Surviving Venezuela
‘Surviving Venezuela: Smuggling Dreams’, directed by Anglo-Peruvian Alexander ‘Lali’ Houghton is a TV documentary filmed in 2017 for ‘Witness’, Al Jazeera. It was short listed for a Rory Peck Award (2018), as well for the Foreign…
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
Latin Londoner #20 ..Emeris Solis - Percussionist
Emeris is one of Europe’s best Latin percussionists and the epitome of the Latin immigrant who has earned success in London through his craft. Chilled, good humored, and professional, he is a master in Colombian folklore,…
Black Horses Are Massive - A Striking Tribute and Work of Power
Black Horses Are Massive, written by Bárbara Esmenia Rãé, showed as a reading for one night only at the Royal Court as part of their International Programme. Set in a Brazilian prison, this play was written in response to the…
Hecho a Mano: A Celebration of Textiles
Spanning across three quarters of a century and eight countries, Hecho a Mano at Cecilia Brunson Projects celebrates, commemorates and interrogates the past and present of textiles as a creative medium.
Juan Luis Guerra’s Fantasy Island Tracks
If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need, to get you through those times of despair? Man cannot live on sun and fish alone right? Our castaway, Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s…
Futuro Beach (2014) Dir. Karim Aïnouz
Shot in 2012 in Brazil and Germany, Futuro Beach touches on the themes of expatriation, nostalgia and family links. Its contemplative tone offers an impactful and realistic sense of time passing by. Futuro Beach is now out on DVD.
Paco Peña's Quimeras
An uplifting and inspiring piece that tells an emotive story and touches political themes through music, dance and the spoken word
Love Is (Not) All You Need?
Some say that people of all cultures use the word ‘love’ to describe a feeling they get when someone meets their needs. In the view, we invest emotions in what is in fact a transactional affair. So what is love between Cubans and…
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…
LatinoLife's Christmas Wish List
Winter is upon us, Christmas is near, and nothing cheers us up more than bringing a bit of Latin American pazzazz to our very British Christmas menus. Here’s our selection of must haves from the Latin Xmas hamper
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…
THE SEPTEMBER REGGAETON RECAP
September brings a temperature drop but the artists’ this month are still making some fire records. From a bossa nova song performed in Portuñol to a track with six artists taking their turns to show off their fast and sharp flow…
LATIN LONDONER #8 BIanca Jagger - Style Diva and Human Rights Activist
A ‘one off’, a glamorous Latin American who has poured her passion and pride into doing the right thing; an example of Latin American solidarity personified.
Guatemala: a Rotten State
President Morales' anti-corruption pose is dropped as soon as his own family is in the frame
My Own Private Hell / Inferninho (2018) Dir. Guto Parente
A beautiful film that illustrates how a little slice of extraordinary life can survive in a dark, fairytale environment.
It Is Not The Virus
Mabel Encinas is a Mexican artist and poet based in London, member of the Hispano-American Women Writers on Memory, who is also a senior lecturer in higher education in the UK. Writing and art has allowed her to process her…
Haikus for a Pandemic
Leo Boix is a bilingual poet, translator and journalist born in Argentina who lives and works in the UK. Boix has published two poetry collections in Spanish, Un lugar propio (2015) and Mar de noche (2017), and has been included…
Five Reasons to Love... Mexican Comedy
Ask a British person what they know about Mexico and they might mention tacos and Cancún: for those unacquainted with the country, its image is inextricably linked to bean-laden delicacies and ‘Spring Break’ debauchery. However…
Pulled Pork with Chipotle Sauce
Pulled Pork is a favourite with Brits and Mexicans alike and this version of slow cooked pork with a smoky spicy taste is just irresistible wherever you're from. Chipotle has a majestic taste and a distinctive smoky flavour…
Total Eternal Gozadera
It’s not unusual for someone who’s never been to an ‘Amigos’ concert to emerge saying ‘that was the best concert I’ve ever been to.’ The energy and commitment to ‘total party’ in the live performances of Venezuela’s most popular…
Río Turbio: women marginalised by the mine
Filmmaker and archivist Tatiana Mazú González sheds light on the role of women in the Río Turbio miner’s struggle
Susana Baca's Fantasy Island Tracks
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 Susana Baca, the greatest international exponent of Afro-Peruvian music, having…
Area 23, Hip Hop and Venezuela’s Cultural Revolution
Jorney Madriz or ‘Master’ as he is commonly known, is a rapper with hip hop group ‘Area 23’, based in ‘23 de enero’, one of the most militant low-income barrios, that encircle the country’s capital Caracas.
Revolutionary or Celebrity in the making?
Gordon Ramsey might not have read the script when he dubbed Omar Allibhoy ‘the Antonio Banderas of cooking’. But Hollywood looks can’t hurt and, as Emma Cory finds out, the reference takes little away from the chef on a genuine…
Woman on the Verge: Lala Hayden
Having gained notoriety and popularity fronting indie outfit Anteros, Catalan-British singer-songwriter Laura 'LALA' Hayden is now diving deep into her solo project under the guise of Lala Hayden. Empowering, powerful…
COSMIC CONNECTIONS
Patricia Diaz describes herself as a migrant storyteller, for she has lived longer in London than in her native Colombia. Her debut novel ‘The Golden Bat’ touches on the tragic events of the 1985 Nevado del Ruiz volcano eruption…
Divine Sensuality
From his lyrics that verge on magical realism, to his intensely sensual melodies, the undecipherable enigma that is Juan Luis Guerra has defined a generation who have danced to his music and dreamed his dreams. Latino Life steals…
REWIND - Physical Theatre at its Most Powerful.
REWIND, an innovative fusion of forensic anthropology and physical theatre, explodes onto the London stage in a powerful one-hour performance. Inspired by Latin American refugee stories, this show succeeds in its mission…
Ben's Moqueca
Ben’s Moqueca There’s nothing quite like a bowl of freshly made moqueca, a deliciously fragrant Brazilian fish stew. Traditionally from Espirito Santo in the south, I prefer the Bahian variant. If I’m making it I usually use…
“Happiness is a Myth"
In his book 'You are not Meant to be Happy, so stop Trying' Basque psychiatrist Dr Rafa Euba argues that happiness is merely an ethereal ghost that inhabits our brain, not something to strive for. Released in these…
Surrogate Latino #6: Jonny Liebeck, Latin Jazz Pianist and Bandleader
Jonny impressed us so much with his Latin soul/jazz/funk quartet at last year's London Latin Music Conference. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity Laban, the young Liebeck is quickly making a name for…
Spanish Chef Masterclass: Omar Allibhoy Makes Spanish Food Look Easy
Join me as I uncover the secrets of traditional Spanish cuisine from Omar Allibhoy: the Madrid-born chef who has been trying to convince Brits to cook tapas for over fifteen years, and had a shot at teaching me how to make paella…
...Guatemala
From a mansion to a school trying to make ends meet, this couch surfer found a warm welcome in Guatemala.