LIFEbeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS – will team up with the E.A.R.S. Foundation for “Reggaeton Explosion,” the third Hearts & Voices AIDS Benefit Concert Series featuring performances from two of Latin music’s hottest stars, Tego Calderon and Aventura, and hosted by Tony Touch. The benefit concert will be held Thursday, March 31st at Spirit, 530 West 27th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenus). Doors open at 7pm. Showtime is 8pm.
Tego Calderon‘s debut album, El Abayarde sold over 350,000 copies and his sophomore album, El Enemy de los Guasbiri, debuted at No.5 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart and has jumpstarted a major label bidding war for his next album. Tego has recorded with 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean and Cypress Hill. Aventura fuses the essence of bachata with R&B, hip-hop and other traditional American music styles. Their upcoming album, God’s Project, will be released April 26, 2005 and features Nina Sky and Don Omar.
“This Hearts & Voices Benefit Concert is the perfect opportunity to reach the Latino community with important HIV/AIDS prevention information,” explains John Cannelli, LIFEbeat’s Executive Director. “Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, representing 14% of the U.S. population yet accounting for 19% of diagnosed AIDS cases. In New York City, we have the highest number of Latino adults/adolescents living with AIDS, more any other state in the country.” AIDS remains the second leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 25 and 44, with 50% of all new HIV infections among people under 25.
General admission tickets will be $30. VIP tickets are $50. To purchase, visit www.ticketweb.com or call Ticketweb at (866)468-7619. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit LIFEbeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS – and E.A.R.S. Foundation. For more information on LIFEbeat and the concert, please visit www.LIFEbeat.org.
