
Brazil: Munduruku People Fear Annihilation
The Tapajós River Basin lies at the heart of the Amazon, and at the heart of an exploding controversy: whether to build 40+ large dams, a railway, and highways, turning the Basin into a vast industrialized commodities export…
How Latinos in the UK Can Show Support for Black Lives Matter
A young Afro Latina from the US is inspired by a show of UK solidarity for Black Lives Matter in Brixton and suggests ways Latinos in the UK can help
Surrogate Latino #3 Kishon Khan - bandleader
For years, Kishon Khan’s Lokkhi Terra has been blending the musical traditions that surround the band members; from Sufi Samba to Baul Blues to Bengali Folk-Son to Bangla Roots Reggae to London Descargas. Their 6th album ‘…
The Return of the Venezuelan Funksters
Latin America's most iconic funk band will perform another of their show-stopping gigs on April 2nd at the 26 Leake Street Club, an awesome venue in the London Bridge arches, displaying of some of the best street-art in…
Pao Pestana
Pao Pestana’s feisty cocktail of seductive beats and gritty sensuality packs a contagious punch. The Venezuelan-born, London-based singer-songwriter and Producer self-released ‘Quiero Verte’ in October, attracting the attention…
Paco de Lucia
Paco de Lucía: (Francisco Sánchez Gomez), guitarist and composer, born 21 December 1947; died 25 February 2014
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…
SEX WORKERS' OPERA
With a cast made up of workers in the sex industry and actors (its not clear whom is which to preserve anonymity) this unique multimedia production written by British-Uruguyan singer and composer Alex Etchart, offers a brutally…
SUBLIME (2022) Dir. Mariano Baisin
A beautifully understated Argentinian coming-of-age drama starring Martin Miller and Teo Inama Chiabrando and directed by Mariano Biasin.
COCO (2017) Dir.Lee Unkrich
A gorgeously animated 3D musical fantasy, based on an original idea of Lee Unkrich, and directed by him, ‘Coco’ is up there with the best of Pixar Animation Studios, and in the process manages to shed Hollywood’s tired old…
LATIN LONDONER # 13 Eddy Vents - Kizomba teacher
Eddy Vents has been surrounded by Lusophone music from the early childhood. His undoubted passion for kizomba and exceptional teaching skills has made him a winner of the award for Kizomba Teacher of the Year in 2014. This is his…
Pastelón - Plantain Lasagna
Plantain Lasagne is the perfect food combo, sweet & salty and best of all low-cal compared to a typical lasagne. In this recipe, which originates in Puerto Rico, thin layers of tasty plantain replace the layers of pasta…
Latin Music 2.0: Meet Candela Records’ Rising Stars
Ever since reggaetón became the world’s most streamed music genre, the major music labels have been on the hunt for the Latin music stars of the future. In a brave move, one global brand decided to look to UK shores for a new and…
Top Ten Artists of Canción Social
Some of the most beautiful melodies and inspiring music ever to come out of Latin America were part of the Canción Social movement of the 1970s and 1980s. As democratic and revolutionary movements were being ruthlessly crushed,…
Messi is the greatest, so was Diego
Argentina’s well-deserved victory in Qatar means that this South American nation has not only won two World Cups as a democratic country (a third under dictatorship), but each have been achieved thanks to the greatest player of…
Latin Londoner #35: Adriana Cavita, Chef and Food Entrepreneur
Adriana Cavita, the prodigious Mexican chef who previously worked at El Bulli and Pujol, is bringing the authentic flavours of Mexico to London at her debut restaurant, Cavita.
