Music

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Urban
Reggaeton Revolution: 20 years of UK Urban Latin…

Back in 2004, when the UK music industry was ignoring reggaetón and Maluma was in nappies, LatinoLife produced the UK’s first ever Reggaetón and…

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Brazilian Music
Things That Matter… Jards Macalé

Having worked with some of the biggest names in Brazilian music, including Joao Donato, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso and more, Jards Macalé has garnered…

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uk 24
Urban
10 UK Latin Acts to Watch Out for in 2024

The UK Latin music scene is undergoing a vibrant transformation. 2023 was a year for the books and…

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Pop and Rock
Luca Prodan : The Maradona of Rock

A rebel creative, Luca Prodan was an Italian-Scot who became one of the most unlikely founding…

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Classical Jazz and Folk
WHAT MEXICO IS

Often accused of glorifying violence, Norteño legends Los Tigres del Norte have caused controversy…

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Classical Jazz and Folk
Things That Matter to…Sara Correia

Widely regarded around the world as one of Fado music’s fastest rising stars, Portuguese singer…

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Urban, Brazilian Music, Pop and Rock, Tropical Music
A Timeline of Greatness - Musical Anniversaries to…

Here at LatinoLife, whilst nurturing up-and-coming artists, we never forget on whose should we…

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Urban
LatinoLife's 2023 Homegrown Music Roundup

We at LatinoLife are so proud of our UK Latin Talent, and the privilege of helping to nurture and…

Features

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Urban
Reggaeton Revolution: 20 years of UK Urban Latin…

Back in 2004, when the UK music industry was ignoring reggaetón and Maluma was in nappies,…

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Pop and Rock
Luca Prodan : The Maradona of Rock

A rebel creative, Luca Prodan was an Italian-Scot who became one of the most unlikely founding…

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Urban
From Rock to Reggaeton: Argentina’s Revolutionary Road 

Once known for producing Latin America’s greatest rock icons, Argentina was forced to take a back…

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let's do this
LatinoLife - The UK's First Latina-run National…

In April 2023 LatinoLife became the UK's first and only Latina-run National Portfolio…

Interviews

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Classical Jazz and Folk
WHAT MEXICO IS

Often accused of glorifying violence, Norteño legends Los Tigres del Norte have caused controversy and divided opinion with their musical “story-…

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andres
Ballads and Boleros
True Romantic

We talk to four-time Latin Grammy winner Andrés Cepeda about how girls inspired him to start writing music, his secret shot of aguardiente to calm…

Top 10s

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uk 24
Urban
10 UK Latin Acts to Watch Out for in 2024

The UK Latin music scene is undergoing a vibrant transformation. 2023 was a year for the books and…

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Our Favourite Latin Christmas Songs

Christmas is a universal celebration, but the feelings it generates is different for every culture…

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Urban
10 London Latina DJs to watch out for

In the macho world of Latin DJs, Latina and Latinx talent have had to fight tooth and nail for…

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Ballads and Boleros
10 Love Songs to play your Valentine

To be honest, we could make a hundred lists of Latino love songs, indeed we have, so this year we…

Critics' choice
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Urban
A Nahomy at O2 Academy2 Islington

Headline Show by A Nahomy, the rising sensation in the UK's Latin music scene, on November 26th featuring an exceptional lineup of emerging Latino artists from the UK.

FANTASY ISLAND TRACKS
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Fantasy Island Tracks
Susana Baca's Fantasy Island Tracks

If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need to get you through those times of despair? Our castaway this month is Susana Baca, the greatest international exponent of Afro-Peruvian music, having contributed so much to its worldwide popularity. Known around the globe for her barefoot performances, flowing shawls and divine aura, Baca’s music is characterised by traditional Afro-Peruvian instruments cajón, udu, quijada, aswell as cheko, previously unknown by mainstream audiences. "There are a lot of songs that have inspired me during my life, these that I’m about to describe, touched me so much in a particular moment that they marked my life forever," says Susana Baca.

EDITOR'S PICK
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In-depth Interviews
Renaissance Man

Doctor, poet and musician, Jorge Drexler has taken the long and winding road to global success. Winning an Oscar at 41 – the first ever for a song not sung in English – was just the beginning. Now recognised as one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation, the Uruguayan’s career is blooming. Amaranta Wright talks to the man in his musical prime, ahead of his show in London.

TUNES THAT ROCK THE ...
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Tunes That Rock The Dance Floor
Ismael Miranda Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in NY, Ismael Miranda was part as of the original “Fania All Stars” line up, as well as being the lead voice for Joey Pastrana and Larry Harlow’s band and then leading his very own crew, with a career spanning over 50 years of music. His music is still played in Latin clubs all over the world - a favourite for salsa dancers - and his discography is one of the most completes all of salsa singers in history, with more than 50 albums under his name.

What’s on
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The LatinoLife Incubator 2024

The LatinoLife Incubators are UK industry events for all those with a professional interest in the creation, promotion and distribution of Latin Music. It is a chance for artists, promoters, venue managers, festival curators, labels, distributors and media to rub shoulders with key figures in the music industry, get inspired, share ideas and experiences and make big plans. This Edition focuses on Managers and Producers. In two panel discussions, leading figures will share their knowledge and experience of how their industry works. 

SPOTLIGHT ON
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Spotlight on...
Spotlight on...L-Gante

Ahead of his debut London appearance this Friday we profile the pioneer of 'RKT' - a musical genre that stems from mixing reggaetón beats and cumbia villera sounds, a style very particular to Argentina, with heavy tones from the Buenos Aires villa (slums). For Argentines who had always been used to the white middle class looking music stars like Fito Paez, Spinetta, Charly Garcia, L-Gante was different...the musical ambassador of the villa, which has proved massively popular. He is currently one of Argentina's biggest artists with 5 million IG followers and over a billion streams.

