A. J. McLean, singer “Backstreet Boys”, songwriter, actor. (Cuban descendant) ** A. J. McLean, cantante, “Backstreet Boys”, compositor, actor. (Descendencia cubana)

Posted on September 30, 2014 by admin

Alexander James “A. J.” McLean (born January 9, 1978 is an American musician, singer, dancer, actor, and entertainer. He is a member of the Backstreet Boys. McLean is also a contributor for the It Gets Better Project.

McLean was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise Fernández and Bob McLean. He is of Cuban and German ancestry on his mother’s side and Scottish, Irish and English on his father’s side. His parents divorced when he was four years old.

In January 1986 at 8 years old, McLean acted in his first role as Little Mike in the 1986 film Truth or Dare.

In 1990, he moved to Orlando, Florida with his mother and grandparents to concentrate on his acting and singing career. In early 1990s he appeared on various Nickelodeon and Disney projects, including the Nickelodeon show GUTS, Welcome Freshmen, and a comedy series called Hi Honey, I’m Home! on which he played a character named “Skunk”. Upon joining the Backstreet Boys, he along with band mates Brian Littrell and Nick Carter quit high school and completed their education with a tutor who joined them on the road.

Backstreet Boys.

McLean, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell formed the pop group Backstreet Boys in 1993. The group became very successful in late 90s-early 2000s, and in 2013 they celebrated their 20th anniversary and released a new album called In a World Like This.

McLean created a character, whom he named “Johnny NoName”, to use as his alter ego. He uses it as his name when not performing with other members of the Backstreet Boys. The character has similarities to McLean; for instance, both had single mothers, and lived with their grandparents from a young age. There are also differences – Johnny has been to prison whereas McLean has not. McLean has occasionally performed in rock/metal clubs around New York as Johnny No Name.

He established a foundation called the JNN Foundation to raise funds for diabetes research and other causes like keeping music programs in schools. McLean also did a nine-city tour to support VH1 Save the Music as Johnny No Name. Originally McLean’s alter ego was named Johnny Suede. It shared its name with a character played by Brad Pitt and when the studio threatened to sue McLean, he changed the name to Johnny No Name.

In March 2008, McLean performed his first two solo shows (as himself) at the Anaheim House of Blues and The Roxy in Los Angeles. The show consisted of his solo material and a solo version of the Backstreet Boys hit, “Incomplete”. The solo tour continued through Europe in May and June, in parallel to Backstreet Boys tour. While creating his solo project, McLean worked with the OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder, producers Dan Muckala and Kristian Lundin, plus the former ‘N Sync member, JC Chasez. On January 20, 2010, Have It All, was released in Japan. He confirmed on the Backstreet Boys cruise in December 2010 that the US version would be released on February 8, 2011.

As of June 2012, McLean is working on his 2nd solo album. He also posted two of his new songs on Socialcam on July 23, 2012, titled “Peach” and “P.L.A.R.S.”

Collaborations.

On May 22, 2013, a Finnish rapper Redrama released a single “Clouds” featuring McLean. It is currently available on iTunes Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the U.S.

Television and film appearances.

In April 2002, In season 2 of Static Shock (A cartoon from 2000–2004) McLean made a guest appearance on the show. The title of the episode is called “Duped”. He also appeared as a contestant in the first season of the Nickelodeon game show Nickelodeon GUTS. McLean also appeared and performed with The Backstreet Boys on Arthur, Sesame Street, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and Saturday Night Live. In 2013 McLean made his motion picture debut by appearing in the comedy This Is the End along with the rest of the Backstreet Boys.

Personal life.

McLean suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. He went to rehab in 2001 (and again in 2002) following an intervention by bandmate Kevin Richardson. During an interview with New Zealand radio station ZM, McLean described his addictions as the hardest things he has ever had to go through, stating it is something he battles with every day. He checked into rehab for the 3rd time on January 10, 2011 citing “personal reasons”. In preparation for the NKOTB and Backstreet Boys tour, McLean has said, “I want to be healthy and perform and sing for people at my very best and happiest.” His time in rehab did not affect the tour.

McLean married Rochelle Deanna Karidis, whom he credits for helping him overcome his addiction, on December 17, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California. The rest of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson were in attendance. On November 27, 2012, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Ava Jaymes McLean.

Agencies/Various/Wiki/InternetPhotos/youtube/thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

Celia Hart Santamaría, physic and Trotsky ideology activist. (born in Santiago de Cuba) ** Celia Hart Santamaría, física, ideóloga cubana de la doctrina Trokista.

