Rita Moreno, Roselyn Sanchez & Rosie Perez Beam with Pride During NYC's National Puerto Rican Day Parade
Fifth Avenue was rocking with rhythm, fierce salsa moves and cultural pride on Sunday as festive Puerto Ricans came out in droves to share their love of their culture, people and beautiful island at one of New York City's biggest events of the year, the 2015 National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Gleaming with pride, Puerto Rican celebrities also came out to celebrate the 58th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade including icon, EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner Rita Moreno, who was the grand marshal of the parade; "Devious Maids" star Roselyn Sanchez; Brooklyn native and actress Rosie Perez; Broadway composer, playwright and actor and musician Lin Manuel Miranda; and upcoming singer/songwriter Raquel Sofia, who has toured with Colombian superstars Juanes and Shakira.
Also in attendance was acclaimed orchestra composer Angel 'Cucco' Peña (who composed a theme song for the parade), musician Andres Jimenez, award-winning opera singer Martina Arroyo, NYC Top Latin radio producer Alex Sensation, recording artist Tito El Bambino, singer/songwriter Toby Love, salsa singer Frankie Negron and singer/actress Ivy Queen.
While the star-studded parade allowed fans to get an up close look at fellow famous Puerto Ricans who have made their mark on the entertainment industry, it was Moreno would stole the spotlight.
The 83-year-old singer/actress, who recently spoke with Latin Post, reportedly danced and twirled with Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan in the middle of Fifth Avenue by St. Patrick's Cathedral. Talk about celebrating a Sunday -- and not in church! ¡Dios mio!
Moreno radiated atop a convertible car as she relished in the honor of serving as the parade's grand marshal. A reported 1 million onlookers celebrated the icon who broke into Hollywood and Broadway when Latinas weren't always welcome or fairly represented.
Most known for her role as Anita from "West Side Story" as well as roles in "Singin' in the Rain" and "The King and I" and TV series such as HBO's "Oz" and the CW hit "Jane the Virgin, the native of Juncos, Puerto reflected upon that period in Hollywood.
"We were invisible," she told the New York Daily News. "I remember that Ricardo Montalban used to say, 'the door is ajar.' Well that has changed -- it is way more open than it used to be. I know that people that complain that it is still not enough and I agree with them, but man, at least it's open."
In 1962, Moreno became the first Hispanic woman to ever win an Academy Award, landing the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Anita in "West Side Story," a role in which she says she could relate.
Also the recipient of the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, Moreno has made her mark in Hollywood history as one of only 12 people to be celebrated as an EGOT -- a winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
She also had a major role in TV Land's "Happily Divorced" for three seasons, and most recently was the voice of Aunt Mimi in the animated film "Rio 2." She is lending her voice as "Abuelita" in "Nina's World," which will premiere on Sprout in September 2015. Moreno is also releasing her first disc in Spanish, which is produced by Emilio Estefan.
One of the many highlights of the Puerto Day Parade included Tony Award winner Miranda ("In the Heights" and "Hamilton") receiving the parade's "Nuestro Orgullo" award for his inspiring contributions to the American stage.
Proud Puerto Ricans and native New Yorkers Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez and Daddy Yankee usually lend their support, but weren't in attendance this year. The formerly married couple Lopez and Anthony were Queen and King of the parade in 2010.
Puerto Rico's governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio were also in attendance. De Blasio walked all 35 blocks up Fifth Avenue, NBC News reported, noting "the extraordinary contribution to this city by the Puerto Rican people."
The parade, which takes place on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan -- from 44th to 79th streets has a long history in New York City. In 1958, the Puerto Rican Day parade official kicked off as an annual event, which reportedly drew one million spectators as well as 20,000 marchers on Sunday.
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