Singer, actress and entrepreneur Christina Milian hit the couch on Bethenny last Friday to chat about her admiration for fellow entertainer-turned-mami, Beyoncé, and her nice sized rock.
“He did pretty good,” admits the Afro-Cuban star. Milian got engaged to longtime boyfriend (now fiancé) Jas Prince last year.
To see exactly what Milian had to say, check out the clip below:
(Image: File)
Since I started Ain’t I Latina? six weeks ago, I’ve received an overwhelming amount of support from not only my family and friends, but the online community, specifically other Afro-Latinas, Blatinas, and Latinegras. Words can’t even begin to capture the beauty in the emails, Facebook messages, tweets, and comments, among other correspondence.
I’ll be honest. I had no idea just how many women shared my sentiments on race and ethnicity, the lack of representation of brown and black beauties within media, how essential our voice is in conversations pertaining to Latinos, and why NOW is the time to shake things up. I admire women in the digital space such as Raquel and Rebecca of Boriqua Chicks, Yovanna Farley (and many of the women featured in our “6 Afro-Latina Bloggers/Vloggers to Follow” article) and Jessica “Omilani” Alarcón. (I know there are others out there that I may not know about, so please feel free to share in the comments section below.) These women are proud of who they are and embrace their black ancestry, which isn’t common in the Latino community.
Recently, I was asked to participate in Omilani’s Latinegras documentary. I’m so honored that she’s asked me to share my experience as an Afro-Latina in her upcoming work. The doc is dedicated to Latinegras in the voice of Latinegras such as Omilani. The overarching theme of the film is “Love the skin you’re in.” The project will delve into our history and explore some of the narratives of our journey, leading to the bigger picture of why we are a beautiful, resilient, strong and proud people.
Below is the trailer:
For more information on the film or Omilani, click here. Let me know what you think about Latinegras or your experience as an Afro-Latina today in the comments section.
(Image: Big Sean Instagram)
Naya Rivera’s fiancé Big Sean made sure the actress celebrated her birthday in style. The Glee actress, who plays Santana Lopez in the musical comedy series, celebrated her 27th cumpleaños on January 12 with her beau and several amigos, including fellow Glee co-star Kevin McHale, according to Wet Paint.
On Instagram, the Detroit native posted a picture of his surprise for Rivera, which included rose petals in a heart shape on a hardwood floor in front of a cozy fireplace. The caption read: “happy birthday to the queen.” Since uploading the photo earlier this week, it’s received more than 64,000 likes.
Rivera is having a pretty darn good week. Not only did she debut her golden locks at the 40th annual People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles last Wednesday, she collected an award at this year’s event.
(Image: Allied)
The Legend of Hercules is hitting theaters nationwide on January 10, but Ain’t I Latina? readers have the chance to score passes to an exclusive NYC screening the evening of January 9. Here’s how:
Step 1: Log into gofobo.com
Step 2: Enter code LATINAEVYE for your chance to get tickets.
It’s really that simple!
Below is a quick synopsis of the film:
“In the epic origin story The Legend of Hercules, Kellan Lutz stars as the mythical Greek hero—The Son of Zeus, a half-God, half-man blessed with extraordinary strength. Betrayed by his stepfather, the king, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom. Through harrowing battles and gladiator-arena death matches, Hercules embarks on a legendary odyssey to overthrow the king and restore peace to the land.”
Hit us up on Twitter (@aintilatina) or Facebook (Facebook.com/AintILatina) to let us know you’ve entered the giveaway. You can get more information about ‘The Legend of Hercules’ by visiting Hercules3dmovie.com, tweeting @Hercules3D or checking out Facebook at Facebook.com/Hercules3d.
Yesterday we reported that media personality-turned-entrepreneur LaLa Vasquez Anthony and New York Kicks player Carmelo Anthony are gracing the latest issue of Ebony magazine. Today we got wind that fellow Latina Mariah Carey and hubby Nick Cannon are also covering the February issue of the magazine.
Carey tweeted:
Check out Mariah & Nick gracing the February cover of @EBONYMag. MC talks about love, Nick, dembabies and new music! pic.twitter.com/HW9ZBJU41S
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) January 7, 2014
Parents to twins Moroccan and Monroe, the duo dishes on the secrets to their happy marriage.
