5 Reasons Why We Love ‘¡Q’Viva! The Chosen’
Superstars Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and choreographer/tour director Jamie King comb through Latin America for extraordinary raw talent on Univision’s ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen. The show premiered this past Saturday. (Photo courtesy of XIX Entertainment/Univision)
By AMARIS CASTILLO
Channel: Entertainment
¡Q’Viva! The Chosen premiered this past Saturday and, while we didn’t plan on comparing Jennifer Lopez’s role on the Univision reality show to her judging gig on FOX’s American Idol, it was very difficult not to chose a favorite J.Lo.
And for us, it was definitely the J.Lo of ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen.
The Latin-centric show follows Lopez, her estranged hubby Marc Anthony, and choreographer/tour director Jamie King as they journey across Latin America searching for raw talent. In the premiere, we saw everything from Brazilian capoeira to salsa caleña, a Colombian salsa dance that’s much speedier than its Puerto Rican counterpart. Our Senior Editor Angie Romero took exclusive snapshots of some of the competing acts at the show’s Los Angeles set earlier this month; the acts that were selected will perform in a live show in Las Vegas, to be produced by the star trio.
For those who missed the premiere of ¡Q’Viva!, check out our top five reasons why we love the show— from J.Lo’s determination to stick with español, to what the show’s core is about: pulling together a hodgepodge of tremendous talent from Latin America and showcasing it to the entire world.
We hear Lopez brush up on her Spanish: It’s priceless, really. The superstar has been known to struggle with the Spanish language, but we saw a definite improvement in ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen. During the premiere episode, Lopez admitted to her tumultuous relationship with her parents’ native tongue -– something we know many U.S.-born Latinos can relate to.
We get to see more of J.Lo: And by that we mean, we get a full view of Lopez and her fabulous fashion choices. In American Idol, by contrast, we only get to see Lopez’s pretty face (don’t get us wrong—what a face!) sitting behind a desk. But here we get 360 degrees of La Lopez. We’re already trying to replicate the outfit she rocked during her visit to Brazil; low blue jeans and a short red top which revealed her enviable abs. If only we had trainers and chefs to keep us in check!
It’s a “passion project”: “This is like me being able to really, really go: ‘I am Latina and this is who we are!’” Lopez said in one of the show’s trailers. “Isn’t it fabulous? Isn’t it amazing? Doesn’t it bring tears to your eyes and make you want to dance and smile and jump and stay up all night?” We don’t know about staying up all night, but it definitely gives us, as Lopez likes to say, “the goosies.”
We get to see J.Lo and Marc together again: Since their widely publicized split last summer, Lopez and Anthony publicly reunited for the first time to shoot the show’s Puerto Rico audition. In one of the first episode’s more memorable moments, Lopez describes their relationship as “very Sonny and Cher after the divorce.” We felt the sting of nostalgia when she pointed out that the auditions were being held in the same hotel where the two shot the wedding scene in El Cantante.
But even though they’ve kept things amicable, Lopez and Anthony seem to have two very different ideas of talent—at least they did when it came to Puerto Rico. Despite their so-so audition, Anthony gave two voluptuous salsa-dancing twins a free pass to the next round in the U.S., something that created a bit of tension between Anthony and Lopez during their shared car scene. “I think they have a lot of potential,” said Anthony when questioned by Lopez about his decision. “Potential for what?” she quipped back. “Let’s just try to keep the integrity of the show,” she added lightheartedly. Their relationship gives us hope that a friendship between exes is actually possible.
The show is about real talent: That’s what it comes down to -– showing off Latinos’ exceptional, raw talent. The acts are not just belting out popular melodies; they’re flipping their wide skirts to folk music, paying homage to their ancestors, and swiveling their hips to salsa music. It’s a testament to the rich soul of Latin America.
Q’Viva! The Chosen airs every Saturday at 7 p.m. EST on Univision.
