After a very successful launch of last year's "Hearts & Voices" Benefit Concert Series featuring performances by Kanye West and Bad Boy Records' Mario Winans, Carl Thomas, and 8Ball and MJG, LIFEbeat - The Music Industry Fights AIDS - will team up again with the E.A.R.S. Foundation for "REGGAETÓN EXPLOSION," the third Hearts & Voices AIDS Benefit Concert Series featuring performances from two of Latin music's hottest stars, TEGO CALDERÓN and AVENTURA. The benefit concert will be held Thursday, March 31st at Spirit (530 West 27th Street - between 10th & 11th Avenue). Doors open at 7pm, Showtime is 8pm. The event is produced by Tonya Lewis for E.A.R.S. Entertainment Group and hosted by Power 105 personality, Tony Touch, and co-sponsored by New York radio station, WPRW-FM Power 105.1.

Tego Calderón is the face of the Reggaetón movement, a relatively new sub-genre of reggae music that originated in Puerto Rico and has become the ultimate music dance craze in clubs across the United States. Derived from the dancehall riddims of Jamaica which influences reggaetón's beat, the genre blends reggae, salsa, hip-hop, and African rooted bomba with fast paced lyrics to create a rap/dancehall reggae hybrid that some speculate will soon eclipse salsa, merengue and other pop music among Hispanic youth. A forefather of the Reggaetón genre, the success of Tego Calderón's, debut album, El Abayarde, which sold over 350,000 copies and his sophomore album, El Enemy de los Guasbiri, which debuted at No.5 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart has spirited a major label bidding war for Calderón next album which expected to expand his popularity to the world stage. Tego Calderón has recorded with artists like 50 Cent, Roselyn Sanchez, Wyclef Jean, and Cypress Hill.

Aventura is the first "Bachata-boy band," to fuse the essence of bachata with R & B, hip-hop and other traditional American music styles. The members of Aventura: Anthony Santos (lead singer and featured composer), Leny Santos (musical producer and guitarist), Max Santos (bassist and rap artist) and Henry Santos Jeter (singer and composer) have been embraced by young Latinos worldwide in much the same way rock & roll captivated teenage audiences in generations past. Since 2002, Aventura has dominated the overseas charts beating out nearly every other major artist along the way. Their upcoming album, God's Project, will be released April 26, 2005 and features Nina Sky and Don Omar.

"This Hearts & Voices Benefit Concert is the perfect opportunity to reach the Latino community with important HIV/AIDS prevention information," explains John Cannelli, LIFEbeat's Executive Director. He adds, "Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS epidemic representing 14% of the U.S. population yet accounting for 19% of diagnosed AIDS cases. In New York City, we have the highest number of Latino adults/adolescents living with AIDS, more any other state in the country. We are extremely thankful that Tego Calderón and Aventura are using their talents to help raise awareness among this at risk population." AIDS remains the second leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 25 and 44, with 50 percent of all new HIV infections among people under 25. As AIDS has continued to ravage the urban community, LIFEbeat has focused its message in the neighborhoods most affected by the devastating disease.

"Hearts & Voices," began with performances by some of the music industry's brightest stars as a way to uplift those already living with AIDS in healthcare facilities around New York City. It expanded into a concert series whose purpose is to utilize the power of music and the stars who create it to spread the important message to young and old alike that each of us can make a difference in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS through prevention education.

The 2004

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