Four American Latinas, each with an invigorating point of view, who are not afraid to speak up and make audiences laugh, think, and even disagree with them”
By Elia Esparza
If you haven’t heard about a new television show premiering in Los Angeles called ¡HOLA! LA, get ready to be rescued from overplayed vampires and politicians!
Although the show is local, covering Los Angeles County and many of its surrounding communities in Southern California, the buzz—thanks to social media has gone viral—and congratulatory shares, likes, and tweets are streaming in from across the nation.
Why the big hoopla?
¡HOLA! LA is a talk show that provides a Latina perspective on English-language TV. It’s as simple as that. One of our favorite explanations about the show is:
Why ¡HOLA! LA?
Because Oprah didn’t do it.
Cristina did it in Spanish.
Tyra didn’t think of doing it.
And, The View… Whose View?
What the co-hosts of ¡HOLA! LA bring to the table is the American-Latina view it’s definitely what has been missing at the table show talk. The show is co-hosted by four incredibly accomplished and gifted women professionals:
Bel Hernandez Castillo: President/CEO of Latin Heat Media, Inc. is an integrated media and entertainment company focused on the production of high quality, profitable content and events focused on the U.S. Latino Market. Bel is also the Executive Producer of ¡HOLA! and is one of the most respected Latinas in Hollywood credited for helping Hollywood. Bel recently received an NCLR ALMA Award for her 20 years of publishing Latin Heat. She was nicknamed the “Godmother of Latino Hollywood” by MovieMaker magazine. Bel is married to veteran actor/director/producer Enrique Castillo (Weeds) and is the mother of actress/filmmaker Karina Noelle.
Naibe Reynoso-Hodsden: EMMY award winning journalist, and one of two Latinas to ever sit on ABC’s The View’s table when the show was auditioning a replacement host. Naibe reports for several outlets including CNN and Fox News Latino on stories ranging from being a mom to entertainment.
Dyana Ortelli: An actress-comedienne who calls herself a “HAC” (Host, Actress, Comedienne) whose credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm and many others. Dyana’s funny DNA is never short on opinion or critique. She’s an actress that has been in just about every Latino film ever made (Three Amigos, La Bamba, Born In East L.A., etc.). This December she co-stars in the TV movie Expecting Maryopposite Linda Gray and Cybill Shepherd. Her fashion style is a walking statement all of its own. Don’t ask.
Kikey Castillo: Actress/Philanthropist is the youngest host who brings her commitment to community outreach and generous and spirited heart to the show. Most Thanksgivings you can find her at one of area Soup Kitchens and on any given weekend she’ll be working a pet adoption or at her neighborhood senior center visiting with the seniors. Kikey is an Imagen Award winning actress whose first big role was in director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) on the film Alpha Dog. Next year, she’ll be Danny Trejo’s girlfriend in a gritty indie feature film. A hard working professional who has acted in many national commercials including Denny’s, WalMart, Chevy, and a many more.
“KCAL9 and CBS2 are terrific partners,” said Hernandez. “They welcome the background of our Latino perspective because the end result is a genuinely organic show with a different twist”. Hernandez went on to say that the show will be introducing new ideas and universal topics that embrace all Angelenos.
Alex Nogales, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition a non-profit, media advocacy organization had this to say about the new groundbreaking show.
“Folks, there is not a Latina on ABC’s The View and there has never been one, so Latinas have taken it upon themselves to create their own View, and what a great View it is! Tune in and be enlightened and entertained by four beautiful, intelligent Latinas discussing the good, the bad and the chisme,” says Nogales.
The ladies of ¡HOLA! LA began their journey with their internet show, Let’s Talk, which then expanded to independent TV station KJLA. I remember sitting in the control room and my eyes welled up. “They’re the real deal. It’s going to work,” I told myself. It was truly an emotional moment for me. And, while there are no guarantees about ¡HOLA! LA’s success, the mere fact that this show will deliver a much needed dialogue (on a local level) through an English-language table talk show, with a Latina perspective is a stellar accomplishment! We know that the national networks will be monitoring ¡HOLA! LA. No doubt, with the help of our audience, fans, friends, and family, we’ll go national.
“Not having a show like this on a national level is a major oversight,” says Hernandez
¡HOLA! LA premieres Sunday, September 30, 5PM, KCAL9. Hosts: Bel Hernandez-Castillo, Naibe Reynoso, Dyana Castillo, Kikey Castillo Executive Producers: Bel Hernandez, Enrique Castillo, Dan Guerrero Associate Producer: Lorena Alvarado Writer: Elia Esparza
For more info on ¡HOLA LA! and its hosts, visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HolaLAonTV Follow us on Twitter: @HolaLATalk Hashtag: #holaLA
¡HOLA! LA is a co-production of Latin Heat Media and KCAL9/CBS2
Edited by: Casandra Moreno Lombera
All Rights Reserved, Latinowood/Latin Heat 2012
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