At only the tender age of 43, Ricardo Arjona not only has a street named for him in the town of his birth, Jocotenango, but a wing of the library at his alma mater also bears his name. Needless to say, this former basketball star knows how to rally the hometown crowd. Ricardo filmed this video for his latest hit single, Quien, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Juan is a seller of large garden plants in the fashionable La Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City. Luckily for us, he was willing to tell us a little about his lovely merchandise, most of which grows native in the lush mountains of Oaxaca.

Mexico has a rich and varied architectural heritage that can be seen in its many classic colonial era plazas and buildings. The elementos of this historic architecture are preserved and utilized by today’s planners and builders, providing D.F. (Mexico City) with developments that are modern yet traditional and inviting, maintaining a sense of continuity with the past as the country pushes ahead into the 21st century.

Ángeles Morales de las Heras, a.k.a. Shaila Dúrcal, the child of pop stars Rocio Dúrcal and Antonio Morales Barreto, grew up in Madrid but spent much of her life on the road touring the world with her mom. No stranger to the limelight, she debuted on Spanish television at 12, singing for Nikka Costa, who was then 19. Adult success was not immediate, but came quickly with the release of the highly sentimental, Recordando, her second album.

Mmmm… “roasted milk.” Somehow that translation doesn’t sound quite as tasty as the Peruvian (and Chilean) dessert “leche asada,” does it? In any case, our host Natalia (from Colombia) shows us how to whip up this sweet delicacy. In Part 1, Natalia starts by heating sugar to make caramel.

Cuban born Gloria Estefan’s album 90 Millas is a collection of songs inspired by her native country and recorded with many Latin American collaborators including Jose Feliciano, Carlos Santana, Arturo Sandoval, Andy Garcia, and a who’s who of prominent Cuban musicians.

You never know where you will find your next tour guide. There are those who have been assigned to you by your travel agent, and then there are those who assign themselves to you. Francisco Pérez, one of the oldest university students in this ancient university city, thoroughly enjoys sharing his local knowledge with visitors who share his passion.

Working as a cook/domestic worker on a construction site, Doña Coco is the first to get up in the morning and the last to go to bed at night. Her monthly salary of C$2,000 Córdobas really just covers “el arroz y los frijoles” (“rice and beans”) for her family. So, how does she provide clothing and all the rest for her five kids? Leonido, the interviewer, asks the tough questions.

In Part 2 of our dessert-making lesson, Natalia shows and tells us the importance of beating the “huevos” into a smooth consistency. After the eggs are whipped into shape, we’re heating up the “leche” until it bubbles but doesn’t quite boil. Seguimos con capítulo 3.

We skip backstage once again to get some final thoughts from La Gusana Ciega, learning a bit more about their career and personnel changes. Like many of Mexico’s popular bands today, they got their start at a Mexico City club called Cocotitlán, which is also the name of a municipality well known for its corn festival.

Michael Stuart, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, received his musical education from his uncle Israel Timbalero Stuart, who helped him secure background vocal gigs for Johnny Rivera and Marc Antony. Since 1996, Stuart has released nine records, his latest a salsa album entitled Sentimiento de un Rumbero released on Machete Records in 2007.