Maya Entertainment Acquires ‘Talento De Barrio,’ Starring Latin Superstar Daddy Yankee

    LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7 /EMWNews/ -- Maya Entertainment today announced

that it has acquired the United States rights to Latin urban film TALENTO

DE BARRIO, starring Latin phenomenon Daddy Yankee.



    The acquisition of the film was negotiated by Kevin Benson along with

Jose Martinez, Jr. for Maya Entertainment, and Edwin Prado, attorney with

George Rivera, representing Pichaera Records. According to the agreement

Maya Entertainment will release TALENTO DE BARRIO theatrically in major

cities across the U.S. in September 2008.



    "We are excited for the opportunity to work with Daddy Yankee, such an

innovative recording artist and now a movie star," said Kevin Benson who

heads up New Business Development for Maya Entertainment and who brokered

the deal.



    "Maya Entertainment is a company that passionately believes in Latino

films. They identify the smart strategy to position films, creating

excitement and bringing quality to the marketplace." George Rivera, writer

and producer.



    In the style of City of God, TALENTO DE BARRIO tells the story of Edgar

Dinero (Daddy Yankee), an angry young man from the slums of Puerto Rico who

gets tangled between the thug life of his neighborhood and the beat of his

barrio. On that path Edgar encounters disruption among his crewmen while

falling in love with an uptown girl, from whom he must conceal his ties

with the violent barrio underworld. Edgar may run, but he can't hide from

the corrupt cops and the full-blown turf war amongst his men. Soon enough

Edgar is faced with two choices: die as the Boss of the underworld or live

as the King of Reggaeton.



    In addition to having the leading role in the film, Daddy Yankee has

recorded and produced the movie's soundtrack. The current single off of the

album, entitled, "Pose" sat in the number one spot on the Latin Rhythm

Airplay charts for 10 consecutive weeks. Daddy Yankee is credited with

doing more than any other artists to establish reggaeton as a marketable

music style. His album, "El Cartel: The Big Boss" received Billboard's

prestigious "Album of the Year Award," and Time Magazine named Daddy Yankee

one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."

    About Maya Entertainment



    Maya Entertainment, headed by award winning producer Moctesuma Esparza

and co-chaired by Jeff Valdez, is the only Latino owned and managed filmed

entertainment company specifically focused on the growing U.S. Latino

film-going audience. Maya Entertainment will release 8 to 10 films

theatrically and 24 straight-to-DVD releases a year and will soon announce

its feature film and television production slate, which is currently set to

commence production in 2009. Maya Entertainment is the sister company of

Maya Cinemas North America, Inc. a movie theater exhibition company

featuring state-of-the-art multiplex cinemas with a site in Salinas, CA and

new sites soon to be opened in Bakersfield, CA, Fresno, CA, Santa Fe, NM,

Chicago, IL, San Antonio, TX, Houston, TX, New York and more.



    About Daddy Yankee



    Daddy Yankee is an International superstar who has received many

accolades for his work in the music industry and as a humanitarian. His

album, El Cartel: The Big Boss was the top Latin selling album of 2007 and

received Billboards prestigious Album of the Year Award, selling over one

million copies world wide. He was also recently awarded the Honor of the

Year Award from Harvard University. In addition, Time Magazine named Daddy

Yankee one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and People En

Espanol named him in their list of Most Beautiful People. He has also been

working on his new fragrance to be released in the fall 2008.



    About Pichaera Records



    Founded in 2004 in Carolina, Puerto Rico by independent filmmaker

Georgie Rivera. Rivera also has a video production company who has directed

videos for rapper Miguelito and Daddy Yankee, among others.






     Contact: Luz Maria Castellanos

     LMC Media

     (323) 924-2835

     [email protected]