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‘Los Conductos’ (2020) Directed by Camilo Restrepo
Colombian experimental filmmaker, writer and director Camilo Restrepo, known for 5 award-winning short films, including ‘La Bouche 2015’, has won the Berlinale’s GWFF Best First Feature Award with his ópera prima ‘Los Conductos…
10 Black Heroes of Colonial Latin America
Many of these heroic figures in the building of Latin America were confined to the anals of history. It wasn’t easy to find them, but once we started digging we found so many that we have only been able to mention a few. All…
Rafael Cortijo - musician, orchestra leader and composer (1928-1982)
There is a before and after in Puerto Rican music and his name is Rafael Cortijo. A self taught percussionist, what Cortijo lacked on musical education he made up in flavour and vision. With his compadre Ismael Rivera, Cortijo…
Human Rights Defenders in Colombia
Each day, human rights defenders speak out for the rights of others. And each day they risk their livelihoods, their liberty and in many cases their lives. As attacks, abductions, and assassinations increase in Latin America, we…
Chile: The Right, Victor Jara and a Crucial Plebiscite
According to polls, the majority of the Chilean public favours changing the Pinochet constitution, yet as the Piñera government attempts to repair the economy by rapidly moving the country out of lock-down, the campaign to oppose…
Tito Nieves Tunes that Rock The Dance Floor
"El Pavarotti de la Salsa" as he is also known, Tito Nieves is one of the best voices of Salsa, no doubt. With a fantastic career that started in the late ’70s, Tito has managed to stay relevant and active, keeping his…
Spotlight on... Eladio Carrión
Eladio Carrión has been defined as a trap singer, but he has been seen engaging in R&B, Reggaeton and even Dancehall in “Lluvia”. He has gained great popularity in the industry thanks to his character and explicit lyrics…
BELFONSO - A Story of Love and Betrayal
Belfonso is a powerful tableau-video tale of love, jealousy, rage and betrayal played out between three dwarf characters. It is the result of an artistic collaboration between Argentine painter Ricardo Cinalli and the Argentine…
Carlos Gardel (1890 - 1935)
Carlos Gardel was the world’s first and, arguably, only Global Tango Star. Songs such a ‘El Dia que me Quieras’ and his presence on screen not only made him a global icon but, aided the careers of countless other singers over the…
Things You Should Know About...Brazilian Cinema
It is fascinating that although all the Latin American countries discovered the magic of moving pictures at around the same time, thanks to the pioneering work of the Lumière Brothers in 1895- 1896, the trajectory of their…
Brazil: September 7 — A Day of Death
Distinguished Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum writes regularly for the Spanish newspaper El Pais. Her latest article is a cry of grief and rage at what President Bolsonaro and his followers have done to their country. She agues…
Surrogate Latina #4: Despina VIolari - dancer
Cyprus-born dancer Despina had been accumulating admirers on the Salsa scene for several years before getting to show off her grace and talent on the West End stage as part of the dance ensemble of 'On Your Feet'. She…
Spotlight on...Lyanno
Latin urban artist on the rise inspired by contemporary R&B stars such as Trey Songz and the Weeknd, Lyanno became one of Puerto Rico's rising artists in 2018 with featured appearances on hits including Alex Rose's…
Things You Should Know about...Jazz Greats of Latin America
Recently we produced a list of Latin Jazz greats, but many of the finest Jazz musicians from Latin America use neither la clave, nor the ostinato patterns nor the afro-cuban rythmns that we associate with Latin Jazz. The…
Things You Should Know About...The Madres y Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo
Under the Argentine military dictatorship of 1976-1983, an estimated 30,000 people disappeared. What do you mean 'disappeared' we hear you ask? Literally, people – some armed opposition to the Junta, but most just…
Bola de Nieve (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971)
Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, nicknamed Bola de Nieve (snowball) - pianist, singer and songwriter - was one of the most charismatic cultural figures of his times. Black and gay, and self-confident with it, he disarmed his…
Covid-19 in Latin America – Update 13, 25 August
The incidence of coronavirus and the responses of governments and local communities. Update No.13.
