealing to nationals. It brought in about two thousand people and generated approximately one million Mexican pesos in a single afternoon. This event espouses the promotion of the rich gastronomy of the Riviera Nayarit.

The migratory birds arrive in San Blas… along with the Patron Saint Feast.

The XI International Migratory Bird Festival in San Blas has begun with a double purpose, which is to the share both the culture and the natural beauty of the Historic Port of San Blas. Hundreds of endemic and migratory birds are the protagonists and main attractions, generating tourism from different areas. Click the link for the complete schedule: https://www.facebook.com/fiamsanblas.

The most important day of the Patron Saint Feast for St. Blaise, or San Blas, is February 3rd, when they sing the traditional mañanitas and, as in Bucerías, the fishermen take to their boats on a seaborne pilgrimage to ask for a good year.

Both events revolve around the local culture and undoubtedly trigger tourism for San Blas, as did the ones in Bucerías and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. This is why the Groups and Events office of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) spares no expense in its support of all the cultural events that serve the people of Nayarit. 

Shakira is a mom again.

The Colombian singer, 37, delivered a healthy boy at 9:54 p.m. Thursday at a hospital in Barcelona. It is her second child with soccer star Gerard Piqué.

His name? Sasha.

"We are happy to announce the birth of Sasha Piqué Mebarak (...) The name Sasha is of Greek and Russian descent and means “defender of mankind” and “warrior,” Shakira posted on her website.

Mother and child are in excellent health.

Shakira arrived at the hospital Teknon de Barcelona at 7 p.m. and was prepped for her scheduled C-section. Her boyfriend and brother were in the delivery room, Efe reported.

The proud grandfather on dad's side, Amador Bernabéu, told reporters the baby looks like the daddy.

"He's called Sasha which is Alexander in Russian," Amador told reporters. "They've told me he looks like Gerard.”

Shakira and Piqué’s first son, Milan, turned 2 Jan. 22. The new parents share a birthday on February 2. Shakira will turn 38 while her husband turns 28.

Spanish media has reported that Shakira closed down a floor of the hospital to ensure privacy.

The singer recently participated in a UNICEF World Baby Shower.

“Now that we are soon welcoming our second child we want to help other children around the world and also contribute to a long-lasting solution for getting children living in extreme poverty the supplies they need to survive,” Shakira said in a statement.

Shakira announced she was pregnant with the couple’s second child in the fall, after several months of speculation.

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It does not define what this beginning is. At the Sewing Seeds school in col Volcanes (Puerto Vallarta), Inauguration means the beginning of so many things.

Puerto Vallarta, Jal.- Nayarit was awarded, for the fifth consecutive time, the Prize of Excellence at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), which took place in Madrid, España. On this occasion, the award was granted to the Visitors and Convention Office (OVC) for its “Riviera Nayarit Social and Environmental Responsibility” Program.

The Prize was awarded at the opening of the fifth International Tourism Fair, this past January 28, 2015. Nayarit Governor, Roberto Sandoval Castañeda and Riviera Nayarit OVC Director General, Marc Murphy, received the award.

This merit was obtained for to the viability work Nayarit Visitors and Convention Office is currently doing through five of their projects, which focus on conservation of the environment. These projects involve all citizens, teaching them to take responsibility for their surrounding areas.
The projects that OVC is implementing are: Protection of Marietas Islands and Hunchback Whale Sighting, Earth Check Nuevo Vallarta, Blue Flag Certification, Clean Beaches Certification and Rivera Nayarit Beach Cleaning Network.

“This award is for all those involved in the projects, for everyone who has supported OVC’s environmental programs. People cleaning the beaches are as important as the authorities of the three levels of government that support the projects of their respective areas, and no less important than businessman who work on Nayarit becoming the best international tourist attraction. To all of them, our thanks”; expressed Murphy.

The relevance of this award is that, the honor of getting it, is exchanged by the dissemination and promotion of Nayarit, before thousands of participants, such as tour operators, travel agencies, Hotel chains, communication media, organizations and executives, who were present at FITUR 2015.

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Riviera Nayarit, Mexico – January 29, 2015 – The cuisine, adventure and cultural experiences that make Riviera Nayarit such a highly sought after destination continue throughout 2015 with 20 topnotch tournaments and festivals.

Secretary of Tourism for the State of Jalisco, Enrique Ramos Flores, and Oscar Pérez Flores, Tourism Director of the City of Puerto Vallarta receiving the TOURISM EXCELLENCE AWARD 2014 in FITUR . 

Innovating Destination Plan Developed by Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, CVB and State of Jalisco Recognized for its Work

Puerto Vallarta has been awarded the TOURISM EXCELLENCE AWARD 2014 by Spanish Corporate “Grupo Excelencias”at FITUR 2015 for the development and implementation of its strategic plan to “re-engineer” the destination’s Tourism Action Plan put together by the Mexican beach destinations Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, the Puerto Vallarta’s Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism of Jalisco.

The engineering plan involves all tourism stakeholders, government departments, associations, chambers and private initiatives, and involves improvements in infrastructure and tourist heritage as well as a formal program of training and awareness aimed at local people who become hosts / destination ambassadors, reinforcing Puerto Vallarta as one of the world´s most friendly destinations.

Since the Puerto Vallarta’s Convention and Visitors Bureau was restructured this past August, its new Executive Director, Miguel Andres Hernandez has been busy laying the ground work to ensure the destination’s future as a serious contender in the business travel industry.

