La Follía de Corelli - music video with Lina Tur Bonet and Ángel Haro
A superb collaboration between Lina Tur Bonet, the renowned baroque violinist and the Spanish visual artist Ángel Haro has resulted in possibly the first ever Classical music video. Taking the music of one of Arcangel Corelli’s…
Cheo Feliciano Tunes That Rock the Dance Floor
When it comes to salsa greatness very few people are on the same level of Cheo Feliciano. He can only be compared with the very best salsa singers and no better proof of his quality was the fact that he delivered hits in the 60…
House of Sounds
Little Louie Vega has Latin music running through his veins. Nephew of the late great salsa icon, Hector Lavoe, this New York-based DJ and producer extraordinaire, has influenced the sound of House music worldwide, notleast as…
Orchesta Guayacán Tunes That Rock The Dance Floor
Orquesta Guayacan is without a doubt one of Colombia's greatest musical institutions. For over 35 years they have been one of the most prolific, consistent and best bands to come out of Cali, not an easy task considering…
Santo Domingo Blues: Los Tigueres de la Bachata (2004) by Alex Wolfe.
A genre once ignored and disrespected by the Latin American elite as no more than bawdy ghetto music, bachata has risen to stand beside the best of salsa and merengue, and arguably outstrip both in popularity around the world, to…
THE AUGUST REGGAETON RECAP
August is in-your-face with many artists on this list capitalising not only their songs but their names too. This month is also a final opportunity to soak up the sun and digest August’s hottest hits. One song features a well-…
LATIN LONDONER #6 Camilo Menjura - Musician and ChoIr Master
One of London’s most loved singer-songwriters and choir master, this two-time LUKAS winner for Musician of Year specializes in Afro-Colombian, Afro-Peruvian and Andean Jazz. Camilo is also a renowned choral master, leading the…
Classic Album: 'MTO² New Generation' by Don Omar
We revisit Don Omar's Album "Meet the Orphans 2: New Generation", released nine years ago. Full of surprises and without a shadow of a doubt, an album that made history in music.
THE NOVEMBER REGGAETON RECAP
As our noses turn red and our cheeks turn rosy, artists are still showing up and showing out to help music lovers find their next music obsession. November has been a month of accolades and celebrations for lots of Latin…
Candela Records announces "Hot Steppa" Angelo Flow's latest single featuring & J Spades and Diztortion
Following on from his club hit "Solo Tu", Angelo teams up with UK rap pioneer J Spades on a new JA dancehall influenced "Hot Steppa". Fusing the artists' Jamaican and Venezuelan Caribbean flows and London…
THE JUNE REGGAETON RECAP
Karol G surprised everyone by announcing a new album while the second half of this reggaeton power couple, Feid, also decided to drop a new project. Two stars joined forces to re-learn everything they thought they knew about the…
TEN YEARS OF MADNESS: A History of LatinoLife in the Park
From their 25 years together, Venezuelan-born José Luis Seijas and Argentine Amaranta Wright have been part of the rise of Latin music, from a marginalised genre to the world’s most streamed. The couple had already been creating…
Things That Matter to…Omara Portuondo
One of the most inspirational women in music and known for her vibrant live performances, Omara Portuondo rose to fame in the 1950’s in pre-revolutionary Havana in the vocal group Cuarteto D'Aida, before becoming a huge name…
A Soulful Voice from Brazil
Natacha Andueza Bosch talks to emerging Brazilian vocalist Sarah Roston, who draws on a range of influences from funk, soul, jazz, to reggaeton and traditional Brazilian music
LatinoLife's 2023 Homegrown Music Roundup
We at LatinoLife are so proud of our UK Latin Talent, and the privilege of helping to nurture and showcase that talent to the world through our media, events and music label and activities as a National Portfolio Organisation.…
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.
