Highbridge News: Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium

Highbridge News: Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium: Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium Bronx Native Santos to Perform First Latin Music Concert at Stadium  By Howard Goldin ...

Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium

Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium

Bronx Native Santos to Perform First Latin Music Concert at Stadium 

By Howard Goldin

Yankee Stadium is arguably the most iconic sports venue in the world. It is not only the home of the world renowned New York Yankees, but also hosted world class soccer matches, championship fights, football bowl games, and NHL outdoor hockey contests. 

Less known, but no less important is that in Yankee Stadium,  three Popes celebrated Mass, Billy Graham preached, Nelson Mandela spoke after being released from prison in South Africa, a service was held less than 2 weeks after the 9/11/2001 attack on the World Trade Center and world famous entertainers performed concerts.

A two purpose press conference was held in the Legends Club of Yankee Stadium on Monday afternoon. An announcement was made of the first Latin music concert at the current Yankee Stadium. Bronx born vocalist Anthony “Romeo” Santos, termed the “King of Bachata”, will headline the July 12 show. The second half of the conference featured Santos, seated in a chair, calmly yet animatedly answering questions regarding his newest recording, “Fórmula Vol 2”, scheduled to be released on the following day.

With a large gathering awaiting the start of the press event, Yankees President Randy Levine and COO Lonn Trost moved to seats on the stage and were followed shortly by concert promoter Felix Cabrera and Santos. The multi-platinum selling recording artist took time to pose for many photos before the conference began. 

Both Yankees executives expressed the happiness and pride of the organization to present the concert in July and predicted its great success, both artistically and financially. Santos follows such superstars of the entertainment world on the stage in the current Yankee Stadium as Jay-Z and Eminem, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters and a heavy metal concert with Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. 

Levine said, “It only makes sense” that Bronx born Romeo Santos headlines the first Latin music concert at the current Yankee Stadium. He added, “Romeo Santos is going to be a giant hit here. The show will be memorable.”

Cabrera explained the number of performances that Santos sold out at Madison Square Garden and predicted, “I know he can sell out Yankee Stadium in less than one month.”

The 32-year-old singer seemed to be awed and proud to be in these surroundings. He remarked, ”I was born and raised in the Bronx, and when I walked around the streets here I always visualized coming to a game with my dad. My father is a big Yankees fane as am I, although I don’t know a great deal about sports.”

His feelings about performing a solo concert  at Yankee Stadium were expressed with much emotion, “This is a dream, thanks to God, to be here. It’s a tremendous honor to present myself here in a place of such magnitude, especially in the Bronx. It’s a privilege to be the first Latino artist. I am not just representing a genre [Bachata], a culture, but Latinos. [His father is from the Dominican Republic and his mother from Puerto Rico]. It’s a big responsibility, but I won’t let you down.” He termed it, “the most important event of my career.”

Many great musical artists performed in the first Yankee Stadium such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, the Beach Boys, U2 and Billy Joel. The most recent Latin music concert there was held on August 24, 1973 by the Fania All Stars, more than 40 years ago.

To those who are not familiar with the musical sensation, it should be said that he has worked long and hard to reach his exalted position in the music world. After singing in a church choir as a boy, he, together with his cousin and two close friends formed a vocal quartet. They began as teenagers in 1994 and signed their first recording contract in 1999. After assuming the name Aventura, they had several hit records and attained status as a superlative musical group performing the Dominican genre, Bachata.

The foursome was honored during Bronx Week in 2007 as the group’s name was added to the Bronx Walk of Fame, the greatest honor given by the borough.

In 2010, the group disbanded, so its members could pursue individual projects. Romeo Sanchez recorded his first solo album, Fórmula Vol 1, which produced a unique feat of five #1 singles. The Sony Music Latin artist was the #1 in sales of Latin music in 2009, 2010 and 2012. This fact will most likely continue in the future as Santos has the most #1 discs in Latin music in the current decade. 

His new recording, which features Drake, Nicki Minaj, Carlos Santana, Marc Anthony, Tego Calderón and comedian Kevin Hart introducing it, has been eagerly awaited and should be another best seller.

Highbridge News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Highbridge News: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz: Blood Pool is Bad for Biz Three Wounded as Gunfire Erupts Along Busy Shopping Strip (Photo by David Greene) By David Green...

Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Blood Pool is Bad for Biz

Three Wounded as Gunfire Erupts Along Busy Shopping Strip

(Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 24- Dozens of residents and shoppers walking along Morris Park Avenue had to duck for cover as gunfire erupted and three people were wounded.

