Look up las in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

LAS may stand for:

• Little Angels' School, a top school in Nepal
• L.A. Symphony, a Christian hip hop group from Los Angeles
• League of Arab States, an international organization of Arab nations
• Leeds Atheist Society, a student group in Leeds, United Kingdom
• Legal Aid Society, an American provider of legal services
• Leysin American School, a boarding school in Switzerland
• Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas, an airline based in Bogotá, Colombia
• Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
• Log ASCII Standard, a standard digital format for wellbore logs in the petroleum industry
• London Ambulance Service, an emergency service in London
• Lymphadenopathy syndrome, an AIDS related syndrome
• McCarran International Airport, an airport in Las Vegas, Nevada with IATA code LAS
• Association of Lithuanian Automobilists, a member of the FIA
• Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate, an alternate name for sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, a kind of surfactant widely used in detergents and other cleaning products
• Low affinity site, a region of DNA to which RNA polymerase binds to when not in use
• Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, a Lucasfilm studio dedicated to the Clone Wars TV 3D series, movie effects and video games
• Lahore American School, a high school in Pakistan

Las may refer to:

• Las, a character in Greek mythology, killed by Patroclus
• Las, Lublin Voivodeship, a village in eastern Poland
• Las, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in southern Poland
• Las, Gliwice County, a village also in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland
• Łaś, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central Poland)
• Las Khorey, a city in northern Somalia
• The La's, English pop band

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Las Ketchup is a Spanish pop group, founded by flamenco producer, Manuel Ruiz. The group is best known for the 2002 song, "The Ketchup Song" (Aserejé), which sold over 7 million singles.

Career[link]

Las Ketchup was originally discovered by the flamenco producer Manuel “Queco” Ruiz, who signed them to his newly formed independent Córdoba-based label Shaketown Music, which he ran together with Manuel Illán.^[1] They recorded the songs “Asereje” and “Kusha Las Payas" with Ruiz producing, and shopped the demo to a number of large record companies with the intention of securing a distribution deal.^[1] The demo was received by Columbia/Sony A&R Javier Portugués and director Raúl López who, on listening the recordings, stared at each other in delight exclaiming, "Wow, this is fantastic!".^[1] At first the intention was to arrange a distribution deal with Shaketown Music but on hearing the song they realised its international potential and so negotiated for Las Ketchup to sign with Sony.^[1]

In the summer of 2002 they had a major flamenco Europop fusion hit with "Aserejé" (released as "The Ketchup Song" in the UK and other countries), which reached the top of the charts in many countries including Spain, Portugal, Colombia, UK, Italy, Greece, France, Finland, Turkey, Syria, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Philippines, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, and Australia. However, it failed to hit the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Still worldwide, the trio became instant rivals to another Spanish female trio, Lunae, who released their debut single in Europe at the same time in 2003. The title and part of the lyrics were in Spanish. The hit also had an accompanying dance.

The group re-released the Ketchup Song later in the same year, with a new video, as a Christmas song.

The name of the group is a reference to their father Juan Muñoz, a flamenco guitarist known as El Tomate (The Tomato). This also explains why their debut album carried the title Las hijas del Tomate (Daughters of Tomato).

In 2006 they were joined by Rocío, their fourth sister, to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The girls have said themselves that Rocío has always been a member of Las Ketchup, but she wasn't in the photographs, videos or performances because she was pregnant.

The group sold over 12 million copies with the first album, but the second did not achieve the same success.

Recent events[link]

Las Ketchup came back as a 4-girl group, with a new album titled Un Blodymary (Bloody Mary). Their long absence was due to their writing songs for the album and Pilar's pregnancy. The album release was delayed until the beginning of 2006. They planned to release 1 million copies and their producer "Queco", who also produced and wrote their worldwide single "Asereje", indicated that this album retains their original sound.^{[citation needed]} Their first single from the CD was also titled "Un Blodymary". This song was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The song did not perform as well as expected, ending 21st with only 18 points.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Hijas del Tomate (2002)
• Un Blodymary (2006)

Singles[link]

Awards[link]

• 2002 'Ondas awards'

– Best New Artist/group

• 2004 Billboard Latinos awards

– Best pop album from new generation ("Las hijas del Tomate")

– Most tropical-salsa song played by Duo or Group ("The Ketchup Song" (Aserejé)

• 2003 Latin Grammy Award

– Best Pop Album By a Duo or Group with Vocals Las hijas del Tomate (Nominated, lost to Bacilos Caraluna.)

