Ten Argentine Films we love…
With their unique brand of humour, intellectual insight, romance and political drama, there have been so many great Argentine films that it’s practically impossible to pick out a few. But here are 10 of LatinoLife’s favourites in…
Brazil: Pixacao Sao Paulo’s Urban Calligraphy
Although present in many different Brazilian cities, pixação (often spelt ‘pichação in official accounts) is most closely identified with São Paulo. In this ‘city of walls’, pixação is everywhere. No building or wall is…
Top 10 Argentine Eateries in London
Brits have been importing Argentine beef since the early-twentieth century and the UK is now the second-largest import market for Argentine wine. From fine-dining to street food venues, delis to takeaways, we picks our favourite…
Pixinguinha: The Demiurge of Brazilian Music
‘If you have 15 volumes to talk about all of Brazilian popular music, rest assured it’s too little. But if you only have the space for a word, you are saved. Write quickly: Pixinguinha.’ Though this quotation by Ary Vasconcelos,…
The Girl Who Stole the Show
EIZA GONZALEZ REYNA in ‘Baby Driver (2017)’ won us over completely, says Latinolife film critic Corina Poore who was impressed by the rising Mexican star at the end of the summer's Pop up screens.
YERMA Poisoned Blood and the Aesthetics of Anguish
YERMA at the Cervantes Theatre, presented in both Spanish and English versions, is the last of the powerful ‘Rural Trilogy’ written by Federico Garcia Lorca and here directed by Jorge de Juan. The first was ‘Blood Wedding’, then…
LATIN LONDONER #22 Thiago Soares - Principal Dancer
Brazilian dancer Thiago Soares, is a former Principal Dancer of The Royal Ballet. Soares was born in Rio de Janeiro and joined the Royal Ballet in 2002 after receiving many prizes, including silver medal at the 1998 Paris…
‘BABY’ Dir. Marcelo Caetano
“I did not run away from home; they ran away from me”. After two years and barely 18, Wellington emerges from a youth detention centre to find his family have disappeared. Lost and homeless in the streets of São Paulo, he meets…
LA SINGLA (2023) by Spanish writer/ director Paloma Zapata
“She understood music because she was born with it within her.” This drama documentary, part-fiction, part reality, reveals the astounding story of a young girl, who despite being profoundly deaf, became one of Flamenco’s most…
Carla Simón - The New Female Face of Spanish Film Making?
The 61st BFI London Film Festival in 2017 has attracted over twenty films from Luso-Hispanic film directors. Among them are various offerings from Catalonia, including Carla Simón’s delightful SUMMER 1993, which has been awarded…
SURVIVING BAHIA'S CARNIVAL
Sweaty grabbing men, cheesy electric guitar music, trance-enducing drumming and plenty of piss: how our girl in Salvador de Bahia got lost in the frenzy that was Brazilian Carnival 2010 and managed to come out to tell the tale.
Myth or Reality, and Does it Matter?
Supposedly based on a true story about Basque farm lad, who started to grow uncontrollably to became Europe’s tallest man, reaching a height of 2,42m, Handia swept the boards at the 2018 Goya Awards, winning 10 out of their 13…
Spotlight on...Fuego!
The Dominican star has been in the game for over 10 years, and has gained even more popularity over the last couple of years.
‘RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT’ (2021)
“What a Journey! In the end it’s [about] who you really are!” This lively documentary biopic of Rita Moreno directed by award-winning Mariem Pérez Riera, entertains and fascinates at every turn.
Latin Londoner #38: Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis, Dancer, Choreographer and Actor
Raised in East London Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis is a queer dancer, actor, choreographer and proud afro-Latina from Dominican Republic. Starting out as a dancer including on an international tour with artist Wizkid and on the…
Reggaeton Legend: Julio Voltio
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Julio Ramos (Julio Voltio), became of the most well-known reggaeton artists of the mid-2000s, Voltio worked his way up the ranks for many years, expanding his reach with his successful releases.
