
La Chiva se enganche!
La Chiva Gantiva are a heady mix of Colombian and Belgian musicians. With inspiration from Toto La Momposina and Afro Coloombian music, the six piece have turned into a fiery cultural sound clash full of life and colour. With a…
Camilo Menjura on life and LUKAS nominations
Camilo Menjura is certainly a very busy musician! The Bogota born multi-talented player is once again up for a LUKAS nomination, having won in two categories "Musician of the year" and "Community worker of the year…
Flamenco Fusion's Force of Nature
Ojos de Brujo's frontwoman and songwriter Marinah goes solo with her first album, Baile de las Horas, which she performs at Rich Mix in April."The change is what I needed: to get out of Ojos and do something different.…
El Emigrante: Javier Moreno on his Lukas nomination and life in the UK…
Javier Moreno currently resides in London, when I spoke to him on a lovely sunny morning he was off to work on his side project: a Catalan inspired café! Born in Barcelona from a Catalan mother and Andalusian father, Javier has…
Alma Antigua - The Young Guatalaman with Vintage Charm
Described by The New York Times as having a ‘tangy, bluesy voice with the feistiness of Edith Piaf,’ there is something definitely old-worldy about the Guatemalan singer-songwriter who has a Latin Grammy, tours with Ricardo…
What Happens When London Gospel goes Latin
The London Community Gospel Choir is a musical force to be reckoned with. With a career spanning over 30 years, and led by the dynamic and charismatic Bazil Meade, LCGC is known for its funky gospel flair, swing-beat, R’n'B…
We Owe Paco So Much
Paco Peña, one of the world's most celebrated flamenco guitarists mourns an irreplaceable Flamenco soul and friend
Paco de Lucia
Paco de Lucía: (Francisco Sánchez Gomez), guitarist and composer, born 21 December 1947; died 25 February 2014
TOP TEN Recent Latin Albums produced in the UK
Latin music is not an easy thing to produce, let alone promote, in the UK; you need real instruments, great musicians and arrangements to make it sound good, and there is rarely any money to work on. Despite the lack of exposure…
The TransAtlantic Family
Family Atlantica are just that: a family. The band consists of British born Jack Yglesias, a producer and multi-instrumentalist, his wife Luzmira Zerpa, a Venezuelan traditional musician, singer and poet who has received…
Cuchi Cuchi all over the world
With over 20 years of acid-jazz influenced funky songs, cool riffs, and absurd lyrics Los Amigos Invisibles are one of the world's coolest cult outfits. Starting in the 1990s Chulius, Cheo, Odnam, Maurimix, Catire and…
‘Siembra’ and the Birth of The Latin Nation
In 1978, Ruben Blades, a young Panamanian “Sonero” and Willie Colon, a New York-born trombone player, producer and poster boy for the already booming salsa industry of New York, got together and released what would become the…
Baila La Cumbia
Baila La Cumbia - Tropical tunes from the South West guaranteed to get your feet on the dancefloor!
Cuban Jazz, Simple As That!
Described as “one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the Twentieth Century” by the great Chucho Valdes himself, Cuban Jazz connoisseur and long time fan Royer Alfonso, talks to HIlario Durán ahead of his concert at Ronnie Scotts…
Diomedes de Jesús Díaz Maestre (26 May 1957 – 22 December 2013) ‘El Cacique de la Junta’
Colombia mourns the loss of a Vallenato Legend, Diomedes Díaz died aged 56 at home in Valledupar.
Rediscovering The Big Apple
Revisiting the 80s from Latin funjk to smooth Cha Cha CHa - Los Charly's best work to date.
Cuba’s Magical Music Train (and its Driver)
How many musicians can boast a 40 year global music career? Cuba’s Juan Formell and Los Van Van are up there among the rare few, on a never ending Magical Mystery Train Journey which has them touring constantly around the world,…
North Brazil meets South London
Having collaborated with titans of Brazilian music such as Nana Vasconcelos, Gilberto Gil, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown and Hermeto Pascoal, as well as jazz legends Stanley Jordan and Joshua Redman, Letieres Leite, one of…
Buika: 'La Noche Mas Larga' (2012)
A few months ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Concha Buika. Charming, clever, talented beyond words and with a unique a yet universally appealing personal history: the daughter of African immigrants who grew up in Spain…
Divine Sensuality: The Genius of Juan Luis Guerra
From his lyrics that verge on magical realism, to his intensely sensual melodies and his relationship with God, we praise the undecipherable enigma that is Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s most sublime music makers and…
Peru Maravilloso: Vintage Latin, Tropical and Cumbia
Peru Maravilloso: Vintage Latin, Tropical & Cumbia
Music Speaks
At only 46, Vicente Amigo is already considered a Flamenco legend and the greatest Spanish guitarist of his generation. Currently touring with his new album “Tierra” Vicente Amigo talks to Latino Life.
Lease of Life: an interview with Draco Rosa
Having made Ricky Martin's global career with the songs "Livin' La Vida Loca," "She Bangs" and "Shake Your Bon-Bon," Bobby Draco Rosa is considered Latin American music royalty. The two…
BUIKA THERAPY
Born of immigrants from Equatorial Guinea and growing up among Romani gypsies in Mallorca, Concha Buika has emerged to become Spain’s most unlikely Flamenco star. Yet her haunting, velvety voice, her sentimiento and chiselled…
Family Atlantica
Spanning Latin America, Africa and Europe in a single record is no mean feat. But Family Atlantica absolutely pull it off.
The Revenge of the Latin Oldies
First there was Buena Vista, now there is Ondatrópica, a new Afro-Latin big band embracing the past, present and future of Colombia’s cumbia sound, and bringing to the global fore some of the greatest talents from the seventies…
Things That Matter to...La Mala Rodriguez
La Mala Rodriguez is one of the most successful Hispanic artists today. When Rosalia was still in her nappies, Mala was recording with some of the world's most commercial Latino artists as the only Spanish rapper to gain…
Cuba's New Musical Messiah
Once a decade there emerges a particular talent in Cuba that inspires a generation; and it is no exageration to place Alexander Abreu in that category. Ahead of his imminent debut concert in the UK with Cuba's hottest…
The Latino Behind the Legend: Phil Manzanera
Before being presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to British Music by PInk Floyd's David Gilmour at this year's the LUKAS Gala, few people knew much about this London born Latino. We invite…
Lenacay: A New Chapter
Ramón Giménez El Brujo talks to Latino Life about the transition from Ojos de Brujo to Lenacay.