Posted on September 30, 2014 by admin

Celia Hart Santamaría (January 10, 1963 – September 7, 2008) was a physic and Cuban ideologue. As of May 2006, had been a member of the Communist Party of Cuba. She was the daughter of two historic leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Haydee Santamaria and Armando Hart. Celia Hart has-been an outspoken defender of the political and revolutionary heritage of Leon Trotsky, Soviet leader assassinated in Mexico on orders from Stalin. Her articles on this subject, Which Have Been published by the Spanish Marxist Militant website and also on Marxist.com provoked an intense discussion on the question of Trotsky Both in Cuba and -internationally.

Since 2003, many of his writings have been translated into English and published in CubaNews. Its editor, Walter Lippmann, is also editor of “It’s never too late to love or rebel” (never too late to love or rebel), English-language collection of the writings of Hart. According to these books, described herself as “Trotskyist freelance since its discovery by Leon Trotsky and his writings, when he was studying in East Germany in the 1980s. According to the editors of the periodical publication ‘Socialist Resistance’ , “at that moment, he saw firsthand that” real socialism “was a society in decline and no future.”

Celia’s mother Haydee Santamaria was always Opposed to ‘Sovietization’ – That is to the Attempt to impose rigid Stalinist bureaucracy and dogmatic thought and methodology on Cuba. In Casa de las Americas there was no room for dogmatism Either or so-called socialist realism. She ran it together with a true galaxy of talent: Benedetti, Galich, Mariano Rodríguez and others. Apparently disillusioned Haydee Santamaria committed suicide on July 26, 1980 (Moncada Barracks commemoration) in Havana.

In 1980, one month before her mother’s suicide, Celia decided to study physics in Havana University. Two years later she was sent to finish her studies in the University of Dresden in the German Democratic Republic. Celia continued her studies until graduating in 1987 – the first foreign female to graduate in This Faculty. She then returned to Havana, where she worked until one year ago in the University, approximately 15 specialist publishing works on magnetism and superconductivity. She acerca Also PARTICIPATED in half a dozen Congresses in Italy, Brazil and Argentina.

Celia Hart was director in Havana “Abel Santamaría Museum.”

Rejected the strange murder of Julio Antonio Mella in Mexico.

It was one of the few people in Cuba who openly and publicly rejected the official version of the death of Julio Antonio Mella, assassinated in Mexico. In an article published in ‘Rebellion’, tells us no hesitation that the Cuban Communist Party will be explained Contreras Vidali or so unfortunate that this young man was dark for party plans.

According to the account given by three witnesses, Vidali had been present the night of the death of Mella. All three witnesses said they saw three people, two men and a woman, moving from the street and discussing animatedly Bucareli, and that one of the men pulled a gun and shot while the other ran forward. Vidali was never charged in these incidents. Tina Modotti was initially considered suspicious and later exonerated of charges.

From Modotti Celia Hart said: “… I do not forgive him that having the fine sensibility of an artist and the most beautiful, intelligent and revolutionary man of his time having been loved, he would have tied the dark Vidali But Mella and no. Vidali is one that is fresher and more alive than ever. Vidali always remain cold and smelly … “.

Celia Hart Santamaria did not rule that the crime was committed by the Stalinists.

Tragic Death.

Attended the Trotskyist Celia Hart World Congress in 2004 and had intensive discussions With the leading comrades. Shortly afterwards she wrote:

“I have just returned after attending the International Conference of the Marxist tendency. It was a Very Important experience for me. I met some marvelous comrades from Pakistan, Israel, Spain, the United States … And I see That I am not alone , That the same thoughts I defend are spreading all over the world. These are the thoughts of the future. I thank all the comrades for the happiest summer of my life.

“From That Time,” Celia Continues, “everything to fall into place Began like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. None of Celia’s works Were published in Cuba.

On September 7, 2008, Celia Hart Santamaria (45) and his brother Abel (48) were killed in a strange and sinister traffic accident in Havana. They were the two people considered in “high-conflict” with the thoughts of the Cuban Communist Party.

Agencies / Various / Wiki / InternetPhotos /thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

CUBA PHOTOS.

CELIA HART SANTAMARIA, FISICA, IDEÓLOGA CUBANA DE LAS DOCTRINAS TROKISTAS.

Celia Hart Santamaría (Enero 10, 1963 – 7 de septiembre de 2008) fue una física e ideóloga cubana. Hasta mayo de 2006, había sido miembro del Partido Comunista de Cuba. Era hija de dos dirigentes históricos de la Revolución cubana, Haydée Santamaría y de Armando Hart.