“It was early on when I found out how spiritual she was, and we had conversations about kids and how to live life,” the 32-year-old media mogul tells Ebony. “For her to share these values, it instantly let me know this is the person I’ve always wanted.”
To find out more about the couple’s relationship, as well as the Anthony’s union, pick up the magazine on newsstands now.
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New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and his wife, media personality-turned-entrepreneur (and friend-in-our head), Alani, better known as “LaLa,” are gracing the February 2014 issue of Ebony magazine.
The 34 year-old Brooklyn native shared the news via Twitter late this afternoon, writing:
Check out @carmeloanthony and I on the cover of @EBONYMag! What an honor!! On stands now. Get a copy! RT pic.twitter.com/5sSYlYQLcU
— LA LA (@lala) January 7, 2014
Anthony has been pretty open about her relationship with the star athlete, even dishing deets with daytime talk show host Bethenny Frankel last October.
“I’m just very secure in myself,” said Anthony on Bethenny. “You know, I can’t worry about what’s happening on the road. I know our relationship. I know we have a great relationship; he’s my best friend. And, that’s what I focus my energy on. If we think too much about what’s going on when we’re not there and checking phones and cracking email codes, like, that will drive a woman crazy. You have to be secure in yourself.”
Although the power couple hasn’t eluded cheating and separation rumors, they’re making it work.
The new year is already shaping up to be a good year for the LaLa’s Full Court Life starlet. It’s only the second week of 2014 and Anthony has snagged a cover, as well as added author to her full resume. She’ll be releasing The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness, co-authored by Karen Hunter, on January 28.
The duo is parents to 6-year-old son Kiyan.
Will you pick up the issue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section, or on Twitter or Facebook.
Before the rise of social media and the digital boom, content streams were limited to traditional media; you know, good ol’ newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. Pero, these days, it can be information overload with content being pumped out every second via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or whichever social platform of choice.
With more information comes greater diversity of thought and opinions, and we’re happy there’s more representation and acknowledgement when it comes to the Latino community. There are several Afro-Latinas who have carved a space for themselves online and established an engaged audience.
From an outspoken dominicana to a millennial living her dream, these Afro-Latinas are every bit worth a follow:
Yovanna Farley, commonly known as BLatina 360, is a Panamanian vlogger who shares her insights on being black and Latina (hence the name BLatina), beauty and events in her area. Her intro music is none other than the Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz’s La Tiene Tumbao, so you know you’re in for a treat. You can follow the New York native-turned-Miami resident on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Boriqua Chicks founders and hermanas Raquel and Rebecca provide “a fresh, urban, Afro-Latina perspective,” the blogueras’ website reads. Whether it’s through their blog, where you can get the latest news, exclusive interviews and entrepreneurial advice, or social media sites, the duo is making sure the voice of Afro-Latinas—all Latinas—is heard.
This motivated millennial quit her job to commit to creating Negro: A Docu-Series About Latino Identity. Harris is the founder of In.A.Dash.Media, which offers a variety of multimedia services, and educates the masses on identity among the Latino community across her social media platforms. Scroll through her Twitter timeline to get the latest Latino happenings across the Diaspora.
(Image: Twitter)
You might want to proceed with caution before, during and after following, but @bad_dominicana doesn’t give a f***. She’s like the witty, sassy and very wise prima you want to chat with but know will curse you out if you get out of line—and that’s exactly why you love her! You can catch her on social media discussing racial and colorism issues, patriarachy and feminism, among other things. Follow her insights on Twitter and on Tumblr at bad-dominican.tumblr.com.
Just one look at Massiel Arias’ Instagram and you’ll see why she’s everyone’s’ fitness inspiration. She’s inspired thousands to take their health regimen to the next level, posting inspirational messages, exercising tips, healthy recipes and just awesome pictures of her well-sculpted physique. Follow her on social media at @mankofit on Twitter and YouTube as well.
This list is just a tipping point, so please give us your picks in the comments section below, or on Twitter or Facebook.
Viewers of MTV’s Washington Heights reality-TV show got a glimpse of Reyna Saldana’s burgeoning music career with her first single, “If I Could Go.” Now, the 20-something dominicana is back, dropping the latest single off her upcoming EP. Directed by Nelson Salcedo and fellow cast mate and artist Audubon, “Strangers” is a track that the ladies (and even guys) will be able to relate to, especially if you’ve ever found yourself pursuing someone who thinks you’ll stick around despite the games. I’m loving the snow scenes (as well as that wide-brimmed fedora) and sultry bedroom tease Saldana is giving with the video’s co-star b.k.a. the guy playing games!
