
Latin Londoners #42: REYKO, Electronic Music Duo
The London based electronic music outfit REYKO is made up of Soleil and Igor, both from Spain. The duo first began capturing attention with several viral songs surpassing overall 40 million streams, and breaking through to…
Roberto Roena Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
What can we say about Roberto Roena and his Apollo Sound? Well, he went from dancer to Bongocero to bandleader and mastered all three tasks, becoming one of the most recognised salsa musicians ever. Apart from being the leading…
Top 10 New Alternative Albums
Recent years have surprised us with many new and old faces releasing albums in the Latino alternative genre. Modern alternative Latino artists have been on the rise, and every year we have new stars that surprise the charts as we…
ON YOUR FEET
The story of how a child fled from Cuba to Miami to become a global superstar needs spicing up, but the rhythm is gonna get you, says Elizabeth Mistry
Floripa's Bolinho de Bacalhau (Salted cod fish cakes)
Served with spicy Aily oil salsa, these are a favourite at East London's favourite Brazilian restaurant
Atlantic Records UK and ADA UK partner with new Latin music label CANDELA RECORDS
The first time there is a partnership with a UK based Latino music label
5 Reasons to Love....Jose Feliciano
With a career spanning over fifty years, Jose Feliciano is one of the biggest names in music. His hits such as Feliz Navidad, still one of the most played Christmas songs ever, and Light My Fire made the Puerto Rican a global…
COLOMBIA: Bogotá’s Recyclers Fight for Inclusion
As the city rises up the development index, Bogotá’s waste services are undergoing structural transformation. Rachel Simon learns how Colombia’s informal waste-picking recicladores are organizing and fighting to play their part…
LATIN FLAVA – The bloom and burst of London’s Latin and Hispanic cuisine
From Peruvian and Mexican haute cuisine to Colombian and Venezuelan street food, via the meaty Argentine parillas and Brazilian rodizios, London is the latest city to be hit by the global craze in Latin cuisine. Spanish TV Star…
Gaucho, Smithfield
The chandeliers give the cowhides a definite impression of city opulence than Gaucho's den, but the authentic tastes of the Pampa (and more) are unmistakable and comforting.
The People's Art
Led by the charismatic Anglo-Argentine artist Patricio (Pato) Forrester, a new School of Muralism is being created in the borough of Lewisham with the active participation of Goldsmith’s College, plus the support of the local…
‘A MIGRANT BALL OF THREAD’ a new play by Mexican Sonia Gregorio at the Royal Court Theatre.
The Royal Court Theatre continues its remit as a “leading force in world theatre for cultivating and supporting writers” with a 3- week series of readings & performances of a group of exciting plays from Brazil, the…
Ay, Carmela! Shines Again.
The excellent English and Spanish productions of José Sanchis Sinisterra’s comedy ‘Ay, Carmela!’ have just completed their runs. Latino Life’s Corina Poore comments on the productions and meets up with the director Paula Paz at…
'The Latin American Cookbook' by Virgilio Martinez
Danica Katich delves into a masterpiece of research, commitment to food and ode to cooking and sharing by one of Peru’s most magnificent chefs
Latin Londoner #48 - Gustavo Nenao, street artist
Gustavo Bordin (akak Gustavo Nenao) is a Brazilian street artist who has developed works in three continents and 42 countries and was the only Brazilian to join the selected group of artists chosen by the former U.S. first lady…
She Who Demands the Stage
Diva is the Latin word for goddess and Cuban-Spanish singer, Lucy Calcines, became just that when her performance on The Voice UK in 2020 raised the studio to its feet, got four judges turning and became the most streamed…
Looking for Che: Bolivia's Revolutionary Road
Sixteen years after translating Che's 'Motorcycle Diaries', made famous in the Hollywood movie with Gaél García Bernál, Ana Wright goes on the hunt for Che in Bolivia as she seeks inspiration whilst translating a…
Tótem (2023) by Mexican writer/director Lila Avilés
“I wish Daddy did not have to die”. Lila Avilés’ delightful second feature deals with mortality and love at an intensely human level in this gem of a movie.
Untangling to Reveal
Chilean-born Cecilia Vicuña is one of Latin America’s most celebrated artists. Her most ambitious work yet is currently being shown at the Tate Modern - a multi-part installation made up of sculpture, sound, music and video. At…
Sara Baras, Flamenco legend.
Andalusia pulses again as the Flamenco Festival returns for an exciting fortnight at the Sadler's Well Theatre , opening with the stunning Sara Baras with her new work ALMA
Surrogate Latina #8: Ana Csergö, leader of Las Adelitas
From Back To Black to the Green, White and Red of Mexico's national colours, Las Adelitas is headlining this year's Mexico's Independence Day celebrations in London. Named after the brave women who took up arms…
Yerba Mate: A Gringa’s Guide
A gringa living in Argentina describes the joys of discovering Yerba Mate, and the social hurdles to overcome in between!
La Roja are dead! Long live la Roja!!
On the day Spain’s monarch abdicates, the most imperious footballing team of recent years also relinquishes its crown. It is ironic that the original La Roja, Chile's national team, is the one that rendered the name of the…
Top Ten ‘Must Do’s’ in 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…
Pain & Glory Dir. Pedro Almodóvar
Along with Law of Desire and Bad Education, Pain and Glory represents the third and final instalment of an unplanned trilogy which has taken thirty-two years to complete. The three films all focus on male film directors as…
Shake It Off!
As we head towards the easing of lockdown we all feel a little relieved. But the carnage that the pandemic has wreaked on our mental health has yet to be unveiled. Rafael Santandreu, one of the world’s leading psychologists,…
J Balvin "El niño de Medellin" review
J Balvin bares soul and fights with conscience in his brilliantly told story.
SÚPER CHEFS, a play by Betsy Picart, with music by Ariel Cubría.
At the Theatre Peckham, SÚPER CHEFS, an exciting music & dance play designed for children (aged 4-8), is delighting its young audiences and their parents alike,
Pacific Tumbao
In the vibrant world of Colombian salsa music, few names resonate as powerfully as Jimmy Saa. Known for his electrifying performances, soulful voice and bringing the rich sounds of his native Buenaventura into a unique brand of…
Our Latin Thing: An interview with Roberto Pla
Whether as percussionist of choice for the UK’s pop bands (Joe Strummer, The Cure, Kate Bush, Boney M) or bandleader, composer and arranger, timbalero extraordinaire, Roberto Pla, has come to be known as The Godfather of Latin…
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.
TIMBA’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN
Those who were enjoying Eliane Correa and su Evolución at this weekend's LatinoLife in the Park, are no doubt are fans of Maykel Blanco - today's bonafide guru Cuban Timba. Lucky for them, for the first time in six…
Latin Londoner #39: Spin, Professional Bboy
Born in Cali and raised in London, Juan David Gaviria Muñoz (aka Spin) is a professional Bboy (breaker): five times National Solo Champion, two times European Solo Champion and five times World Champion in crew category,…
'Yo amanecí' Andres Landero (Vampisoul)
A fantastic compilation of Colombia's King of Cumbia
Spotlight on...L-Gante
Ahead of his debut London appearance this Friday we profile the pioneer of 'RKT' - a musical genre that stems from mixing reggaetón beats and cumbia villera sounds, a style very particular to Argentina, with heavy tones…