Madre Luna
Encyclopedia
Madre Luna is a Spanish
-language telenovela
produced by the United States-based television
network Telemundo
and RTI Colombia
. This limited-run series, also known as Grains of Love,http://www.tepuy.com/madre_luna_eng.swf debuted on July 2, 2007. Veteran telenovela
writer Julio Jiménez developed the story as a vehicle for star Amparo Grisales
. The show scored a 35 percent share of the Colombian audience during the summer of 2007. During November 2007, it averaged 571,000 core adult (ages 18–49) viewers.
Luna's final episode aired Monday, January 28, 2008. BTV started to air this telenovela on September 21, 2007 in Bulgaria
.
This telenovela was sold to 17 countries.
), a gorgeous, tenacious woman with an amazingly well-preserved body who grows rice in the rural town of Castellón
-- and hides a deep, shocking secret. She is a 50-year old woman with great passion, sensuality and splendor. Her self-willed intensity puts her in the middle of a rivalry between Leonardo Cisneros (Gabriel Porras
) and his handsome, daring son Ángel (Michel Brown
). http://tv.telemundo.yahoo.com/madreluna/articulo/13062007/71/madreluna-historia.html Both dashing men want to possess this vivacious heroine.
Leonardo is Alejandra's old flame, who gave her two energetic children, Valentin and Demetrio. He reappears in her life after many years of absence and revives the strong feelings which she thought had died long ago. This turns her whole life upside down, forcing her to face her past .
Years before, Leonardo met Alejandra during a business trip and they fell in love. He never told his unsuspecting lover that he had been married to his cruel, calculating wife Flavia (Mónica Dionne
), who is the mother of his son Ángel, for three years. Instead, he chose to live a double life of deception.
Not knowing the truth, Alejandra discovered that she was pregnant. When she finally discovered Leonardo’s deception, she broke off the relationship. She chose to keep her silence rather than risk hurting his family. While she accepts a plot of land in Castellón
from Leonardo, she avoids him for years before serendipity brings them back together.
Alejandra's reappearance sends a jolt of passion through Leonardo’s heart. This also raises hatred and envy in vengeful people who want Alejandra and her children destroyed. These dangerous enemies include Doña Trinidad Zapata (Saby Kamalich
), Flavia's tyrannical mother, and the villainous Tirso Reinoso (Paulo Quevedo), who oversees the Cisneros property, along with the scheming Commandante Veneno ("Captain Venom") (Mauricio Aspe
),
who leads a group of thugs called the Sierra Brigade.
Meanwhile, the younger generation faces its own fight for love, companionship and fulfillment. Leonardo’s son Angel falls for Alejandra, knowing nothing of her forbidden secrets. Despite the enormous age difference, Angel becomes so obsessed that he tries to take her by force. This provokes Alejandra's strong desire to stand up against anyone who would abuse her or her children.
Leonardo’s other sons are also adults with their own conflicts. Valentin now works on the rice farm and Demetrio attends college. These two find themselves competing for the love of Flavia's beautiful young niece, Anabel Saldaña (Ana Lucía Domínguez
).
All this leads both families down a path to intrigue, desperation, and betrayal. Generational and status conflicts converge. The struggle over love and family and between rich arrogant upper class families and poor, decent farmers pushes both Alejandra and Leonardo to their limits.
resolution. Variety called the show "exquisitely lensed," featuring "bronzed bodies, revealing dresses, hacienda lust and luxury, and pop scoring". Madre Luna is shot in Colombia
and vehicles in the show bear yellow Colombian license plates. Jiménez said the setting is an imaginary locale inspired by Colombia's rice fields Despite the setting, Telemundo made product placement deals to promote Windex, Splenda and other U.S. brands during the show.
In addition, Telemundo
is expected to air 130 hours of Madre Luna from Monday to Friday over about six months . As with most of its soap operas, the network broadcasts English subtitles as closed captions on CC3. This show replaced Marina
in Telemundo's
8 p.m. ET/PT time slot.
to face her troubled past and protect her family honor. She falls madly in love with a charming man half her age.
The villain in this story was Isadora, who believes Leonor was once romantically involved with her husband. So she plots to expose Leonor's dark secret and ruin her family’s reputation Isadora spreads a hideous rumor around town, provoking irate villagers to attack Leonor's home and kill her eldest son. The novela was to focus on Leonor’s quest to rise from the ashes and avenge her son’s tragic death.
