
Things That Matter to...Luiz Morais
Composer, arranger and 7-string guitarist Luiz Morais was born in Fortaleza, Brazil. Based in London since 201, the 32 year-old Brazilian is a unique voice in contemporary Jazz guitar and a virtuoso performer. Graduated in…
Retracing Galeano’s Open Veins
‘Gold, Oil and Avocados, A Recent History of Latin America in Sixteen Commodities’ by Andy Robinson is an account of export extractivism in Latin America. Robinson argues that to understand the major political upheavals in Latin…
Facundo Cabral - Argentine singer-songwriter, philosopher and writer (1937 - 2011)
Described as a ‘worldwide messenger of peace’ by the United Nations, and a voice of protest against Argentina’s military dictatorship from 1976 to 1982, Cabral remains one of Latin America’s most celebrated folk musicians.
WANT TO WORK FOR LATINOLIFE?
Are you a journalist or aspiring journalist who is passionate about Latin, Spanish and Portuguese culture? If so LatinoLife is the place for you. We’re looking for a brilliant junior editor to join the Latino Life editorial team…
The Good Boss (El Buen Patrón 2021) by Spanish director Fernando León de Aranoa
The delightful comedy 'The Good Boss' is being screened at the Riverside Cinema from July 15th- 2022. It was shown at the 2021 BFI London Film Festival following its première at the 2021 San Sebastian International…
Felipe Pirela 'The Bolerista of the Americas' (1941 - 1972)
Dying tragically at the untimely age of 31, Felipe Pirela was considered one of the most promising and celebrated boleristas of his day and the first Venezuelan to sell over a million records.
CLARA SOLA (2021) by Swedish/Costa Rican director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
The film Clara Sola (2021)which will be on general release from November 18-2022, first opened at the Cannes Director’s Fortnight in July 2021 and has already received 17 wins and 20 nominations. After being in the Dare Strand at…
Reclaiming Tango: an interview with Maia Castro
Quality and passion never go out of fashion and the wonder of tango is that, though one of the most traditional music genres in Latin America, it keeps evolving and producing new and exciting singers. One of those is singer-…
CUÑADOS (2021) by Toño López
Screened at the 2021 London Spanish Film Festival, ‘CUÑADOS’ (Brothers- in- Law 2021) is a delightful caper in the local language by Galician director Toño López and a great tonic for a cold autumn evening. Eduardo and his…
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmão (2019) Directed by Karim Aïnouz.
‘THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURIDICE GUSMÃO’ (2019) is a dramatic melodrama that delves into how family bonds and betrayals can affect people’s lives for years. Set in Rio de Janeiro in 1950, Eurídice, 18, and Guida, 20, are two…
Azor (2021) by Andreas Fontana
‘Smell Fear like a Dog’. Andreas Fontana’s film AZOR (2021) showing at the BFI London Film Festival is a slow-burning thriller that enters the murky waters of Private Banking in Argentina during the Dirty War.
Río Turbio: women marginalised by the mine
Filmmaker and archivist Tatiana Mazú González sheds light on the role of women in the Río Turbio miner’s struggle
Arcangel's Latest Album: Los Favoritos 2.5
The legendary Arcangel does it once again with this latest album Los Favoritos 2.5 filled with 15 songs. This album is not one to sleep on! It gives you the old school reggaeton vibes mixed with a few tracks with he new school…
‘No one should be buried in a place where you can’t leave flowers…’
No one was more surprised or moved than the author Juan Alberto Salvatierra when, in 1985, he heard on the radio that Joe Strummer, the legendary front man of The Clash was, with musician Jesús Arias, in an olive grove in Granada…
Top 10 Salsa Hits of the Noughties
As lovers of Salsa here at LatinoLife, we've been loving putting together a Top 10 series on Salsa Hits of the decades, from the golden era of the 70s, through salsa romantica and erotica of the 80s, the big hitters of the…
Surrogate Latina #8: Ana Csergö, leader of Las Adelitas
From Back To Black to the Green, White and Red of Mexico's national colours, Las Adelitas is headlining this year's Mexico's Independence Day celebrations in London. Named after the brave women who took up arms…
Latin Londoners #42: REYKO, Electronic Music Duo
The London based electronic music outfit REYKO is made up of Soleil and Igor, both from Spain. The duo first began capturing attention with several viral songs surpassing overall 40 million streams, and breaking through to…
