A mini-documentary on Puerto-Rican NBA star CARLOS ARROYO has been released by the Converse corporation. The video, which promotes the World Basketball Festival 2010 game played by Puerto Rico & China, features music from the island's own PLENA LIBRE, performing the track "Olandera". With roots in Puerto Rico as well, Latin Pulse Media (and yours truly) is very proud of its work to place this track and represent with authentic Latin music.

Click on the image below to view the video...

...or click here for the official link = http://play.converse.com/play/blog/?p=2932
The video is only available on this specific converse.com page.

Miami may not be far from Puerto Rico, but for Carlos Arroyo of the Miami Heat, the road from a small town in Puerto Rico to running point in the NBA is a path only a few have successfully navigated. Carlos played at the World Basketball Festival when Puerto Rico faced China on 8/15 in NYC.

About Gary Nuñez & Plena Libre:
Founded in San Juan by bass player/composer Gary Nuñez, Pena Libre is well into a 15-year voyage that has seen the orchestra re-invent the sound of Puerto Rico’s plena and bomba traditions. During that time, Gary and his group have recorded 12 stellar albums which have garnered four Grammy nominations. In taking their unparalleled live show to the World, the group has spread the gospel of their unique Afro-Rican sound on international jazz festival stages from Montreal to Milan and Denmark to Veracruz as well as to Performing Arts venues like the Kenney and Lincoln Centers and the Dartmouth College’s prestigious Hopkins Centre all the way to obscure outposts in the likes of Lake Okoboji, Iowa. Recent years have seen Gary and the band blend contemporary cumbia, merengue, salsa and other Afro-Caribbean sounds into their mix to create a unique sofrito borinqueño that is pushing the plena and bomba well into the future. With Gary securing some of the Island’s top players for his band, Pena Libre has aptly transcended their humble beginnings – evolving into a powerhouse force that is undoubtedly one of the elite heavy-weight live orchestras on the current Latin music scene.

About Carlos Arroyo:
Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez (born July 30, 1979 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball point guard for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Arroyo is the fifth player from Puerto Rico to play in the NBA. In the 2008-09 season, he played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Super League, winning the league's championship and being named the final's Most Valuable Player. Arroyo has played in the NBA, NCAA, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico (BSN) with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Cariduros de Fajardo. Arroyo has also played internationally in Spain. Arroyo was a member of the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team that defeated the United States at the 2004 Olympic Basketball Tournament. He also represented Puerto Rico at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. --source wikipedia

Recap: A mini-documentary on Puerto-Rican NBA star CARLOS ARROYO has been released by the Converse corporation. The video, which promotes the World Basketball Festival 2010 game played by Puerto Rico & China, features music from the island's own PLENA LIBRE, performing the track "Olandera". With roots in Puerto Rico as well, Latin Pulse Media (and yours truly) is very proud of its work to place this track and represent (as in the street verb) with authentic Latin music.