Watch Saldana’s video, here:
Reyna, we see clearly now, too, and looking forward to listening to your entire EP.
What do you think of “Strangers”? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Image: Stephen Knight)
I’ve spent that last three years tugging at my ringlets, sampling 2-3 products every other month and searching for a style that suits my curl pattern. But I think I’m finally getting somewhere with my tresses.
Since I’m always open to trying new products, I attended Beautiful Textures’ Reversible Straightening Texture Manageability System preview in December where I got a glimpse at how to get my locs super straight (and soft) with ease—and naturally, too. I haven’t tried out the system (I have a kit in my possession and will post about the results) but witnessed the hair slayage firsthand and spoke to celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood about how it works, avoiding heat damage and determining your hair type:
JM: What does Beautiful Textures’ Reversible Straightening Texture Manageability System offer naturalistas?
FL: I noticed that I have a lot of clients who are having a hard time staying natural. They either have a lot of hair, or they’ve never dealt with it; they’re just not used to it and they’re trying to hang in there. They don’t want to go back to relaxers because they realize relaxers are so bad for them, and so they’re like, ‘I don’t know what to do, and I really need to be able to stay out of the salon all the time, what can I do?’ Basically, they can do this treatment.
It’s a healthy conditioning treatment with amino acids and proteins. What I notice is that the hair just feels stronger because it’s a protein treatment, so anybody that’s having a difficult time staying natural—and wants to be able to go back and forth while they’re learning their hair, this is perfect for them.
What exactly does the process entail?
Basically, you shampoo the hair twice. You put on the Manageability System; you leave it on for 15-20 minutes; blow dry it because you want to really make sure that it gets inside the cuticle layers of the hair, and you just flat iron it.
The degree of the temperature depends on your texture of hair—the softness, the thickness. And that’s pretty much it. It lasts for six weeks. If you want to go back to your own curl [pattern]—you’re over it—just use the clarifying shampoo and go right back.
(Image: Jesse Dittmar /The Washington Post)
Opera singer Martina Arroyo was one of this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, joining performers such as musician and songwriter Carlos Santana; singer/songwriter Billy Joel; pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer Herbie Hancock; and actress Shirley MacLaine. The part black, part Puerto Rican operatic soprano broke through opera’s color barrier with her soaring voice, and has a career that spanned three decades and took her around the globe. She got her big break at the Metropolitan Opera in 1965 when the main star was sick and Arroyo was called last minute to play the role of Aida. Not only did she prove the skeptics wrong, Arroyo landed a contract and went on to perform San Francisco Opera, the Opera de Paris and Covent Garden, among any other renowned stages.
A now retired Arroyo has dedicated her time and talent to training young singers through the Martina Arroyo Foundation. We’re sending huge congratulations to Arroyo for her outstanding achievements—get a glimpse into why we admire her:
Strong sense of self
Despite the racial climate at the time, the singer wasn’t fazed by her skin tone. “I thought the color problem was the other man’s problem,” Arroyo said in a Washington Post interview. “I didn’t know how to carry that burden. I also came from a home where color didn’t matter. I wasn’t as aware as someone who came from a situation where there was segregation. . . . I had never been an outsider. It gives you a type of fearlessness because you don’t know you’re going to run into the problem, and I didn’t run into it. Or if I did, I didn’t know about it.”
While she doesn’t self-identify as Hispanic/Latina, the beautiful singer identifies as a black woman.
Great sense of humor
We couldn’t help but chuckle when we read Arroyo referred to her portrayal of Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s favorite opera not as “Madame Butterfly” but “Madame Butterball.” She has quite the sense of humor!
Humble as ever
For a woman who you might expect to be a diva or have airs about her, many reporters have described her as extremely sweet and kind hearted. This brings us to the next point…
Invests in next gen
After ending her opera career, Arroyo dedicated the rest of her life to educating the next generation of singers.
“It’s knowing that it doesn’t end with you,” she told CBS News. “It’s gonna go on and you want it to go on even better than when you were working with that – in that profession.”
The Arroyo Foundation offers two programs: one lasting several months that gives young singers in-depth experience working on a complete role with expert coaches, and a six-week summer program that takes artists through the experience of performance, ending with fully staged operas.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.