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.
Milton Nascimento'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? Our castaway this month is Milton Nascimento, one of the most significant Brazilian musicians of the last…
Three Short Films: Madre, Piggy and Fifteen
Corina J Poore reviews three Latino offerings from the 'Shorts' programme at this year's The BFI London Film Festival: ‘MADRE (2017)’ by Spanish writer/director Rodrigo Sorogoyen, ‘PIGGY (Cerdita) 2018’, (14 min…
Basque director, Pablo Berger, warms our hearts with ROBOT DREAMS
Following three acclaimed live-action movies, Pablo Berger, known for ‘Blancanieves’ (Snow White) has further surprised us with Robot Dreams, (2023) - a delightful, dialogue-free, 2D animated buddy movie of a Dog and a Robot.
Argentina's strange brand of nationalism
Argentine nationalistic fervour rests on symbol and myth. This can be impossibly romantic – or eerily macabre. We look at the strange phenomenon of Argentine national fervour from Perón to the present day
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.…
‘In her Place’ (El Lugar de la Otra) Dir. Maite Alberdi
Chilean director Maite Alberdi, nominated for two Oscars, with 28 wins and no fewer than 39 nominations under her belt, has released her first feature film ‘IN HER PLACE’. Emanating from the celebrated Fábula Productions stable…
Cantina Laredo
An amazing authentic, American style Mexican (not tex-mex) right smack in the middle of central London.
Things That Matter to...Luiz Gabriel Lopes
Luiz Gabriel Lopes is a singer-songwriter from Minas Gerais, the fertile territory that spawned the incredible Clube da Esquina generation of Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges, Toninho Horta et al. Echoing these illustrious…
El Chacal comes to England with a point to prove
Even among boxers, Guillermo Rigondeaux's story is pretty incredible. Once Cuba's pride and joy, the twice Olympic gold medalist and twice world champion was exiled in his own country for two years after caught trying…
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…
Woman on the Verge: Ona Mafalda
"I am what I do," is how self-described compulsive composer, inevitable lyricist and optional instrumentalist Ona Mafalda identifies. Her music often leads to comparisons with artists such as Lorde, Mitski, Florence…
Colombia: What does Peace Mean in Comuna 13?
Gwen Burnyeat visits Comuna 13, the Medellín community blighted by guerrilla, militia and state violence during Colombia's civil war and finds that graffiti and urban escalators have achieved a sense of pride and…
THE CHAMBERMAID Dir. Lila Avilés
Filmed in an astonishing 17 days, the multi- award-winning film, THE CHAMBERMAID, follows the daily routine of a 20-something chambermaid who is responsible for the 21st floor of a 5-star luxury hotel. Endless corridors…
OLIVIA AND THE CLOUDS (2024) by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.
“Like they don’t see something is pulling them apart.” In ‘Olivia and the Clouds’, a visually exciting animated feature, relationships flounder, steeped in memories and hopes as animator, film maker, professor and artist from…
Diego Maradona (Dir. Asif Kapadia)
In the Shakespearean tragedy that is the movie 'Diego Maradona', master documentary story-teller Asif Kapadia offers football's most revered and loathed protagonist a chance for redemption
Let’s Talk About Religion: Interview with directors Maya Cueva and Leah Galant
On the Divide premiers March 17th as part of the “Human Rights Watch Film Festival”. The feature-length documentary follows the life stories of Mercedes, Denisse and Rey in McAllen, Texas, a small town in the Rio Grande Valley,…
Finding Freedom
After a decade as one of the most sought-after salsa musicians in Europe, Rene Alvarez is embarking on a long-life dream of fusing his Afro-Cuban heritage with his love of North American funk. His new band, Alvarez Funk, departs…
Mad Women - Unapologetic and Bold
Mad Women tells the stories of three Latin American women artists who lived with Bipolar disorder. Developed out of a desire to talk about mental health and womanhood authentically and unashamedly, this play is a hard-hitting…
GUN SHY (2017) Dir. Simon West
GUN SHY is a good natured, clever adventure caper with lots of fun and gags and Antonio Banderas as you have never seen him before!
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…
Argentina: Toxic Waste from Fracking in Patagonia
A BP subsidiary is being sued by indigenous groups for criminal dumping of toxic waste
Coconut Flour and Cashew Nut Biscuits
These Brazilian biscuits are sooo more-ish and divinely simple to make. I love cashews, they are positively the best thing to leave Brazil since Adriana Lima (my mum comes from Rio Grande do Norte, it has the biggest cashew nut…
London's Mexican Love-in
Forget the Mexican moment, London is having an officially sanctioned Mexican love-in with British and Mexican governments having de- clared 2015 the year of Mexico in the UK and the UK in Mexico. Whether it’s the ‘New Mexican…
Salsa’s Unsung Heroes
Ever since the days of Mozart, the most talented artists and innovators who provided the very stuff that made their music cool, were often exploited in their lifetimes and died in poverty, their genius unrecognised and their work…
Interview with Spanish Director Daniel Monzon
Four years after having won the Goya prize for Best Director with his thriller Celda 211, Daniel Monzón returns with a new film, El Niño. Specialising in adrenaline-laden thrillers based on real-life events, Monzon is at the…
LATIN LONDONER #1 Angela Alonso - Flamenco Dancer
Angela Alonso from Almeria in Andalucia, arrived in London 13 years ago, and set up the UK's most popular Flamenco Dance School.
Rosa of the Wild Grass: The story of a Nicaraguan family by Fiona Macintosh
The 'Solidarity' generation reunites at the latest book launch by Latin American Bureau and Practical Action. Nearly thirty years in the making, Rosa chronicles the real-life stories of a poor Nicaraguan family over a…
LOVIN’ LATIN LONDON - The Musicians
London’s Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese communities are well into their second and third generations. Some came here decades ago, as political refugees or economic migrants, and those born and bred here form part of the…
Surrogate Latina #5: Sara Mc Guinness, Pianist and Bandleader
In 2018, Sara Mc Guinness was the first non-Latinx to win the LUKAS Musician of the Year. So respected and revered is Sara amongst Latin musicians in the UK that, will very little self-promotion, she garnered the most votes in…
Street Elegance
L-Gante is one of the most exciting, original and successful urban artists to emerge from Latin America in recent years. Emerging from the working-class suburbs of Buenos Aires, the boy from el barrio came out of nowhere and…
A Readers Guide to Argentina
Like its music, dance, theatre and art, Latin America is producer of some of the greatest literature that exists on the planet. But in this rich forest of words, it’s not easy to know where to start. Which is why we asked our…
Casita Andina, Soho
Heart-warming dishes that evoke Cusco's deliciously intense and cosy cuisine, make a perfect night out for a romantic winters evening in London.
HEARTSONGS
Lila Downs is back – with not one but Dos Corazones – a new song which she will be debuting live in London this this month. She tells Elizabeth Mistry how her first UK visit in eight years will be an opportunity to talk about…
LOVIN' LATIN LONDON - The Performers
Artistic creativity has long been one the Latin World’s biggest exports. Beyond music and dance, Latin American and Spanish film, theatre and visual arts, offer their unique perspective on the world. La Clave Fest is celebrating…