Actor Javier Gómez was originally cast in a major role in this series, but he went over to another Telemundo soap, Sin Vergüenza
, instead.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-language telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
produced by the United States-based television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
network Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
and RTI Colombia
RTI Colombia
RTI Colombia, also known as Radio Televisión Interamericana , is a Colombian television production company. It aired 14.5 per week of programming each week in 1993....
. This limited-run series, also known as Grains of Love,http://www.tepuy.com/madre_luna_eng.swf debuted on July 2, 2007. Veteran telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
writer Julio Jiménez developed the story as a vehicle for star Amparo Grisales
Amparo Grisales
Amparo Grisales is a Colombian actress and model who has been active for decades. She's best known for her roles in Spanish-language telenovelas. One of the most acknowledged is her leading role in the original version of El Cuerpo del Deseo, called En Cuerpo Ajeno, opposite leading man Danilo...
. The show scored a 35 percent share of the Colombian audience during the summer of 2007. During November 2007, it averaged 571,000 core adult (ages 18–49) viewers.
Luna's final episode aired Monday, January 28, 2008. BTV started to air this telenovela on September 21, 2007 in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
This telenovela was sold to 17 countries.
Story
This romantic melodrama features Alejandra Aguirre (Amparo GrisalesAmparo Grisales
Amparo Grisales is a Colombian actress and model who has been active for decades. She's best known for her roles in Spanish-language telenovelas. One of the most acknowledged is her leading role in the original version of El Cuerpo del Deseo, called En Cuerpo Ajeno, opposite leading man Danilo...
), a gorgeous, tenacious woman with an amazingly well-preserved body who grows rice in the rural town of Castellón
Castellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana or Castelló de la Plana is the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea...
-- and hides a deep, shocking secret. She is a 50-year old woman with great passion, sensuality and splendor. Her self-willed intensity puts her in the middle of a rivalry between Leonardo Cisneros (Gabriel Porras
Gabriel Porras
Gabriel Porras is a Mexican actor. He began his acting career working for TV Azteca in telenovelas like "Tres Veces Sofia" along with Mexican diva Lucía Méndez and "El Tio Alberto"...
) and his handsome, daring son Ángel (Michel Brown
Michel Brown
Michel Brown is an Argentine actor. Brown became one of Latin-America and Spain's most popular performers after starring as Franco Reyes in the popular telenovela, Pasión de Gavilanes.He was discoveredy by Argentine producer Cris Morena for her teen variety show Jugate Conmigo...
). http://tv.telemundo.yahoo.com/madreluna/articulo/13062007/71/madreluna-historia.html Both dashing men want to possess this vivacious heroine.
Leonardo is Alejandra's old flame, who gave her two energetic children, Valentin and Demetrio. He reappears in her life after many years of absence and revives the strong feelings which she thought had died long ago. This turns her whole life upside down, forcing her to face her past .
Years before, Leonardo met Alejandra during a business trip and they fell in love. He never told his unsuspecting lover that he had been married to his cruel, calculating wife Flavia (Mónica Dionne
Mónica Dionne
Mónica Xochitl Dionne Lazo is a Mexican American actress born in Waterbury, Connecticut on February 7, 195?. Dionne is best known for her roles in telenovelas produced by TV Azteca. She also acted in movies such as Sexo, pudor y lágrimas where she played the role of "María".In 2007 she is to play...
), who is the mother of his son Ángel, for three years. Instead, he chose to live a double life of deception.
Not knowing the truth, Alejandra discovered that she was pregnant. When she finally discovered Leonardo’s deception, she broke off the relationship. She chose to keep her silence rather than risk hurting his family. While she accepts a plot of land in Castellón
Castellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana or Castelló de la Plana is the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea...
from Leonardo, she avoids him for years before serendipity brings them back together.
Alejandra's reappearance sends a jolt of passion through Leonardo’s heart. This also raises hatred and envy in vengeful people who want Alejandra and her children destroyed. These dangerous enemies include Doña Trinidad Zapata (Saby Kamalich
Saby Kamalich
Saby Kamalich is a Peruvian-born Mexican film and television actress. Her father Antonio Fantoni was from Italy, and her mother was from Croatia...
