In Praise of Chavela Vargas 1919-2012
A tribute to one of Latin America's most iconic female role models.
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.
Food, Femininity and Theatre: The Life of Pepa Duarte
Theatre maker, and drama teacher, Pepa Duarte, is author of the self-performed play Eating Myself. Directed by Sergio Maggiolo, the play will be showing at Peckham Fringe this 16 and 17 May and has been hailed by The Guardian as…
“THE PLAY TO BE PLAYED” (La Función por Hacer) mesmerizes at the Cervantes Theatre
“In the shadow of your luminosity.” Inventively and freely based on Pirandello’s “Six Character in Search of an Author” by Miguel del Arco and Aitor Tejada, ‘THE PLAY TO BE PLAYED’ is superbly directed by Jorge de Juan. Starting…
Colombia: Commemorating the Mulatos Massacre
On 21st February 2005, paramilitaries and Colombian soldiers massacred eight people from two hamlets of the San Jose Peace Community, in Apartadó, Colombia. Despite assassinations and forced displacement since the Peace Community…
Reclaiming The Streets
Ryan Castro is the latest in a string of Medellin music sensations to reach global fame, with hits such as Jordan, Wasa Wasa, Malory and Mujeriego. Just as Colombia’s ‘City of Eternal Spring’ has come to be known as the new…
Bajo Bar @ Lima Floral
Everyone loves a good Pisco sour, and Lima Florals latest offering in the heart of Covent Garden pretty much seals the deal.
Rebel Spirit
Ana Tijoux is well known for her strong lyrics that question the status quo, whether social, political, religious, cultural or economic. In the best tradition of Latin American cantaurores, the Chilean-French hip-hop singer…
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.
A Night Out With Rapzodia
Our man in Havana takes us on a bus journey (literally) into the post-Covid nights of Havana to discover the best Cuban acts coming out of lockdown. First stop, a sizzling evening with Rapzodia, an electrifying blend of hip hop,…
An Aural Mapping of Nostalgia
One of the most critically and commercially successful bands to emerge from Latin America, Café Tacvba have come to define the essence of Mexican rock. Ahead of their European Tour this September, Shyal Bhandari speaks with…
LATIN LONDONER #66 - Diego Soto-Miranda, Barrister
Born in Palmira, Valle, Colombia, in July 2001 Diego Soto-Miranda became the first Latin American barrister to called to the Bar of England and Wales. Growing up with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type 2) and by a single mum, Diego…
Things That Matter to...Anderson, lead singer of Afro-Reggae
Anderson, 29, was born and raised in Vigário Geral, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent favelas. His mum is a dinner lady and his dad, a tax-driver. Anderson’s first jobs involved doing small favours for criminals like wrapping…
Colombia: London Mural Honours Lucas Villa
London graffiti artist Kapo pays tribute to the demonstrator assassinated during Colombia’s national strike in 2021 in Stockwell’s ‘Hall of Fame’
Victor Jara, Singer-songwriter (1932-1973)
Victor Jara was a popular folk singer in Chile, who was tortured and murdered in 1973 by the military coup led by Augusto PInochet. Ever since, the man and his music has been an inspiration for millions across the world. Almost…
Reggaeton Soul
At the age of 19, Manuel Turizo is fast becoming the latest Colombian sensation to explode in the world of Reggaetón. His first hit 'Una Lady Como Tú' received over 1.3 billion YouTube views, while 'Vaina Loca…
Las Cosas por su Nombre
Confused when someone tells you to "Stand my balls up", "arm a patch and throw out the wagon" or "take out my stone by making a show"? You'll need Candela’s guide to authentic Colombian Spanish…
Signs of Hope for the Munduruku
Two important advances for the Munduruku Indians in the Brazilian Amazon in recent days suggest that they could pull off an extraordinary victory.
Sembrando Cultura: This is How We do It!
Maria Luna, a Dominican American residing in London, speaks to four Latinas in the United States, Scotland and England to find out what it means to be a Latina and how a Latina maintains or compromises her culture when she starts…
WHAT MEXICO IS
Often accused of glorifying violence, Norteño legends Los Tigres del Norte have caused controversy and divided opinion with their musical “story-telling”. Yet there is no denying the huge impact that this highly influential…
Birds of Passage (Dir. Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra)
Through a series of five ‘songs’ or ‘cantos’, ‘Birds of Passage’ tells the painful story of how the drugs trade began in Colombia in the 1960s. From modest beginning, the Wayuu tribe found themselves involved as it began. The…
Caballerango (Dir Juan Pablo González)
‘CABALLERANGO’, by Mexican film maker Juan Pablo González, is a feature-length documentary examining the effects of a suicide on a family and the people of a village afflicted by more than one such death, some by consuming…
Things That Matter To...Mandinga
Hailing from Bucharest, Mandinga have come a long way since representing Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2012. Integrating the sassy Spanish lead singer Bárbara Isasi, this energetic, funky Tropical-Urban fusion…
Aziza Brahim - born in Africa, schooled in Cuba, resident in Spain
Aziza Brahim's music adeptly travels the expanse between her Western Saharan roots and Barcelona, her current home. Aziza is a poet and an eloquent spokesperson for the Saharawi people and their ongoing struggle for…
Things we love about...Nicaragua
Charming colonial cities with cobblestone streets, Pacific breakers producing perfect surf year-round, tiny Caribbean islands you can make your own for a day, and the smoothest rum that ever came out of an oak barrel. Nicaragua…
LOS TALLOS AMARGOS (1956) by Argentine Fernando Ayala
“There are fools in Germany, fools in France and fools in Argentina.” Cine Lumière screens a classic cult film noir from the Golden Age of Argentine cinema, 'Los Tallos Amargos' (1956) directed by Fernando Ayala.
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…
PARICIO-PICASSO - Pedro Paricio’s homage to a great master.
The Halcyon Gallery is presenting a show of the Spanish artist Pedro Paricio’s colourful and dramatic paintings, in which he analyses and expresses his feelings about different aspects of Picasso’s work, including Guernica. The…
THE OCTOBER REGGAETON RECAP
It’s hard to tell what’s dropping faster, the leaves from the trees or the singles and albums from these reggaeton stars. This month is all about the opposites as a formidable new duo discuss the ultimate love while another…
‘BALNEARIOS 2002’ by Mariano Llinás, screened in the ‘Architecture on Film’ series at the Barbican
‘Balnearios’ (Beach Resorts) may be a documentary, including archive footage from the mid-20th Century, but with Mariano Llinás’ ironic and dry sense of humour, it reveals an unconventional and surreal quality all of its own,…
AMERICAN STAR (2024) by Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego
Ian McShane excels as an assassin on his last assignment in Fuerteventura. A loner, partly by force of his choice of career, Wilson’s life is thrown into a turmoil when his target is delayed.
A Talent Show Star with a Difference
Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 (with the highest ever score to date) and giving Portugal its first-ever win in the contest, Salvador Sobral has proved to be much more than just a talent contest winner. The jazz…
...Spanish Tennis Greats
It's hard to look beyond Rafa Nadal, but Spain's current tennis titan didn't come from nowhere, he was inspired by the many that came before him. We tell you who...
Does Economic Reality Jeopodise Latin America's Second Pink Tide?
In an impressive switch, Latin America's right-wing presidents have lost almost all the presidential elections. The region has, once again, been painted in pink and red, even more than during Chavez and Correa´s times.…
The Real Girl from Ipanema
With an urban pop repertoire that glides through Portuguese, Spanish and English, and the looks, moves and charisma to match, it’s no wonder that Anitta is pipped to be the next global female superstar and dubbed as the next…