Police were called to Morris Park Avenue at Victor Street at just before 3 p.m., on February 19. EMS transported two teens and a 79-year-old woman who cops say was an innocent bystander.

Sources said an 18-year-old male was shot in the arm, a 19-year old-male was shot in the leg and the unidentified senior took a stray bullet to her hand. All three were removed to Jacobi Hospital and expected to recover.

One local resident stated, "I understand it was a dispute involving two groups of young men and someone just started shooting."

As police shutdown the entire street with crime scene tape, a pool of blood could be seen outside of a dollar discount store where the elderly woman was shot as she exited the store.

A baseball bat was left on the ground outside a hardware store and several shell casings littered the sidewalk outside of a multi-service agency.

Police would quickly announce the arrest of 18-year-old Christopher Lopez, who was picked-up on Morris Park Avenue on Friday morning.

Lopez was charged with three counts of attempted murder, felony assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police now say that the two teen victims were the intended targets of Lopez who is said to be a member of a rival gang. Lopez has eight previous arrests.

One business owner of a local video store claims he lost $200 in business when police refused to let him meet customers on the street. The owner explained, "I cooperated as much as possible. They wanted me to close the store I had no problem with that."

The owner continued, "I told them (the police) that my customers could call me and I'd come out and give them their movie... and they wouldn't let me do that. They didn't care."

Meanwhile, local law makers have introduced new gun legislation titled, "Luisito's Law," that calls for a tougher minimum sentence for anyone who shoots a child under the age of ten or fires a weapon near a park or a school.

The legislation is named after Luis Oyola, Jr., now 3, who was wounded in the arm inside Vidalia Park last summer. 

Highbridge News: Brett Gardner Signs

Highbridge News: Brett Gardner Signs: Brett Gardner Signs 4 Year Extension with Yankees for $52 Million By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 24- Despite spendin...

Brett Gardner Signs

Brett Gardner Signs 4 Year Extension with Yankees for $52 Million

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 24- Despite spending hundreds of millions on free agents during the off-season, the New York Yankees are not broke, nor have they stopped spending to make what they believe will be improvements to the team.

The questions regarding his future with the Yankees raised by outfielder Brett Gardner during his recent appearance in New York City to receive a Thurman Munson Award by the AHRC were answered on Sunday as he inked a four-year extension of his current contract that will begin in 2015 for an additional $52 million. The club will have a fifth year option for $12.5 million. Although there is not a no-trade clause, the Yankees will pay Gardner a $1 million bonus if he is traded during the course of the contract.  

Gardner was somewhat dismayed by the unexpected offseason acquisition of free agent, Jacoby Ellsbury, a center fielder and lead-off batter as is Gardner. Prior to the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on February 4, the 30-year old expressed his surprise by the Ellsbury signing, “I didn’t see it coming.”

His words to reporters that evening displayed his insecurity regarding his future with the team, “I don’t really have any expectations of where I’ll be playing or where I’ll be hitting…Hopefully, I’ll play a big role…Until something happens, I expect to be a Yankee.” 

Thus far, Gardner has been a Yankee product since being drafted in the third round of the 2005 First Year Player Draft. He made his debut in the majors on June 30, 2008. 

Gardner spoke very differently on Sunday than he did less than three weeks earlier, “It’s meaningful to be able to play for New York. Hopefully, one day I can retire, and say I didn’t play for another team. I think that would be awesome. It’s such a historic franchise…I love putting on the pinstripes.” 

Gardner also spoke very positively of the coming season for the Yankees, “I feel like we’re going to have a special season and a special next several years. We brought in a lot of good talent this off-season and I’m looking forward to getting out on the field in a couple of days and playing baseball.”

On Tuesday, the Yankees will play their first Spring Training game against Florida State University with Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. 

New York Yankees General Manager explained some of the thinking of the team’s brass for the contract extension, “It’s a demonstration from our end. We don’t typically do this, but it shows the level of confidence, beliefs and trust in the type of person and player he is.”

Gardner will play left field and not bat in the lead-off position unless something unexpected happens to Ellsbury before or during the season. It appears that Carlos Beltran will be in right field, Alfonso Soriano will be the designated hitter and Ichiro Suzuki will serve as the fourth outfielder.

Highbridge News: Yankee Stadium to Become Soccer Mecca

Highbridge News: Yankee Stadium to Become Soccer Mecca: Yankee Stadium to Become Soccer Mecca  By Howard Goldin Yankee Stadium will be the venue for one of the 13 matches that comprise t...