Latest news with #Latin-focused
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Carín León battles through vocal struggles to close La Onda festival
It may sound harsh to call Carín León's headlining set at La Onda a disappointment, but if you asked the singer from Sonora, he might nod in agreement. León took the main stage Sunday, June 1, with visible strain and an ailing voice, powering through a closing set that capped the second edition of Wine Country's Latin-focused festival with more grit than glory. His delivery — hoarse, limited, at times painfully distant from his signature resonance — was far from the vocal force that has propelled him into the upper tiers of Latin music stardom. Still, he pressed on. 'There is no fire in my voice,' he admitted to the crowd, 'but I'm going to put heart into it.' That became the mantra of the night. What followed was near- 80 minutes of raw effort and improvised remedies: a red elixir (Chloraseptic throat spray? Tequila?), a banana between songs, apologies to the tens of thousands gathered in front of the La Onda stage. Ever the professional, León never walked off stage (albeit ending his set five minutes early) but he couldn't rise to the performance either. The crowd — warm, forgiving and singing along — carried the set as much as he did. There were highlights. His rendition of 'Tennessee Whiskey,' a nod to the crossover appeal that made him the only artist to perform at both BottleRock Napa Valley and La Onda this year, earned a swell of cheers. But the cover and most of his offerings on Sunday felt more like a reminder of what wasn't working rather than what was. La Onda's organizers had bet heavily on León. Already a banner booking for BottleRock the weekend before, he was elevated to headline La Onda on Sunday after Grupo Firme abruptly canceled after being denied entry into the United States. Tito Doble P, the rising star of corridos tumbados, was shifted to the Verizon Stage and León moved to the main stage to anchor the night. But despite his high energy and momentum, the field in front of him never quite filled. The gravity was with León, and so was the weight. That's what lingered. Not the missed notes or the rasping falsetto attempts, but the sheer will of an artist who refused to bail. 'No me voy a rajar,' he said multiple times. León didn't deliver a masterclass in vocal performance, but he delivered something human. Some nights, the voice doesn't show up; Sunday was one of them. But the heart did — and for that, Carín León still earned his moment under La Onda's closing lights.
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
At 17, he started a child abuse prevention org. 30 years later, he's being honored
When Amigos For Kids cofounder Jorge Plasencia attended a reception at Seminole Hard Rock Casino last year, he expected to connect with donors and supporters of the nonprofit, which works in child abuse prevention and provides after-school programming and other services. But one interaction brought his child advocacy work full circle. 'A woman came up to me that was an executive with a bank in her late 30s,' Plasencia told the Miami Herald. 'She said that she was a child of Amigos For Kids and went through the programs. She was impacted and was there to pay it forward.' The woman's story reflects that of the many kids whom Amigos For Kids has helped to maximize their potential. After more than 30 years with the organization, Plasencia, 50, is being honored this year with the Excellence in Advocacy Award from The Children's Trust. The son of altruistic Cuban immigrants, community service was an expectation in Plasencia's household. As an elementary school student at Miami Beach's St. Patrick's Catholic School, he became involved with a community service club. The experience exposed him to local organizations like the Children's Home Society. During a holiday event when he was a teen, Plasencia met a baby that had been burned with an iron. Having grown up in a loving home, Plasencia knew he wanted to help people like that baby have a better life. In 1991, Plasencia, then 17, teamed up with friends that also volunteered at Children's Home Society to start their own organization. They saw the need for a Latin-focused organization and officially launched Amigos Together For Children a year later. The organization was later renamed Amigos for Kids. When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, their services were needed more than ever. 'We had our work cut out for ourselves,' he said. After volunteering as a phone banker for local nonprofits in high school, Plasencia pursued communications jobs after graduating from Barry University. From stints in radio to work for the Miami Marlins, he has made sure every job he's had was just as invested in Amigos For Kids as they were in him. 'My superiors have always embraced Amigos For Kids,' he said. 'It was never something that I've had to shun. My superiors always have wanted to support me.' Plasencia's next goal is to build a headquarters for Amigos For Kids that would be owned by the organization itself. The building, which would be located in a central Miami community like Allapattah or Little Havana, would help local youth of all backgrounds. 'This facility we want to build could be game-changing,' he said. With an affinity for helping others, like the banking executive who grew up in Amigos For Kids programs, Plasencia knows he is on the right track. 'You reap what you sow,' he said. 'The more you give of yourself and your time, the more that it comes back to you. There's a lot of good people that want to make a difference.'