Marcos Valle'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 Marcos Valle, one of the most important and popular artists in the history of…
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…
Things You Should Know About...Chilean Cinema
Chilean cinema is on a high at the moment with directors such as Pablo Larrain and Sebatian Lelio creating some of the most original and critically acclaimed works of the day, but it has had a tumultuous past. Although Chilean…
Spotlight on... Gigolo & La Exce
Ronald Rafael Tejeda Santos and Jean Carlos Ferreira Suero, artistically known as Gigolo and La Exce formed the reggaeton, trap and urban music duo from San Juan, Puerto Rico, famous for the singles such as "Nasty,"…
Things That Matter to… Joao del Monte
We came across Joao del Monte a year ago through a video that went viral of him improvising in a bar in Spain with flamenco singer Daniel Peña “Deni.” The music-making chemistry between the two, with Joao mixing in his cuban…
Yerba Mate: A Gringa’s Guide
A gringa living in Argentina describes the joys of discovering Yerba Mate, and the social hurdles to overcome in between!
Grupo Tromboranga: The Art of Re-Invention
The Barcelona-based salsa-dura outfit Tromboranga seemingly came out of nowhere when they first exploded onto the music scene in 2011 with hit singles such as ‘Agua que va caer’. From then onwards the group has become the most…
Me and my namesake, Vinicius de Moraes
Vinicius de Carvalho, appointed Director of King's Brazil Institute, pays tribute to the man he was named after, Vinicius de Moraes, one of the most important figures in modern Brazilian music. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for…
No One is Above the Law: an interview with the man investigating Alvaro Uribe
On August 4th former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe was detained by the Colombian Supreme Court, following an investigation spearheaded by human rights lawyer Reinaldo Villalba; the first ever instance of a former president…
La India Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
We pay tribute to Linda Viera Caballero AKA La India, in our humble opinion, one of the greatest Latina singers in the world. A true Nuyoroican, La India burst onto the scene in the 90s. Formerly part of the NY House music…
Spotlight on... Catalyna
With her distinctive voice, Catalyna is a singer-songwriter from Puerto Rico who has not been on our radar yet until today. the 21-year-old has dropped back-to-back bangers. such as “Alma Desnuda Remix,” featuring Colombian…
Brazilian 'Estrogonofe'
Strogonoff or 'Estrogonofe', in Brazilian Portuguese, is a version of the classic Russian Beef Stroganoff. This sweet and sour dish is popular all around the world, and in Nordic countries stroganoff is a must-have on…
Cumbia Feminism?
What is Acid Coco? You surely are asking. Acid Coco is that first sip of Colombian coffee in the morning to get the day started right. Acid Coco is taking a stroll through ‘El Tayrona’ watching the sunset, making you feel in tune…
Luis Alberto Spinetta, Icon of Argentine Rock, 1950 - 2012
We pay homage to El Flaco (The skinny one), a man who revolutionised the music scene of Argentina forever with his unique sound, eccentricity and talent and, in doing so, captured the nation’s heart.
LATIN LONDONER #30: Daniel Carbonero, dancer
Born in Malaga, Spain Daniel Carbonero is a professional dancer, choreographer, model and actor. After 16 years of intense training and dance competitions in Spain Daniel moved to London and founded the Carbonero Dance Academy,…
Cheo Feliciano Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
When it comes to salsa greatness very few people are on the same level of Cheo Feliciano. He can only be compared with the very best salsa singers and no better proof of his quality was the fact that he delivered hits in the 60…
Spotlight On... Farina
Colombian singer and songwriter Farina was one of the first artists to do Reggaeton in her country. After Shakira, she was the second Colombian artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Her singles are a melting pot of…
Human Rights Defenders in Honduras
Each day, human rights defenders speak out for the rights of others. And each day they risk their livelihoods, their liberty and in many cases their lives. As attacks, abductions, and assassinations increase in Latin America, we…
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