LATIN LONDONER #60 - Tara Hoyos-Martinez, Actor, Writer, Director
After being crowned Miss Universe Great Britain and alongside a successful modelling career, Tara made a splash on the big screen in British romcom Ghosted (2022). Since then, Tara's screen work has gone from strength to…
'The Sleepwalkers' by Paula Hernández
The latest film by Argentine director Paula Hernández who continues her successful run of intimate dramas with ‘The Sleepwalkers’ (Los Sonٞámbulos-2019). Selected to represent Argentina at the 93rd Academy Awards, it tells the…
Sports Personalities of 2018
In a world of ever increasing Sports feats and competition, the variety in this list demonstrates the far-reaching expanses of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese athletes at a global level. It is clear sport is at the heart…
Alí Primera’s ‘Necessary Song’
Ali Primera, Venezuela’s own Silvio Rodriguez, was long-discarded to the official cultural sin-bin. But his popularity never waned and now his voice is being resurrected by the establishment that once scorned him.
OSCARS 2023: The Latino Contenders
Last year at the Oscars, the animated movie Encanto and Afro-Latina actress Ariana DeBose took home awards. In recent years, figures such as Alejandro G. Iñarritu, Alfonso Cuarón, and Guillermo del Toro have been winners. This…
JESSE & JOY (East West Records)
This is the album that won Jesse & Joy, the Mexican brother and sister duo, their first US Grammy for best Latin pop album in February this year. It’s also their first to feature songs in English, some of which have already…
FIRE IN THE BASEMENT (2019) A short film by Eva Vázquez de Reoyo at the Raindance Film Festival.
An inventive short film that examines the revolution of ideas and shocking violence that took place in Mexico in 1968, from the point of view of 3 student friends in Mexico City. The Director Eva Vázquez de Reoyo talks about the…
El Bar de Cavita
In the dark, incense-filled basement of Cavita Restaurant is El Bar de Cavita. The room is atmospheric - there’s enough background noise for it to feel both busy and intimate, and the low lighting lends itself to an ambiance of…
LatinoLife's Guide to Bi-lingual Poetry
Rhyming translator-poet, Timothy Adès guides us through the daunting world of poetry, finding moments of bi-lingual inspiration to help us battle through dark times and relish the good...
'Prazer, Camaradas!' Dir. José Filipe Costa
‘Prazer, Camaradas!’ is a charming, fiction-documentary by Portuguese director José Filipe Costa that was recently shown at the 63rd BFI London Film Festival. With acute observations and a gentle humour, it examines the impact on…
Raíz - Lila Downs, Niña Pastori, Soledad
An ambitious collaborative project from Mexican-American folk singer/songwriter Lila Downs, Latin GRAMMY-nominated Argentine folk/pop singer Soledad and Latin GRAMMY-winning Spanish flamenco singer Niña Pastori.
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,
Things we love about...El Puerto, Punta del Este
For decades now, Punta del Este has been the summer destination of choice for wealthy Argentines, Brazilians and, more recently, celebrities from all over Latin America and beyond. The likes of Naomi Campbell, Ralph Lauren,…
The Second Mother (2015) Dir. Anna Muylaert
A hugely enjoyable film exploring the complex relationship between Latin America's middle class and its live-in maids in a digestible, humorous and touching way.
Made in Brasil
Amaranta Wight revisits London’s iconic award-winning Brazilian restaurant in Camden – a much-needed tropical oasis that is still going strong after 20 years.
‘ASFIXIA’ Dir. Kenya Márquez
Mexican writer/director Kenya Márquez excels with her second feature ‘Asfixia’ (Suffocation 2018), to be screened (free) online at the Raindance Film Festival 2020, in the Female Gaze strand. It is a tale of redemption and love,…
Swiss Sampling: An Interview with Michel Cleis
His track ‘La Mezcla’, using a Toto La Momposina sample, became one of the biggest house tracks of the century, and it made him a household name in that market. Now the World-renowned Swiss DJ and producer just reworked Natalia…
Little Louie Vega's Fantasy Island Tracks
If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need, to get you through those times of despair? Man cannot live on sun and fish alone right? Our castaway, Little Louie Vega, the world renowned house…
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,…
UK Brazilian Movers & Shakers
In London, Brazilians have shared more than food and music; we've shared our essence. We continue transforming nostalgia into innovation and rhythm into community through creativity and connection. From samba schools to…
The Reluctant Artist
When his debut album 'Veneer' went platinum back in 2006 while a Phd student at Gothenberg University, José González’s life changed forever. About to embark on a career as a ground-breaking scientist, his instantly…
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…
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
Latin Londoner #49 - Gabriela Vallim, journalist, cultural producer
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Gabriela Vallim is a journalist, cultural producer and founder of Baile Funk Culture, expanding the Brazilian street culture in the UK through events and workshops. She’s curated events at the…
Clash of the Literary Titans? (and THAT black eye)
Candela explores the beef between Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa that has long been the intrigue of the literary world. Now that the Peruvian has won the Nobel Prize for Literature, is it time for Latin America…
Let Me Entertain You: Boris Izaguirre in London
Move over Graham Norton. He's in town for one night only, and he's bound to cause quite a splash. Award-winning novelist, beloved TV presenter, honorary Spaniard and gay icon Boris Izaguirre is much more than a…
Seré Millones Dir. Omar Neri, Fernando Krichmar & Mónica Simoncini
They robbed the bank then and now they will rob it again for a movie about the heist! Nicknamed ‘The Blowtorch Heroes’ by their political party, Oscar ‘El Gordo’ Serrano and Ángel ‘El Turco’ Abus (with his wife Laura ‘Beba’ Zona…
Bolivia: the mysterious death of Orlando Gutiérrez
Miners' leader and prominent MAS figure killed after frequent death threats on social media and from sections of the state apparatus.
Latino, Made in London
María Victoria Cristancho reports on the moment a major global record label decided to invest in the very first UK label dedicated to nurturing Latin talent and finding the next global superstar, singing Spanish and talking…
Chocolate, Politics and Peace-Building
An Ethnography of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia by Gwen Burnyeat
'Utama' Dir. Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Utama is a journey through the eyes of a Quechua couple that are battling between life and death with the climate change crisis affecting their home, forcing them to struggle for water and food. Director Alejandro Loayza Grisi…
LATIN LONDONER #50: LISA LUGO, SVP Marketing & Creative Solutions Live Nation UK
Born and bred a true Nuyorican, after working at Live Nation in the US, Lisa Lugo moved to the UK in 2015 where she oversees a team responsible for developing programmes for brand partners across Live Nation’s festivals and…