Celia Hart habia sido una abierta defensora de la herencia política y revolucionaria de León Trotsky, dirigente soviético asesinado en México Por ordenes de Stalin. Sus artículos sobre este tema, que han sido publicadas por el sitio web español marxista El Militante y también en Marxist.com provocaron un intenso debate sobre la cuestión de Trotsky, tanto en Cuba como en el plano internacional.

Desde 2003, muchos de sus escritos han sido traducidos al inglés y publicados en CubaNews. Su editor, Walter Lippmann, es también editor de “It’s never too late to love or rebel” (Nunca es demasiado tarde para amar o rebelarse), la colección en idioma inglés de los escritos de Hart. Según esos libros, se ha descrito a sí misma como “trotskista freelance ‘ desde su descubrimiento de León Trotsky y sus escritos, cuando estaba estudiando en la Alemania del Este en los 1980s. De acuerdo a los editores de la publicación periódica ‘Socialist Resistance’, “en ese momento pudo ver de primera mano que ese llamado “socialismo real” era una sociedad en decadencia y sin futuro”.

La madre de Celia Haydée Santamaría siempre se opuso a la ‘sovietización’ – que es el intento de imponer la burocracia estalinista rígida y el pensamiento dogmático y metodología en Cuba. En Casa de las Américas no había espacio, ya sea para el dogmatismo o el llamado realismo socialista. Corrió junto con una verdadera galaxia de talento: Benedetti, Galich, Mariano Rodríguez y otros. Aparentemente desilusionada Haydee Santamaría se suicidó un 26 de Julio de 1980 en la Habana.

En 1980, un mes antes del suicidio de su madre, Celia decidió estudiar física en la Universidad de La Habana. Dos años más tarde fue enviada a terminar sus estudios en la Universidad de Dresde, en la República Democrática Alemana. Celia continuó sus estudios hasta graduarse en 1987 – la primera mujer extranjera para graduarse en esta Facultad. A continuación, regresó a La Habana, donde trabajó hasta un año después en la Universidad ofreciendo ya aproximadamente 15 obras editoriales especialista en magnetismo y la superconductividad. Ella participó en cerca de media docena de congresos en Italia, Brasil y Argentina.

Celia Hart fue directora en La Habana del “Museo Abel Santamaría”.

Celia rechazó el extraño asesinato de Julio Antonio Mella en México.

Fue una de las pocas personas en Cuba que abierta y públicamente rechazó la versión oficial de la muerte de Julio Antonio Mella, asesinado en México. En un artículo publicado en ‘Rebelión’, nos dice: no dudaría que el Partido Comunista Cubano le haya explicado a Vidali o Contreras lo inoportuno que era este joven para los tenebrosos planes del partido.

De acuerdo a lo relatado por tres testigos, Vidali habría estado presente la noche de la muerte de Mella. Los tres testigos afirman que vieron a tres personas, dos hombres y una mujer, avanzando desde la calle Bucareli y discutiendo animadamente, y que uno de los dos hombres sacó una pistola y disparó mientras el otro corría hacia delante. Vidali nunca fue acusado en estos hechos. Tina Modotti fue considerada inicialmente sospechosa y más tarde exonerada de cargos.

De la Modotti Celia Hart dijo: “…no le perdono que teniendo la fina sensibilidad de una artista y habiendo sido amada por el hombre más bello, inteligente y revolucionario de su tiempo, se hubiese ligado al oscuro Vidali. Pero Mella y no Vidali es el que está fresco y más vivo que nunca. Vidali permanecerá helado y siempre con mal olor…”.

Celia Hart Santamaría no descartó que el crimen fue realizado por los
estalinistas.

Trágica Muerte.

Celia Hart asistido al Congreso Mundial trotskista en 2004 y donde tenía intensas conversaciones con sus camaradas dirigentes. Poco después, escribió:

“Acabo de regresar después de asistir a la Conferencia Internacional de la tendencia marxista. Fue una experiencia muy importante para mí. Conocí a algunos compañeros maravillosos de Pakistán, Israel, España, Estados Unidos … Y veo que no estoy solo , que las mismas ideas que defiendo se están extendiendo por todo el mundo. Estas son las ideas del futuro. agradezco a todos los compañeros para el verano más feliz de mi vida.

“A partir de ese momento”, continúa Celia, “todo empezó a encajar como las piezas de un rompecabezas. Ninguna de las obras de Celia fueron publicados en Cuba.

El 7 de septiembre de 2008, Celia Hart Santamaría (45) y su hermano Abel (48) encontraron la muerte en un extraño y siniestro accidente de tráfico en La Habana. Eran ellos dos personas consideradas por el régimen cubano entonces personas “muy conflictivas” con los pensamientos del Partido Comunista Cubano.

