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The renowned journalist and host of Mun2’s “Reventon con Yarel” talks to us about her success in television and about her experiences driving a hybrid car and her efforts to help the environment.

Ramos is the daughter of Mexican parents and was born in Los Angeles. She considers herself a part of a successful generation of young people who represent the importance of being bilingual and bicultural, and reflect the importance of living within their Latin roots and culture.

She studied journalism at the University of Miami, and after graduation she moved back to LA to pursue her career  at places such as Telemundo, where she became known. After that, she began working with Mun2, where she’s hosted the popular “Reventon con Yarel” for 2 years now. The show is dedicated exclusively to Mexican music, and she bilingually showcases the latest in videos, stories and interviews with the most popular Mexican acts.

In a recent interview for Living Out Loud, Ramos talks to us candidly about her career as a journalist and her success as a TV show host. She also shares with us her thoughts about being one of the Latin celebrities selected by Toyota to promote and experience a hybrid car – the Prius – in efforts to raise awareness about the environment.

Living Out Loud: What does the Toyota campaign consist of? What’s its aim by using Latin celebrities?
Yarel Ramos: A while ago, Toyota launched their ‘think green’ campaign in efforts to raise awareness amongst the Latin youth regarding the environment, and the importance of leading a ‘green’ life and driving hybrid cars. They decided to pick a group of Latin celebrities to drive the car for a while, and I was one of them. I’ve been driving the car since summer and I’ve been sharing my experiences with my fans.

LOL: Tell us about your experiences driving a Toyota Prius.
YR: It’s very peculiar. When I first thought of getting a new car, I was looking for a hybrid to help the environment. Then I get this opportunity from Toyota to drive it before I bought it. I was already familiar with the science and mechanics of hybrid cars, and after driving it for a while, I think it’s stupendous. It uses almost no gas. The car is half electric, half gasoline-powered, which I think is great because I save a lot in gas. The car is also very comfortable and spacious.

LOL: For people who are not familiar with the concept of a hybrid car, can you elaborate a bit?
YR: There are different types of electric/hybrid cars: first, you have 100% electric cars which you have to plug in to charge. Then there’s the type that requires more gasoline than electricity. Then, there’s mine – which is half and half, and uses both power sources equally. When you are driving on side streets, it works on electric power, then when you get on the road, or surpass 40 MPH, it uses the gasoline. When the car runs out of gas, the electricity kicks in, and vice versa.

LOL: Tell us about your own car and what you like about it the most.
YR: My car is a really cool shade of red. I love the exterior, because it kind of looks like a spaceship. It strikes me as a very unique car because it doesn’t look like all the other cars. It’s an original, which suits me because I don’t like what’s common, and I don’t want to drive what everyone else is driving. Inside, everything works just like any regular gasoline-powered car.

LOL: Why should people drive a Toyota Prius and who would you recommend it for?
YR: A hybrid car has the same power as a regular gas-powered car. It’s also very light and doesn’t feel heavy at high speeds. Driving hybrid cars is becoming very popular, and it’s not just for older folks – this car is for everyone and every day, I see more and more people driving it. I also feel young people are becoming more conscious about the environment and the importance of making the switch to a hybrid car.  It’s fun to drive, and it helps the environment.

LOL: Tell us a bit about your show, “Reventon con Yarel.”
YR: It’s an hour-long show about Mexican music and airs on Mun2. We highlight and discuss new trends in the genre, and we celebrate the musical icons and their artistic trajectory. It’s a very dynamic and fun weekly show, and I’m very proud about where we’ve gone with it.

LOL: It’s been said that categories in award shows for Mexican music will soon be removed due to the genre’s decreasing popularity. What are your thoughts?
YR: It’s an interesting topic because every so often, new variations on the genre surface. It happened 2 years ago with the ‘tribal wave’, 5 years with the ‘duranguense’, and even 10 years ago with the ‘quebradita’. So new trends and variations occur often. I feel this genre has a certain emotion and a very different feeling from other genres, and it’s easy to nominate Mexican categories because it’s part of Mexican culture – sub-genres such as banda, norteño, rancheras and cumbias. It’s our music, and as long as there are artists doing that music, there will be categories to recognize and reward them.

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