Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the history, culture and contributions of Hispanic Americans and to highlight the important roles they have played in the history of our country.
This significant month began as a commemorative week, introduced by California Congressman George E. Brown in 1968. Hispanic Heritage Week was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson the same year. In 1988, it was expanded to a month and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
September 15th was chosen as the first day of the month because it is the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores (early morning, September 16, 1810), which marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence, resulting in independence for the New Spain Colony in 1821.
Beginning September 4th through October 15th, we will share a variety of Hispanic Heritage Month programming with you. Below you’ll find a list of compelling programs to watch on your local YurView channel.
- Music Voyager
- Living Treasures of the Yucatan
- The Soccer Academy
- Echale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story
- Miss Panama
Music Voyager
This three-part series blends travel to colorful locations with the exciting discovery of the songs permeating these exotic lands. In the search for groundbreaking new talent, Music Voyager seeks out concert halls, recording studios and street festivals, as well as intimate performances at places far off the beaten path. Episodes also include the native culture and cuisine of the locations featured throughout the series. (9 episodes)
Part 1. Music Voyager: Miami
📺 Debuts Sunday night, September 4th (Check local listings for air times.)
Miami – The Magic City – Explore the fiery sounds of Miami’s electronic dance music scene as well as its Latin and Haitian grooves with Afrobeta, The Spam All Stars, T-Vice and Locos Por Juana. This is Miami like you’ve never seen or heard before.
Part 2. Music Voyager: Columbia
📺 Debuts Sunday night, September 18th (Check local listings for air times.)
Episodes:
Columbia Rocks! – The Music Voyager teams heads to Bogota, Colombia to explore the thriving rock and pop music scene.
The Capital of Salsa – Behold the Colombian city of Cali, known as the world capital of salsa, also the urban center of the country’s Afro-Pacific culture.
The New Medellin – Medellín is the infamous home of drug baron Pablo Escobar, but Music Voyager discovers that the Medellín of today is a modern, flourishing city nestled in a gorgeous mountain valley.
Heartbeat of Vallenato – Delve into the small city of Valledupar, the cradle of Vallenato – a rustic, folksy and distinctly Colombian style of music.
Part 3. Music Voyager: Peru
📺 Debuts Sunday night, September 18th (Check local listings for air times.)
Episodes:
Lima Original – Hosts Alvaro Fernandez and Jacob Edgar meet up in Lima to explore the different sights, sounds, and tastes of one of the most intriguing, exotic countries in South America.
Paracas – Co-host Alvaro takes Jacob into the desert of Paracas to follow the Nazca lines, explore the origins of Afro-Peruvian music, across the Peruvian Gallapagos, and to explore the soft white sand dunes of Paracas.
Amazon – Co-host Alvaro takes Jacob into Iquitos. On a boat cruise all along the Amazon, they experience first-hand the beauty of Amazonia and life on the Amazon in style.
Contemporary Lima – The funky new Lima is vibrant, colorful and rhythmic. Co-host Alvaro is a rock star in Peru, and we see the young Lima through his eyes, from meeting his friends in music. We also get to see Lima off the tourist grid, through the life of a ‘Trendsetter.’
Living Treasures of the Yucatan
The Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico has a rich history, dating back to 1500 BC. Remnants of the Mayan civilization are here. However, the smaller, less visual treasures – the traditions practiced by the most important assets of this land – its people, have all but disappeared. Living Treasures of the Yucatán tells personal stories of men and women who work at jobs unchanged from years ago, jobs that in some cases will disappear when these last few practitioners are no longer with us. There are ten episodes of Living Treasures of the Yucatán. Watch the trailer.
📺 Debuts Sunday night, September 4th (Check local listings for air times.)
Episodes:
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- Welcome to Yucatán
- Culinary Surprises in Izamal
- Women and the Mayan Traditions
- End of the Line
- Green Gold: The Henequen Saga
- Don Nacho and Eight Brothers Who Bake
- County Fair: Yucatan Style
- Gremios: Keeping the Faith
- Mysterious and Magical in the State of Campeche
- Yesterday, Today and, Hopefully Tomorrow
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The Soccer Academy
The Soccer Academy is a travel and adventure show designed for youth soccer enthusiasts and their families. The series provides soccer tips, trivia, interviews with world-renowned soccer coaches, plus, pro soccer clips. This unique series also emphasizes culture, adventure, sports, healthy living and peace among the various people of our planet. (4 episodes)
📺 Debuts Thursday night, September 8th (Check local listings for air times.)
Episodes:
Mexico DF – Mexico City with PUMAS de la UNAM – From the heart of Mexico City, The Soccer Academy shares interviews with coaches from the world-famous Mexican first division professional soccer team, PUMAS de la UNAM.
Xochimilco – In this episode, viewers can relive the rich history and culture of the Xochimilco area of Mexico, including historical inserts about Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.
Coyoacan – Coyoacan, Mexico, known for its architecture, history, and art, was home to two of the world’s most famous artists, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Soccer instructions in this episode include the ever-elusive “back pass” by using one’s heel. In addition, there’s a great interview with the former coach of the Mexican National Soccer Team, Miguel Herrera. And you’ll get to witness the ancient Aztec game of “Ulama” (Juego de Pelota) being practiced with local players.
Guadalajara 1 – Soccer instruction comes directly from the inside of Guadalajara’s professional stadium, El Estadio Jalisco, which is the home of both Atlas and la Universidad de Guadalajara (Leones Negros).
Echale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story
📺 Debuts Sunday night, October 9th (Check local listings for air times.)
As Los Angeles reels from the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, Victor Villa, a young Latino entrepreneur and Los Angeles native, perseveres to keep his street taco business afloat. Against the backdrop of gentrification in his neighborhood, Victor also maintains his role as a community leader and dreams of transitioning his backyard pop-up to a full-time brick and mortar restaurant.
Miss Panama
📺 Debuts Sunday night, September 25th (Check local listings for air times.)
In 1980, Gloria Karamañites became the first black woman to win the Miss Panama competition despite the maneuvering of pageant officials to deny her the crown. Miss Panama is a short documentary exploring Gloria’s experiences navigating racism, along with the actions taken by the Afro-Panamanian community to rally around their Queen and defend her efforts to represent the country.
Reflecting on this history, her daughter Lamar meets characters who watched the competition live, and talks with friends and family who knew Gloria then and now, ultimately painting a vivid portrait of a country struggling with its own identity. Watch the trailer.
For more Hispanic Heritage Month features, visit yurview.com/hispanicheritage.
