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‘Cumbia was a means of liberation’ - An Interview with Sonora Dinamita
About to celebrate it’s 60th birthday, Sonora Dinamita was making Cumbia before the hipsters of Europe and Asia, who embraced the genre, were an apple in the eye of music marketeers. The Cartagena Cumbia group, who then moved to…
Great Latin American films from 2021
2021 was a difficult year for film, especially cinema releases. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Academy Awards event took place in April 2021, at the usual event venue, the spectacular Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los…
Maison Cachua by Fernando Montaño
Former Royal Ballet dancer and Colombian dance megastar Fernando Montaño launches new bespoke luxury fashion brand
Reggaeton Revolution: 20 years of UK Urban Latin Culture
Back in 2004, when the UK music industry was ignoring reggaetón and Maluma was in nappies, LatinoLife produced the UK’s first ever Reggaetón and Latin Hiphop Festival, giving a platform to young UK-Latin kids bursting to show…
The Films of Armando Bó
In the first of our 'Memorable Film' series on Latin America and Spain’s most memorable films and directors, Latinolife’s film editor, Corina Poore, profiles the ground-breaking Argentine director Armando Bó
Modern (yet Unashamedly Macho) Malambo
A fiery, young, and scintillating take on traditional Argentine malambo dance, Malevo is a dance troupe based in Buenos Aires, seeking inspiration from the malambo dance, originally from the Pampas plains. Wowing audiences across…
‘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…
Mexican Black Bean and Chorizo Empanadas
Such is each Latin American country's claim over this cherished delicacy, one could argue for the need of an international empanada convention. Originally introduced to Mexico by Cornish miners in the 19th Century, empanadas…
Macedonio Fernandez - The Non-Believer's Belief
This week it is sixty years since the death of Macedonio Fernández, the Argentine writer and philosopher, who Jorge Luis Borges admitted he imitated ‘to the point of devoted and impassioned plagiarism.’ Yet virtually nothing is…
We Ain't No Shithole
Just eight years after the Léogâne Earthquake, Trump was once again spewing garbage about Haiti calling it, among other predominantly non-white countries, a “shithole.” Of course, it is no such place as Antony Stewart, chair of…
CLARA SOLA (2021) by Swedish/Costa Rican director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
The film Clara Sola (2021)which will be on general release from November 18-2022, first opened at the Cannes Director’s Fortnight in July 2021 and has already received 17 wins and 20 nominations. After being in the Dare Strand at…
Brazilian women in London share experiences of gendered violence
As the rates and intensity of violence against women dramatically rose globally over lockdown, Gil, a Brazilian woman in London who has suffered domestic violence, tells her story of being denied support from emergency services.…
THE POWER OF NOW: An Interview with Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética is one of Puerto Rico's most influential bands. Formed in 1996, the group came to encapsulate what it is to be Latin Caribbean with its unique fusion of Caribbean reggae and Latin genres such as bossa nova…
10 Latino Places to Take your Valentine
For us Latinos, having a great Valentine's Day date is a must - a chance to impress your date with the best Latin American food followed by a very sexy party…showing him/her or they just how we do it. So without further ado…
Brazil's Antonio Társis wins the VIA Arts Prize 2019
Bahiano ANTONIO TÁRSIS from Brazil has won the 2019 VIA Prize out of a record total of 402 submissions. His large and colourful collage is built up from fragments of fruit boxes from all parts of the world, that he meticulously…
Surrogate Latina #4: Despina VIolari - dancer
Cyprus-born dancer Despina had been accumulating admirers on the Salsa scene for several years before getting to show off her grace and talent on the West End stage as part of the dance ensemble of 'On Your Feet'. She…
Latin Londoner #44 - Sofia Serbin de Skalon, Film Curator
World cinema specialist, writer and culture maker, Argentine born Sofia de Skalon is founder of the Argentine Film Festival London, a showcase for contemporary Argentine cinema. Through her PR agency, Sofia has promoted more than…
Latin Londoner #34: Gisella Stapleton, Artist
The unique artworks of vibrant colours, inspired by folklore and culture, with social undertones, are quickly earning a name for Peruvian artist Gisella Stapleton. Gisella’s work combines realism and abstract art, mixing figure…
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.…
Brazilian Sweet Chilli Sauce
