CMN AND ASOCIACIÓN DEL FÚTBOL ARGENTINO ESTABLISH MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP

Leading multicultural firm to receive exclusive commercial rights to two-time World Cup Champion Argentina through 2014

CHICAGO (February 22, 2010) – Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN), one of the nation’s leading multicultural sports marketing and entertainment companies, announced that it has entered into a multi-year partnership with the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (Argentine Football Association, AFA). The agreement marks the first-ever strategic partnership by AFA in the U.S. and includes the organization of international matches featuring two-time FIFA World Cup Champion Argentina through June 2014.

Under terms of the agreement, CMN will manage the exclusive commercial rights, including broadcast, marketing and sponsorship rights of the Argentinean National Team in the U.S. The new alliance will also allow CMN to organize matches in select European countries including Spain, Italy and Germany. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The first match in the U.S. is scheduled to take place later this year, following the team’s participation at the FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11. Details of that match will be announced in the near future.

The partnership was successfully completed through FIFA’s international agent, Guillermo Tofoni, who also oversees Argentina’s games worldwide.

“The Argentine Football Association is without a doubt one of the most recognized and accomplished football organizations in the world,” said Henry Cardenas, Chief Executive Officer of CMN. “With the World Cup nearing and a great depth of promising young players led by Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world, this is an exciting time for Argentina.

“We look forward to expanding AFA’s illustrious brand in the U.S. and showcasing Argentina’s roster of world-class players to soccer fans across the nation.”

No stranger to ‘the beautiful game,’ Cardenas has been producing soccer matches in the U.S. since the early 1990s, including exhibitions featuring Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay, as well as a series of matches between Mexico and Argentina from 1999 to 2002. He has also produced friendlies featuring top clubs from North and South America including Club America (Mexico), Boca Juniors (Argentina), River Plate (Argentina), Santos (Brazil), and Nacional (Uruguay), among others.

Most recently, CMN, a 100% privately owned company, has spearheaded sports marketing campaigns for companies such as Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and Anheuser-Busch.

“It is encouraging to know that Argentina will have a bigger presence in the U.S., where soccer continues to grow and where South Americans have played an important role,” said Julio Grondona, President of AFA and Vice President of FIFA. “We hope that this influence will continue to develop and complement the great efforts, both on the field and off, that are already in place in today’s fastest growing soccer market.”

Led by Argentine soccer legend and four-time World Cup star Diego Armando Maradona, the Albicelestes (Sky Blue and Whites) earned their 15^th World Cup berth on October 14, 2009 with a 1-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo. Argentina finished fourth in South American qualifying with an 8-4-9 record and 28 points.

Currently ranked eighth in the world by FIFA, Argentina is set to kick off World Cup play against Group B opponent Nigeria on June 12, followed by matches against Korea Republic and Greece on June 17 and June 22, respectively. As part of its preparations for South Africa, the team will face three-time World Cup champion Germany March 3 in Munich.

Argentina’s heralded roster includes a host of young talent led by 22-year-old phenomenon and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi. Currently La Liga’s top scorer with 16 goals, last season Messi helped the Spanish powerhouse to their historic six titles (UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish and European Super Cups and FIFA Club World Cup), an effort that earned the Rosario native 2009 FIFA Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year honors – the first time ever for an Argentine player.

The team also boasts midfielder and captain Javier Mascherano (Liverpool) and forwards Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid) and Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid). Both Messi and Higuain are solid contenders for Spain’s Pichichi Trophy, awarded to La Liga’s top scorer.

To view photos of players and executives, please visit http://www.consultantsmn.com/email/afa/afa.html.

Argentina captured its first World Cup Championship on June 25, 1978 in Buenos Aires, defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in stoppage time to become the fifth team in FIFA history to claim the title as the tournament’s host nation. The team would go down in history again on June 29, 1986 at the FIFA World Cup Final in Mexico, as Jorge Burruchaga’s dramatic tally in the final minutes of play catapulted Argentina to a 3-2 victory over then-West Germany and its second World Cup title before 114,000 fans at Azteca Stadium.

The South Americans have claimed the three most important tournaments recognized by FIFA: The FIFA World Cup (1978-Argentina, 1986-Mexico), Confederations Cup (1992-Saudi Arabia) and the Olympics (2004-Athens and 2008-Beijing). Argentina has also won the Copa America, its top continental prize, an astounding 14 times (1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1936, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991 and 1993).

Moreover, Argentina has been the most successful team at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, claiming the title six times (1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007) in seven appearances.

For more information on AFA, please visit http://www.afa.org.ar.

"CELIA" SET FOR CHICAGO PREMIERE MAR. 18!

AZUCAR!

OFF-BROADWAY HIT MUSICAL

“CELIA: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF CELIA CRUZ”

SET FOR CHICAGO PREMIERE AT THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE

Tickets On Sale Dec. 4!

