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The Continuous Death of Tom Jobim
In Brazilian music, there are so many names that do not require any sort of introduction. Indeed, these are names that are often conflated with the definition of Brazilian music itself. They are names that, when spoken, evoke…
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…
Carlos Gardel (1890 - 1935)
Carlos Gardel was the world’s first and, arguably, only Global Tango Star. Songs such a ‘El Dia que me Quieras’ and his presence on screen not only made him a global icon but, aided the careers of countless other singers over the…
Bola de Nieve (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971)
Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, nicknamed Bola de Nieve (snowball) - pianist, singer and songwriter - was one of the most charismatic cultural figures of his times. Black and gay, and self-confident with it, he disarmed his…
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.
Violeta Parra, Chilean Singer and Composer (1917-1967)
'The Mother of Latin American folk' left her mark not only on Chile but on all of Latin America. Her songs and her unyielding dedication to local musical traditions made her unique and her legacy eternal. Today, we take…
Camarón de la Isla, Spanish Flamenco Singer (1950-1992)
Camarón de la Isla was considered by many as the gipsy god of flamenco. Today we remember his legacy and his legendary trajectory that left a mark in Spanish music history, leaving his memory to be respected with great zeal.
Beny Moré, Cuban singer (1919-1963)
Regarded by many as the greatest artist in the history of Cuban popular music, the songs and style of Beny Moré feel today as fresh as they did 70 years ago, when he was singing to the dance halls of pre and post-revolutionary…
Julio Jaramillo, Singer (1935 - 1978)
Known as the ‘Nightingale of America,’ Julio Jaramillo is considered the most popular Latin folk singer at all time and one of its greatest icons of popular music. 42 years after his death, Julio is still today the most listened…
La Lupe, Singer (1936-1992)
With a voice initially described as “screaming, disorderly and disrespectful,” heroic was so evocative it provoked some strong reactions but came to be regarded as one of the best Latin vocalists of her generation. She wept, bit…
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…
JORGE SPITERI - Musician (1951 - 2020)
The Venezuelan composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, vocalist and much- loved friend, died on Sunday May 24th 2020, from cancer in North Carolina, USA. Jorge was a pioneer of Latin rock and funk mixed…
MORAES MOREIRA - Brazilian Musician (1947-2020)
Antonio Carlos Moraes Moreira, the Bahian singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer known to his many fans as ‘o eterno novo baiano’ (the eternal new Bahian), passed away following a heart attack on 13th April at 72 years of age.
Marielle: She Inspired Us All
Black Lives Matter in Brazil too, where of the thousands that die every year at the hands of police, 75% are black. Marielle Franco defended those who had no voice, she gave voice to the hopes of favela dwellers, black people,…
Ciro Bustos, Che Guevara’s friend and ally
Artist and revolutionary, Ciro Bustos was a key confident of Che Guevara in his fated attempt to trigger revolution across Latin America, through Argentina and Bolivia. He was wrongly accused of betraying Che, when it is now…
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…
Roberto Gómez Bolaños, Comedian (1929-2014)
Estimated by Forbes magazine to have produced billions for Mexico's main television station Televisa, Roberto Gómez Bolaños aka Chespirito (a parody of his namesake Shakespeare) was one of Latin America's most loved…
Oscar de la Renta, fashion designer (1932 - 2014)
Fashion icons such as Marc Jacobs along with the industry bid farewell to the reverent and much-loved Dominican American designer, Oscar de la Renta this week. After fighting cancer for eight years, the icon passed away aged 82…
Manuel Pertegaz, iconic Spanish designer (1918-2014)
Manuel Pertegaz, the world- famous Spanish designer and admired fashion genius died on Saturday at the grand age of 96. We celebrate his life here at LatinoLife whilst his dedication fashion lovers mourn their great loss who had…
Alfredo Di Stéfano (1926-2014)
“The ball gave me prestige, gave me fame, gave me riches. Thank you, my old friend". Alfredo Di Stefano, died aged 88, an inspirational leader and legend for Real Madrid and a hero for footballers world wide.
Juan Formell (1942-2014)
Simplemente...without Juan Formell Cuban music wouldn’t be the same. Those of you who ever couldn’t stop humming Abre que voy, Me Pone la Cabeza Mala, or Me Mantego after an amazing party know very well what we mean…
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 6th March 1927 - 17th April 2014
“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.”
Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America (1935 - 2009)
It is 11 years since Mercedes Sosa - the singer and exponent of what became known as 'nueva cancion' - died, but her musical legacy lives on, not just in her native Argentina or even Latin America but across the globe.…
Paco de Lucia
Paco de Lucía: (Francisco Sánchez Gomez), guitarist and composer, born 21 December 1947; died 25 February 2014
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.
Patrick Rice
The Irish Priest who became one of Latin America's most committed and loved Human Rights activists. He dedicated his life to the defence of human dignity and to the hope of a better world
In Praise of Chavela Vargas 1919-2012
A tribute to one of Latin America's most iconic female role models.
Our Tribute to Sandro
The man known as The Argentine Elvis was a national treasure. The funeral was held on January 5th at the Argentine national congress, usually reserved only for presidents or former presidents. The streets where lined with…
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.
Lonesome George - The death of a subspecies
The very last of his subspecies, the Pinta Island resident passed away at the estimated age of a hundred.
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