), Flavia's tyrannical mother, and the villainous Tirso Reinoso (Paulo Quevedo), who oversees the Cisneros property, along with the scheming Commandante Veneno ("Captain Venom") (Mauricio Aspe
Mauricio Aspe
Mauricio Aspe is a Mexican actor.- Career :He began as a child model before emerging as an actor at age 17, when he joined the school of acting of Televisa to become an actor. His first acting role was in Maria la del Barrio, where he shared credits with Mexican singer/actress, Thalía...
),
who leads a group of thugs called the Sierra Brigade.
Meanwhile, the younger generation faces its own fight for love, companionship and fulfillment. Leonardo’s son Angel falls for Alejandra, knowing nothing of her forbidden secrets. Despite the enormous age difference, Angel becomes so obsessed that he tries to take her by force. This provokes Alejandra's strong desire to stand up against anyone who would abuse her or her children.
Leonardo’s other sons are also adults with their own conflicts. Valentin now works on the rice farm and Demetrio attends college. These two find themselves competing for the love of Flavia's beautiful young niece, Anabel Saldaña (Ana Lucía Domínguez
Ana Lucía Domínguez
Ana Lucía Domínguez Tobón is a Colombian actress, best known for her roles in numerous telenovelas. Her latest TV series include Madre Luna and Perro Amor on Telemundo, where she is currently playing the main heroine/role, Sofia Santana.-External links:* List of Telenovelas...
).
All this leads both families down a path to intrigue, desperation, and betrayal. Generational and status conflicts converge. The struggle over love and family and between rich arrogant upper class families and poor, decent farmers pushes both Alejandra and Leonardo to their limits.
Title
The name Madre Luna refers to a family character in the children's stories that Alejandra told her sons when they were growing up. Telemundo's English promotional copy says that the luna (moon) represents the two heroines. Alejandra and Anabel lead the story toward its emotional climaxes just as the phases of the moon direct "ancient feminine mysteries." .Production
Madre Luna is the last Telemundo-produced telenovela filmed in NTSCNTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
resolution. Variety called the show "exquisitely lensed," featuring "bronzed bodies, revealing dresses, hacienda lust and luxury, and pop scoring". Madre Luna is shot in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and vehicles in the show bear yellow Colombian license plates. Jiménez said the setting is an imaginary locale inspired by Colombia's rice fields Despite the setting, Telemundo made product placement deals to promote Windex, Splenda and other U.S. brands during the show.
In addition, Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
is expected to air 130 hours of Madre Luna from Monday to Friday over about six months . As with most of its soap operas, the network broadcasts English subtitles as closed captions on CC3. This show replaced Marina
Marina (Telemundo TV series)
Marina is a Spanish-language telenovela that aired on United States-based television network Telemundo. It premièred on October 16, 2006. The final original episode aired Thursday, June 28, 2007 it is a remake of the Mexican María la del Barrio, María Mercedes and Los Ricos También Lloran.Sandra...
in Telemundo's
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
8 p.m. ET/PT time slot.
Changes
When Telemundo announced Madre Luna in May, 2006, the story was different. Grisales was to play a character named Leonor Aguirre. When her husband dies, she returns home to CastellónCastellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana or Castelló de la Plana is the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea...
to face her troubled past and protect her family honor. She falls madly in love with a charming man half her age.
The villain in this story was Isadora, who believes Leonor was once romantically involved with her husband. So she plots to expose Leonor's dark secret and ruin her family’s reputation Isadora spreads a hideous rumor around town, provoking irate villagers to attack Leonor's home and kill her eldest son. The novela was to focus on Leonor’s quest to rise from the ashes and avenge her son’s tragic death.
Actor Javier Gómez was originally cast in a major role in this series, but he went over to another Telemundo soap, Sin Vergüenza
Sin Vergüenza (TV series)
Sin Vergüenza is a Spanish-language telenovela produced by Telemundo and RTI Colombia. This limited-run series about four beautiful, yet very different women, resembles Desperate Housewives and Sex & The City. Venezuelan actress Gaby Espino stars.This telenovela was sold to 9 countries around...
, instead.
Cast
- Amparo GrisalesAmparo GrisalesAmparo Grisales is a Colombian actress and model who has been active for decades. She's best known for her roles in Spanish-language telenovelas. One of the most acknowledged is her leading role in the original version of El Cuerpo del Deseo, called En Cuerpo Ajeno, opposite leading man Danilo...
.... Alejandra Aguirre - main heroine - Gabriel PorrasGabriel PorrasGabriel Porras is a Mexican actor. He began his acting career working for TV Azteca in telenovelas like "Tres Veces Sofia" along with Mexican diva Lucía Méndez and "El Tio Alberto"...
