The Accidental Hero
Once a struggling rock star in Bogotá, Carlos Vives became a national symbol almost overnight by fusing Colombia’s traditional vallenato rythmns with modern rock and pop. As if to represent the unity of a country in conflict, the…
Lease of Life: an interview with Draco Rosa
Having made Ricky Martin's global career with the songs "Livin' La Vida Loca," "She Bangs" and "Shake Your Bon-Bon," Bobby Draco Rosa is considered Latin American music royalty. The two…
Latin Jazz Next Gen
Unlike other music, Jazz musicians get better with age. In Jazz linguistics, at 40, you’re a toddler just starting to talk! The following artists have pricked up our ears with their exciting new sounds. Both blessed and burdened…
Heli (2013) Dir. Amat Escalante
Keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, from the very first scene in which a bound-and-gagged man is carried to the top of an overpass and hung for all to see, his acclaimed third film by self-taught director from Guanajuato…
LatinoLife's Guide to Bi-lingual Poetry
Rhyming translator-poet, Timothy Adès guides us through the daunting world of poetry, finding moments of bi-lingual inspiration to help us battle through dark times and relish the good...
Giullianna Martinez - A New Face for Tituba
Ahead of her performance as Tituba in Anthony Lau’s upcoming production of The Crucible, American-Colombian actress Giullianna Martinez talks to LatinoLife about this exciting retelling of a classic play.
'REAS' by Lola Arias
“I see beyond the wall”...Having its UK premiere at the BFI Flare 2024 Festival, Argentine cinema and theatre director Lola Arias' award winning new documentary ‘REAS’ has created a novel take on the prison documentary,…
Placing Arepas on the UK's Food Radar
Rich flavours and exotic tastes pop to mind when one thinks about Venezuelan food. Brothers Gabriel and Jose-Luis Gonzalez have taken these concepts and implemented a new dining proposal by launching their lastest restaurant at…
“FREEDOM IS WITHIN EVERYONE”
The Delinquents is a heist film with a twist: the aim is not for wealth and luxury, but for freedom and the meaning of life. Selected as Argentina’s entry for the Oscars, this latest offering from Rodrigo Moreno is based on the…
Casita Andina, Soho
Heart-warming dishes that evoke Cusco's deliciously intense and cosy cuisine, make a perfect night out for a romantic winters evening in London.
Woman on the Verge: Eva Ruiz
Born in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Eva Ruiz has the ability to paint pictures with words and sounds, through her distinctly graceful, smooth yet powerful voice. She also portrays Jenna in Culpa Mia, a hit Amazon Prime…
Paco Peña's Flamencura
A truly memorable evening as London's favourite Flamenco guitarist brings Sadlers Wells to their feet.
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.…
World Cup Profile: Mexico Look to End 24-Year Curse
In the third of our profiles on the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese teams who have qualified for this year’s World Cup finals, Lewis Blakeman looks at World Cup regulars Mexico and their chances of putting an end to the 24…
The Brazilian Wild West
Corina Poore talks to the award-winning directors Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonça Filho about ’Bacurau’, a fascinating, drug-fuelled and dark ‘western’ set in a remote area of north-eastern Brazil, which comes with a twist…
'Prazer, Camaradas!' Dir. José Filipe Costa
‘Prazer, Camaradas!’ is a charming, fiction-documentary by Portuguese director José Filipe Costa that was recently shown at the 63rd BFI London Film Festival. With acute observations and a gentle humour, it examines the impact on…
Three Short Films: Madre, Piggy and Fifteen
Corina J Poore reviews three Latino offerings from the 'Shorts' programme at this year's The BFI London Film Festival: ‘MADRE (2017)’ by Spanish writer/director Rodrigo Sorogoyen, ‘PIGGY (Cerdita) 2018’, (14 min…
Sylvia Libedinsky: Artist of the Absurd
Libedinsky’s new show “The Art of the Absurd” opens at the gx Gallery on Denmark Hill on February 7th. Mischievous and satirical, Libedinksy’s work challenges the viewer to think.
Omar Allibhoy's Green Paella
We at LatinoLife are embracing Veganuary or Veganenero as we say in Spanish. Come on its only one month! So we asked our favourite Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy for recipes and he gave us his delicious Green Paella: a paella version…
Fish Finding Water: The Story of Pescadito Films
Children’s films do not always get the headlines they deserve despite being vital to the film industry these days. With Disney recently finding a lucrative business in Latino related animations such as the hugely successful Coco…
CABRINI (2024) directed by Mexican director Alejandro Monteverde
‘One small gesture of love can change everything’. How do you do credit to a biopic of a saint? This true story of the turbulent journey of Francesca Cabrini to achieve her goal of orphanages and hospitals in late 19th Century…
Diego Maradona (Dir. Asif Kapadia)
In the Shakespearean tragedy that is the movie 'Diego Maradona', master documentary story-teller Asif Kapadia offers football's most revered and loathed protagonist a chance for redemption
'The Marvellous Jew' - an interview with Fania legend Larry Harlow
Known affectionately as ‘the marvellous jew’ Larry Harlow was such a talent that the great Latino stars of Fania more than embraced him as one their own; they revered his musical leadership and vision. Jose Luis Seijas talks to…
Chocolate, Politics and Peace-Building
An Ethnography of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia by Gwen Burnyeat
Reggaeton Soul
At the age of 19, Manuel Turizo is fast becoming the latest Colombian sensation to explode in the world of Reggaetón. His first hit 'Una Lady Como Tú' received over 1.3 billion YouTube views, while 'Vaina Loca…
Latin Londoner #45: Marcos Mereles, Film Director
Born in La Rioja, Argentina in1990, Marco Mereles is a filmmaker, based in London. His first feature film ALL IS VANITY (UK, 2021) had its world premiere at the 65th BFI London Film Festival and will be released in UK cinemas…
Nova Gaucho - the uniqueness of Argentine Design
Argentine Design hit London's biggest design show in a big way last week. We picked our favourites...
THE UNCERTAIN KINGDOM
THE LIFE TREE, directed by Paul Frankl, is a mystical film forming part of this exciting compilation of short films called THE UNCERTAIN KINGDOM.
From Reggaetón to Urban Latin: What Happened after the Boom?
Five years ago Reggaetón exploded onto the US music scene with NORE’s Oye Mi Canto. Fresh out of the streets of Puerto Rico and Panama, Latino kids, the US’s fastest rising demographic, were going crazy for it in every major city…
PUAN 2023 by Benjamin Naishstat and María Alché
“Llueve sobre tu desolación” (It rains on your despair) In the philosophical comedy by Benjamin Naishstat and María Alché, premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, the upended life and personal struggles of…
El Botón de Nácar (The Pearl Button) Dir. Patricio Guzman (2015)
Using the poetic language that has become a trademark of the famed Chilean director, this sequel to his multi-awarded Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light, 2010) explores both small detail and big historical processes to…
Portugal's Evita
Ever since she was six years old Lisbon-born Madalena Alberto dreamed of being an actress. Like Eva Perón, her character in Evita, which returns to the London stage next month, Madalena was strong-willed and persistent young girl…
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’
Victor Jara, Singer-songwriter (1932-1973)
Victor Jara was a popular folk singer in Chile, who was tortured and murdered in 1973 by the military coup led by Augusto PInochet. Ever since, the man and his music has been an inspiration for millions across the world. Almost…
THE JULY REGGAETON RECAP
July is the month of collaborations! From a trio packed with Argentinian All-stars to another who are each representing their own nation, it’s great to see artists working together providing the ultimate summer soundtrack.