Jessica Maria Gilhooley, actor, filmmaker
Since graduating from the prestigious Drama Centre this British-Colombian Actor has appeared in Miramax's box office hit 'The Beekeeper' alongside Jason Statham and Jeremy Irons, and in the BAFTA-winning TV series…
MAGDALENA, TE AMO (2024) by Andrea Calao
‘Magdalena, Te Amo’ (2024) is a moving short film about student sex workers in New York. Premiered at the New York Latino Film Festival, it has also been longlisted for the 2024 Yugo BAFTA Student Awards.
We Love Omar Geles
Omar Geles was one of Colombia's most important Vallenato singers and musicians and the most prolific composer of his generation. His band Los Diablitos, which he formed with Miguel Morales, produced a string of hits in the…
MAGDALENA, TE AMO (2024) by Andrea Calao
‘Magdalena, Te Amo’ (2024) is a moving short film about student sex workers in New York. Premiered at the New York Latino Film Festival, it has also been longlisted for the 2024 Yugo BAFTA Student Awards.
Leonor: The Story of a Lost Childhood
What the FARC? Women are the silent victims of Colombia’s conflict, exploited and abused by guerrillas as much as their enemiesGavin O’Toole reviews the book Leonor: The Story of a Lost Childhood by Paula Delgado-Kling. The…
10 Distinguished Brits You Didn't Know Were Colombian
The UK hosts the world's second largest Colombian diaspora, and has born generations of talent in all fields of life. But with their very British accents, you may not even know who they are. From dancers, painters,…
Pacific Tumbao
In the vibrant world of Colombian salsa music, few names resonate as powerfully as Jimmy Saa. Known for his electrifying performances, soulful voice and bringing the rich sounds of his native Buenaventura into a unique brand of…
KAROL G AT THE 02 ARENA
Colombia’s Leading Lady performed in London’s largest arena and made sure no one in the crowd left the venue without a smile on their face.
J Balvin at the 02 Arena
A night of show-stopping, awe-inspiring production mixed with the perfect ratio of laid-back and heart-warming moments from the artist. J Balvin at this height of his career continues to set the standard for creativity, …
A Timeline of Greatness - Musical Anniversaries to Celebrate in 2024
Here at LatinoLife, whilst nurturing up-and-coming artists, we never forget on whose should we stand and who we have to thank for the rich tapestry of sounds that we’ve inherited. This year in particular we look forward to some…
Luis Caballero - A Rare Insight into Queer Colombian Artistry
In ‘A Deliberate Defiance’, an exhibition of five canvases by Luis Caballero (1943-1995), London’s Cecilia Brunson Projects highlights the stories of duality and dichotomy depicted in the pioneering queer Colombian artist’s work…
True Romantic
We talk to four-time Latin Grammy winner Andrés Cepeda about how girls inspired him to start writing music, his secret shot of aguardiente to calm nerves and love as the engine of life. There's no doubt about it, the much…
Remembering Rodolfo Aicardi
Blessed with an unusual voice, which exuded passion and raw emotion, an era of great songs that connected with audiences every day lives, and a magnetic charisma, Rodolfo Aicardi was one of Colombia’s biggest Cumbia stars of the…
Golden Days
Four-time Latin Grammy winners Aterciopelados defined a new Golden Era of Colombian pop music when it exploded onto the Latin pop scene back in 1993, going on to become one of Colombia’s best known pop bands of the 1990s. With a…
UK Colombian Creatives to be Proud of
Creativity is in any Colombians' DNA, it’s part of our necessity and hence our everyday lives. We’re celebrating Colombian Independence by shining a light on the amazing Colombian talent here in the UK. From dancers,…
UK Colombian Music Artists to be Proud Of
We’re Celebrating Colombian Independence by shining a light on the amazing Colombian talent here in the UK. First off music..from salsa, vallenato and gaita to urban, hip hop and folk here are artists who have brought not only…
SÚPER CHEFS, a play by Betsy Picart, with music by Ariel Cubría.
