
Top Ten Nicky Jam Tracks
One of Puerto Rico's most talented Reggaetóneros, Nicky Jam rose to fame along with the likes of Daddy Yankee, but his career took a dive after a bad run with drugs and criminal misdemeanours. While his peers were becoming…
“Fenix” Nicky Jam (Sony Music)
Reggaetón pioneer who sprung to global fame with his first album “Diferente a Los Demás” and consolidated his success in 2015 with “El Perdón” ("Forgiveness"), delivers another classic.
'Yo amanecí' Andres Landero (Vampisoul)
A fantastic compilation of Colombia's King of Cumbia
TOP TEN Bachata Artists
With its hypnotic beat and heart-renching melodies, this Dominican music began to take the world by storm when Urban Latin took over Latin nightclubs and romantics were left wanting. But Bachata has a long history; from rural…
“Macondo revisited” Various Artists (Vampisoul)
A rare and unique compilation from one of Latin America's most innovative record labels
Mother Earth
At a time when Shakira, Carlos Vives, J Balvin and Maluma are some of the hottest artists in the planet, it is easy to forget that it was an indigenous folklore singer who kicked the global door open for Colombian artists. Totó…
The Reggeatón Evolution – Three Decades of Flow
When quintessentially English band Clean Bandit was recently rocking X Factor with their latest hit ‘Rockabye,’ few watching would have known that the country that invented its catchy beat was banned from playing it for years.…
The Reggeatón Time Line
From garage parties in Panamå to the awards ceremonies of Miami, how did an obscure Caribbean genre that was shunned by radio stations and banned by the authorities become one of the most influential genres in global dance music…
Latin Londoner #20 ..Emeris Solis - Percussionist
Emeris is one of Europe’s best Latin percussionists and the epitome of the Latin immigrant who has earned success in London through his craft. Chilled, good humored, and professional, he is a master in Colombian folklore,…
Cubafonia Dayme Arocena (Brownswood recordings)
Cuba's new Jazz queen comes into her own in her exquisite UK debut album
Bridges and Walls
With 1.5 billion YouTube views, a 3x platinum debut album in Mexico and a second album premiering at #1 all over Latin America and several Grammys, what makes Jesse and Joy one of Latin America's biggest emerging acts? As…
Latinolife's Best Party Tracks of 2016
As the Reggeatón beat continues to generate global party anthems, and mainstream music sees Latin influence on an unprecedented scale, we thought we'd pay tribute to this incredibly appealing and uniquely Latin beat, with…
Stand Still and Listen: The Vinyl Museum of Salsoteca
Music fans and dancers unite in their passion for Salsa's vinyl at London's Tate Modern 'Salsoteca' event
All Hail the Vinyl Collectors!
Salsotecas are the mythical vinyl-sharing encounters that began in Cali, Colombia. We explore the legendary phenomenon that helped give the city its reputation as home to the world’s most passionate Salsa lovers.
Los Amigos Invisibles @ Islington Town Hall
The renowned Grammy winning Venezuelan band LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES hit London with a bang on Sunday 21st Nov with an energetic show at the Islington Assembly Hall.
