The
José Miguel AgrelotGiuseppe Michael Agrelot , better known as José Miguel Agrelot, was a Puerto Rican comedian, radio and television host and media icon of Italian descent...
Coliseum, officially named "
Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot" (and nicknamed
El Choliseo, in honor of Agrelot's best known character, Don Cholito), is the biggest indoor
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
dedicated to entertainment. It is located at the
Golden MileMilla de Oro is a nickname given to a one mile stretch portion of the Ponce de León Avenue in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico...
of
San JuanSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
, the island capital.
The coliseum opened its doors to the public in September 2004 after a prolonged construction financed by the
government of Puerto RicoThe Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
. This venue is owned by the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, a government agency of Puerto Rico, and managed by SMG. It can accommodate up to 18,500 spectators and can be reached by the
Tren UrbanoThe Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
(Urban Train) system from a nearby station.
The arena hosted the first
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
pay-per-view outside of the USA,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the UK when
New Years RevolutionNew Year's Revolution was the first annual New Year's Revolution pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. It took place on January 9, 2005 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This event was the first pay-per-view event produced by WWE to be held in Puerto...
was held there in 2005.
Original plans
The Coliseum was a project started during the administration of Governor
Pedro RossellóPedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D. , served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001....
, initially as part of an Olympic bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games. The facility was supposed to be constructed between two local sport venues: the
Roberto Clemente ColiseumThe Roberto Clemente Coliseum is a sporting events and concert arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
and
Hiram Bithorn Baseball StadiumThe Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Its name honors the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues, Hiram Bithorn, who first played with the Chicago Cubs in 1942...
, about a mile and a half away from the current arena site. The Coliseum would have been used for events such as Gymnastics and Olympic Basketball had the games been held in San Juan.
Controversy
In 1997, however,
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
was selected to host the games, and the construction of the Coliseum was jeopardized. Recognizing the need for such a facility anyway, the government decided to continue the construction, this time at a site physically close to San Juan's financial district, the
"Milla de OroMilla de Oro is a nickname given to a one mile stretch portion of the Ponce de León Avenue in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico...
" ("Golden Mile"). Since the new site was adjacent to a future Tren Urbano station, the Coliseum's planners decided not to incorporate parking facilities to the arena, as to induce visitors to use mass transportation to reach it.
Political opponents of the Rosselló administration raised various objections to the original plan, claiming that the lot of land purchased for the construction would benefit some of his political party's (the
New Progressive Party of Puerto RicoThe New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rican statehood.Following the 2008 general elections, it currently holds supermajorities in the Commonwealth's House of Representatives and Senate, Puerto Rico's sole non-voting delegate to Congress, 48 of...
) heaviest financial contributors. They also objected to the lack of parking space, claiming that nearby private parking operators (who were also money donors to Rosselló's party, they claimed) would
extort'Extortion', outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly...
high parking fees from people who could not or would not use public transportation to the venue (at the time, the Tren Urbano was in its initial stages of construction; by the time the facility opened it was still under construction). Objectors would also point out that a private operator would take control of the facility under contract from the government of Puerto Rico under what was perceived as a highly expensive contract. The Rosselló administration countered by stating that previous experience with public sports facilities in Puerto Rico (which would quickly fall into disrepair at an accelerated rate requiring constant remodelling) demanded that a private entity manage the facility. The contract's expense would be justified by bringing in an operating partner with international experience managing world-class facilities, whose reputation would ensure that performers and sport events that had never been staged in Puerto Rico could visit the island.
The Coliseum's construction was stopped for close to two years during the administration of governor
Sila María CalderónSila María Calderón Serra was the seventh Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005. She is the first and to date only woman elected to that office. Prior to being Governor, Calderón held various positions in the Government of Puerto Rico, including Secretary of State and Chief...
, the leader of the opposition party (the
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto RicoThe Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
) whose administration followed Rosselló's. She claimed that the Puerto Rican government had spent $242 million dollars for a facility where only 42% of its scheduled project plan had been completed when she took office. The planners and constructors had overlooked the fact that a water pumping station next to the facility had been built over unstable land, and a portion of the building's foundations would have had to be redone because of this. There was even talk of demolishing what had been built and starting from scratch, which infuriated Rosselló supporters, who dismissed the suggestion as merely an excuse to spend more government money, this time to benefit the PDP's financial backers. Plans for a redesigned interior added during the Calderón administration added fuel to the intense public controversy.
