Bilingual youth net Tr3s: MTV, Música y Mas has tapped music
industry veteran Tomas Cookman to curate La
hora nacional, a new weekly show featuring an eclectic mix of Latin rock,
hip hop, reggae, funk and electronica.
Latin alternative music has been supported by MTV for a
while, but this is the first time we'll devote an entire hour to showcase some
of the best music out there," Cookman, founder of Nacional Records and manager
of some high-profile acts including Manu Chao and Argentina's sensation Los
Fabulosos Cadillacs. Cookman said.
He is also the founder of the Latin Alternative Music
Conference (LAMC), and said now is the right time — and Tr3s the right outlet —
to showcase talented artists who can't get airtime on mainstream media outlets.
La hora nacional (The
National Hour) premiered July 16 at 3
a.m. ET/midnight PT. The Saturday-night show will feature videos from such
artists as Bomba Estereo, Ana Tijoux, Mano Negra, Sistema Solar and Manu Chao.
Unlike other Latin music shows, La hora nacional's playlist
alternates between tunes in Spanish, English and Spanish, making it more
reflective of a U.S. Latino scene that is more defined by culture than
language.
The concept of La hora
nacional was born a few months ago, during an informal Chinese food dinner
in Manhattan between Cookman and Tr3s general manager José Tillan. The pair
decided it was "about time" to bring back the feeling of "good old MTV U.S.
shows" telecast at a late hour, when people are coming back from their
partying.
La Hora Nacional "is
in the spirit of MTV U.S.'s 120 Minutes
franchise … a late-night place for viewers to gather to watch eclectic music,"
Tr3s vice president of music Marc Zimet added.