“EXPLOSIVE” – The New York Post

“PULSING SONG-FILLED TRIBUTE TO THE CUBAN-BORN SUPERSTAR!” – New York Daily News

“DAZZLING TRIBUTE TO CRUZ!” – Sun-Sentinel

(November 24, 2009) -- Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) and the International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC) are pleased to announce the arrival of the riveting Off-Broadway musical “Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz,” to the Midwest for a limited, one-week engagement at the Athenaeum Theatre, located at 2936 N. Southport, in Chicago. Opening Night is set for Thursday, Mar. 18, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re delighted to work with the International Latino Cultural Center to showcase ‘Celia’ in Chicago,” said Henry Cardenas, the show’s executive producer. “Since embarking on this tour, we’ve been constantly reminded of how much the world loved and admired Celia. She was an incredibly gifted artist whose legacy will live on forever. We hope Chicago audiences will also enjoy this tribute to the great ‘Queen of Salsa.’”

Since opening to rave reviews Off-Broadway in August 2007, “Celia” has gone on to see continued success in Miami, Tenerife, Spain and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The show launched its international tour in June 2008 in Miami, drawing more than 20,000 attendees including artists Gloria and Emilio Estefan, David Caruso and Jon Secada. Pop queen Madonna also took in the musical during its nine-month engagement in New York.

“The International Latino Cultural Center recognized Celia in 1999 with the Gloria Lifetime Achievement Award –for her artistic excellence and contribution to the development of Latino cultures worldwide,” said ILCC Executive Director Pepe Vargas. “It gives us great pleasure to collaborate with CMN and be a part of this extraordinary musical rendition.”

Beginning Mar. 18, Chicago audiences will be taken on a 60-year journey through the life and music of Cruz, from her humble beginnings in Cuba to her international superstardom. Told through the eyes of her beloved husband Pedro Knight, the show features a superb ensemble of 16 singers, dancers and musicians in a live performance that highlights the global music icon’s greatest hits.

The spectacular Anissa Gathers returns to the stage to sing and act in the lead role of Celia. Music director Isidro Infante – who performed with the real Cruz – leads a seven-piece band that accompanies Gathers and the cast in faithful live renditions of the Queen of Salsa’s repertoire, including “Guantanamera”, “Químbara,” “Bemba Colora,” “Cucala,” “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” and dozens more that became universal sensations.

To view images of the show, please visit http://www.consultantsmn.com/email/teaser/celia_press_photos.html.

“Celia” is written by the husband and wife team of Carmen Rivera and Candido Tirado and produced by Henry Cardenas, producer of the hit musical, “Who Killed Hector Lavoe?” Director duties fall under Jaime Azpilicueta, one of Spain’s most prominent theatrical directors.

Tickets for “Celia” at the Athenaeum Theatre go on sale Friday, Dec. 4 at 10:00 a.m. and are $35, $55, $75, and $100 for a VIP package that includes a post-performance Meet-and-Greet with cast members, an official “Celia” polo and coffee mug. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-982-2787 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, please call 312-492-6424 or visit http://www.athenaeumtheatre.com.

NOTE: The Sunday, Mar. 21 performance at 7:00 p.m. will contain English and Spanish dialogue (bilingual). All songs during all shows, however, will be performed in Spanish.

“CELIA: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF CELIA CRUZ”

Athenaeum Theatre – 2936 N. Southport (Chicago)

Thursday, Mar. 18 @ 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Mar. 19 @ 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 20 @ 5:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 21 @ 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. (Bilingual)

About Celia Cruz

From her humble beginnings in Cuba to her formidable 60-year career, seven-time Grammy Award-winner Celia Cruz is indisputably one of Latin music’s most unforgettable artists.

It was in radio’s heyday that Celia’s voice became a regular fixture on 1940’s Cuban airwaves. Along the way, she met many influential artists and music producers and, in 1950, was invited to join La Sonora Matancera, revered as the Latin equivalent of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. She remained with that iconic group for 15 years.

In July 1962, Celia married the band’s trumpet player, Pedro Knight – it was a relationship that would last a lifetime. Their journey together began in Mexico, where the orchestra set up base after Fidel Castro assumed control of Cuba. Celia had vowed never to return to the island and, in 1965, she launched her solo career, relocating to New York City and teaming with the singular Tito Puente, with whom she shared a lifelong association. Celia found international fame collaborating with star flautist and composer Johnny Pacheco, co-founder of Fania Records. Their huge hits included “Quimbara,” “Toro Mata,” and “Canto a la Habana.” These songs and others are nothing less than the soundtrack of 1970’s New York City.

Celia Cruz has also been captured in film with cameos in such motion pictures as The Mambo Kings and The Perez Family. She recorded with some of the biggest names from all genres of music: David Byrne, Willie Colón, Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernandez, Oscar D’Leon, and Marc Anthony, among many others. Celia continued to record and perform until sidelined by a brain tumor in 2002. While recovering from surgery she managed to make it in to the studio in early 2003 to record her last album, “Regalo del Alma.”

She died on July 16, 2003. The passing of this icon has left a lasting gap in Latin music, but has certainly sealed her immortal status as the “Queen of Salsa.”