Yet another controversy came about when the ticketing distributor was named. An exclusive contract was awarded to Banco Popular's
Ticketpop, almost ignoring the bid by competitor TicketCenter. The situation almost went to trial, as both parties argued over who should sell the tickets for the events, but the Puerto Rican government stood by their original contract with Ticketpop. Local producer
Angelo MedinaAngelo Medina, born April 21 1959 - Aguadilla, Puerto Rico is an international Music Manager/Producer/Promoter.He was former manager of Ricky Martin and is current manager of Latin Rock giants as Maná, Ednita Nazario, and other well-known Latin artists. He is president of "Empresas Angelo Medina" &...
spearheaded a group that wanted the legislature to curb the managing powers of SMG, recently named to oversee operations and activities, because they feared that the company's relationship with non-local T.V. companies would limit the participation of local talent in the arena.
The coliseum was finally inaugurated in September 2004, several years into its construction and millions of dollars over budget.
Dedication
The naming of the structure caused a controversy by itself. During the construction phase, plans called for the coliseum to be named simply
El Coliseo de Puerto Rico (The Coliseum of Puerto Rico), but when it was also suggested that a private entity could sponsor the facility and thereby lend its name to it, most local politicians objected to the idea, since the financial scandal involving
EnronEnron Corporation was an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy in late 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, pulp and paper, and communications companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion...
reminded them that the bankrupt company had sponsored a sports facility (Enron Field, later named the
Minute Maid ParkMinute Maid Park is a ballpark in Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Houston Astros....
) in
Houston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2008 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Some politicians argued on behalf of naming the coliseum after a Puerto Rican celebrity. Some of the names mentioned were that of pop star
Ricky MartinEnrique Martín Morales , better known by his stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award- winning, Puerto Rican pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.His career has spanned over three decades and has sold...
, boxer
Félix TrinidadFélix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered as one of the best boxers in that archipelago's history. When he was an amateur Trinidad won five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico...
and recently deceased actor
Raúl JuliáRaúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay , better known as Raúl Juliá, was a Puerto Rican actor whose career included dramatic, comic, and musical roles in theater, film, and television.-Early life:...
. Puerto Rican law demanded that no facility could be named after a living individual, and there were talks of making an exception to the law should a living Puerto Rican icon be honored with the name.
However, the name of beloved local comedian
José Miguel AgrelotGiuseppe Michael Agrelot , better known as José Miguel Agrelot, was a Puerto Rican comedian, radio and television host and media icon of Italian descent...
was chosen when the coliseum was near its completion. Agrelot himself had suggested the name of
Rafael Hernández MarínRafael Hernández , is considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music.-Early years:...
to be used, and when someone suggested his name instead he was both surprised and concerned. He was quoted as saying once in his radio program,
"Tu Alegre Despertar": "I can only hope my name won't be used, since I'd like God to keep me alive for quite some time. .. it would be a great honor, and I wouldn't object to it if that is what people want, but public facilities here are customarily named after dead people. .. I won't even dare to think about it. I'd only like the controversy over the name to stop".
Soon after, Agrelot died in his sleep while taking an afternoon nap, on January 28, 2004. The almost unanimous consensus of most Puerto Ricans was that Agrelot deserved the honor, and the facility was dedicated to him on what would have been his birthday that year. A bust of "Don Cholito" now stands at the coliseum's lobby.
Awards and recognitions
PollstarPollstar is the world's largest resource for international concert tour information. It collects and organizes information on concert ticket sales and artist tour schedules....