.... Leonardo Cisneros - main hero - Michel BrownMichel BrownMichel Brown is an Argentine actor. Brown became one of Latin-America and Spain's most popular performers after starring as Franco Reyes in the popular telenovela, Pasión de Gavilanes.He was discoveredy by Argentine producer Cris Morena for her teen variety show Jugate Conmigo...
.... Ángel Cisneros - son of Leonardo and Flavia, in love with Alejandra, later in love with zulma - Saby KamalichSaby KamalichSaby Kamalich is a Peruvian-born Mexican film and television actress. Her father Antonio Fantoni was from Italy, and her mother was from Croatia...
.... Doña Trinidad Zapata - mother of Flavia and grandmother of Ángel, villain - Mónica DionneMónica DionneMónica Xochitl Dionne Lazo is a Mexican American actress born in Waterbury, Connecticut on February 7, 195?. Dionne is best known for her roles in telenovelas produced by TV Azteca. She also acted in movies such as Sexo, pudor y lágrimas where she played the role of "María".In 2007 she is to play...
.... Flavia Portillo de Cisneros - wife of Leonardo, villain - Arap BethkeArap BethkeRicardo Arap Bethke Galdames is a Mexican actor.-Biography:He was born to a German father and a Chilean mother, but grew up in Mexico.He is most remembered for his role of "Chacho" in the telenovela Clase 406...
.... Demetrio Aguirre - son of Alejandra and Leonardo,in love with Dulce - Ana Lucía DomínguezAna Lucía DomínguezAna Lucía Domínguez Tobón is a Colombian actress, best known for her roles in numerous telenovelas. Her latest TV series include Madre Luna and Perro Amor on Telemundo, where she is currently playing the main heroine/role, Sofia Santana.-External links:* List of Telenovelas...
.... Anabel Saldaña - cousin of Ángel, in love with Valentin - Alex Sirvent .... Valentín Aguirre - brother of Demetrio and half brother of Angel, in love with Anabel
- Paulo Quevedo .... Tirso Reinoso - foreman of the Cisneros hacienda, villain
- Mauricio AspeMauricio AspeMauricio Aspe is a Mexican actor.- Career :He began as a child model before emerging as an actor at age 17, when he joined the school of acting of Televisa to become an actor. His first acting role was in Maria la del Barrio, where he shared credits with Mexican singer/actress, Thalía...
.... Roman Garrido - bandit in the town, villain - Judy Henríquez .... Angustias - friend of Alejandra
- José Saldarriaga .... Fidelio Marquez - rich man in the town
- Julio del Mar .... Ignacio Morales - farmer, friend of Alejandra
- Daniela Tapia .... Dulce Elena Marquez - niece of Fidelio, in love with Demetrio
- Ana Beatriz Osorio ....Violeta - Violeta's Bar Owner in Castellón
- Sebastián Boscan .... Hermes - brother of Dulce
- Pedro Roda .... Bebo Cantillo - owner of the town's restaurant
- Luz Alejandra Pinzon .... Juana - Violeta's bar girl, had a brief affair with Demetrio Aguirre
- Adriana Campos .... Zulma Moreno- bandit, girlfriend of Roman,in love with Angel
- Mónica Pardo .... Luzmila Morales
- Dorían Díaz
- Mauricio Álvarez
- Orlando Lamboglia
- Sandra Guzmán.... Marcela Pizarro
- Gabriel González
- Maria Ángela Cubillos
- Jairo López
- Orlando Bonnet
- Maria Cristina Montoya
- Margarita Duran
- Daniel Merizalde
- Maria Margarita Amado
- Ivette Zamora
- Toto Vega
- Nure Valbuena
- Antonio Puentes
- Olga Lucia Rojas
- Freddy Ordóñez
- Richard Martínez
- Aída Bossa
- Luz Estella Luengas.... Dulce Elena's Mother, Basilio's wife.
- Sigifredo Vega
- Maria Claudia Torres
External links
- Telemundo International Madre Luna page (English, requires FlashAdobe Flash PlayerThe Adobe Flash Player is software for viewing multimedia, Rich Internet Applications and streaming video and audio, on a computer web browser or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other...
) - Telenovela World (bilingual)
- Official Telemundo site (Spanish)
- Only Amparo Grisales Can Be Madre Luna (Spanish article in La Opinion)
- Madre Luna in RCN TV (Colombia)