Latin Music's Biggest Stars Perform for Una Noche De Paz Muy Especial — A Very Special Latin Christmas Concert is latest endeavor of the holiday music series that helps fund the growth of Special Olympics worldwide Los Horoscopos de Durango performs at the benefit Una Noche de Paz Muy Especial concert. Los Horoscopos de Durango were the winners Regional Mexican Album of the Year Female Group or Female Solo Artist for "Y Seguimos Con Duranguense!!!" and Regional Mexican Airplay Song of the Year, Female Group or Female Solo Artist for "Si La Quieres" at the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards. [Photo courtesy Lester Cohen/Eric Neitzel] Last year, Christmas came early to Anaheim, California, USA, when some of Latin music's most acclaimed recording artists sang their greatest hits and favorite Christmas songs at Una Noche De Paz Muy Especial — A Very Special Latin Christmas. The 10 November 2005 benefit concert for Special Olympics was produced and taped for broadcast by Telemundo; it aired throughout the United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and South America during December, making it the most widely broadcasted television special in Special Olympics history. An album of the holiday concert will be sold during the 2006 holiday season. The impact of A Very Special Christmas album sales are felt around the world through the Christmas Record Grant Initiative, which generates much-needed funding for the growth of Special Olympics Programs. Grants funded through the sales of albums, support programs designed to: Increase the number of Special Olympics athletes Improve the quality of services provided to athletes, families, coaches and volunteers Create new, innovative ways of expanding the Special Olympics movement. The nearly 5,000 spirited fans were treated to a concert of hits songs and Christmas melodies. Performers included Enrique Iglesias, Jose Feliciano, AB Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings, Ruben Blades, Conjunto Atardecer, Don Omar, Luis Fonsi, Victor Manuelle, Los Horoscopos de Durango and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. Una Noche De Paz Muy Especial was the latest endeavor of the A Very Special Christmas series, which celebrates the holiday season through music while helping fund the growth of the Special Olympics movement worldwide. Since 1987, A Very Special Christmas has been instrumental to Special Olympics Programs and athletes in China, Russia, Egypt, Brazil and many other countries throughout the world, generating more than US$60 million through sales of holiday music CDs. Among the recording artists who have donated songs to the A Very Special Christmas CDs are Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, U2, Dido, Sting, Cesaria Evora, No Doubt, Eric Clapton, Gipsy Kings, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Aretha Franklin. Left-right: Bobby Shriver, Special Olympics Texas athlete Elizandro Vela and Special Olympics President and CEO Bruce Pasternack. Vela holds a plaque showing all the CDs in the A Very Special Christmas series, the sales of which have raised more than US$60 million for Special Olympics. The wide variety of music and artists at Una Noche de Paz represents the extensive reach of Special Olympics throughout the hemisphere. The night of celebration benefited Special Olympics Programs in Latin communities throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Central and South America. Several Special Olympics athletes were highlighted on the big screen through powerful vignettes, shown between performances, describing how their lives have been changed by Special Olympics. Two Special Olympics International Global Messengers, Nino Durler of El Salvador and Victor Saavedra of Paraguay, were welcomed on stage with great applause after their vignettes to present the next performers. Also featured was Soledad Rosas of Watsonville, California, USA, who gave a spirited introduction for Reggaetone artist Don Omar. Other featured athletes were Andy Miyares of Miami, Florida, USA, Roy Camacho of Downey, California, USA, and a team of powerlifters from Special Olympics Texas (USA); Ismael Diaz, Raul Garza, Robert Ramirez, Elizandro Vela, Manuel Vera and their coaches Al Mendez and Hector Garcia. Today, there are more than 15 million Latin people with intellectual disabilities and Special Olympics serves only 154,000 of those individuals who could experience the many benefits the movement has to offer. Some of the Latin world's most important public figures contribute their time and effort to support and grow Special Olympics, including Rubén Blades, Pele, Manu Ginobli, Seve Ballesteros Enrique Borja, Gustavo Kuerten, Paola Sousa, Luis Figo, Eva Longoria, Vitor Meira, Guillermo Canas, Amelia Vega, Justin Pasek, Gabriela Sabatini, Quique Wolf, Bo Abreu and Valeria Mazza. All of the CDs in the series - A Very Special Christmas, A Very Special Christmas 2, A Very Special Christmas 3, A Very Special Christmas Live, A Very Special Christmas 5, Jazz to the World, World Christmas and the newest release, A Very Special Acoustic Christmas — can be found at Borders Books and Music and other retail stores, Amazon.com or visit www.veryspecial.org.        The identity and success of the A Very Special Christmas series owes a great deal to the original project logo and album art — a simple but evocative mother-with-child-donated by the late artist Keith Haring. "The first time I saw it I cried," says producer Bobby Shriver. "A woman and a baby, not religious or denominational, but communicating a sense of holiness. And it was playful. It got across every vibe that we felt about the music itself." "We are very excited about partnering with Special Olympics for this wonderful event," said Don Browne, President of Telemundo. "They are an incredible organization and we feel extremely proud of working with them in this star-studded, one-of-a-kind event for Hispanics. Serving our community is a central part of what we do. We are thrilled to be able to help Special Olympics inspire thousands of individuals with disabilities, while offering our viewers a very special program for the holidays." "Special Olympics is in the business of sport, but we are also in the business of changing lives," said Bruce Pasternack, Special Olympics President and CEO. "The extraordinarily gifted and generous stars of Noche de Paz make it possible for us not only to continue transforming the lives of our athletes, but also to inspire the acceptance of differences across the globe." Special thanks goes out to all the individuals and companies who generously supported Noche de Paz including AEG, City of Anaheim, Anaheim Arena Management, Bank of America, Bruno del Granado, John and Mary Manley Foundation, Marriott Anaheim, O.J. Kilkenny & Company, The Gang Family Foundation, Kim Samuel Johnson, The Walt Disney Company and Telemundo. Backstage at Una Noche de Paz Muy Especial (left to right): A Very Special Christmas CD series producer Bobby Shriver, Jose Feliciano, Enrique Iglesias, First Lady of California Maria Shriver and Luis Fonsi. The A Very Special Christmas series got its start when producer Jimmy Iovine decided that a Christmas album would be a beautiful memorial to his father. His wife Vicki suggested that the album benefit Special Olympics, for which she was working as a volunteer. Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss (the "A" and "M" of A&M Records) helped make the first A Very Special Christmas album possible with an advance and a commitment to handle the record without taking any royalties, and Bobby Shriver signed on as a producer. "I am full of admiration for the many artists who have helped us. It's a great tribute that these men and women say to themselves, 'I'll use my talent to help others,'" said Eunice Kennedy Shriver, mother of Bobby and founder of Special Olympics. "It's not easy because they've got so many demands on them and every charity wants them, but they've helped us and I'm very grateful." For additional information, visit the A Very Special Christmas section of this Web site. Return to main Celebrating Growth page The finale of the benefit Una Noche de Paz Muy Especial concert. [Photo courtesy Lester Cohen/Eric Neitzel]