The Reggaetón Boss
Back in 2005, Daddy Yankee became the only Reggaetón artist ever to chart in the UK, with 'Gasolina' at #4. Now the same artist has again hit the spot and broken another record with his current song ‘Despacito,’…
The Simplicity of Complexity
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Zé Ibarra, began garnering attention aged 15 as the voice and pianist of Rio band Dônica, and went on to co-found Bala Desejo with Dora Morelenbaum, Julia Mestre, Lucas Nunes, which…
Latin Londoner #33: Natalia Luisbassa, Conductor
Coming up through Venezuela's world famous El Sistema, Natalia became the first person to obtain a degree in Orchestral Conducting in Venezuela. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in…
The Gentleman with the Bad Ass Voice
Gilberto Santa Rosa shows no sign of slowing down. Jose Luis Seijas caught up with the Puerto Rican icon to discover that the rumours were true: he really is ‘The Gentleman of Salsa,’ as often referred to - the nice guy of Latin…
We haven’t killed Salsa! Part 1
Earlier this year we published a piece 'Did Salsa Dancers Kill Salsa Music?' which generated much controversy. In a passionate response, Kerry Ribchester argues that we haven't killed Salsa, we are more in love…
Southern Passion at the Cervantes Theatre
The Flamenco Festival London 2022, based at Sadler’s Wells (dance) and the Cervantes Theatre (music) featured renowned stars and legends like Tomatito, the Compañia Jesús Carmona, El Yoyo and his troupe, Rocío Márquez and…
The Future of Latin Music?
While Venezuela has always been the land of opportunity for Colombians, one of Venezuela’s most successful new musicians and innovative producers, has gone the other way and is coming back with some sounds that are rocking the…
Dominican Shades
Lara Morgenstern reflects on the enviable coolness of Vicente Garcia, when she meets the Dominican singer-songwriter, clad in sunglasses on a cloudy London day.
REYKO @ The Waiting Room
REYKO kicked off the new year with an exceptional London concert in The Waiting Room. A concert hall filled with music enthusiasts, fans, and curious Londoners wanting to know more about this mystical Spanish band, making it the…
Wandering Soul
Caracas born singer-songwriter Laura Guevara was one of Venezuela’s risings stars, winning the Pepsi Awards in 2017, the country's equivalent of the Mercury Prize. Her involvement in the student protests, however, leading…
Latin Londoner #47 - Esco, Music Producer
Esco is an young up-and-coming sound engineer and producer. Born in Camden to Jamaican and Colombian parents he has absorbed two musical cultures in a very London way. After being heavily involved in gangs as a teenager which…
Eliades Ochoa's Fantasy Island Discs
If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need to get you through those times of despair? Our castaway this month is Eliades Ochoa, known as Mr Chan Chan in his hometown of Santiago de Cuba, from…
Real People Hurt
The female voice of self-assured sensitivity, angst, frustration, betrayal, love, yearning and truth was once a staple of music. But somewhere along the line the frank and authentic female vocalist has been lost. Cue the…
When White Peak Met the White Isle – Classic Ibiza Lights Up Chatsworth
For 10 years, Classic Ibiza - a five-hour live performance of Balearic-infused dance anthems, played by the 32-piece Urban Soul Orchestra - has been recreating raves in the stunning grounds of stately homes across the UK. Caracas…
Trovador Extraordinaire
In an era where bland music and meaningless lyrics pollute the airwaves, singer-songwriters such as Pablo Milanes, the legendary Cuban icon and one of the founders of Nueva Trova, are revered more than ever. His songs about the…
THE JANUARY REGGAETON RECAP
It’s the first Reggaeton Recap of the year and the artists certainly know it as they’re pulling out more stops than ever before! There’s a cross-continental collaboration that shows some very promising prospects and a collision…
LATIN LONDONER #9 Paco Peña - Flamenco Guitarist
The Spanish Flamenco Maestro who has become living example of an artist that has explored the best of London’s diversity and multiculturalism whilst cherishing his Spanish roots to make simply beautiful music.
Bad Bunny Drops Surprise New Album
Partially recorded during quarantine, Benito Martinez delights his fans for the second time in a row this year with an unexpected album.