
Aziza Brahim - born in Africa, schooled in Cuba, resident in Spain
Aziza Brahim's music adeptly travels the expanse between her Western Saharan roots and Barcelona, her current home. Aziza is a poet and an eloquent spokesperson for the Saharawi people and their ongoing struggle for…
Bolivia Clasica
Making her professional debut aged eight years old, a Gold Record aged eleven, and performing at the White House aged twelve, pianist Ana-Maria Vera has remained devoted to chamber music ever since, performing across the globe…
The Salsa Group that IS Cali - an interview wth Grupo Niche
It has been said that 'Grupo Niche IS Cali and Cali IS Niche', indeed Niche is the most significant band to come out of the Colombian cIty that is known as the 'Capital of Salsa' more, and arguably out of…
La Chiva se enganche!
La Chiva Gantiva are a heady mix of Colombian and Belgian musicians. With inspiration from Toto La Momposina and Afro Coloombian music, the six piece have turned into a fiery cultural sound clash full of life and colour. With a…
Camilo Menjura on life and LUKAS nominations
Camilo Menjura is certainly a very busy musician! The Bogota born multi-talented player is once again up for a LUKAS nomination, having won in two categories "Musician of the year" and "Community worker of the year…
Flamenco Fusion's Force of Nature
Ojos de Brujo's frontwoman and songwriter Marinah goes solo with her first album, Baile de las Horas, which she performs at Rich Mix in April."The change is what I needed: to get out of Ojos and do something different.…
El Emigrante: Javier Moreno on his Lukas nomination and life in the UK…
Javier Moreno currently resides in London, when I spoke to him on a lovely sunny morning he was off to work on his side project: a Catalan inspired café! Born in Barcelona from a Catalan mother and Andalusian father, Javier has…
Alma Antigua - The Young Guatalaman with Vintage Charm
Described by The New York Times as having a ‘tangy, bluesy voice with the feistiness of Edith Piaf,’ there is something definitely old-worldy about the Guatemalan singer-songwriter who has a Latin Grammy, tours with Ricardo…
What Happens When London Gospel goes Latin
The London Community Gospel Choir is a musical force to be reckoned with. With a career spanning over 30 years, and led by the dynamic and charismatic Bazil Meade, LCGC is known for its funky gospel flair, swing-beat, R’n'B…
The TransAtlantic Family
Family Atlantica are just that: a family. The band consists of British born Jack Yglesias, a producer and multi-instrumentalist, his wife Luzmira Zerpa, a Venezuelan traditional musician, singer and poet who has received…
The Fire Within
One of the most successful comedy actors of recent years, Nick Frost plays a depressed office worker in his latest film, who is forced to discover and unleash his ‘Cuban fury’ in order to overcome a bullying boss and …yes,…
The Legend Becomes The Teacher
Antonio Canales is considered one of the greatest Spanish Flamenco Dancers of all time. Once one of the world's biggest Flamenco celebrities, he now dedicates his time to choreography and teaching. Having given a week of…
Cuchi Cuchi all over the world
With over 20 years of acid-jazz influenced funky songs, cool riffs, and absurd lyrics Los Amigos Invisibles are one of the world's coolest cult outfits. Starting in the 1990s Chulius, Cheo, Odnam, Maurimix, Catire and…
FOUND IN TRANSLATION
In 2014 we awarded Osvaldo Ardiles The lifetime Achievement Award at the LUKAS. Why? Because this little Argentine is one of the most important figures in the history of Latin American football in the UK. Without Ossie, there…
Cuban Jazz, Simple As That!
Described as “one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the Twentieth Century” by the great Chucho Valdes himself, Cuban Jazz connoisseur and long time fan Royer Alfonso, talks to HIlario Durán ahead of his concert at Ronnie Scotts…
Paper Passion
Manolo Alcántara is one of the directors of Folds, the award-winning, paper-inspired play, combining circus-skills with live music, that visits the Southbank Centre from the 17th of December. Miriam Muñoyerro meets Spain's…
Sevilla's Firebrand
Maestra Carmen Iniesta is one of Sevilla's finest flamenco dancers and most sought-after teachers. Latinolife talks to her about flamenco's past, future, and how to experience the 'present' when dancing.