An important element in the CVB’s work is training and presentation by renowned meeting planners and professional congress organizers. On November 13 of this year, the bureau hosted Miguel Harraca, President of the Convention and Visitors Bureaus of Latin America and the Caribbean in a presentation on strategic alliances.

From Nov. 25-27, the CVB partnered with SITE and other Mexican entities to do the first of a number of training aimed to make as many of the member of Puerto Vallarta tourism industry Certified Meetings Specialists. Over 20 members participated in the four-course class in Mexico City. Additional classes with PCMA and other associations are currently being scheduled for 2015.

The CVB has also started working on the development of its own certifications. Designed to create a service norm and standard across the city, it has partnered with local, state and federal institutions to train and certify local businesses. On December 5, the OCV started a certification program that is expected to train more than 2,500 taxi drivers in basic consumer relations, destination representation, language and others. Similar certification are being developed for other suppliers in the destination, including restaurants, hotels, tour operators, etc.

As part of its promotions and PR campaign with the tourism board agency, LATITUDE, the CVB, the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center, destination hotels and the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board have continued to promote the city’s infrastructure in numerous events throughout the year including AIBTM, IMEX and MPI’s WEC. Puerto Vallarta also becoming an MPI Preferred Partner in April.

Puerto Vallarta is most definitely a destination that will not fail to surprise, taking full advantage of its long list of features and benefits. On a daily basis, it is committed professionally to offer a unique and distinctive product, full of added values, to be a true “Experience Generator” for all those travelers seeking tirelessly for the perfect destination.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico is one of the main tourist destinations in Mexico for sunny beach vacations. Its unique features, perfect weather and convenient geographical location has made it one of the cities with the best connections by air and sea as well as one of the most visited by travelers from Mexico, USA, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

With more than 22,500 hotel rooms, an active tourist seaport, international airport, more than 300 days of sunshine per year and the traditions of Jalisco: excellent cuisine, tequila, raicilla, mariachi and charrería (rodeo style Mexican cowboys), Puerto Vallarta is a destination that falls in love and outdoes itself every day. Its setting is perfect for cultural, artistic, historical, culinary and adventure travel, for destination weddings, romantic escapes and incentive trips, corporate events, conferences and conventions.

A fantastic International Convention Center and more than 30 hotels offering excellent and warm deals for conference tourism, including meeting rooms and social areas, complement a varied and quality nightlife that boasts some of the best restaurants in the country and endless activities such as adventure and ecological tours, artistic events and sports. Being highly competitive, Puerto Vallarta is also positioned favorably today as one of most popular and quality destinations for medical tourism.

About Puerto Vallarta:

Besides being one of the top 5 tourist destinations in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta offers a wide range of hotels with business services as well as an International Convention Center, all of which is conducive to support a variety of events for all preferences, ranging from work meetings to international conventions. Besides sun, sand and sea, Puerto Vallarta boasts a rich environment to secure the success of your convention. Its geographical location bestows a beautiful, typical Mexican town surrounded by the emerald green mountains of the Sierra Madre and the deep blue sapphire tones of the Pacific Ocean.

The extensive range of hotels available includes international hotel chains as well as independent, traditional and boutique hotels that complement the various water sports, adventures, award-winning restaurants offering all kinds of cuisine, DMC professional services, exciting tours for large or small groups, world class spas, championship golf courses, entertainment 24/7, a picturesque downtown full of rich traditions and culture, friendly people and an enviable number of art galleries.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s most important tourist centers by the sea, having increased in popularity among event planners due to its accessibility, proximity, excellent climate and its new infrastructure for events.

 For your consideration:

Who: The American School of Puerto Vallarta
What: Open House
When: Wednesday, February 11, 2015, from 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
Where: Albatros 129, Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, CP. 48335
Cost: Free of charge

Statistics at the close of 2014 indicate the Riviera Nayarit social media accounts showed an overall increase; the benefit is holistic as both the destination and the consumer benefitted.

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Marketing Department implemented several strategies over 2014 in order to increase exposure on social media and grow sales via the websites, as well as position the destination and incentivize consumers with promotions; all of these efforts were successful.

Different seasonal promos were disseminated via the e-marketing department on the websites offering special pricing for the consumer, which increased sales 18% over 2013.

The department held three Twitter Parties generating nearly 40,000 tweets, over 184 thousand retweets and a reach of more than 131 million impressions. They also held a Facebook contest that resulted in over 24 million impressions.

During the course of the year they launched 26 Facebook campaigns, generating over 9 million impressions and adding approximately 10 thousand new fans. This was in addition to the organic results, in other words: results obtained without any campaigns.

The numbers don’t lie and are available for all to see. Highlights include our Spanish-language Facebook page where there was a 666% increase in fans, while the English-language page grew 486%.

Twitter followers grew by 58% in the Spanish-language account and 66% in the English-language one. The YouTube account had 240 thousand views, an increase of 110%. All the percentages indicate growth for 2014 over 2013.

Other social media accounts were also opened in 2014 including Pinterest and Instagram, both of which are being grown according to user preference; they have been diversifying the direct contact options between the destination and its visitors.

All the e-marketing efforts have produced multilateral benefits that wouldn’t have been possible if not for the Riviera Nayarit Social Media Club, composed of local hotels and service providers.

This CVB is grateful for their unconditional support and most of all for agreeing to join us in our dream of working together in favor of the people of Nayarit.

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