, the prestigious U.S. based magazine, chose the Puerto Rico Coliseum as the "International Large Venue of the Year 2005". This means it is recognized as one of the most important venues in the world, competing with the Sydney Superdome in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
; the
Manchester Evening News ArenaThe Manchester Evening News Arena or M.E.N. Arena is a large indoor arena in Manchester, England...
in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; The
National AuditoriumNational Auditorium is one of the main concert and performance centres in Mexico City, which also was a sports venue in the past.Constructed in 1952, it was used for volleyball and basketball matches of the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games and had seen performances of the San Francisco...
in
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
, and the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“The Choliseo, as Puerto Ricans affectionately call, was another of those pleasant surprises last year,” continued Rivera Cardona. “It received Pollstar’s coveted 2005 Best New International Large Venue of the Year and it is nominated again for the Best International Venue of the Year in 2006.” The Puerto Rico Coliseum ranks No. 15 in ticket sales worldwide according to industry trade magazine Pollstar.
The Puerto Rico Coliseum has developed into the premier entertainment site on the island. Since its inauguration (2004) 1.5 million people have crossed its gates bringing in $59.4 million in gross ticket revenue and generating $6.5 million in rent revenue. Last year alone, the Coliseum hosted 143 events and had gross gate revenue of $30 million, 34% above original projections. Food and beverage sales reached $5.2 million, $1 million above projections, and other income amounted to an additional $8 million for total revenue of $43.2 million, more than $10 million more than the original $33 million projection.
2004
- Spetember - Grand Inauguration of Coliseo de Puerto Rico, José Miguel Agrelot
- November, 19 - Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, Grande Ufficiale OMRI is a five-time Classical Brit winner and three-time Grammy nominated Italian tenor....
- November, 24 - Mix Concert-Thon 04
- December, 24 - David Bisbal
David Bisbal is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
- December, 10 - Scorpions
The Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel, "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change"...
- December, 15 - Korn
Korn is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California, which formed in 1993. The band's catalogue consists of nine consecutive debuts in the top ten of the Billboard 200. To date, Korn has sold over 30 million albums worldwide while earning six Grammy nominations—two of which they have won...
- December, 18 - Daddy Yankee
Ramón "Raymond" Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in...
: Barrio Fino
2005
- January, 9 - WWE Raw
WWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
: New Year's Revolution
- February, 2 - Sin Bandera
Sin Bandera was a Latin pop duo based in Mexico that consisted of Leonel García, and Noel Schajris. They became one of the most popular artists after their debut album "Sin Bandera" was released in 2001.-Biography:...
: De Viaje
- February, 8 - Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
: Astronaut Tour
- February, 11 - ToTo & Saga
- February, 12 - Franco de Vita
Franco De Vita is a singer-songwriter popular in Latin music.One of four children born in Venezuela to Italian immigrants, De Vita’s family returned to Italy when he was 3...
- February, 14 - Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is a American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The band was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
: Red, White & Crüe
- February, 24 - Donna Summer
Donna Summer is an American singer and songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of music, earning the title "The Queen of Disco"....
- February, 25 - Chicago & America Classic Rock Fest
- February, 26 - Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vasquez, better known as Juanes is a Colombian fusion musician. During the 1980s and 1990s, Juanes was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis but disbanded the group in 1998 to pursue a solo career...
: Mi Sangre Tour
- March, 12 - Alejandro Fernandez
Alejandro Fernández is a popular Latin Grammy-winning Mexican singer nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans....
- April, 1 - Santana
Santana is a band consisting of a flexible number of musicians accompanying Carlos Santana since the late 1960s. The range of these artists has varied greatly. Just like Santana himself, the band is known for helping make Latin rock famous in the rest of the world.-Overview:The band was formed in...
- April, 4 - Usher: Live on Showtime!
- April, 28 - Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, record producer who has sold more than 100 million records.- Early years :...
- August, 6 - Christian Castro
- August, 26 - WWE Raw
WWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
Live
- September, 14 - Journey
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s...
: Journey Tour 2005
- October, 1 - Carlos Vives
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo is a Grammy Award and three-times Latin Grammy Award winning-Colombian singer, composer and actor.-Biography:...
: El Rock de mi Pueblo
- October, 29 - La Noche de Estrellas de Fidelity
- December, 18 - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses separately until they were finally merged in...
