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LatinoLife - The UK's First Latina-run National Portfolio Organisation
In April 2023 LatinoLife became the UK's first and only Latina-run National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), selected to be part of the UK government's ‘most varied and ambitious’ portfolio of NPOs. In being chosen as one…
Music City Guide: Medellin
Medellin, the Colombian city ringing with music and undeniably an epicentre of Reggaeton worldwide, with J Balvin, Maluma, Karol G, Camilo and many more Urban artists all born there, has always been a city of music lovers. Not…
Reggaeton Legends: Tego Calderón
From Santurce, Puerto Rico, raised in Carolina and Miami, FL, rapper Tego Calderón got the courage to become a star in the genre-mixing world of reggaeton. He grew up in Río Grande and Carolina, areas that maintain some of the…
The Queen of Quechua Pop Grows Up
Back in 2018, Renata Flores Rivera burst onto the international music map with her cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ in Quechua, the indigenous language of the Incas. The video received almost two million…
A Brief History of Latin Music in London
Notwithstanding the cheesy album covers and the pastiche distortions of Latin dance on BBC’s Strictly’, London has had a long and idiosyncratic affair with Latin culture. From the hi-flying success of Edmundo Ros’ Latin Big Band…
Spotlight on...Cazzu
Cazzu has been dubbed the Queen of Argentine Trap, bringing to the forefront the trap movement in Argentina alongside other artists.She is one of the few women in the male-dominated trap scene.
Here Come the Reggaetoneras
The crude origins of Reggaeton, from videos verging on soft porn and misogynistic lyrics, have been toned down in recent years in the industry's quest to make the genre moe commercial. At the same time, female Reggaeton…
Rels B
From Rosalia, to C Tangana, it's clear that there's a new wave of Spanish talent in town.
Carlos Marín: Il Divo’s non-Diva
Il Divo was brought together by Simon Cowell in 2003 and, since then, the multi-national quartet, made up of Urs Buhler from Switzerland, Frenchman Sebastien Izambard, American David Miller and Carlos Marin from Spain, have sold…
We Love Toña la Negra (1912 –1982)
Mexico has never been short of fantastic singers and to become considered as a singing star in the country, you have to be great and Toña La Negra was one of the greatest singers Mexico has given to the world. An Afro-Mexican of…
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.
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.
Simón Díaz (1928-2020)
When it comes to Venezuelan music, you cannot get any better than Simón “Tío Simon” Díaz. The original creator of Caballo Viejo, the Latin American standard that has been recorded by some many great and was also used as the bases…
Five Latin Reasons to Love...Breaking Bad
You don't have to be a fan of the latest hit series, Breaking Bad, about a science teacher turned Crystal Meth manufacturer, to appreciate the seriously great Latin music it features. The music supervisor, Thomas Golubić…
Roberto Carlos
John Armstrong attempts to synthesise the enduring appeal of Latin America’s most successful artist.
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…
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…
THE GREAT LATINA DIVAS
Nobody does Diva like a Latina, and in a music industry dominated by machismo and male leads, you damn well have to know how to be one, with charm included, to get ahead. Some of our Divas have great voices, others electrifying…
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…
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…
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…
Divine Sensuality: The Genius of Juan Luis Guerra
From his lyrics that verge on magical realism, to his intensely sensual melodies and his relationship with God, we praise the undecipherable enigma that is Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s most sublime music makers and…
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…
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…
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 their rightful place. Here are those who have done so, and whose blood, guts and passion can be heard in their sets that sing with…
Bebel Gilberto: Mother of Bossa Electronica
Being daughter to the legendary Joao Gilberto was quite a shadow to step out of. But over a remarkable 40-year career of her own, the multi-Grammy nominated and winning singer Bebel Gilberto became her own star with compositions…
Our Top Ten Favourite Venezuelan Albums
Venezuela is Latin Music's best kept secret. On top its rich tapestry of Afro-Caribbean influences, Venezuela was a mecca to immigrants from all over the world and, as opposed to Cuba, the influence of American pop helped to…
Maluma
Recently making he big London splash at London's SSE Wembley arena, Maluma has joined an elite band of Latin artists such as Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, who can fill London arenas. He is the…
Should we Boycott Narcocorridos?
Sarah Quarmby delves into the gory culture that surrounds increasingly popular Mexican drug ballads.
Lenny Tavárez
Lenny Tavárez enters the urban genre not only with a great track record but with a distinct motion, expressing the power of youth that characterises him ,his music and a whole generation. After several successful singles and…
Passage of Time: an Interview with Paco Peña
As guitarist, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor Paco Peña has transformed perceptions of Flamenco since his arrival in the UK in the late 1960s. Fusing his own Andalusian heritage with London influences, there is…
El Gran Combo Tracks That Rock the Dance Floor
We pay homage to El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, arguably the world's most popular Latin band ever. Filling dance floors around the globe for almost 60 years, It's is much more than a salsa band, but a cultural…
Ten Reasons to Love Juan Gabriel
The songs of Juan Gabriel, one of Latin America’s most important singer-songwriters who died this week, have become anthems, re-recorded by the biggest current and former pop stars, such as Marc Anthony, Rocio Durcal, Juanes and…
Celia Cruz Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
There are so many things to say about Celia Cruz: she was the number 1 Latin-Caribbean singer before, during and after the Salsa boom; she was as good a “sonera” as the greatest “soneros” of her time, her stage precedes was…
Latin Londoner #41: Sonia Bernardo, Singer Songwriter
Sonia is a British-Portuguese singer/songwriter that has been pricking ears with her powerful soulful voice, tinged with a Fado weep, mixed with Bossa-Nova simplicity and jazzy embellishments. Bernardo caught the attention of…
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