Filming Cuba
Next week sees the release of 'Day of the Flowers' - a comedy drama about two Scottish sisters travelling with their late father’s ashes to Cuba, and starring Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta. In this interview, BAFTA…
Cuba’s Magical Music Train (and its Driver)
How many musicians can boast a 40 year global music career? Cuba’s Juan Formell and Los Van Van are up there among the rare few, on a never ending Magical Mystery Train Journey which has them touring constantly around the world,…
North Brazil meets South London
Having collaborated with titans of Brazilian music such as Nana Vasconcelos, Gilberto Gil, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown and Hermeto Pascoal, as well as jazz legends Stanley Jordan and Joshua Redman, Letieres Leite, one of…
Butterfly Catching
In Madame Butterfly, the One Man Opera, the butterfly takes flight one more time as the abandoned son goes looking for his father in the US. Mexican born Ignacio Jarquin, who himself metamorphosised from Opera conductor to singer…
Travelling Heart
The new film Viramundo follows legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil on a musical journey from Bahia, Brazil to Australia, South Africa, and back to the Brazilian Amazon. It had its UK premier at Barbican in late…
Music Speaks
At only 46, Vicente Amigo is already considered a Flamenco legend and the greatest Spanish guitarist of his generation. Currently touring with his new album “Tierra” Vicente Amigo talks to Latino Life.
Revolutionary or Celebrity in the making?
Gordon Ramsey might not have read the script when he dubbed Omar Allibhoy ‘the Antonio Banderas of cooking’. But Hollywood looks can’t hurt and, as Emma Cory finds out, the reference takes little away from the chef on a genuine…
Lease of Life: an interview with Draco Rosa
Having made Ricky Martin's global career with the songs "Livin' La Vida Loca," "She Bangs" and "Shake Your Bon-Bon," Bobby Draco Rosa is considered Latin American music royalty. The two…
BUIKA THERAPY
Born of immigrants from Equatorial Guinea and growing up among Romani gypsies in Mallorca, Concha Buika has emerged to become Spain’s most unlikely Flamenco star. Yet her haunting, velvety voice, her sentimiento and chiselled…
Un-Dazzling the Gold
As The British Museum awaits over 200 hundred spectacular pre-Columbian gold objects from Bogotá’s Museo de Oro to exhibit in its ‘Beyond El Dorado’ exhibition, Colombians in London might be thinking of protesting rather than…
“Che had the voice of a brother”
Ciro Bustos was Che Guevara’s right-hand man in Argentina and survivor of Che’s Bolivia campaign. Once accused of betraying Che, in his new book ‘Che Wants to See You’ Ciro relates what really happened and his life beside the…
The Big Chill
Amaranta Wright meets the Argentine tennis giant Juan Martin de Potro, the youngest ever winner of the US Open, Wimbledon semi-finalist and 2-time Olympic medallist, and finds a refreshing focus on playing rather than being a…
The Revenge of the Latin Oldies
First there was Buena Vista, now there is Ondatrópica, a new Afro-Latin big band embracing the past, present and future of Colombia’s cumbia sound, and bringing to the global fore some of the greatest talents from the seventies…
Split Identity
Viggo Mortenson’s Argentine background (hence his perfect porteño accent) is unknown to most film fans. In this film, the actor famous for his role as Aragorn in Lord of The Rings, The Road and Eastern Promises embraces his ‘…
Cuba's New Musical Messiah
Once a decade there emerges a particular talent in Cuba that inspires a generation; and it is no exageration to place Alexander Abreu in that category. Ahead of his imminent debut concert in the UK with Cuba's hottest…
London's Unlikely Latin Hero
When they arrived at Tottenham Hotspurs in 1979, hot off their World Cup victory, Ricardo Villa and fellow Argentine Ossie Ardiles, were the first Latin Americans to play in English Football. Honoured at the 25th anniversary of…
Lenacay: A New Chapter
Ramón Giménez El Brujo talks to Latino Life about the transition from Ojos de Brujo to Lenacay.
Flamenco's Poetry in Motion?
Inspired by the purist Flamenco that he learnt from his teachers, Rafael Amargo, Spain’s most eclectic dancer and choreographer, was influenced by US contemporary dance schools such as the Martha Graham, while living in New York…