2006
- February, 11 - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
: A Bigger Bang
- February, 18 - Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales , better known by his stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award- winning, Puerto Rican pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.His career has spanned over three decades and has sold...
: One Night Only
- February, 24 - Dream Theater
Dream Theater are an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Myung, John Petrucci, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band...
- March, 4 - Franco de Vita
Franco De Vita is a singer-songwriter popular in Latin music.One of four children born in Venezuela to Italian immigrants, De Vita’s family returned to Italy when he was 3...
and Olga TañonOlga Teresa Tañón Ortíz is a two-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy-winning Merengue and Latin Pop artist. Tañón has earned 5 Latin Grammy Awards and 19 Premios Lo Nuestro awards during her career....
- March, 17 - Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Grammy-winning reggaeton duo, consisting of Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar and Juan Luis Morera Luna...
: Pa'l Mundo
- March, 26 - Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is an American pop rock singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Simpson-Wentz, who is the younger sister of pop singer Jessica Simpson, rose to prominence in mid-2004 through the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the accompanying reality series The Ashlee...
- April, 7 - Luis Fonsi
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, more commonly known as Luis Fonsi, is a Puerto Rican singer, composer and soap opera actor.- Biography:...
: Paso a Paso
- April, 22 - World Championship Ice Racing
- April, 26 - Cangrejeros de Santurce
- April, 27 - Sting: Broken Tour
- May, 6 – Residente Calle 13
Calle 13 is a Spanish cable/satellite television channel. Owned by Universal Studios Networks Spain, Calle 13 promotes itself as a channel of suspense and action and its available on Digital+ satellite TV platform and on all Spanish cable TV platforms....
- May, 12 – Ana Gabriel
Ana Gabriel is a Mexican singer and composer....
: Dos Amores, Un Amante
- June, 2 – 1 Millionth Visitor, Ricardo Arjona
Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, , known as Ricardo Arjona , is a Guatemalan singer...
- August, 3 – Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Adrián Cerati Clark is an Argentine artist and songwriter. During the 1980s and 90s he was a member of the Argentine Rock group Soda Stereo, along with Charly Alberti and Zeta Bosio. In the early 90s, with Amor Amarillo, he pursued a solo career.- Career :Cerati recorded two solo albums...
- August, 16 – Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini is an Italian pop singer, popular in several European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries, famed for her powerful voice, her romantic adult contemporary ballads and love songs. She is fluent in several languages and has recorded songs in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish,...
- August, 18 – R.K.M & Ken-Y
José Nieves and Kenny Vazquez , both of Gurabo, Puerto Rico, are a Grammy Award-nominated reggaeton duo.-Early career:...
- August, 26 - Arena Football Championship
- August, 27 – RBD
RBD was a two time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
- September, 9 – Marco Antonio Solis
Marco Antonio Solís is a Mexican Latin Grammy Award winner, composer, and record producer.-Early life and career:...
- September, 15 – Generación Y: Oriental Fantasy
- September, 16 - And 1 Mixtape Tour 2006
- September, 23 – NHL Exhibition Game
- September, 29 – Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American & Latin Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and producer. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Marc Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The five-time Grammy winner has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
- October, 7 – La Quinta Estación
- October, 10 – Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena...
vs Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons is a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills.-From Fort Wayne to Detroit:...
- October, 15 – Alejandra Guzman
Alejandra Gabriela Guzmán Pinal , better known as Alejandra Guzmán, is a Latin Grammy Award–winning Mexican rock singer and actress...
- October, 21 – Menudo
Menudo can refer to:* Menudo , boy band** Menudo , three of their albums went by this name** Menudo: La Reunion , a music project composed of former band members* Menudo , traditional Mexican soup...
World Talent Search
- October, 22 – Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman , known professionally as Raven-Symoné or Raven, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, fashion designer, and television producer. She is best known for her television roles as Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show, Nicole Lee on Hangin' with Mr...
- October, 28 - La Noche de Estrellas de Fidelity
- October, 29 – Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
- November, 3 – Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, OC, OBC is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter and photographer. Adams was first nominated at the 28th Grammy Awards for Reckless and "It's Only Love" and won the Grammy and in 1992 won the award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media"...
