Year: 2015

By: Ashmar Mandou

Colombian crooner Juanes will soon make legions of fans fall in love with him all over again when he takes the stage at the Rosemont Theatre this Saturday with his electric guitar in hand ready to serenade the audience with tunes from his newest album, Loco De Amor. Amid the touring, rehearsing, and singing Juanes, even though on vocal rest, set aside some time to talk with Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper about his upcoming tour and what fans can expect from his show.

Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper: Welcome back to Chicago, Juanes! Our readers are looking forward to seeing you here on Saturday. What would you say is the best part of touring after all your years of being in the music industry?
Juanes: Thank you! I’m happy to be back! For me, the best part of touring is having the opportunity to share with the audience, sing and play guitar, the things that I love so much. Traveling is also cool, you get to meet people and learn about new cultures.

How do you keep your tour fresh and exciting year after year?
I keep the tour fresh by changing arrangements, playing new songs, adding some covers, and including different set designs.

Among your long list of songs, which would you say are still your favorite to perform?
Some of my favorite songs that I still love to sing are, Mil Pedazos, Laberinto, A Dios le Pido y La Luz, just to mention some.

Lastly, what can your Chicago fans expect to see on Saturday?
Fans can expect to see our best show ever! We’ve learned so much in the last years. We will take you on a trip through all of my songs and albums.

Singer and songwriter Ximena Sarinana will join the Loco De Amor Tour to promote her third album, No Todo lo Puedes Dar. Loco De Amor will make a stop at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Rd., on Saturday, Aug. 15th at 7:30pm. For ticket information, visit www.rosemont.com/theatre/.

In a move to boldly reinvent 850 salons across the country, JCPenney announced an exclusive collaboration with the editors of InStyle® to launch a modern, cutting-edge salon concept called The Salon by InStyle. The Company will begin its salon transformation by piloting 15 locations this summer before implementing a nationwide rebranding in 2016. The Salon by InStyle concept will deliver a superior approach to professional hair care that resonates with new and younger customers who identify with the fashion, hair and beauty trends curated by InStyle.

“As one of the largest salon operators in the country, we are going to leverage our industry expertise to create a salon that elevates the client experience and attracts new customers to our stores, while strengthening loyalty among existing clients,” said Amiee Thomas, vice president of salon at JCPenney. “Our customers already shop JCPenney for beauty, fashion apparel, shoes and accessories. As more women experience the services provided at The Salon by InStyle, it will reinforce JCPenney as an all-inclusive destination for head-to-toe style.”

The Salon by InStyle debuted on July at 15 locations across Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles. These newly refurbished sites will serve as the prototypes for the remaining salons, which will receive updates beginning in 2016.

By: Ashmar Mandou

Each year, Festival Cubano gets bigger and better generating hundreds of thousands of festival enthusiasts over at Riis Park. Now, in its sixth year, the creator of Cuban Fest, George Herrera promises attendees will have a memorable time tasting the Cuban cuisine and listening to Cuban rhythms. Before opening day kicks-off, we spoke with Herrera to get his take on what he enjoys most about putting together one of the fastest growing festivals in Chicago.

Lawndale News: Here we are another year Chicago welcomes the Cuban Festival! What comes to mind year after year when the first day of the fest kicks-off and people rush over to Riis Park?
George Herrera: It’s very exciting, opening day. The first day is usually intense as we try to make everything perfect for all the festival attendees. First impression for us is a big deal. We try to create the wow factor. The first day is the toughest, but once the show is up and running it’s just a matter of keeping the park family fun and safe for the entire weekend.

What would you say is the best part of the process when putting together a festival of this magnitude?
The process for a festival of this size is very detailed. The best part for me is the entertainment we want to book. We go through a couple of months of artist selection. We then narrow it down to our favorites for the year. Once we confirm the musicians we booked, it sets everything else in motion

Each year, the Cuban fest gets bigger and better. Do you find it challenging to outdo the previous year?
Definitely: The challenge each year is how we can make the festival bigger and better than the one before. Raising the bar is what my company is known for and so far we have not disappointed the public. I am very fortunate to have great people around me that have this same type of drive. Getting bigger and better doesn’t necessarily mean having bigger artists but instead tightening up the small details that have a huge impact on the festival.

What are you looking forward to seeing at this year’s fest?
This year we are really excited about our second stage expansion and carnival rides. Every year as much as we try to schedule all local musicians and other programs on the main stage (alongside our headliners), we always run out of time slots. Festival attendees will really enjoy our new and improved stage. In addition, the carnival operation will double in size adding a ton of new rides for all ages.

As you know, the Cuban community is vibrant and passionate. For non-Cubans attending the fest what do you hope they take away?
Cuban culture is so beautiful. The impact and contributions that Cuban people have made in our communities for many decades given a spotlight at the festival. From the music, food, dance and arts we want our festival guests to walk away learning and appreciating the culture in a whole new way. But more than anything we are all Latino unidos. The festival offers a little bit of everything for all cultures.

Festival Cubano takes place August 14th -16th at Riis Park, Fullerton and Narragansett. For more information, visit www.thecubanfestival.com.

Corazón Community Services, in collaboration with the Town of Cicero and other community partners, will host a Closing Ceremony to the Cease Fire Summer 2015 events in Cicero on August 21, 2015. Corazon Community Services has and continues to invest in Violence Prevention programming and activities throughout the year, to provide the community with essential services. The Closing Ceremony for Cease Fire Summer 2015 will be presented by Corazón Community Services with representatives from the Town of Cicero, CeaseFire Illinois/Cure Violence, the Cicero Youth Task Force and State of Illinois elected officials. The ceremony will take place at East Parkholme, 47th and 21st St., Cicero, IL 60804 at 6:30pm.

Brookfield Zoo guests can enjoy beers, “pub-style” snacks, and live music amid some amazing animals during the zoo’s fourth annual ZooBrew on Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. During ZooBrew, guests can sample approximately 80 beers from nearly 30 breweries, including 51st Ward Beer Company, Angry Orchard, Argus Brewery, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Boulevard Brewing Company, Brickstone Brewery, Corona, Guajilla Justina Chocolate Chile Porter, Hopothesis Beer Company, Noon Whistle Brewing, Paulaner Hacker-Pshorr, Redd’s Apple Ale, Revolution Brewing, Samuel Adams, Smith & Forge Hard Cider, Victoria, and Weihenstephaner. This event is for adults ages 21 and over. Children will not be allowed to attend the event. Tickets are limited. To purchase tickets or for further information, visit www.CZS.org/ZooBrew or call (708) 688-8000.