Top Latino Stars to Hit the Street : Fiesta: One million people are expected downtown Sunday for a festival of music and food.

Broadway in downtown Los Angeles is usually known as a street of potholes, shoppers and bustling small businesses. But for a few hours Sunday, the street will be fit for a king--in fact, several kings and queens.

Among the royalty of Latino music who are expected to preside over an estimated 1 million people at the second L.A. Fiesta Broadway will be the pop crooner Manuel Mirajes, the official “King of the Fiesta”; jazz great Tito Puente, otherwise known as “ El Rey ,” and the so-called queens of rancheras --legendary Lucha Villa and La Prieta Linda.

Rounding out the brigade at the pre-Cinco de Mayo extravaganza will be 75 local and international stars to treat those in attendance as they swing to the salsa beat and savor Mexican food at the free noon-to-7 p.m. event covering 36 city blocks.

Fiesta planners, who struggled to secure talent for last year’s first-time event, said they were overwhelmed by the response this year from some of the biggest names in Latino entertainment.

“Last year, we were trying to convince people that this would be a big event. This year our phones were ringing,” said Alma Ayon, talent coordinator for the giant block party, which is co-sponsored by local Spanish-language TV station KMEX Channel 34.

Last year’s virtually trouble-free fiesta helped erase the stain on L.A. downtown street fairs left by Street Scene, another music festival, which was marred by stabbings and the death of one fan in 1986. After a smooth run, city officials, newspaper editorials and community leaders called the first L.A. Fiesta Broadway a gran exito --big success.

“Now we have the confidence, so this year is our chance to cement the event for Southern California,” said Mario Proenza III, the show’s producer.

Perhaps the biggest talent coup this year is the North American concert debut of Brazilian pop sensation Xuxa (pronounced Shoo-sha). “That was a minor miracle,” Proenza said.

The 27-year-old blond singer, in her trademark go-go boots and glittery short shorts, is a phenomenon in the world of Latin entertainment. Her bubble-gum pop is seen by millions on her daily four-hour show on Brazilian TV. “She’s a hip ‘Mr. Rogers’/’Sesame Street’-type thing,” Proenza said. “She’ll be able to draw a lot of people on her own.”

To accommodate the masses expected, organizers have expanded the area to cover not just last year’s 12 blocks on Broadway, but also Temple Street, Olympic Boulevard and Hill and Spring streets. Planners say they hope that the larger area will eliminate the human gridlock that occurred last year when thousands thronged to one stage. Police stopped all entertainment for 30 minutes while the crowd dispersed; no one was injured.

Bigger venue, bigger stars and, yes, a bigger budget--despite the fact that KMEX organizers acknowledged that they lost money on the initial $1-million event. This Sunday’s fiesta will cost the local affiliate, and the Univision network that owns it, up to $2 million.

But the money issue does not greatly concern KMEX General Manager Richard Ramirez, who is overseeing the fiesta: “We know we’re looking at a loss, but we’re going to lose less than we did last year, which wasn’t any more than we anticipated losing.” He would not disclose the amount.

For Ramirez, the sting of the financial loss is soothed by his vision for the festival and his hopes for its future.

“The reason we’re making the investment is because the fiesta is good for the community, and it’s good business for my TV station,” he said. “What could be more significant for this region than an event celebrating Mexican culture with the best talent we can get from around the world in a safe environment with a family atmosphere?”

Still sensitive to the history of local street fairs, Ramirez said safety is of major importance to him. A private security force of 500 will be on hand, and the Los Angeles Police Department will send about 500 officers. Alcohol will be restricted to several enclosed beer gardens.

Ramirez said he dreams of the fiesta becoming like a Mardis Gras or Kentucky Derby, “an event synonymous with the city of L.A.” But for now, he’s interested in showing people the kind of show L.A.’s Latino community can present.

“This event,” he said, “can raise people’s consciousness to what a significant Latino center L.A. is, not just in population, but as a cohesive cultural center.”

A main goal of the festival is to call attention to the street that will serve as a huge outdoor theater--Broadway. Estela Lopez, director of Miracle on Broadway, a nonprofit group dedicated to the rejuvenation of the street and a fiesta co-sponsor, said the one-day fiesta can lead to “365 days of attention for Broadway.”

Some stars, like L.A.-based Latin jazz master Poncho Sanchez, are performing for the love of Broadway.