- November, 4 – La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh is a Latin Grammy winning and Grammy nominated Spanish pop band from Donostia-San Sebastian. The name of the band references the famous post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh who cut off the lobe of his own ear...
- November, 11 – Grupomanía: The Originals
- November, 17 – Lolita & Rosario
- November, 18 – The Cheetah Girls
- November, 19 – Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band from Sheffield, who formed in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Largely on the strength of their albums Pyromania and Hysteria, Def Leppard became one of the top-selling rock bands throughout the 1980s, selling over 65 million albums...
and JourneyJourney is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s...
- November, 22 – Lunny Tunes: The Benjamins
- November, 25 – Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética is a Puerto Rican reggae band that debuted in 1996. They have toured in Puerto Rico and across Central America and the United States. Their lyrics rely mostly on socio-political and ecological issues.-History:...
- November, 26 – Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and seen by some as America's greatest rock and roll band. Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues,, and has...
- December, 1 – Don Omar
Don Omar is a Puerto Rican Latin Grammy Award-nominated Reggaetón singer/rapper.-Musical career:...
: King of Kings
- December, 13 – Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer and philanthropist who emerged as a musical prodigy in the music scene of Latin America in the early 1990s...
2007
- January, 19 – Boxeo de Campeones
- January, 26 – Hector El Father
Héctor Delgado Román, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist and producer, formerly known by the artistic names Héctor "El Father". He will however be having a series of "Farewell Concerts" that go until May 2010.He rose to fame as a member of the duo Héctor y Tito...
- January, 27 – Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is a Grammy winning American saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986. Kenny's main instrument is the soprano saxophone, but he also on occasion plays alto and tenor saxophone and flute. He...
- February, 9 – Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales , better known by his stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award- winning, Puerto Rican pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.His career has spanned over three decades and has sold...
: Blanco y Negro
- March, 3 – Donna Summer
Donna Summer is an American singer and songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of music, earning the title "The Queen of Disco"....
- March, 8 – WWE Road to Wrestlemania
- March, 16 – Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Grammy-winning reggaeton duo, consisting of Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar and Juan Luis Morera Luna...
: Los Vaqueros
- March, 24 – Akon
Aliaune Badara Akon Thiam, better known by his middle and stage name Akon , is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble...
- March, 25 – Paulina Rubio
Paulina Rubio Dosamantes is a nominated Grammy and Latin Grammy and 6 time winner of Billboard Latin Music Awards Mexican singer and actress. Known as "The Golden Girl" and "Queen of Latin Pop"...
- March, 30 – Maná
Maná is a popular hispanic pop/rock band from Ecuador whose career has spanned almost seven decades. They have earned fourteen Grammy Awards, fifthteen Latin Grammy Awards, 1 MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, three Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 12 Premios Lo...
- April, 20 - Steel Monster Trucks Tour
- April, 28 - Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
- May, 4 - El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: 45 Años
- June, 3 - TNA Impact Zone
- June, 8 - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 and...
- June, 21 - Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer-songwriter and a former hard rock singer. He is best known for his soft rock ballads and tenor vocals....
- July, 18 - Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani Rossdale is an American singer and fashion designer. Stefani serves as lead vocalist for the rock band No Doubt....
- July, 21 - Marcos Witt
Marcos Witt , is an American four-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Christian singer.-Biography:He is the second born of three children to Jerry and Nola Witt, a young American missionary couple. The Witt family moved to Durango, México,in 1964 and they started a missionary outreach...
- August, 10 - Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales , better known by his stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award- winning, Puerto Rican pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.His career has spanned over three decades and has sold...
: Blanco y Negro Tour
- August, 24-25 - Daddy Yankee
Ramón "Raymond" Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in...
: The Big Boss
- September, 6 - Marco Antonio Solis
Marco Antonio Solís is a Mexican Latin Grammy Award winner, composer, and record producer.-Early life and career:...
- September, 8 - Isabel Pantojas
- September, 15 - RBD
RBD was a two time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
- September, 28 - Robi Draco Rosa
- October, 20 - David Bisbal
David Bisbal is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
- October, 21 - Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz, born Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro on December 18 1968 in Madrid, is an award winning, Spanish pop/ballad musician and singer-songwriter. Sanz is the recipient of 15 Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammy Awards...