At the Theatre Peckham, SÚPER CHEFS, an exciting music & dance play designed for children (aged 4-8), is delighting its young audiences and their parents alike,
LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING (2023) by Lisa Cortes
In this beautifully researched documentary, screened at the 2023 BFI Flare London LGBTQIA+ Festival, Lisa Cortes celebrates the ‘architect of rock n’ roll’ Little Richard, with all the ebullience and joy that vibrates in his…
‘UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS’: Juan Felipe Zuleta’s film of friendship despite all odds
Screened in the 'Hearts' Strand at the 2023 BFI Flare LGBTQI+ Festival, this powerful and charming film has been praised by Queer Forty as “one of the best road movies ever made”. This may be a grand statement but there…
Reclaiming The Streets
Ryan Castro is the latest in a string of Medellin music sensations to reach global fame, with hits such as Jordan, Wasa Wasa, Malory and Mujeriego. Just as Colombia’s ‘City of Eternal Spring’ has come to be known as the new…
“Los Nadies” become Somebodies in Colombia
After a very contested campaign, Colombians recently elected Gustavo Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla member, as president, and Francia Márquez, the first vice president in Latin America of African descent, The duo Petro and…
Britpop's Favourite Timbalero
When Colombian timbal player Roberto Pla arrived the UK in the 1970s, the Latin music scene was practically non-existent. But the boy from Baranquilla soon became the percussionist of choice for UK pop artists such as Joe…
Emotional challenges for a Colombian immigrant in the UK
Santi (2021) is a 10-minute short film directed by up-and-coming talent Harry Richards. He talks to Latino Life about the film and its inception, and explains that the short is a taster for what will become a 90-minute feature…
The Juanes Mash Up
The Colombian music landscape has transformed dramatically over the last 10 years, with reggaetón becoming the new pop, but one Medellín rockero has transcended all trends and remains as relevant today doing the music he loves.…
Colombian elections 2022: Petro or Fico?
Colombia’s presidential elections are just around the corner (with a second round in June if no candidate obtains more than 50 per cent of the vote). With two main candidates on opposing sides of the political spectrum, what do…
Colombia: London Mural Honours Lucas Villa
London graffiti artist Kapo pays tribute to the demonstrator assassinated during Colombia’s national strike in 2021 in Stockwell’s ‘Hall of Fame’
The Right to Die? Euthanasia in Colombia
Meet the lawyers fighting to make euthanasia a human right in Latin America.
MEMORIA (2021) directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
“In here, time stops”. Thai Director, screenwriter and producer Apichatpong Weerasethakul has set his latest offering MEMORIA (2021) in Colombia. He has managed to uncover a sense of peace that one would have thought hard to…
Remembering Rafael Escalona, composer (1927 - 2009)
Rafael Escalona was one of Colombia's most important musical lyricists and composers, revolutionising Colombia's vallenato tradition, modernizing the music's rough, accordion-based sound via the addition of vividly…
Luisa Santiago, Singer-Song Writer
Luisa Santiago is a Colombian-born, London-bred singer pianist who calls on the best of both worlds: her roots in Salsa and Latin music and a love of UK Soul and R&B. Luisa’s songwriting, piano playing and sweet vocals, honed…
Top 10 Salsa Hits of the Noughties
As lovers of Salsa here at LatinoLife, we've been loving putting together a Top 10 series on Salsa Hits of the decades, from the golden era of the 70s, through salsa romantica and erotica of the 80s, the big hitters of the…
Latina Homegrown
Sweetness, strength, ambition and beauty are the words that encapsulate this unique group of talent trying to break through the many barriers of London's difficult world of urban music. What’s the biggest challenge; as women…
Top 10 90s Salsa Hits (part 2)
Last week, as part of our series on salsa hits of the decades, we brought you our selection of the best '90s salsa, with artists like Luis Enrique, Tito Rojas, Victor Manuelle, Jerry Rivera, DLG and Orchestra Guayacan. But…
J Balvin "El niño de Medellin" review
J Balvin bares soul and fights with conscience in his brilliantly told story.
Minimalist vampire movie with a twist: ‘MY HEART CAN ONLY BEAT WHEN YOU TELL IT TO” .
Colombian-American Jonathan Cuartas has hit the ground running with his debut feature, ‘MY HEART CAN ONLY BEAT WHEN YOU TELL IT TO’, a moving tale of two dysfunctional siblings trying to protect their frail little brother against…