Films to Watch Before You Die #5: 'Palomita Blanca' by Raúl Ruiz
CHILE IN VIEW - Palomita Blanca (Little White Dove) A teenage love affair in times of civil unrest and military dictatorship. Our fifth entry of “Latin American films you should watch before you die” is one of the most…
QUEEN OF LEON
Gabriela Garcia, the Mexican actress currently starring in the London musical In The Heights talks theatre, tacos and Trump with Elizabeth Mistry
LOVIN’ LATIN LONDON - The Artists
We are used to celebrating the great Latin artists who are brought to exhibit their work in London, but what about the plethora of talent bred or residing in the UK? London’s Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese communities are…
'Alcarràs' (2022) Dir. Carla Simón
Shot at the height of the Pandemic in 2021 in Alcarràs, an area in the province of Lleida, on the border between Catalonia and Aragon, Carla Simon’s moving film ‘Alcarràs’ (2022) is a stark picture of the Solé family fighting the…
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,…
Historic Beat Battle: Tainy Vs. Luny
As the government’s guidelines to quarantine are extended, creatives all around the globe have taken their hidden and not-so-hidden talents to the gram.
BBC’s STORYVILLE has found a quiet gem with ‘INHERITING THE CASTLE (2023)’ by Argentine director Martin Benchimol.
Inheriting the Castle (2023) is the moving and gentle tale of 60- year-old Justina and her 20-year-old- drum- mad daughter Alexia, who inherit a mansion, deep in the Argentine pampas.
'La Llorona' Chavela Vargas (Milan records)
A finely curated “best of” and a great introduction to the world of the iconic ranchera singer.
LATIN LONDONER #63 - Díana Bermudez, Actor
A fiercely multi-faceted performer, Díana made history as the first Colombian actress to feature in a Marvel series, playing Yatzil in 'Moon Knight' opposite Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. Closer to home, she was part of…
Belize: Punta Gorda, a forgotten district
Maya and Garifuna communities are resisting over-zealous national park regulation and encroaching oil exploration. Rachel Simon explores indigenous land rights and social issues in southern Belize over three blog posts. Rachel…
LATIN LONDONER #29: Julia Ruiz Fernández, dancer
Julia Ruiz Fernández is one of those rare dancers who traverses the world of Latin dance and ballet. Born in Málaga, Spain, she graduated in Contemporary dance and Ballet before training with the prestigious Alicia Alonso company…
THE POWER OF NOW: An Interview with Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética is one of Puerto Rico's most influential bands. Formed in 1996, the group came to encapsulate what it is to be Latin Caribbean with its unique fusion of Caribbean reggae and Latin genres such as bossa nova…
In the shadow of Lorca
The poems of Federico Garcia Lorca have touched and inspired people and poets worldwide. Yet his passion, defiance to oppression and his unique vision of Andalucía as a tolerant fusion of cultures makes him particularly special…
El Pirata's 'Black Rice'
From one of London's oldest and finest Spanish restaurants, El PIrata's head chef Rosendo Simbana, divulges the secrets of his signature dish
Things That Matter to...La Chica
Uniting Paris Belleville and Merida, Sophie Fustec was born in Paris to a French father and Venezuelan mother. Between visits to Merida, Sophie studied violin and then piano, for 13 years in the conservatory and then sound…
LATIN LONDONER #58 - Lorena Andrea, Actor
Hot off her role as Perla in Disney’s 2023 musical romantic fantasy ‘The Little Mermaid,’ London-born Colombiana Lorena Andrea is best known for her role as Sister Lilith in the Netflix fantasy series 'Warrior Nun'.…
Omar Allibhoy's Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms
I have always been a big fan of mushrooms in all their forms – from taking long walks with family to pick wild mushrooms, to cooking them in many ways at home. This recipe is packed full of tastiness.
LATIN LONDONER #53 - Jimena Larraguivel, Actor, Writer
Mexican actor Jimena Larraguivel has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company twice - first in 2018, in a musically devised piece about the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, and then again in 2023 in the UK tour of…
Chola Power
In their frilly petticoats, layered skirts, dainty pumps and bowler hats, Las Cholitas (chola - the name used to describe indigenous women in Latin America), are relatively new to the Lucha Libre ring. Yet the crowds have come…
The House of Bernarda Alba returns to the Cervantes Theatre to critical acclaim.
Thanks to its consistent success, the Cervantes Theatre has brought back their excellent production of The House of Bernarda Alba, directed by Jorge de Juan. Now, the third version of this powerful play, steeped in passion and…
Dark Soul - Interview with Spanish Film Director Alberto Rodriguez
Last year, Alberto Rodríguez took home ten Spanish Academy Goya prizes for his suspenseful detective noir Marshland, and this summer it premiered in the UK. It is sure to appeal based solely on its intense but measured action,…
Nuevo Orden (2020) Dir. Michel Franco
In ‘New Order’ (2020) the third feature written and directed by Mexican Michel Franco, no one is innocent. There is no ‘get out of jail free card’ here! Michel Franco’s powerful film, screened at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival…
Uncovering B.Léza - Cesaria Evora’s songwriter
Few people had heard of Cabo Verde, an arc of islands off the coast of Senegal, until Cesária Évora put them on the map. B. Leza is one of the most important composers in the history of Cabo Verde, and anyone who knows Cesária…
Lucia Puenzo: making her own name in Argentine cinema
Argentine film director Lucía Puenzo speaks to Santiago Oyarzabal about Wakolda, her other projects and her ideas.
Things You Should Know About... Spanish Cinema
From Civil War and Censorship to Scandal and Sexual Desire, here's a few things you might want to know about Spanish Cinema.
Ten things you should know about...El Día de los Muertos
Although celebrated around the same time as Halloween, Día de los Muertos is very different from the festivity made popular by Americans. It is all about getting the family together and celebrate loved ones who passed away. The…
Listening to Nature
“Our father, listen attentively to the voice of our rivers, listen to the fearsome trees of the great forest.” So wrote José María Arguedas in 1966. The poet, writer and anthropologist (1911-1969) is one of the most celebrated…
Paco de Lucia
Paco de Lucía: (Francisco Sánchez Gomez), guitarist and composer, born 21 December 1947; died 25 February 2014
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
Cuba's Real Royalty
When Charles and Camilla visited Cuba in March this year they were probably unaware that Cuba has its own royalty in the shape of popular female Cuban Rap duo “La Reyna y La Real” (“Reyna” being a popular Cuban name which is…
MORAES MOREIRA - Brazilian Musician (1947-2020)
Antonio Carlos Moraes Moreira, the Bahian singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer known to his many fans as ‘o eterno novo baiano’ (the eternal new Bahian), passed away following a heart attack on 13th April at 72 years of age.
1976 (2022) Dir. Manuela Martelli
“Be careful in the future, you are not always that lucky!” Manuela Martelli's ‘1976’ (2022), winner of the ‘First Feature’ Category at the BFI London Film Festival 2022, studies how the pressures of a repressive regime…
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...
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) by Alejandro G. Iñarritú.
Alejandro G. Iñarritú, the Oscar-winning director of superb movies like ‘AMORES PERROS’, ‘BIRDMAN’ & ‘THE REVENANT’ returns to Mexico with a personal, sprawling and visually beautiful film that questions filming itself. Co-…
Birdsong in Quechua
Considered one of the most important indigenous singers to emerge out of South America over the last 50 years, through her 25 albums Luzmila Carpio has inspired millions while singing in both her native Aymara-Quechua language…