- October, 26 - La Noche de Estrellas de Fidelity
- November, 2 - Ana Gabriel
Ana Gabriel is a Mexican singer and composer....
- November, 11 - WWE Survivor Series Tour
- November, 15 - Puerto Rico Tip-Off
- November, 21 - Zion: The Perfect Melody
- November, 29 - Papa Roach
Papa Roach is a four-piece hard rock band from Vacaville, California. They broke into the mainstream with their triple-platinum major-label debut Infest . The group's success continued with later releases Lovehatetragedy , Getting Away with Murder and The Paramour Sessions . Their latest album,...
- November, 30 - Ivy Queen
Ivy Queen is a Puerto Rican Latin Grammy nominated reggaeton composer and singer. She is most commonly known as "La Reina del Reggaeton" . She is among the few female artists in the reggaeton genre.-Early years:...
- December, 7 - Jesus Adrian Romero
Jesus Adrian Romero is a Mexican author, Christian music singer, composer and pastor from Hermosillo, Sonora in Mexico.- Biography :Jesús Adrián Romero was born on February 16, 1965 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico...
- December, 8 - Íntimo con Sistema 102
- December, 11 - The Police
- December, 14 - Arcángel
Austin Santos , better known by his stage name Arcángel, is a Puerto Rican/Dominican singer-songwriter, . He was born in New York and moved to Puerto Rico some years later. While living in Puerto Rico, he would eventually form part of a popular then-underground reggaeton act, Arcángel & De La Ghetto...
, Jowell & RandyJowell & Randy are a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo composed of Joel A. Muñoz Martínez and Randy Acevedo Ortiz. The duo have been active since the mid-2000s and have become one of the most popular acts in reggaeton.-Early years:...
- December, 16 - Il Divo
Il Divo, is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco music...
2008
- January, 27 - Stars on Ice
- February , 8 - Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American & Latin Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and producer. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Marc Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The five-time Grammy winner has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
: El Cantante
- February, 15 - R.K.M & Ken-Y
José Nieves and Kenny Vazquez , both of Gurabo, Puerto Rico, are a Grammy Award-nominated reggaeton duo.-Early career:...
- February, 16 - Enanitos Verdes
- March, 1 - Sin Bandera
Sin Bandera was a Latin pop duo based in Mexico that consisted of Leonel García, and Noel Schajris. They became one of the most popular artists after their debut album "Sin Bandera" was released in 2001.-Biography:...
- March, 6-8 - Wisin vs Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Grammy-winning reggaeton duo, consisting of Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar and Juan Luis Morera Luna...
: Los Extraterrestres
- March, 12 - Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in East London, formed in 1975. The band are directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris...
- March, 14 - Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vasquez, better known as Juanes is a Colombian fusion musician. During the 1980s and 1990s, Juanes was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis but disbanded the group in 1998 to pursue a solo career...
: La Vida es un Ratico
- March, 28 - Kany Garcia
Encarnita García De Jesus is a Latin Grammy-winning, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter. Born in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, García first appeared on television in 2004 as a contestant on Objetivo Fama...
- April 2-6 - Disney on Ice
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
: Princess Clasics
- April, 11 - Rush
Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
: Snakes and Arrows
- April, 12 - Miguel Bose
Miguel Luchino González Bosé is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish musician and actor. He is one of the biggest stars in the Spanish speaking world mainstream, both in Spain and Latin America, and a well-known actor in French cinema as well....
: Papitour
- April, 18 - Don Omar
Don Omar is a Puerto Rican Latin Grammy Award-nominated Reggaetón singer/rapper.-Musical career:...
: Sinfónico
- April, 25 - Juan
Juan Antonio Vélez is a Puerto Rican singer, musician and songwriter, better known for being the winner of the fourth season of Objetivo Fama, a Puerto Rican television singing talent contest in the form of a reality show, broadcast by Telefutura in USA and by Univision in Puerto Rico.-Artistic...
