
From Rock to Reggaeton: Argentina’s Revolutionary Road
Once known for producing Latin America’s greatest rock icons, Argentina was forced to take a back seat as the tropical urban beats from the Caribbean conquered the Latin music market. Yet the recent success of “Bzrp Music…
Rebel with an Accordion
Self-taught Mexican singer and accordionist, Celso Piña, acquired the name ‘the rebel of the accordian’ in his native Mexico and is now considered a pioneer in his unique fusion of musica norteña, sonidero, cumbia ska, hip-hop…
Brave New Woman: An Interview with Nathy Peluso
Fiery and fearless, big and bold, Nathy Peluso aims to provoke. A woman’s woman, she creates characters and shape-shifts between styles, genres and languages; hiphop, R&B, salsa or jazz - nothing fazes this Spanish raised-…
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…
TIEMPOS DE GLORIA
From revolution, exile, immigration and hardship to becoming the world’s first ever mainstream Latina pop star. Gloria Estefan recounts her life to Amaranta Wright in an intimate interview that reveals the ecstasies, agonies and…
Mon Laferte Live in London
Mon Laferte warmed the EartH in Hackney at her London debut where the Chilean diva played, whilst launching her sixth Album launch 'Norma'
Remembering Luiz Melodia
A Carioca God of music, Brazil's black Orpheus, a master of Música Popular Brasileira (MPB); Luiz Melodia was like a rhapsode, always absorbing what was happening in the universe of music at that moment condensing rock,…
Gilberto Santa Rosa Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
Only a handful of Latino singers can boast the career of “The Gentleman of Salsa” Gilberto Santa Rosa. He has the voice, the improvisational skills, the longevity and the popularity. He has been creating hit after hit since the…
UK Latino Music Producers
With the UK Latin urban music scene boiling over into the mainstream, a generation of talented Latino producers are rising to the surface. Drawing on their diverse Latin American roots, London influences, and the talent and…
LATN LONDONER #11 Ana Maria Vera - Classical Pianist
An exceptionally talented Bolivian pianist and child prodigy Ana Maria Vera from her debut at the age of eight has enchanted audiences all over the world with her dazzling virtuosity. This is her story…
Top Ten Flamenco Legends
It's no surprise that a culture as old and fascinating as is Flamenco has its plethora of legends. As a mere starting point, here we introduce you to a few of those, so they can serve as just a starting point for…
Ismael Rivera Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
Ismael Rivera, el Sonero Mayor, the most popular salsa singer and the most accomplished sonero of his time! He was the embodiment of Puerto Rican music, Salsa's father figure and an inspiration to singers from NY to Colombia…
One Hundred Years of Nostalgia: The Great Astor Piazzolla
One hundred years ago today Astor Piazzolla one of the world’s most admired composers and musicians in the world, was born. A man whose transcended borders and revolutionised tango music forever. To this day his towering…
Things That Matter to...Mon Laferte
Mon Laferte is one of Latin America's most dynamic artists, unstoppable since releasing her album Mon Laferte Vol. 1 in 2015. Last year's Latin Grammy winner for Best Alternative Song for 'Amárrame', the young…
SON OF HIPHOP: An interview with Trueno
Of the dozens of artists being hailed as the ‘next big thing’ in Argentine urban music, one has caught our attention. The son of a true pioneer of Argentine hiphop, Trueno has grown up immersed in the genre: a technically…
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.
Mariza Canta Amália
Mariza, the singer that helped bring Fado into the 21st century pays tribute to the late Amália Rodrigues, the Queen of Fado, up there with the great voices of 20th century, in her latest album. Dr. Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho,…
JORGE SPITERI: The Father of Latin Funk
Signed to major record labels in the 1970s, Jorge Spiteri is considered by many to be the pioneer of Latin music in the UK. In Latin America, he is known as the godfather of Latin Funk, influencing a generation of bands, such as…
Composing History
There are few bands in the world that can claim a life at the top for almost 40 years: the Rolling Stones, Cuba’s Van Van, Venezuela’s Guaco. And Grupo Niche is another one of them - a household name in Colombia and among Salsa…
Camilo ‘Azuquita’ - A Black Man from Panama - (1945-2022)
He was the daddy of salsa singers, the ultimate papichulo with his crisp swagger and style and one of our favourite salsa singers of all time. Luis Camilo Argumédez had a voice like honey that was so distinctive, so sweet and…
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs in London
Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (aka LFC) set the place on fire for almost two hours non-stop at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London on Friday.
Latin Londoner no.31: Angelo Flow, Reggaeton Artist
22-year old Angelo Quesini, known as 'Angelo Flow’, is a reggaetón artist born in Valencia, Venezuela. After living in Italy for three years, he came to London, and decided to stay. And the luck might be ours for the word on…
Remembering Rodolfo Aicardi
Blessed with an unusual voice, which exuded passion and raw emotion, an era of great songs that connected with audiences every day lives, and a magnetic charisma, Rodolfo Aicardi was one of Colombia’s biggest Cumbia stars of the…
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…
LATIN LONDONER #24 - Baldo Verdu - band leader
Once described as 'a Latin-swing-coup-d’état by a guy who was clearly out of his mind', this songwriter, guitarist and percussionist hails from one of Venezuela’s most illustrious Afro-folk musical families. Baldo’s…
Do Bad Bunny Music Videos Spell the Future?
Officially the world’s most popular artist: 26-year-old Puerto Rican vocalist Bad Bunny, streamed more than 8.3bn times this year on Spotify alone. With 3 chart-topping, history-making albums in 2020 alone, Bad Bunny is on track…
The Brit-Latin Underground
Photographer Alicia Colarusso delves into the underground Latin music scene in London to capture the essence of five up-and-coming artists - Fluffy, Luisa Santiago, Guala, A Nahomy and P Man – all born or bred in the capital or…
Reggaeton artists to host virtual shows amidst coronavirus crisis
As the virus crisis continues to deepen, social gatherings and live events have been forced to be cancelled or postponed...
Reggaeton Revolution: 20 years of UK Urban Latin Culture
Back in 2004, when the UK music industry was ignoring reggaetón and Maluma was in nappies, LatinoLife produced the UK’s first ever Reggaetón and Latin Hiphop Festival, giving a platform to young UK-Latin kids bursting to show…
SALSA IS BACK! (But it Never Went Away)
Over the past few months, the world has seen its biggest reggaetón artists, Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro, go back to their roots with salsa releases, in a nod to the Puerto Rican legends that made them. Despite the rise of…
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…
Things That Matter to...Yilian Cañizares
With two acclaimed albums, 2013's self-produced 'Ochumare' and 2015's 'Invocación', Yilian Cañizares is considered one of the most exciting and innovative jazz musicians of her generation. This young…
Clementina, Where Are You?
In Brazil, Cinderella has a different name - Clementina. Clementina de Jesus worked for decades as a maid before being discovered, at the age of 62, by a record producer and composer named Herminio Bello de Carvalho. With the…
'La Llorona' Chavela Vargas (Milan records)
A finely curated “best of” and a great introduction to the world of the iconic ranchera singer.
Girl on a Mission
Old soul, 90s style Hip-Hop and modern Trap, all shaped by the band of an Argentine alternative-rock legend? Intriguing to say the least. And that is precisely the way you can describe the shape-shifting 25-year-old, Argentine-…