By Genre

URBAN
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Interviews
Reclaiming The Streets


Ryan Castro is the latest in a string of Medellin music sensations to reach global fame, with hits such as Jordan, Wasa Wasa, Malory and Mujeriego. Just as Colombia’s ‘City of Eternal Spring’ has come to be known as the new capital of Latin Music, 'El Cantante Del Ghetto’ as he is known, marks a new turn for reggaetón. Where Maluma is the glamour king, Castro is the self-made boy next door, fresh out of the slums; while Medellin’s pretty boy is waxing about luxury holidays in Hawaii, this Paisa talks about flexing his Jor-dans at the local parche. LatinoLife meets reggaetón’s new parsero to find a special appeal. 

POP AND ROCK
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In-depth Interviews
The Juanes Mash Up

The Colombian music landscape has transformed dramatically over the last 10 years, with reggaetón becoming the new pop, but one Medellín rockero has transcended all trends and remains as relevant today doing the music he loves. Soon to play in London with his ‘Origen’ tour, which goes back to his musical roots and inspirations, we go down memory lane with Juanes and the music that touched us all growing up.

BALLADS AND BOLEROS
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First Person
Smoulder Smoulder: My Secret Love of Luis Miguel

If you’ve never heard of Luis Miguel, you’ve been living an empty life. The Netflix series on the Mexican crooner, who is widely regarded as the most successful artist in Latin American history, literally bigger than Jesus, reignites powerful memories for LatinoLife’s editor. After watching the traumatic and tragic incidents in Luis Miguel's life, which even Mexico’s most extreme telenovela couldn’t make up, Amaranta Wright revisits a weird encounter with Latin America's biggest star in Buenos Aires back in 1996.

TROPICAL
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Tunes That Rock The Dance Floor
Hector Lavoe Tunes That Rock the Dancefloor

And we come to the man simply named 'La Voz' (The Voice). Considered by many as the greatest salsa singer ever, Hector Lavoe was a legend in Latin America, both in life and in death. His voice, charisma, stage presence and personality cemented him as the symbol and sound of New York's golden era of salsa and made him an icon. His collaborations with Willie Colon are all classics and his own albums are some of the best Salsa albums of his era. We could write a whole essay on his music! It was hard to choose only 10 songs, his repertoire is so complete and he pretty much delivered every time he did a recording! So we pay homage to "the Singer of Singers" and some of his most danceable songs!!

BRAZILIAN MUSIC
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Obituaries
The Wonderful World of Tim Maia

Back in the 1970s the deep velvety voice of Tim Maia sparked a revolution in Brazilian mainstream culture that went well beyond music, igniting the rise of the Black Rio movement. His bassy tone, resembling that of his funk and soul brothers in the US, expressed his desire to give black people in Brazil a voice. Sung about by contemporaries such as Jorge Ben and talked about by soul greats such as James Brown and Stevie Wonder, Tim Maia’s influence went beyond Brazil, and reverberated around the world. Here we celebrate that larger than life Brazilian singer still remembered and loved today

ALTERNATIVE
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In-depth Interviews
THE POWER OF NOW: An Interview with Cultura Profética

Cultura Profética is one of Puerto Rico's most influential bands. Formed in 1996, the group came to encapsulate what it is to be Latin Caribbean with its unique fusion of Caribbean reggae and Latin genres such as bossa nova, tango, jazz and salsa. Their polemical lyrics never shy from addressing socio-political and ecological issues, including Latin American identity and environmental concerns, as well as interpersonal relationships and love. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary with a world tour, we talk about music and politics with Puerto Rico’s most unique musical export ahead of its performance in London.

Classical, Jazz and Folk
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In-depth Interviews
Odd One Out

Hailed as one of the most promising jazz musicians of her generation, Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana is somewhat of an anomoly. Amaranta Wright meets Blue Note’s latest signing and discovers an incredible journey from a country with little jazz tradition to being the talk of the jazz world.

SPANISH
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Obituaries
Camarón de la Isla, Spanish Flamenco Singer (1950-1992)

Camarón de la Isla was considered by many as the gipsy god of flamenco. Today we remember his legacy and his legendary trajectory that left a mark in Spanish music history, leaving his memory to be respected with great zeal.

Reviews

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Ballads and Boleros
Ana Gabriel at Wembley Arena, London

London's Latin American community were out in force at Wembley on Friday, July 7, to welcome…

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LatinoLife 22 Confirms its Place as 'the UK'…

The only UK festival to be chosen for 'The Inclusive Festival Guide' compiled by European…

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Pasión del  Sur
Spanish Music
Southern Passion at the Cervantes Theatre

The Flamenco Festival London 2022, based at Sadler’s Wells (dance) and the Cervantes Theatre (music…

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Tropical Music
‘Signo de Fuego' by La Evolución

Inspired by the modern Havana sound of large-format Timba (Cuban salsa) orchestras featuring…

Most viewed

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Top 10s...
Top Ten Mexican Male Singers of all Time

Since the days when Mexico was a serious rival to Hollywood in terms of film production and quality…

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Top 10s...
Top 10 Female Reggaeton Artists

We may have come a long way since the days of overt misogyny in Urban Latin Music, but the industry…

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Top 10s...
TOP 10 Latin Hip Hop Artists

Dominated by Caribbean talent - from Venezuela and Puerto Rico to Cuba and the Dominican Republic…

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Top 10s...
TOP TEN Bachata Artists

With its hypnotic beat and heart-renching melodies, this Dominican music began to take the world…