: Gracias
- April, 26 - Aniversario de Nueva Vida
- April, 29 - Billy Joel
Billy Joel is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist in the United States, according to the RIAA....
- May, 5 - Ednita Nazario
Ednita Nazario is a Latin Grammy nominated Puerto Rican singer and songwriter, that has achieved great success both in the island and abroad. She is also Puerto Rico's highest selling female balladeer. She has been in the music business from a very young age, and has released over twenty albums...
- May, 17 - Freestyle Motocross
- May, 24 - Manny Manuel
Cruz Manuel Hernández Santiago , known artistically as Manny Manuel, is a Puerto Rican singer of merengue, boleros, and tropical music. He became famous first as a member of the group Los Sabrosos del Merengue, before launching a successful solo career in 1994.-Early life:Manny Manuel was born on...
- May, 26 - Espectacular Ser
- June 4 - Dream Theater
Dream Theater are an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Myung, John Petrucci, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band...
- June, 7 - Camila
Camila is a Mexican soft rock group which reached staggering success in their home country and all over Latin America upon the release of their debut album Todo Cambió....
- June, 28 - Arcángel
Austin Santos , better known by his stage name Arcángel, is a Puerto Rican/Dominican singer-songwriter, . He was born in New York and moved to Puerto Rico some years later. While living in Puerto Rico, he would eventually form part of a popular then-underground reggaeton act, Arcángel & De La Ghetto...
- July, 19 - WWE Anniversary
- August, 8 - Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra-Seijas is a Dominican singer, songwriter, and self-producer who has sold 20 million records, and won numerous awards including nine Latin Grammy Awards two Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards. He won 5 Latin Grammy awards in 2007 tying him with Juanes for the...
- August, 30 - Reggaetón Nights
- August, 31 - Boston
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
- September, 27 - KQ Live Concert
- October, 4 - The First Step Boxing Match
- October, 18 - WWE Raw
WWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
: Survivor Series Tour
- October, 24 - La Noche de Estrellas de Fidelity
- October, 25 - Hector El Father
Héctor Delgado Román, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist and producer, formerly known by the artistic names Héctor "El Father". He will however be having a series of "Farewell Concerts" that go until May 2010.He rose to fame as a member of the duo Héctor y Tito...
: Mi Testimonio
- October, 31 - Drawing Contest: Los Artistas del Caño
- November, 15 - Luis Miguel: Complices Tour
- November, 26 - 10 Años the Show
- November 4-7, 10 - Aventura
Aventura is a Bachata music group formed in The Bronx, New York in 1994. The group comprises lead singer and featured composer Anthony "Romeo" Santos, guitarist and producer Lenny Santos, bassist Max Santos, and singer and composer Henry Santos Jeter...
- December, 21 - Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is best known for her role as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock and Sonny Munroe in Sonny With A Chance. Besides acting, she is also a solo music artist and released her debut album Don't...
: Warm Up Tour
2009
- January, 17 - Alex Campos
Alex Campos is one of the top Christian singers in all of Latin America. He is the lead singer in his group called Mision Vida. He was nominated in the Christian music soloist or group category of the Premios la Gente in 2004.- Albums :He has five albums...
- January, 24 - Tommy Torres
Tommy Torres is a Latin Grammy Award winning producer, singer and songwriter from Puerto Rico. Named as the #1 Hot Latin Tracks producer of 2007 by Billboard Magazine, Torres has written and produced songs for many artists such as Ricardo Arjona, Ednita Nazario, Alejandro Sanz , and Ricky...
- January, 31 - Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion , CC, OQ is a Canadian singer, occasional songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to...
- February, 13-15 - Luis Fonsi
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, more commonly known as Luis Fonsi, is a Puerto Rican singer, composer and soap opera actor.- Biography:...
: Palabras del Silencio Tour
- February, 25 - March, 1 - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses separately until they were finally merged in...
- March, 5 - Santana
Santana is a band consisting of a flexible number of musicians accompanying Carlos Santana since the late 1960s. The range of these artists has varied greatly. Just like Santana himself, the band is known for helping make Latin rock famous in the rest of the world.-Overview:The band was formed in...