I have never been a fan of regular store-bought sweet chilli sauce. Store versions have a funny taste, and the colouring and preservatives put me off. It's true that you can find some better quality 'natural'…
LATIN LONDONER #17: Juliano Fiori - rugby player
If anyone epitomises the uniqueness and strength that comes from being bi-cultural it is Juliano Fiori. Not only is he a West Londoner who is playing rugby for Brazil in the Olympics, but to do so, he’s had to juggle a full time…
OUR LAST TANGO (Un Tango Más) 2015 DIR: Germán Kral
Argentina and Tango seem to be riding on the crest of a wave in London with Tanguera having mesmerized audiences at Sadler’s Wells, Evita on stage in the West End and now German/Argentine Germán Kral’s new film ‘Our Last Tango (…
'AS YOU SEE ME NOW' by The Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with José Feliciano
A stunning 14-track collaboration between Puerto Rican guitar legend and Grammy Award winner José Feliciano and Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, you can really feel how these musicians enjoyed making these…
Latino Heat: The Stars of the 2024 Olympics
As the world tunes in to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics, the spotlight shines brightly on Latin American athletes who are set to leave an indelible mark on the global stage. These athletes, hailing from various countries across…
Home Recipe #1: Oscar’s Mexican Pozole
In this Latino Life series, we showcase Latin home chefs who are spicing up the culinary scene here in the UK. Our first Latin home chef is Dr. Oscar Ignacio Barragán Villanueva from Mexico. He is 31 years old and is the oldest…
Things You Should Know About... Spanish Cinema
From Civil War and Censorship to Scandal and Sexual Desire, here's a few things you might want to know about Spanish Cinema.
Five Reasons To Love....Almodovar's Sex Fetishes
Internationally acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar, who released his latest film I'm So Excited in 2013, has demonstrated he is an all-embracing, multi-faceted film-maker to say the least. Combining elements of comedy and…
Uncovering B.Léza - Cesaria Evora’s songwriter
Few people had heard of Cabo Verde, an arc of islands off the coast of Senegal, until Cesária Évora put them on the map. B. Leza is one of the most important composers in the history of Cabo Verde, and anyone who knows Cesária…
Clementina, Where Are You?
In Brazil, Cinderella has a different name - Clementina. Clementina de Jesus worked for decades as a maid before being discovered, at the age of 62, by a record producer and composer named Herminio Bello de Carvalho. With the…
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmão (2019) Directed by Karim Aïnouz.
‘THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURIDICE GUSMÃO’ (2019) is a dramatic melodrama that delves into how family bonds and betrayals can affect people’s lives for years. Set in Rio de Janeiro in 1950, Eurídice, 18, and Guida, 20, are two…
Latin Things to Do with Kids
There’s always something exciting to do in London, but it gets a bit tricky when it comes to finding things in Spanish for kids or to inspire them about their culture! So we’ve put together a list of great things to do with the…
Los Babasonicos @ The Dome, Tufnell Park, 27th October
A lack-lustre performance from the classic Argentine band, lacking its fans' enthusiasm for an Argentine night to remember in the classic North London msuic venue
Nuevo Orden (2020) Dir. Michel Franco
In ‘New Order’ (2020) the third feature written and directed by Mexican Michel Franco, no one is innocent. There is no ‘get out of jail free card’ here! Michel Franco’s powerful film, screened at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival…
El Pirata's 'Black Rice'
From one of London's oldest and finest Spanish restaurants, El PIrata's head chef Rosendo Simbana, divulges the secrets of his signature dish
Things That Matter To...Antonio Lizana
Growing up immersed in the world of Flamenco, Cádiz-born Antonio Lizana studied Jazz in Musikene, the Advanced Music School in San Sebastián. Though submerged in jazz composition, he found that flamenco crept into every song he…
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Gabriela (2023) Oscar-qualifying short film by Guatemalan-American…
Gabriela, a young Guatemalan undocumented immigrant struggles to fulfill her dreams of becoming a…
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MAGDALENA, TE AMO (2024) by Andrea Calao
‘Magdalena, Te Amo’ (2024) is a moving short film about student sex workers in New York. Premiered…
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Power Alley (Levante- 2023) by Brazilian director Lillah Halla
Lillah Halla is emerging as the new kid on the block in Brazil with her opera prima, Levante (Power…
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