Joe Bataan ‘Call my Name’ (Vampisoul)
Joe was one the faces of New York’s Latin music movement in the late 60’s and 70’s. He recorded some of the biggest hits of Latin Soul, Boogaloo, Salsa and Funk, including ‘Gypsy Woman’ and ‘Subway Joe.’ He has become a cult…
Things You Should Know About...Zeca Padoginho
The fiesta front man with a Rio samba inspired sound, Zeca Pagodinho is one of Brazil’s best loved artists, embodying the free, easy-going Carioca spirit. “Probably the only one who didn't sell for cheesy samba,"…
Various Artists ‘The Beat of Brazil’ (Stateside Records)
A compilation that includes Airto Moreira, Gilberto Gil, Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobin is always going to be good. “ The Beat of Brazil” bring together 21 songs from the Warner vaults, this cd compiles some not that known…
FUNK FOREVER
Los Amigos Invisibles is arguably the most globally recognized music act from Venezuela since Oscar D'Leon (the Salsa legend on their new album). Breaking onto the international scene on David Byrne’s (Talking Heads)…
‘Venezuela 70: Cosmic Visions of a Latin American Earth’ Various Artists (Soul Jazz Records)
Despite being as rich in music treasures as its neighbours Brazil, Colombia and Cuba, few Venezuelan artists are known outside its borders. The country has a fascinating musical history, and in the 70’s, with loads of petro-…
Arsenio Rodriguez - Como se Goza en el Barrio. Havana & NYC recordings 1946-1962’
Grosso! Recordings Arsenio Rodriguez, aka the ‘Marvellous Blind man’ is one of Latin music’s greatest unsung heroes. A true genius, he created the roots s of what eventually would become Salsa. He died poor and forgotten in the…
Edwin Sanz ‘Overflow’ (Alex Wilson Records)
Following his great debut San Agustín, Sanz delivers another solid Salsa album. This album is a daring production for Sanz, going into a more mature sound, with three English songs and an array of guests including his producer/…
THE OUTSIDER
Few people thought that Reggaetón - the famous “Dembow” beat with the Latino twist that exploded 15 years ago – would stand the test of time. Yet today almost every big artist, from Shakira and Enrique Iglesias to Drake, Sia and…
Michel Camilo & Tomatito ‘Spain Forever’ (Decca)
Dominican pianist Michel Camilo and Spanish guitarist Tomatito, have become one of the great musical pairings of the century. Back in 2000, after being friends for years, the two maestros recorded the seminal album ‘Spain’, which…
Top Ten Latin Funk Classics
Latin artists from Puerto Rico to Colombia, from East L.A. to Spanish Harlem, were getting groovier and earthier throughout the '60s, and the results were wide-ranging and just as freaky as in the parallel Afro-American funk…
Top Ten Contemporary Reggaetón Tracks
Originally from Panama, Reggaetón’s roots can be traced back to the late 1990s, borrowing elements of reggae, rap, and hip-hop, and initially performed in underground venues. As the indisputably catchy beat and swagga soon spread…
Ten Reasons to Love Juan Gabriel
The songs of Juan Gabriel, one of Latin America’s most important singer-songwriters who died this week, have become anthems, re-recorded by the biggest current and former pop stars, such as Marc Anthony, Rocio Durcal, Juanes and…
Juan Gabriel, Singer-Songwriter (1950-2016)
Juan Gabriel, who has died aged 66, is considered to be one of Latin American greatest singer-songwriters of all time. The Mexican wrote around 1,500 songs, many of which made hits for and brought fame and fortune to countless…
Sao Paulo Symphony and Venezuelan Pianist Gabriela Montero delight a packed Royal Albert Hall at The BBC Proms
The 2016 season of BBC Proms has featured an unusual programme of high profile musicians from Latin America, starting with the brilliant young Argentine Sol Gabetta, soloist in an outstanding performance of Elgar's '…
Marc Anthony’s Debut Concert in the UK
The biggest selling salsa artist of all time showed he could still be surprised by adoring fans, as he was visibly moved and energised by an 02 full of London's latinos.
Mala ‘Mirrors’ (Brownswood Recordings)
South London producer Mala’s latest production on Brownwood records is every bit as good as his previous album ‘Mala In Cuba’. This time Mala went deeper south and dug into the sounds of Peru: from the Afro sounds of the Cajon to…
Our Latin Thing: An interview with Roberto Pla
Whether as percussionist of choice for the UK’s pop bands (Joe Strummer, The Cure, Kate Bush, Boney M) or bandleader, composer and arranger, timbalero extraordinaire, Roberto Pla, has come to be known as The Godfather of Latin…
New Era Jazz Queen
What is the outstanding quality that westerners find so baffling about Cuba’s bounty of world-class artists? From Carlos Acosta to Chucho Valdez, you’ll find a common combination unique to this idiosyncratic Caribbean island – a…
Carlos Vives @ The Royal Albert Hall
Carlos Vives love bombed a Royal Albert Hall full of Latinos as he indulged his audience in a two hour journey though Colombian nostalgia, alegria and sentimiento.