: Live Your Light Tour
- March, 6 - Franco de Vita
Franco De Vita is a singer-songwriter popular in Latin music.One of four children born in Venezuela to Italian immigrants, De Vita’s family returned to Italy when he was 3...
- March, 22 - Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American pop rock boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From Wyckoff, New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
: Burnin' Up Tour
- March, 28 - FMX Pysco Tour: Motorcross
- April, 23 - Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, Grande Ufficiale OMRI is a five-time Classical Brit winner and three-time Grammy nominated Italian tenor....
- April, 29 - Raphael
Rafael Martos Sánchez , often simply referred to as Raphael, is a worldwide acclamed Spanish singer and television, film and theatre actor. A pioneer of modern Spanish music, he is considered a major influence in having opened the door and paving the way to the flood of Spanish singers that follow...
: 50 Años
- May, 1 - Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" , is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero.-Early years:...
y Víctor ManuelVíctor Manuel San José Sánchez is a Spanish singer-songwriter.He has been married to the Spanish singer and actress Ana Belén since 1972. He and his wife are considered symbols of the Spanish Transition, and his songs and albums often feature boldly-titled works with social and political content.-...
: La Historia Continua
- May, 2 - Calle 13
Calle 13 is a Spanish cable/satellite television channel. Owned by Universal Studios Networks Spain, Calle 13 promotes itself as a channel of suspense and action and its available on Digital+ satellite TV platform and on all Spanish cable TV platforms....
: Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo
- May, 16 - La Quinta Estación
- May, 22 - Ricardo Arjona
Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, , known as Ricardo Arjona , is a Guatemalan singer...
: 5to Piso Tour
- May, 28 - Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy
- May, 7-11 - Disney on Ice
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
- June, 13 - La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh is a Latin Grammy winning and Grammy nominated Spanish pop band from Donostia-San Sebastian. The name of the band references the famous post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh who cut off the lobe of his own ear...
- October 3, 2009 - Daniel Calveti
- October 10, 2009 - Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan is a Grammy Award-winning Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 90 million albums sold worldwide, 26.5 million of those in the United States alone...
: World Tour 2009
- October 18, 2009 - Pablo Milanes
Pablo Milanés Arias is a Cuban singer-songwriter and guitar player. He studied at a conservatory in Havana. He is considered one of the founders of the Cuban nueva trova, along with Silvio Rodríguez and Noel Nicola...
: Trayectoria 45 Años
Upcoming Events
- October 23, 2009 - Noche de Estrellas Fidelity
- October 24, 2009 - Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American pop rock boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From Wyckoff, New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
: World Tour 2009The Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 is the sixth, and most recent concert tour by the Jonas Brothers. It began on May 18, 2009. The Jonas Brothers will play on multiple continents around the world. It will be their third headlining tour to date. Honor Society will serve as an opening act, and...
- October 31, 2009 - Marcos Witt
Marcos Witt , is an American four-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Christian singer.-Biography:He is the second born of three children to Jerry and Nola Witt, a young American missionary couple. The Witt family moved to Durango, México,in 1964 and they started a missionary outreach...
and Samuel Hernández
- November 7, 2009 - Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is a Grammy winning American saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986. Kenny's main instrument is the soprano saxophone, but he also on occasion plays alto and tenor saxophone and flute. He...
: Rhythm & Romance World Tour
- November 10, 2009 - Il Divo
Il Divo, is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco music...
- November 11, 2009 - The Killers
- November 12, 2009 - Kool and the Gang
- November 19, 2009 - Puerto Rico Tip-Off
- November 21, 2009 - AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
: Black Ice Tour
- December 4-5, 2009 - Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Grammy-winning reggaeton duo, consisting of Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar and Juan Luis Morera Luna...
: La Revolución World Tour
- December 13, 2009 - Ruben Blades
Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, lawyer, actor, Latin jazz musician, and politician, performing musically most often in the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz genres...
y Seis del Solar: Todos Vuelven (Otra Vez a Puerto Rico)
- December 19, 2009 - The Best Dance, Class of 2009
- February 5, 2010 - Robi Draco Rosa
External links