Our EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW with Mariachi USA’s Rodri Rodriguez where we discussed how they transition to an online experience. 

ABOUT THE HONOREE

Single-handedly as a producer, in a field controlled by vested interests, she has made her voice heard. Her riveting messages always advocate positive multi-cultural images. Rodri is the very personification of a producer with a soul and capacity to uplift the human spirit.

Rodriguez is President and CEO of Rodri Entertainment Inc., an international entertainment production company, founded in 1976. But Rodriguez’s presence has been felt in the entertainment arena since 1975, when she played a key role in the decision to have the Latin Category added to the Grammy Awards. In recognition of her efforts to give this music genre long overdue and deserved recognition, she accepted one of the first Grammy’s awarded in this, then new category for Mongo Santamaria.

One of the company’s events is the MARIACHI USA® Festival heralded as the world’s preeminent Mariachi festival, which this coming year, celebrates 20 years of sold out success at the Hollywood Bowl. A 2 hour television special of the Festival aired on prime time pay-per-view and PBS nationally and consequently received the Image Award for best Variety Music Special.

True to form, this entertainment pioneer recently completed a five month contract at the V Theatre at the Desert Passage, Aladdin Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. The original production of M… MARIACHI PASSION & TRADITION, the first of its kind on the Las Vegas Strip was heralded by Vegas’ toughest critics receiving high ratings and outstanding reviews!

Keeping true to its motto….’entertainment from the heart’, the company completed a two year commitment at the John An son Ford Amphitheatre with its Standing Ovation Series (SOS), a 20 concert series of Latin artists with several impressive World Premier original Rodri productions in this line-up.

A newly produced music review is the 90-minute MARIACHI USA® Fiesta, created to tour performing arts centers, casinos and fairs and has played to sold out audiences for the last four years at the Los Angeles County Fair, the largest fair of its kind in the US. The Grandstand Stage is filled to its capacity of 10,000 at each performance.

Entrepreneur to the core, Rodriguez is amongst the group of 27 successful entrepreneurs that in 2006 became Founding Shareholders of the first Latino owned bank in California in 35 years. With headquarters at 888 South Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles, PROMERICA Bank caters to the burgeoning Latino entrepreneurship in the number one Latino market in the nation. Read more about this topic

Recently, Rodriguez joined Peter Rawley and Ron Colby as Producers of the film “ONE” currently in pre-production. ONE is the life story of Venezuelan Television icon Renny Ottolina and is being directed by famed and award winning director, Betty Kaplan.

Rodri’s international work has extended to Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Israel, and Europe and includes concerts/shows with Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Andy Williams, Vikki Carr, Sammy Davis Jr., Julio Iglesias, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams, Natalie Cole, Sara Vaughn and the creation and production of Playboy’s Girls of Rock & Roll. Among the Latin artist concert productions are; Lola Beltran, Pedro Vargas, Lucha Villa, Roberto Carlos, Raphael, Camilo Sesto, Miguel Gallardo, Aida Cuevas, Amalia Mendoza, Angeles Ochoa, Vicente Fernandez, Armando Manzanero, Antonio Aguilar, Dyango, Miguel Aceves Mejia, Lupita d’Alessio, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Jose Jose, Angelica Maria, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine to name a few.

Rodriguez hosted her own radio talk show on Los Angeles’ #1 talk radio station KFI-AM 640 from 1995 to 1998.

Rodri is highly sought after as a motivational and keynote speaker for her innate ability to connect with and touch an audience not only in English, but also in her native language Spanish. Her commitment to a brighter future for today’s youth motivates her to spend considerable time speaking to students at grammar schools, high schools and universities.

In 2002, Rodriguez was elected to the Los Angeles County Fair Association, the first Latina elected to this Board. Rodriguez is also the Founder and Chairman of the MARIACHI USA Foundation (1990 to present) which provides grants for Mariachi and Folklorico programs for K1-K12 in California, Texas, Arizona & Washington; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hollywood Arts Council (1998 – 2006); Cultural Affairs Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles 1984 – 1990; Member of the Grammy Foundation National Education Advisory Council (1999 to 2004); Member, Ford Theatre Foundation Latino Advisory Board; Founding Member, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); former Member, UNICEF Leadership Committee; former Board Member of the California State Bar Legal Services Trust Fund Commission; President, Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors 1979-1990; former instructor for the prestigious UCLA Extension Program.

AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS

On June 29th 2006, at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills Rodri Rodriguez was award as the National Latina Business Women of the year by the National Latina Business Women Association.

In September of 2004 Hispanic Magazine selected Rodriguez to receive their Entertainment Award previously presented to Anthony Quinn and Gloria Estefan.

Other awards include; The prestigious YWCA Silver Achievers Entrepreneur of the Year, the Hollywood Arts Council’s Charlie Chaplin Award, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce ‘Hollywood’s Women of Distinction’ Award, the National Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences Entrepreneur of the Year, the KLVE FM107.5 Radio Outstanding Woman of the Year, the Golden Eagle Award from Ricardo Montalban’s ‘Nosotros’; awarded International Company of the Year by the Latin Business Association; awarded Woman of the Year by the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, Comisión Femenil’s Woman of Outstanding Achievement and the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre ‘Integrity Award’. Rodri is listed in the “Who’s Who” in the World, in America, in Entertainment and in Business.

Rodriguez has been recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City Council with proclamations in recognition of her achievements and advocacy for the arts, also numerous recognitions from President Clinton, the United States Congress, California State Senate, California Legislature, California Governors… Governor Davis, Governor Wilson; Los Angeles Mayors; Mayor Tom Bradley, Mayor Richard Riordan, Texas State Senate, Legislature and Governor Rick Perry.

But beyond achievement, awards, and her unstoppable mission to entertain the soul and motivate the spirit there is a woman with a great heart, a contagious smile overflowing with immeasurable strength in her vision for the world.

Rodriguez is a native of Havana, Cuba having traveled to the United States, alone, as a child of the “Peter Pan” exodus of 14,000 children from Cuba. As a child, Rodri resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently resides in Studio City, California.

Rodri was nominated by Cindy Shea of the Mariachi Divas

Related Articles

Related