
A Boy Called Sailboat (Dir. Cameron Nugent)
Once upon a time, a sick grandmother asked her grandson to write her a song on his little guitar. When he did, his song set a series of transformations in motion in this heart-warming fable.
Music City Guide: Medellin
Medellin, the Colombian city ringing with music and undeniably an epicentre of Reggaeton worldwide, with J Balvin, Maluma, Karol G, Camilo and many more Urban artists all born there, has always been a city of music lovers. Not…
Reggaeton Legends: Tego Calderón
From Santurce, Puerto Rico, raised in Carolina and Miami, FL, rapper Tego Calderón got the courage to become a star in the genre-mixing world of reggaeton. He grew up in Río Grande and Carolina, areas that maintain some of the…
Things You Should Know About....Latin American Female Artists
Ten inspiring and intriguing female artists whose life and art was inextricably linked to Latin America.
Colombia: Stairway Storytellers in Medellín
In Medellin, Billie Melluish-Turner finds a project to replace ghoulish and superficial tourism with something real and sustainable
Black Heroines of Latin American History
Being an female activist meant putting your life at risk, being a black female activist was a probable death sentence, yet these courageous women took that risk, and gave their lives in some cases, in order to shape our history.…
The Queen of Quechua Pop Grows Up
Back in 2018, Renata Flores Rivera burst onto the international music map with her cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ in Quechua, the indigenous language of the Incas. The video received almost two million…
Top Ten Most Common Misconceptions about Latin America
Good dancers? Latin Lovers? Revolutionary guerrillas? You might have watched too many soap-operas or just followed rumours but if you want to check your prejudices about Latin America and the Latinos, here are 10 common…
London Bars with a Latin Edge
London is a city that's always buzzing with stuff to do. There is never a shortlist of places to go on a Friday night, but, unfortunately, your weekend budget is not always grand. Susana Cicchetto went out on the town to…
75 Days (2020) Dir. Marc Romero
Screened at the 2020 London Spanish Film Festival, in his film ‘75 Days’ (2020) Writer/director Marc Romero re-visits a horrifying real-life event that remains a brutal and dark mystery. In 1992, in an area known as Alcàsser,…
Things That Matter to...Roberto Carlos
Nicknamed ‘el hombre bala’ (the bullet man) for his powerful free-kicks, Roberto Carlos is undoubtedly one of the most iconic footballers of all time. Having made a name for himself in Brazil, Carlos began his European career…
A Brief History of Latin Music in London
Notwithstanding the cheesy album covers and the pastiche distortions of Latin dance on BBC’s Strictly’, London has had a long and idiosyncratic affair with Latin culture. From the hi-flying success of Edmundo Ros’ Latin Big Band…
Narconovelas – Glorifying or Challenging Stereotypes?
Latinolife explores the two sides of this controversial debate.
WHERE TO EAT LATIN IN LONDON - The Ultimate Guide
Latin Culture has hit the high street in a big way, but how do you tell the quality from the crass? Here’s our definitive directory of London’s best Latin and Spanish eats, drinks and clubs.
NORTHERN SKIES OVER AN EMPTY SPACE (2022)
Selected to be screened for the Panorama Competition at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival, this Mexican ‘western’, the third feature to be directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella, delves into magical realism with the build-up of omens…
Spotlight on...Cazzu
Cazzu has been dubbed the Queen of Argentine Trap, bringing to the forefront the trap movement in Argentina alongside other artists.She is one of the few women in the male-dominated trap scene.
Here Come the Reggaetoneras
The crude origins of Reggaeton, from videos verging on soft porn and misogynistic lyrics, have been toned down in recent years in the industry's quest to make the genre moe commercial. At the same time, female Reggaeton…
Rels B
From Rosalia, to C Tangana, it's clear that there's a new wave of Spanish talent in town.
Resilience and Resistance: a History of the Colombian London
Over the last 50 years, hundreds of thousands of Colombians have made their mark as the UK's largest spanish-speaking community. As a consequence, Londoners are never far away from the enticing smell of pandeja paisa, the…
Carlos Marín: Il Divo’s non-Diva
Il Divo was brought together by Simon Cowell in 2003 and, since then, the multi-national quartet, made up of Urs Buhler from Switzerland, Frenchman Sebastien Izambard, American David Miller and Carlos Marin from Spain, have sold…
We Love Toña la Negra (1912 –1982)
Mexico has never been short of fantastic singers and to become considered as a singing star in the country, you have to be great and Toña La Negra was one of the greatest singers Mexico has given to the world. An Afro-Mexican of…
Que Vivan 'Los Turcos': Latin America's Arab connection
Last year, when the crisis in Colombia coincided with the Israeli incursion into Gaza, Colombian and Latino social media platforms were awash with calls for solidarity with Palestinians, after the distressing scenes of the…
Facundo Cabral - Argentine singer-songwriter, philosopher and writer (1937 - 2011)
Described as a ‘worldwide messenger of peace’ by the United Nations, and a voice of protest against Argentina’s military dictatorship from 1976 to 1982, Cabral remains one of Latin America’s most celebrated folk musicians.
Luis Alberto Spinetta, Icon of Argentine Rock, 1950 - 2012
We pay homage to El Flaco (The skinny one), a man who revolutionised the music scene of Argentina forever with his unique sound, eccentricity and talent and, in doing so, captured the nation’s heart.
Things You Should Know About...Brazilian Cinema
It is fascinating that although all the Latin American countries discovered the magic of moving pictures at around the same time, thanks to the pioneering work of the Lumière Brothers in 1895- 1896, the trajectory of their…
Simón Díaz (1928-2020)
When it comes to Venezuelan music, you cannot get any better than Simón “Tío Simon” Díaz. The original creator of Caballo Viejo, the Latin American standard that has been recorded by some many great and was also used as the bases…
Cupuaçu: Brazil's Alternative to Chocolate
Forget cocoa, meet cupuaçu, a brand new contender in the arena of chocolate substitutes.
THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA by Federico García Lorca
The Cervantes Theatre has opened its doors after the long covid break with a fresh production of THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA by Federico Garcia Lorca directed by Jorge de Juan.
Five Latin Reasons to Love...Breaking Bad
You don't have to be a fan of the latest hit series, Breaking Bad, about a science teacher turned Crystal Meth manufacturer, to appreciate the seriously great Latin music it features. The music supervisor, Thomas Golubić…
Roberto Carlos
John Armstrong attempts to synthesise the enduring appeal of Latin America’s most successful artist.
Two New Brazilian films revel in gore
Aficionados of fantasy and horror had a few treats in the 2018 London Film Festival, notably emerging from Brazil, The Cannibal Club 2018 (Guto Parente) and Morto não Fala (The Nightshifter 2018): one a minimalistic horror film (…
Spotlight on... Eladio Carrión
Eladio Carrión has been defined as a trap singer, but he has been seen engaging in R&B, Reggaeton and even Dancehall in “Lluvia”. He has gained great popularity in the industry thanks to his character and explicit lyrics…
Rafael Cortijo - musician, orchestra leader and composer (1928-1982)
There is a before and after in Puerto Rican music and his name is Rafael Cortijo. A self taught percussionist, what Cortijo lacked on musical education he made up in flavour and vision. With his compadre Ismael Rivera, Cortijo…
THE GREAT LATINA DIVAS
Nobody does Diva like a Latina, and in a music industry dominated by machismo and male leads, you damn well have to know how to be one, with charm included, to get ahead. Some of our Divas have great voices, others electrifying…
Things you should know about....Argentine Cinema
Get inspired with ten facts about one of the world's most dynamic and creative film nations.