Colombia’s Carolina Gaitan to host Platino Awards

By Alicia Civita

Miami, Apr 10 (EFE).- Colombian performer Carolina Gaitan, well-known throughout Ibero-America for her work in film and television, says that returning to co-host the Platino Awards – along with Spanish actress Paz Vega and multifaceted Mexican artist Omar Chaparro – constitutes “making a grand entrance.”

In an interview with EFE in Miami, where she has lived since last November, Gaitan said that when she presented one of the awards at the 2022 edition of the Platinos she was “fascinated” by the energy that was present and “can’t wait to return” this time to host the entire show, which will take place in Madrid, Spain, on April 22.

The actress, who has appeared in productions such as “Narcos” and “Sin senos si hay paraiso,” as well as in the film “Encanto,” said that although she was surprised by the “fantastic” talent among the nominees in 2022, this year she’s even more impressed.

She said that there is a large number of “fantastic productions” and “that’s why they’ve been nominated, because all of them are wonderful and they’re going to be recognized, which is the idea of the awards.”

The Platino Awards were created in 2014 to promote and spread Ibero-American film throughout the world and to recognize talent and excellence in filmmaking and audiovisual arts in Ibero-America.

Standing out among the offerings from the region are the Colombian series “Noticia de un secuestro” (News of a Kidnapping), the film “Argentina 1985” and “Bardo” from Mexico.

In 2022, Gaitan was accompanied on the Platino Awards stage by Chaparro and she said that the chemistry between them was what led to the invitation for them to return to headline this year’s event.

At that time, she worked alone, but at the 2023 awards ceremony, Gaitan will share the stage with Vega and Chaparro, two colleagues she says she “admires.”

“Paz Vega, who has a wonderful career and who’s raising the flag in her own land, in Spain, of course. And Omar Chaparro from Mexico. And, OK, in my case from Colombia. What a joy to represent Colombia” and, thereby, “South America,” she said.

The Colombian actress is excited in particular about having the chance to repeat the chemistry she experienced with Chaparro last year, saying that she really liked the jokes told by the Mexican artist, who has grounded his versatile entertainment career in comedy.

After her presentation, which included fighting not to “die of laughter,” the pair received praise from the production team at the Platino Awards.

“We came out of there and it was like ‘No, you two make a really great combo’ … and now they’re inviting us to be part of this 10th edition” of the awards, said the artist during her interview with EFE, held at Miami’s Hotel Epic.

After launching and developing her career in her native Colombia, Gaitan moved to Los Angeles in 2019 because she had always dreamed of making it in Hollywood.

“In my home, they taught me that things have to be done well and if you want to have an international career, you have to put together a team and get known,” she said.

The effort led to her role as Pepa Madrigal in “Encanto,” Disney’s prizewinning animated film, where she was also the main singer of the Spanish and English versions of “No se habla de Bruno” (We don’t talk about Bruno), the most successful song in the last three decades from the firm founded by the legendary Walt Disney.

Now she’s convinced that she can keep going from Miami with her strategy to continue working with one foot in the Anglo market and the other in the Latino, a feat that she has pulled off so far with great success.

This year Gaitan has on her work schedule the series “Second Chances” and the film “Quicksand,” and she’s also preparing to start filming the feature length motion picture “Perfidious,” where she will undertake her first English-speaking starring role.

In parallel, she is also pursuing her musical career, having already released two albums – “La Gaita” in 2015 and “De Colombia” in 2021 – as well as having the “immense experience” of singing onstage at the Oscars last year.

For anyone else, all this success would certainly be validation of their talent and an opportunity to take things a bit more calmly.