Agencies/Various/Wiki/InternetPhotos/thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.

Olga Guillot, “Queen of Bolero”, singer. (born in Santiago de Cuba) ** Olga Guillot, “La Reina del Bolero”, cantante.

Posted on September 30, 2014 by admin

Olga Guillot (October 9, 1922 – July 12, 2010) was a Cuban singer who was known as the ‘queen of bolero’. She was a native of the Cuban city of Santiago.

Daughter of Catalan artists who moved to Cuba, Olga Guillot and her family moved to Havana, Cuba when she was a small child. As a teenager, she and her sister, Ana Luisa, performed as the “Duo Hermanitas Guillot”.

It wasn’t until 1945 that her talent as a bolero singer was discovered, when Facundo Rivero, an influential man in the Cuban music scene of the era, heard her sing for the first time and helped her make her professional singing debut at a famous Havana night club. Soon after, Guillot met Miguelito Valdés, who took her to New York City, where Guillot was able to record her first album with the Decca label.

Guillot traveled to Mexico in 1948. There, she established herself as an international singer and actress, appearing in various films and making her second album. In Mexico, Guillot began to enjoy much popularity for the first time in her career.

In 1954, she recorded her song “Miénteme” (“Lie to Me”) which became a hit across Latin America and earned her three consecutive awards back home in Cuba as Cuba’s best female singer.

1958 proved to be an important year for Guillot, as she toured Europe for the first time, performing in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. She sang alongside the legendary Édith Piaf at a concert held in Cannes.

Olga Guillot kept a house in Cuba as she travelled around the world, along with her house in Mexico. But Guillot opposed Fidel Castro’s regime, and in 1961 she decided to leave Cuba for good and establish herself in Venezuela. Not long after that, she left Venezuela, making Mexico her only permanent country of residence.

Meanwhile, she kept touring around the world, singing in places such as Israel, Japan and Hong Kong. In 1963, Guillot was given the Golden Palm award as “best bolero singer of Latin America”. She received the award in Hollywood, California. Guillot sang in 1964 at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, becoming the first Latin artist to sing there.

Guillot continued touring for the next forty years, releasing over fifty albums and winning numerous awards for her achievements in the music world. She was very good friends with Celia Cruz, whom she often referred to as “(her) sister”. When Cruz died from cancer, Guillot was very bereaved over the loss of her close friend and compatriot. She was the godmother of the iconic singer José José. Guillot lived mainly in Mexico and had another home on Miami Beach, Florida.

Death.

On July 12, 2010, she died of an infarction at the age of 87 in the city of Miami Beach. She is survived by one daughter, Olga Maria Touzet-Guillot, born from her relationship with pianist and composer, René Touzet.

Discography.

With Panart Records
3105 Sus Primeros Exitos (1946)
With Puchito Records
MLP-509 Olga Guillot (1954)
MLP-515 Romance y Melodia (1956)
MLP-525 Olga Guillot (1957)
MLP-526 Intimidades (1958)

MLP-530 Creaciones de la Guillot (1958)
MLP-538 Olga en Mexico (1959)
MLP-555 Olga de Cuba (1960)
MLP-559 Comunicando (1961)
MLP-564 Lo mejor de Olga Guillot (1963)
MLP-580 La Insuperable Olga (1964)
With Musart Records
DM-672 Olga(1961)
DM-751 Canciones de Maria Grever (1962)
DM-855 Temperamental (1963)
DM-935 Añorando el Caribe (1964)
DM-959 12 Exitos Romanticos (1964)
DM-1060 Mas Exitos Romanticos (1965)
DM-1180 Y siguieron los Exitos (1966)
DM-12561 Bravo (1967)
DM-1280 Adoro & Celoso (1967)

DM-1312 Olga le canta a America (1968)
DM-1360 Olga Guillot interpreta a Manzanero (1968)
DM-1423 Olga Guillot Volumen 14 (1969)
DM-1572 La mujer que te ama (1970)
DM-1507 Quien da mas? (1971)
DM-1576 Y ahora….Olga (1972)
With CBS Records
1479 Se me olvido otra vez (1976)
With Orfeon Records
11473 Lo nuevo de Olga (1978)
With Interdisc Records
526066 Para mi publico (1982)
With Warner Records
87844-2 Faltaba yo (2001)

Filmography.

Venus de Fuego (Mexico, 1949)
No Me Olvides Nunca (Mexico/Cuba, 1956)
Yambaó – Cry of the Bewitched (Mexico/Cuba, 1957)
Matar Es Facil (Mexico, 1965)

Agencies/Various/Wiki/InternetPhotos/youtube/thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.