Reggaetón’s Songsmith
Justin Quiles is not your average reggaetón star. The US-born Puerto Rican is not only one of the hottest urban singers out there, with over five billion combined streams, but also one of the most sought after songwriters in…
Brazil: Independence Celebrations Mark a Day of Divisions, over Unity
Clorrie Yeomens reflects on the trauma and mixed feelings that Brazilian Independence Day conjures up for many Brazilians
Latino, Made in London
María Victoria Cristancho reports on the moment a major global record label decided to invest in the very first UK label dedicated to nurturing Latin talent and finding the next global superstar, singing Spanish and talking…
Inside Rome’s Operation Condor Trial: An Interview with Dr Francesca Lessa
On 8 July 2021 in Rome, Italy’s Supreme Court charged 14 former officials and military personnel with the murder of Italian citizens in South America during Operation Condor. Oxford academic, Dr Francesca Lessa, and MPhil student…
Strawberry and Chocolate (Fresas y chocolate- Cuba 1993)
Strawberry and Chocolate is a delightful 1993 film by Cuban directors Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio. It is being screened as part of the CASA FESTIVAL 2021 which will run throughout September 2021. The festival…
‘SON OF MONARCH’ (Hijo de Monarcas) written and Directed by Alexis Gambis - Mexico/ US 2020
A collage of memories and events fragment like dreams when they collide with reality, in French-Venezuelan’s director Alexis Gambis’ film ‘SON OF MONARCH’ 2020.
Clara Nunes, A Guerreira.
Some consider Clara Nunes to be the greatest samba and MPB singer of her generation. She was the first female singer in Brazil to sell over 100,000 copies of a record,with "Tristeza Pé No Chão" and her achievements…
Things That Matter to...Coco Maria
A self-described 'selectora' and the only resident Latin DJ on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM radio station, Coco Maria works in a vastly male dominated environment. The Mexican born DJ just DJ'ed for…
EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF (2020) dramatic documentary directed by Mo Scarpelli
“The root of all shades of machismo is fear, the root of family is love. In ‘EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF’ this fear and love collide.”
Reggaeton Legend: Julio Voltio
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Julio Ramos (Julio Voltio), became of the most well-known reggaeton artists of the mid-2000s, Voltio worked his way up the ranks for many years, expanding his reach with his successful releases.
Atlantic Records UK and ADA UK partner with new Latin music label CANDELA RECORDS
The first time there is a partnership with a UK based Latino music label
Re-Birth of the Cool
For a long time, salsa music was the music of the street and, when we think of the ‘Golden Age the Salsa’ of the ‘70s and ‘80s, we think of cool. The ascendance of bachata and reggaetón seemed to mark the end of salsa’s reign…
Maya Da-Rin, award-winning Brazilian film director of ‘The Fever’ (2019)
“They don’t know how to look into dreams, they have big eyes but they only see what is in front of them.” Brazilian filmmaker Maya Werneck Da-Rin is a bubbly, energetic, resourceful and creative person with a huge talent. Moved…
Neo Perreo: the Fusion of Reggaeton and a Dark Liberating Fantasy
Who’d have thought that a girl from a remote town in northern Chile, would put a new dance movement on the global map? As reggaetón continues to dominate the world with its catchy beat and sexualised imagery, every country has…
Latina Homegrown
Sweetness, strength, ambition and beauty are the words that encapsulate this unique group of talent trying to break through the many barriers of London's difficult world of urban music. What’s the biggest challenge; as women…
Top 10 90s Salsa Hits (part 2)
Last week, as part of our series on salsa hits of the decades, we brought you our selection of the best '90s salsa, with artists like Luis Enrique, Tito Rojas, Victor Manuelle, Jerry Rivera, DLG and Orchestra Guayacan. But…
‘THE FEVER’ (A Febre -2019) by Brazilian director Maya Da-Rin -
“Like a hunter with no prey”- The multi-award winning ‘THE FEVER’ has a haunting, dreamy quality. We are immediately immersed in the quiet, alienated world of the protagonist, who is surrounded by an environment dominated by…
Things That Matter to...Amaro Freitas
From the slums of Recife in Brazil's North-East to international jazz icon, Amaro Freitas has earned the music world's attention for "an approach to the keyboard so unique that it's startling" (Downbeat…