Conference registrants were treated to an evening of ska, reggae, and rock sounds grounded by the roots of Latin music. BMI’s Porfirio Pina, and Marissa Lopez were on hand to support the artistry of the featured songwriters and join the NALIP in their 9th year of promoting the advancement, development and funding of Latino and Latina film and media arts in all genres.

Ceci Bastida, BMI’s Porfirio Piña and Abie Tobier (Los Radares)

Chingo Bling and BMI’s Marissa Lopez

BMI’s Porfirio Piña and Marissa Lopez with Gustavo Alberto

BMI’s Marissa Lopez, Ceci Bastida, BMI’s Porfirio Pina and Abie Tobier (Los Radares)

Performance by Gustavo Alberto, Los Radares, Upground and Ceci Bastida.

Time: 10:00 to midnight.

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BMI and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) will highlight a selection of Latin music’s propitious torch-bearers during the NALIP’s 9th Annual Conference. Entitled Sin Limites: Trends in Pan-Latino Cinema, the three-day symposium is slated for March 7-9, 2008 at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott in Dana Point, California. Happily sandwiched in the middle of the conference, BMI’s showcase will feature Gustavo Alberto from 10:10 until 10:30 p.m.; Los Radares between 10:40 and 11 p.m.; Upground from 11:10 until 11:30 p.m.; and Ceci Bastida between 11:40 p.m. and midnight. Staged at the Marriott, the event is open to conference registrants only.

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Gustavo Alberto confidently merges his American, Mexican and Chicano worlds to create definitively modern rock; Entertainment Weekly dubbed Alberto one of the top artists to watch in 2008, praising his innate knack for “merging Latin music with almost a classic Bruce Springsteen songwriting style.” www.myspace.com/gustavoalbertomusic

Copious creator Abie Toiber’s new band Los Radares offers tantalizing Latin pop rock; a versatile composer, producer and musician, Toiber’s recent solo albums, Lotus and Relativity, expose his ravenous exploration and subsequent mastery of diverse sounds, including British pop and world music. www.myspace.com/losradares

Bilingual East L.A. progeny Upground frenetically meld ska, reggae, Cumbia and rock to form sui generis dance jewels; in four short years, Upground has garnered tastemaker accolades from the New York Post and Los Angeles Times, underscoring the group’s immediate chic and auspicious future. www.myspace.com/upgroundmusic

With a 2006 Pitchfork Critic’s Pick for Best Song under her belt, Tijuana native Ceci Bastida strode into ready-and-waiting U.S. terrain for her solo debut at the 2007 South By Southwest Music Festival and Conference; the buzz couldn’t be better: an iTunes “What’s Hot” nod and Latino chart ascension soon followed. www.myspace.com/cecibastida

The NALIP Conference’s informative panels will explore the remarkable growth in cross-boundary, cross-cultural programs that have developed in the Latino media landscape. One-day conference passes for non-NALIP members are available for $400; the pass grants admission to an entire day’s seminars and evening’s music. For more information, please visit www.nalip.org.

About NALIP

Founded in 1999 by a group of Latino producers, educators and media activists, NALIP’s mission is to promote the advancement, development and funding of Latino and Latina film and media arts in all genres. NALIP is committed to improving access and opportunities for Latino/as at all points in the media production pipeline, including the training of our next generation of media makers, and the support of emerging and mid-career professionals. It is a national organization of industry, independent and community producers dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of images by, for and about Latinos in the media. For the latest information about NALIP Conference 9, or to register online, go to www.nalip.org.