• 2003 Record Fair MIDEM (Cannes)

– Best New Artist/group

• 2003 Amigo Awards

– Best New Group

– Best New Artist

• 2004 Record fair MIDEM (Cannes)

– Breakers of borders (Best-selling Album out of its country and inside of Europe with "Las hijas del Tomate") Song)

Parody[link]

In 2002, the German comedian Elmar Brandt wrote (using the tune of Aserejé) a Gerhard Schröder parody called "Der Steuersong" (The Tax Song)^[18] for the radio program The Gerd Show.

In 2002, a satirical version to the tune of Aserejé by El Groupo Mayonessa circulated in Gibraltar prior to the referendum on a proposal of joint sovereignty, entitled 'Vota Que No, Que No, Que No No No'^[19]

See also[link]

• Son de Sol

References[link]

External links[link]

• Unofficial Las Ketchup Site
• Las Ketchup at AskMen.com
• Las Ketchup at Answers.com

Ephesto (born June 10, 1965) is a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado (Spanish for "Masked professional wrestler). Ephesto's real name has not been officially documented, a tradition in Mexican Lucha Libre where masked wrestlers' real names often are not a matter of public record. The wrestler currently known as Ephesto made his debut in 1982 and worked for almost 20 years as Pantera del Ring with limited success.^[2]

His current ring name "Ephesto" is derived from the Spanish name for Hephaestus, the Greek God of fire, Hefesto, in fact his name is sometimes spelled Hefesto in print sources.^[2] Ephesto is a member of the stable Los Hijos de Averno (Spanish for the sons of Hell) with Averno and Mephisto, while also being a former CMLL World Light Heavyweight and CMLL World Trios Champion.^[3][4]

Professional wrestling career[link]

He made his debut in 1982 at the age of 16 after training with Halco Suriano, Asterión, Satánico and Blue Panther. His first ring persona was Pantera del Ring (Spanish for the Panther of the Ring), a masked luchador with a panther inspired mask and trunks, inspired by his trainer Blue Panther. As Pantera del Ring, also referred to as Panterita del Ring', he signed with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in the very early 1990s and began working as a low card Technicó (the Lucha Libre term for a "Good guy"). When Antonio Peña, the head booker of CMLL at the time broke off to form the rival promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Pantera del Ring was one of the CMLL workers that went with Peña in 1992. In AAA he teamed up with Latin Lover to win the Mexican National Tag Team Championship from the team of Fuerza and Juventud Guerrera on June 1, 1995. The team only held the Tag Team titles for three and a half months before losing them back to the Guerreras.^[5] By 1997 Panterita del Ring was working for the newly formed Promo Azteca promotion, this time as a Rudo (the Lucha Libre term for "bad guy"). He won the tournament to crown the first ever Aztecas Middleweight Champion defeating Ángel Azteca and Black Dragon in the finals.^[6] He eventually lost the title but kept working for Promo Azteca as an upper card worker until Promo Azteca folded in the late 1990s.

In 2000 he returned to CMLL and began working under the ring persona Safari, a mid-card Technico.^[2] Safari did not gain much momentum, generally working random tag matches until he was teamed up with Mr. Niebla and Olímpico and defeated the team of Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera and El Signo for the Mexican National Trios Championship on March 30, 2001.^[7] The team had a rather uneventful title reign that lasted 15 months but rarely saw the team defended the title until Los Nuevos Infernales (Averno, Mephisto and Satánico) won the titles from them on June 23, 2001.^[7] In late 2003 Safari teamed up with El Felino and Volador, Jr. to win a tournament for the vacant Mexican National Trios Championship, defeating Alan Stone, Super Crazy and Zumbido in a tournament final to claim the title.^[7] Safari's second run with the title proved to be about as long as the first one, 16 months, but once again did not result in many memorable matches or a sustained push for Safari. When Pandilla Guerrera (Doctor X, Nitro and Sangre Azteca) defeated Safari's team for the titles it signaled the last time the Safari character was given the spotlight.^[7]

