Grass-root festivals bring the Latin Grammy experience to top U.S. Hispanic markets.

The Latin Recording Academy, Eventus and Univision announce the 2006 Latin GRAMMY Street Parties that are taking place for the fourth consecutive year. The free grassroots events will take place in core Hispanic neighborhoods throughout five top US Hispanic markets. The “Street Parties” will kick off in New York City’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, October 1st, and will continue throughout Chicago (Plaza Garibaldi) October 8th; South Florida (West 16th Ave. between 37th & 41st St., Hialeah) October 15th; Los Angeles (Placita Olvera) October 22nd; culminating in the tour’s newly added market-Dallas (American Airlines Center’s Parking Lot) October 29th.

The 2006 Latin GRAMMY Street Parties are presented by Chevrolet, Verizon Wireless, and Washington Mutual. The ever growing music series will continue to feature performances by some of Latin music’s hottest artists while serving as a launching pad for emerging talent representing various genres, including Reggaeton, Regional Mexican, Pop, Spanish Rock, and Tropical.

“We are proud to continue celebrating The Latin GRAMMY Street parties with great success for four years in a row” said Gabriel Abaroa, LARAS’ President. “This celebration allows the Latin GRAMMYs to connect with people through music and creates –at the same time– a great plattform to promote great performers in front of their natural audiences. All of this around a great common language: Music.”

The “Street Parties” capture the excitement surrounding the Latin GRAMMY Awards by offering an interactive setting for attendees to experience live entertainment, sponsor display areas, and product sampling.

“The Latin GRAMMY Street Parties continue to grow each year, offering artists, consumers and sponsors with not only an event, but an experience. We are proud of the program’s evolution as the premier national Latino music series, reaching hundreds of thousands of Latinos across the country through music-an integral part of our culture,“ said Eventus’ President & CEO Nelson Albareda. “We are excited to continue working with the Latin Recording Academy, Univision, and our sponsors toward achieving tremendous success,” he added.

The Latin GRAMMY Street Parties are the cornerstone for the Road to the Latin GRAMMY’s, a one-month-long celebration highlighting the enthusiasm, quality and diversity of U.S. Hispanic cultural communities, culminating with the prominent 7th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards in New York City on November 2nd, 2006, airing on UNIVISION (8 – 11 p.m. ET/PT).

“Univision has always taken great pride in its close connection with the communities served by our local stations,” said Jeff Apodaca, Vice President, Integrated Sales & Marketing, Univision. “These ‘Street Parties’ are another great opportunity to make that special connection and bring the excitement of the Latin GRAMMYs to our viewers in an up-close and personal way.”

In addition to its U.S. broadcast, the 7th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast in approximately 100 countries worldwide.

Media partners for The Latin GRAMMY Street Parties include: Univision TV, Univision Radio, Univision Online, El Nuevo Herald, Al Dia, Impremedia’s La Raza Newspaper, El Diario/La Prensa, and La Opinion.