100 Wardour Street
Former Floridita saves the dinner dining experience for Latin Wednesdays
Learn Something New in Buenos Aires
From soccer skills in the footsteps of Messi and Maradona, riding out with the polo ponies and tangoing with the old school pros, for visitors to Buenos Aires can delve beyond the usual tourist trails and upskill on a series of…
“No Tengo Dogma" - an Interview with Mexican Director Lila Avilés
Mexican writer/ producer/ director LILA AVILÉS is reaching audiences far and wide, way beyond her Latin American roots, as her second film TÓTEM (2023) hits the screens in the UK and other countries. Both her films, LA CAMARISTA…
Aécio Neves: The Underdog in Brazil's General Election
Aécio Neves is the presidential candidate for PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) but from the start never showed much promise to beat the current president Dilma, who is hoping for re-election. Despite his success in…
We Love 'El Tosco'
Amaranta Wright ventures down memory lane and to Miami in the 90s when she first heard the late great José Luis Cortés aka El Tosco, “the Rough One” and his NG La Banda, one of the greatest ever Cuban bands. The accomplished…
Latin Londoners #42: REYKO, Electronic Music Duo
The London based electronic music outfit REYKO is made up of Soleil and Igor, both from Spain. The duo first began capturing attention with several viral songs surpassing overall 40 million streams, and breaking through to…
"At the end of the day what's most important is family"
We talk to Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona (daughter of Guatemalan singer Richardo Arjona) and Diego Boneta (hot off his title role in Netflix's Luis Miguel: The Series) who make up the stellar Latino cast of a…
Women of Toil - Maria Barea, pioneering Peruvian Director of ‘Antuca’ (1992)
Maria Barea decided to start filming the plight of young indigenous women working as domestic servants in Peru "to give them a voice." We look at the life of the pioneering Peruvian director of ‘Antuca’ (1992) and ‘…
“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…
WOMEN ON THE VERGE: Iberian Female Talent on the Rise
In the last few years, in an attempt to catch up with the US-based powerhouse that has become Latin music, Spain’s musical output has been in overdrive. While Karol G overtakes her male counterparts as reggaetón’s most successful…
Los Amantes Astronautas (The Astronaut Lovers-2024) by Argentine Marco Berger
Prolific Filmmaker Marco Berger (Absent 2011/ Young Hunter (2019) & Horseplay (2022) has developed a reputation for dealing with gender issues in his own distinctive style.
Creating Colombia’s Tennis Legacy
So you thought Latin American tennis players only came from Argentina? Think again. Enter Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, last year's doubles Wimbledon and US Open champions, the world’s #1 doubles pair. Amaranta…
Spices Seeped in Determination and Resilience: How Maria Marte Became a Culinary Star
In the heart of Madrid’s bustling culinary scene, where flavours from around the world converge, one Dominican chef stands out with her remarkable story of perseverance and passion. Latino Life talks to Maria Marta, the first…
Ayahuasca, Colonialist Mysticism and Exploitation of Indigenous People
A Review of 'The Cull of Personality - Ayahuasca, Colonialism, and the Death of a Healer' by Kevin Tucker
Colombian Cumbia Tracks
New York's DJ Bongohead, pioneering graphic designer, artist, DJ, writer and percussionist, has compiled collections for labels like World Music Network, Nascente, Fania, and Vapisoul. He has designed album covers and…
‘When Evil Lurks’ (Cuando Acecha la Maldad) Dir. Demián Rugna
A gateway to hell in your stomach, or evil oozing out from a putrid demon-infested body, are images that have sprung from the fertile mind of Argentine horror filmmaker Demián Rugna. Now, more to feast on in ‘When Evil Lurks’.
Latin Londoner #40: Monica Feria-Tinta, Barrister
Originally from Peru, Monica was shortlisted Barrister of the Year in the Lawyer’s Awards and is an elected bencher of Middle Temple. She holds an LLM in International Law (LSE) and was awarded the prestigious Diploma of the…
Our Latin Thing: An interview with Roberto Pla
Whether as percussionist of choice for the UK’s pop bands (Joe Strummer, The Cure, Kate Bush, Boney M) or bandleader, composer and arranger, timbalero extraordinaire, Roberto Pla, has come to be known as The Godfather of Latin…
Latin Londoner #48 - Gustavo Nenao, street artist
Gustavo Bordin (akak Gustavo Nenao) is a Brazilian street artist who has developed works in three continents and 42 countries and was the only Brazilian to join the selected group of artists chosen by the former U.S. first lady…