In late 2005, only months after losing the Trios titles Safair became El Hombre sin Nombre (Spanish for "The Man without name"), a ring persona & name that indicates that the wrestler is a "blank slate", as he has no name and wrestles in plain black clothes & mask. CMLL started a contenst for the fans to come up with a new name and ring persona for this wrestler. As Hombre sin Nombre he worked as a Rudo with no public reference given to the fact that he was previously known as Safari. By the end of 2007 it was announced that El Hombre Sin Nombre finally had a name, Ephesto as suggested by a fan after the Greek God of fire, Hephaestus.^[2]

Working as Ephesto[link]

Along with the new name came a new look, dressing mainly in black with a mask with a ram's horn design and a new group of allies. Ephesto joined forces with Averno and Mephisto to form the stable La Triada del Terror (Spanish for the Trio of Terror), and although he was considered the low man in the group associating with two of CMLL's top Rudo acts meant he got more exposure as Ephesto than he ever did as Safari or El Hombre Sin Nombre. When Averno and Mephisto formed Los Hijos del Averno (Spanish for the Sons of Hell) Ephesto was one of the first to join up with them. In late 2008 Ephesto received a couple of shots at La Sombra's NWA World Welterweight Championship, his first chance at a singles title in CMLL. While he did not win the title the matches with La Sombra were very competitive and well received. In the spring/summer of 2009 Ephesto began targeting rival Rey Bucanero, challenging him for the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship. At first the storyline between the two saw Rey Bucanero turn down the challenge, only to late accept after Ephesto brought a ringside ticket for a show where Bucanero was in the main event and interfered in the match. On May 26, 2009 the two met with the title on the line, after each winning one fall the match was stopped by the referee as Rey Bucanero had suffered a serious knee injury. The referee awarded the match and the title to Ephesto, his first CMLL singles title.^[3] Bucanero's injury was so severe that it required surgery and he was out of action for six months. By virtue of holding the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship Ephesto participated in the 2010 Universal Championship tournament. He was part of "Block A" that competed on the July 30, 2010 Super Viernes show. He co-won the eight-man seeding battle royal, but was eliminated from the tournament when he lost to El Texano, Jr. in the first round of the actual tournament.^[8] On August 16, 2010 it was announced that Ephesto was one of 14 men putting their mask on the line in a Luchas de Apuestas steel cage match, the main event of the CMLL 77th Anniversary Show.^[9] Ephesto was the third man to leave the steel cage as all three members of Los Hijos del Averno quickly left the cage, keeping their masks safe. The match came down to La Sombra pinning Olímpico to unmask him.^[10] On February 22, 2011, Ephesto lost the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship to Rush, ending his reign at 637 days.^[11] On July 15, Los Hijos del Averno defeated La Generación Dorada (Máscara Dorada, La Máscara and La Sombra) to win the CMLL World Trios Championship.^[12] They would lose the title to El Bufete del Amor (Marco Corleone, Máximo and Rush) on February 19, 2012.^[13]

Personal life[link]

It has until recently been a common misconception that Ephesto, Ultimo Guerrero and Hooligan were all brothers. All three come from the "Lagunero" area in Mexico and early in their professional wrestling career the three stuck together to try and break into wrestling. This shared experience caused them to sometimes refer to each other as "Brother".

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • La Safarina (Inverted three–quarter figure four surfboard) – innovated; used rarely after becoming Ephesto
  • Shoulderbreaker^[14]

• Signature moves
  • Fallaway slam
  • Second rope leg drop
  • Tope suicida

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
  • Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Latin Lover^[5]

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
  • CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[3]
  • CMLL World Trios Championship (1 time) – with Averno and Mephisto^[12]
  • Mexican National Trios Championship (2 times) – with Olimpico and Mr. Niebla (1), and Volador, Jr. and El Felino (1)^[7]

• Promo Azteca
  • Aztecas Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[6]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #152 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2007

Lucha de Apuesta record[link]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal