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THE ONLY WAY IS UP
It has been a rollercoaster few years for the Grammy award-winning singer, but now Lila Downs is appreciating life more than ever, she tells Elizabeth Mistry
Not Another Play About War
Bringing real life British and Argentine veterans of the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War to the stages of London and Brighton, Lola Arias is soon to create a ground-breaking theatrical experience. Latinolife talks exclusively to this…
In Praise of The Bandeja Paisa
Latinolife’s Latina Cook basks in the glory of a full Colombian Breakfast
Chasing Butterflies
Victoria Kellaway visits the birthplace of Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel Prize winner, pioneer of Magical Realism and Colombia’s most famous writer.
TOP 10 DISCOS FUENTES VINYLS
When it comes to Colombian Music, Discos Fuentes is the daddy. Since 1934 this seminal label has been home to some of Colombia’s biggest commercial artists, yet it was never afraid of the experimental and the weird. When it came…
Lucuma smoothie
Lúcuma is an amazing Superfood from Peru, it’s full of potassium with bright yellow coloured flesh and tastes a bit like maple syrup! So much so that it’s often used as a natural sweetener… Lúcuma has a very low Glycemic index,…
Things we love about...Colombia
Colombia is a country bursting at the seams with extraordinary natural beauty, vibrant music, fantastic food, white (and black!) sand beaches, world-class diving, and endlessly friendly courteous people. Now, it even has a Peace…
The Blue Line to Cali
Mirca Moreira revels in the short London journey that quenches her craving for a little piece of Colombia.
The Accidental Hero
Once a struggling rock star in Bogotá, Carlos Vives became a national symbol almost overnight by fusing Colombia’s traditional vallenato rythmns with modern rock and pop. As if to represent the unity of a country in conflict, the…
Top Ten Traditional Latin American Dishes
The ComidaFest team give us a tasting journey through the most popular and delicious culinary goodies of Latin American cuisine, from awsome Arepas to yummy Churros, a delicious Churrasco, Tamales and Empanadas,
The UK's Top Colombian Movers and Shakers
Take a trip to Elephant and Castle or Seven Sisters’ indoor market and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d been transported to Colombia. Salsa blaring out of little shops, couples dancing between tables in mid-afternoon,…
The UK's Top Colombian Creatives
The contribution of Colombian immigration to UK culture is impossible to ignore. As far back as 1975, Guardian writer Richard Williams described the Monday night when salsa king Héctor Lavoe took to the stage in a grotty London…
Things you should know about Latin American Oscar Triumphs
Do you remember the days when Latino artists weren’t allowed to sing their songs on mainstream TV because ratings would drop? I know right? Hard to imagine, but it did…Back in 2005, when Jorge Drexler was nominated for an Oscar…
Mexico Unlimited
Amaranta Wright basks in the stunning combination of ancient civilisations and Caribbean luxury in a family trip to the Yucatán peninsular, combining road trip adventure and resort comforts.
Latin Hip Hop Artists of all time
Dominated by Caribbean talent - from Venezuela and Puerto Rico to Cuba and the Dominican Republic – Latin America has produced some of the most exciting Hip Hop artists of the last decades. Ticking the boxes of commercial…
Love Is (Not) All You Need?
Some say that people of all cultures use the word ‘love’ to describe a feeling they get when someone meets their needs. In the view, we invest emotions in what is in fact a transactional affair. So what is love between Cubans and…
LATIN LONDONER #16 Fernando Montaño - Royal Ballet Dancer
Originally from the city of Buena Aventura on the Pacific coast of Colombia, dancer Fernando Montaño is now a soloist with the Royal Ballet. Twice a winner of the LUKAS Personality of the Year (2013 and 2014), Fernando has…
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…
Quinoa Porridge
So this recipe is a bowl of deliciousness, and again another “accidentally vegan” recipe hailing from Peru. Quinoa is full of protein and is the perfect start to the day…. unlike regular porridge which can be a bit stogy and has…
Beyond Andean
Few people think of heading to Peru for Christmas. But, as Amaranta Wright finds out, summer in Lima and its amazing coastline, Machu Picchu without the crowds and jungle experience without the heat, conspire make Christmas a…
Top Ten Latin Bars in London
Want to do Christmas the Latin way? Try some of London's best Latin bars, from glamourous to ghetto chic, no one does drinks and festive fun better than Latinos. Here is Latinolife's definitive list...
The World of Spanish Belénes
Christmas - a time for glittering trees, flashing lights and endless feasts. In Spain, whilst its biggest celebration of ‘Los Reyes’ falls on the 6th of January - with crowds lining the streets and children perched on their…
Gastronomical Orbit
Virgilio Martinez' restaurant, Central, was recently ranked fourth in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sealing the stratospheric rise of Peruvian cuisine as well as his own soaring reputation as a chef and restaurateur. But…
Seven Things To Do In..... Cuba, Before It Changes
Cuba is one of the hottest travel destinations right now and many travel publications have rushed to come up with their lists of what to do and see in Cuba. As a Cuban-born travel expert living in London, Susana Corona lists her…
Brazil Beyond Belief
“There is just so much space here!” was one of the most recurring thoughts I had on my trip to Brazil. Perhaps a pretty basic observation given I was visiting the largest country in Latin America. Yet my poor brain, accustomed…
The Art of Being Bi-cultural
Migration has always been part of human history and always will. Even those who thought they had one cultural identity, are the product of centuries of migration. Where localised migration may have mixed peoples of similar colour…
Order Within Chaos
Desorden Publico is arguably Venezuela’s most loved band. A kind of Rolling Stones meets Madness with a tropical vibe that has been rocking generations in Latin America. Jose Luis Seijas meets the legendary band in Caracas on…
Top Ten Artists of Canción Social
Some of the most beautiful melodies and inspiring music ever to come out of Latin America were part of the Canción Social movement of the 1970s and 1980s. As democratic and revolutionary movements were being ruthlessly crushed,…
Radical Beauty
Every now and then, someone special emerges through the cracks in the music industry monolith to grab listeners’ attention. Marta Gómez is one of those artists. Her authentic sound, her story-telling and meaningful lyrics have…
Brazil's Social Realism?
If Ken Loach were Brazilian, he may well have made a film like this. THE SECOND MOTHER is about a set of social rules which have been in place in Brazilian and Latin American culture since colonial times, and which continues to…
NORTHERN SOUL
Travelling independently is the best way to see the natural beauty of the Dominican Republic, says Elizabeth Mistry
Top Ten Salsa DJs in the UK
As everyone who loves dancing knows, the DJ holds the key to making a great night on that dance floor. And Salsa is no exception. Here is Latinolife's guide to the best salsa DJs in the UK. Follow them and you'll be…
Reinas, Princesas and First Ladies: Salsa’s Women
Salsa music may be known as a tool to seduce women, but the flow swings the other way too. Here are some of Salsa’s greatest soneras who bewitched audiences and proved their talent in a world dominated by male leads.
Salsa’s Unsung Heroes
Ever since the days of Mozart, the most talented artists and innovators who provided the very stuff that made their music cool, were often exploited in their lifetimes and died in poverty, their genius unrecognised and their work…
THE FANIA GENERATION
Jose Luis reflects on the importance of Fania, the iconic 1970s New York record label that created the Salsa brand, and the identity it forged for Latinos all over the world. It left not only a musical legacy but had a…
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