“I used to shop on the street with my parents when I was a child, but it has changed,” he said. “I’m hoping that it can change back. I’m going to do my part, by going there and playing my happy music.”

A sampling of other entertainers who will appear on the seven stages dotting Broadway: Fandango, a band of five teeny-boppers from Mexico who do high-energy vocals about friendship; the romantic balladeer Jose Jose; Tex-Mex star Johnny Canales and Mexican singer Angeles Ochoa.

Although 15 Latin countries will be represented among the talent, festival organizers have focused on keeping about half of the talent local, to give exposure to L.A. groups such as Tierra and Mango-Bang.

Rudy Regalado, of the L.A. salsa band Rudy Regalado, called the local focus the best thing about the fiesta.

He’ll play his saucy salsa tunes at his second fiesta appearence until the crowd moves hips and arms. “And if I don’t see people dancing, I’ll just quit,” he joked.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

These international and local Latino entertainers will appear Sunday on seven stages along Broadway in downtown L.A:

KMEX-TV STAGE

(Olympic and Broadway)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon La Sonora Dinamita 12:40 p.m. Antonio De Jesus 1 p.m. Alvaro Torres 1:30 p.m. Los Dinnos 2 p.m. Angel Javier 2:30 p.m. Pandora 3 p.m. Braulio 3:15 p.m. Danza Mexicana 3:45 p.m. La Mafia 4:30 p.m. Angeles Ochoa 5:10 p.m. Xuxa 6:15 p.m. Mijares 6:45 p.m. Mariachi ceremony

UNIVISION STAGE

(1st and Broadway)

TIME ATTRACTION 12:30 p.m. Orquesta Mazacote 1:30 p.m. Poncho Sanchez 2:55 p.m. Mariachi Los Camperos 3 p.m. Xuxa 3:20 p.m. Franco 3:30 p.m. Naomi; Jose Ronstadt Anima 4 p.m. Gerardo 4:10 p.m. Mijares 4:30 p.m. Olga Breenski y Ballet 4:45 p.m. La Sonora Dinamita 5:15 p.m. Laura Flores 5:45 p.m. The Rio Thing 6:40 p.m. Jose Jose

BUDWEISER STAGE

(4th and Spring)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon Tierra 1:30 p.m. Los Brillantes 2 p.m. Ballet Cuica-Cali 2:30 p.m. Yari More 3:30 p.m. David Reynoso y Mariachi Juvenil Latino 4 p.m. Soto 4:30 p.m. Naomi 5 p.m. Manoella Torres 5:30 p.m. Los Zaizar 6 p.m. Braulio 6:30 p.m. Sophy

CAMEL STAGE

(9th and Hill)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon L.A. Mixers 1 p.m. Bertha Alicia 2 p.m. Johny Martinez 2:30 p.m. Garibaldi 3:30 p.m. Los Barbaros de Sta. Barbara 4 p.m. Juan Ramon 4:30 p.m. Zozaya 5:15 p.m. Pandora 6:10 p.m. Pedro Fernandez

TARGET STAGE

(6th and Spring)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon Candi Sosa 1 p.m. Genaro Rodriguez 1:15 p.m. Carla 1:30 p.m. Rock Kids 2 p.m. Ballet Xipetotec 2:30 p.m. Susie Hansen 3:35 p.m. Rudy Regalado 4:10 p.m. La Prieta Linda 5 p.m. Franco 5:45 p.m. Antonio de Jesus

OLDSMOBILE STAGE

(2nd and Spring)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon Costazul 1 p.m. Jose Amaya 1:30 p.m. Danza Mexicana 2 p.m. Laura Canales 2:30 p.m. Susana Velasquez 3:15 p.m. La Sombra de Chicago 4:15 p.m. Fandango 5 p.m. Lucha Villa y Mariachi Los Galleros 5:45 p.m. Little Joe y La Familia

PEPSI STAGE

(7th and Hill)

TIME ATTRACTION Noon Mango Bang! 1 p.m. Katy “La de Las Vocales” 1:30 p.m. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs 2:15 p.m. Gerardo 3 p.m. Carla de Leon 3:30 p.m. Los Vagos de Mexicali 4 p.m. Xipetotec 4:30 p.m. Edgardo Gazcon y Mariachi Juvenil Latino 5:30 p.m. Alvaro Torres 6 p.m. Sonia Rivas y Banda Sinaloense Mazatlan