A Telenovela Made for English Speaking Viewers

I’m an avid soap follower, but not just any soap opera, it has to be a telenovela/soap opera. Why? Because American soap operas are way too long, dragging on and on and never finishing. Unlike traditional American soap operas, telenovelas end. They also offer just as much, or even more DRAMA for your viewing pleasure.

This season, Mun2 is premiering for the first time a Spanish soap opera with English subtitles. This bi-cultural network is reaching out to viewers who might not necessarily speak or understand Spanish completely but have the desire to immerse themselves in the Latin culture. And what better way to immerse yourself than with a good authentic Mexican telenovela?

“La Reina del Sur” [Translation: The Queen of the South] starring Kate del Castillo, Rafael Amaya, and Ivan Sanchez, premiered for the first time with English subtitles on February 19 on the bi-cultural network, Mun2. This 63 episodic telenovela set rating records, making it Telemundo’s most successful novela in the network’s history with 16.6 million viewers during the course of its on-air run.

“La Reina del Sur” is a story of a typical working woman who finds love in all the wrong places, which eventually tangles her up in a series of events that leads her on an unexpected path. Her journey is dramatic, explosive, provocative, riveting, and suspenseful. This novela definitely does not fall short of one’s expectations.

I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the novela’s hottest stars, Rafael Amaya and Ivan Sanchez.

Rafael Amaya (shown above) is a Mexican actor with a pretty extensive resume, so it isn’t surprising to see him starring alongside one of Mexico’s biggest actresses, Kate del Castillo. When asked what distinguishes “La Reina del Sur” from other telenovelas, Rafael responded,

“This is a love story with real characters….with real imperfections…living in a reality that may be unknown to many…a hostile reality…one living in the drug realm. The story takes place in real environments in Mexico, Colombia and Spain. If you’re ever curious about any of these cultures, just watch the show, viewers will learn a lot about these cultures and also be exposed to the ever so news-worthy drug war situation existing in Latin America today. It is important to know that it is a reality…a sad one…but true. But that is what makes this love story even greater…that love grows and lives in hostile environments, just as it can anywhere else. At the end of the day, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that is what you’ll see in “La Reina del Sur”.

“With today’s growing Latin American population, it is important to get shows like “Reina del Sur” on networks such as Mun2 as they become more and more prevalent within today’s society. It’s a powerful love and survival story that I can’t wait for American viewers to see. It covers real life material like no other novela you will ever see.”

If you haven’t seen Kate del Castillo or Rafael Amaya on the American screen yet, keep your eyes open, as you might catch them on some American movies or series. As for their fellow co-star Ivan, don’t expect to see him on any American shows or movies. The Spanish actor has no desire to cross over into American film or TV like his fellow co-stars already have. He enjoys his career just as it is now. So make sure not to miss him or his fellow co-stars on one of today’s hottest and exiting telenovelas, “La Reina del Sur” which airs on Sunday nights at 8pm. on Mun2.

Written by Christina de Lemos, a 28 year-old newlywed, a New York transplant currently residing in Los Angeles.