LATIN LONDONER #27 - Juanita Euka - Singer-Songwriter
Juanita Euka is a LUKAS award-winning singer-songwriter. Niece of Congolese rumba legend Franco Luambo, she grew up in Buenos Aires before arriving on UK shores. Known for her work with Wara, London Afrobeat Collective and…
Me and my namesake, Vinicius de Moraes
Vinicius de Carvalho, appointed Director of King's Brazil Institute, pays tribute to the man he was named after, Vinicius de Moraes, one of the most important figures in modern Brazilian music. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for…
Things You Should Know About...Inspiring US Afro-Latinxs
Changing the world in everything from Poetry to Baseball, from Politics to Hollywood, here, in no particular order, are just some of the US Afro-Latinos who have helped shape the American landscape and who you should definitely…
Woman on the Verge: Eva Ruiz
Born in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Eva Ruiz has the ability to paint pictures with words and sounds, through her distinctly graceful, smooth yet powerful voice. She also portrays Jenna in Culpa Mia, a hit Amazon Prime…
CALL ME DIVA: The New Latina Darlings of Hollywood
From centre stage to front page, finally Hollywood studios and media are giving Latina Actors some love. About time! Here are a few of the new Latina stars of the moment.
“I always dreamt of making movies in Hollywood”: An Interview with Eugenio Derbez
This hard-to-resist family-friendly comedy paints Mexico in a bright shade of flamingo pink. Its star and one of the most famous Mexican faces in show business, Eugenio Derbez, speaks to Latino Life about his Apple TV+ series…
Films to Watch Before You Die #2 - 'El Mismo Amor, la Misma Lluvia' by Juan Jose Campanella
OLIVETTI BLUES – A two-hour journey into the beauty of love, passion and dreams.
...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...
HOLA London @ The 02
Summer Showers Couldn’t Rain on Hola! London’s Parade of Latin Stars including Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, David Bisbal and Sebastián Yatra
Miguel Herrera, The Real Star of the World Cup
Forget James Rodríguez, Arjen Robben or Thomas Müller. Miguel Herrera was by far the most entertaining character of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Here we profile the mad Mexico manager.
SALSA IS BACK! (But it Never Went Away)
Over the past few months, the world has seen its biggest reggaetón artists, Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro, go back to their roots with salsa releases, in a nod to the Puerto Rican legends that made them. Despite the rise of…
The Uribe Legacy: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
In his eight years as president Álvaro Uribe changed Colombia. But was it all for the best?
Between Poetry and Politics - an interview with Gael García Bernal
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL gets on a roll about poetry, fascism, idealism and power as he talks to Latinolife about the times we live in…oh, and his latest film, NERUDA.
Between Land and Sea - an interview with Cuban artist Armando Mariño
One of Cuba’s most well-known contemporary artists, Armando Mariño studied in Havana, now lives and works in New York and exhibits all over the world. Now in London showing his large scale works rooted within the stories of…
Favourite Sambas
My father lead and played in a carnival band for more than 30 years and most of the time, this band rehearsed at our home. They played in clubs for the four nights of carnival parties and the weeks that preceded them. Outside…
Spotlight on... Gigolo & La Exce
Ronald Rafael Tejeda Santos and Jean Carlos Ferreira Suero, artistically known as Gigolo and La Exce formed the reggaeton, trap and urban music duo from San Juan, Puerto Rico, famous for the singles such as "Nasty,"…
In Praise of Jairo Varela
A tribute to the founder and band leader of Grupo Niche, who put Colombian salsa on the global music map and helped make Cali the renowned capital of Salsa that it is known as today.
Cause and Effect in Bolivian Art
In the first ever show of Bolivian Contemporary Art in London featuring four Bolivian artists - painters Ivan Benítez and Marcelo Rodríguez and photographers Javier Molina and Fabiola Retamozo - ‘Analogue Intercourse‘ refers to…
"Critics in Chile Did Not Consider Me a Writer"
Isabel Allende is one of the Spanish-speaking world’s most widely read authors. The award-winning Chilean novelist has written over twenty books, which have gone on to sell over 74 million copies worldwide and be translated into…