PEOPLE IN ENTERTAINMENT

The tragic life of the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sparked Hollywood’s attention. Madonna, Robert De Niro and Luis Valdez are among the filmmakers interested in bringing to the screen the tumultuous life of Kahlo, who was married to muralist Diego Rivera. Madonna, who owns two of Kahlo’s artworks, traveled to Mexico City last year for biographical research about the artist, who suffered lifelong pain as the result of a traffic accident. The works of Kahlo are among the highest-priced in contemporary Latin American art; one of her paintings recently sold for more than $2 million.

Meanwhile, Anthony Quinn, who is an accomplished painter and sculptor, is planning to direct --but not star in--a movie about Pablo Picasso.

Lucia Mendez has added new honors to her career. Not only did she recently receive a sidewalk star in Miami’s Little Havana, but her concert at the Universal Amphitheatre was a sell-out. And if you missed her in person, you can still see her every day--a statue of the Mexican songstress and soap opera star is on display at the Hollywood Wax Museum.

The Rock in Spanish movement’s popularity keeps growing. The Hollywood Palladium had a full house as Mexico’s premier bands, Los Caifanes and Maldita Vecindad offered 5,000 fans a “rock ‘n’ rollicking” evening.

And Argentina’s Miguel Mateos, credited with launching the Rock in Spanish sound, is singing to SRO crowds throughout Latin America. Backed by U.S. musicians, his brother Alejandro on drums and an 18-member technical crew, Mateos’ new U.S. concert tour, “Obsesion,” includes an upcoming stop at L.A.’s Greek Theatre.

Libertad Lamarque’s new album, “Nadie se va del todo” (“Nobody Goes Away Completely”) offers something for everyone--from romantic ballads to pop--perhaps an apt symbol of the legendary artist’s consistent appeal to generation after generation of audiences. The Argentine singer’s credits include stage, television, 61 motion pictures and more than 2,000 recordings. Lamarque, still beautiful at 82, recorded her very first song on the RCA Records (now BMG) label in 1926 when she was 17. That’s the label for which she still records today, 65 years later!