Resilience and Resistance: a History of the Colombian London
Over the last 50 years, hundreds of thousands of Colombians have made their mark as the UK's largest spanish-speaking community. As a consequence, Londoners are never far away from the enticing smell of pandeja paisa, the…
LATIN LONDONER #50: LISA LUGO, SVP Marketing & Creative Solutions Live Nation UK
Born and bred a true Nuyorican, after working at Live Nation in the US, Lisa Lugo moved to the UK in 2015 where she oversees a team responsible for developing programmes for brand partners across Live Nation’s festivals and…
LatinoLife 22 Confirms its Place as 'the UK's Most Inclusive Festival'
The only UK festival to be chosen for 'The Inclusive Festival Guide' compiled by European research project Fest Space, LatinoLife's 7th edition delivered the UK's biggest Latin music Festival. London’s only…
Postcard from...Havana: Family at a Crossroads
It’s been a busy and sad week in our Cuban household. Danay and Osvaldo, two married younger members of this small Cuban family are leaving the country tomorrow to make a new life for themselves in Argentina, where Danay’s Cuban…
Let’s Talk About Religion: Interview with directors Maya Cueva and Leah Galant
On the Divide premiers March 17th as part of the “Human Rights Watch Film Festival”. The feature-length documentary follows the life stories of Mercedes, Denisse and Rey in McAllen, Texas, a small town in the Rio Grande Valley,…
Latin Londoner #43: Vinicius de Carvalho, Director, King's Brazil Institute
Born in Barra Mansa, Brazil, Vinicius de Carvalho is Director of University of London’s King’s Brazil Institute. He is also Vice-Dean International for the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy at King’s College, and Reader…
Mexico: Informal Workers and the Pandemic
The story of Noe, a private driver and ambulant salesman, is that of many in Mexico left without an income or government help. It is left to informal neighbourhood based support to helps them get by.
AMAZONAS: The Beauty of Britain's Afro-Indigenous Latinas
Carina Costa Londono brings together some of Britain’s proud Afro-Indigenous to show their natural beauty in a pioneering photo shoot
Transforming Urban Spaces: Guatemala City’s barrancos
“We dream of a green city, an inclusive city, full of squares, full of children. We dream of a fair, walkable, accessible, liveable city. We believe in a greener, happier, more human city.” Urban planners and community gardeners…
Latin Londoner #37: Claudia Lopez-Prieto, Educator
Claudia Prieto is an EAL (English as an Additional language) teacher at Saint Gabriel's College Secondary school in Lambeth. In her 14 years as an educator, she’s earned a reputation for her dedication to engaging and…
Loathe the Word Latino? Blame it on the French!
The word ‘Latino’ may conjure up style and swagger (LatinoLife, of course, equalling all things cool). But having been created as a tool in Europe’s colonial tussle for territory, is the word really cool or has Latin America come…
COVID STORIES: Learning to Exhale
Priscilla Ferreira set up Circular Maternar UK, a group to support Brazilian women in the UK overcome their fears of natural (vaginal) birth. Brazil has the highest rate of caesarean births in the world - 85 percent in private…
COVID Stories: Growing Together
Latin Americans Women’s Aid (LAWA) has been supporting Latin American women for 35 years with emergency refuge homes for victims of domestic violence, advice, support, English classes, counselling, empowerment programs and much…
Quino, creator of "Mafalda" (1932 - 2020)
This week Argentina mourns a great loss. At the age of 88, Argentine cartoonist, Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón (more commonly known as ‘Quino’) passed away on the 30th September in Mendoza, Argentina. Creator and father of…
Yerba Mate: A Gringa’s Guide
A gringa living in Argentina describes the joys of discovering Yerba Mate, and the social hurdles to overcome in between!
Putting the Joy back into Christmas
What is Christmas about? Is it about running around town looking for the best Christmas gift? Most would argue that the season is about- and should be about- family and loved ones, but in reality, it seems we have lost sight of…
Colombia: Stairway Storytellers in Medellín
In Medellin, Billie Melluish-Turner finds a project to replace ghoulish and superficial tourism with something real and sustainable
EXHALE AND RELEASE: The Story of Colombia’s Diaspora Women
Five years ago Diaspora Woman was founded under the name Truth, Memory and Reconciliation Commission of Colombian Women in the Diaspora. The idea was to bring together Colombian women, from all political and social backgrounds,…
Latinas Rising - Part 2
In part 2 of our Latinas Rising edition, we feature the remaining 5 of the 10 young Latinas in London who came together for our photo shoot. And so we are delighted to introduce the lawyer, the model and mother, the entrepreneur…
Latinas Rising - Part 1
If it’s never been done before you can be sure that LatinoLife will do it. And so it was that we brought together 10 young Latinas who are making their mark on London by showing outstanding promise in their chosen profession.…
Marielle: She Inspired Us All
Black Lives Matter in Brazil too, where of the thousands that die every year at the hands of police, 75% are black. Marielle Franco defended those who had no voice, she gave voice to the hopes of favela dwellers, black people,…
COLOMBIA: Bogotá’s Recyclers Fight for Inclusion
As the city rises up the development index, Bogotá’s waste services are undergoing structural transformation. Rachel Simon learns how Colombia’s informal waste-picking recicladores are organizing and fighting to play their part…
Things You Should Know About... Day of the Dead
There is still a commonly held view that ‘Day of the Dead’ is Mexico’s ‘Halloween,’ that everyone dresses up as skelatons, and it is truly scary, therefore unsuitable for children. 'Dia de Los Muertos' is in fact a…
Sembrando Cultura: This is How We do It!
Maria Luna, a Dominican American residing in London, speaks to four Latinas in the United States, Scotland and England to find out what it means to be a Latina and how a Latina maintains or compromises her culture when she starts…
United Migrations?
Walk around London and it’s hard to avoid the Spanish vowels swirling around the air. The recent influx of Spaniards and Latin Americans arriving through Spain adds yet another layer to the original Spanish speaking communities.…
White Flowers - When Santos met London's Colombian Community
For the UK’s Colombian community, one of the world’s largest Colombian diasporas, President Juan Manuel Santos’ state visit was a historic event. Following the international media spotlight on Colombia, the recent rejection of…
Narconovelas – Glorifying or Challenging Stereotypes?
Latinolife explores the two sides of this controversial debate.
AFRO LATINOS: Un Pedazito de la Historia Negra
To be or not to be Afro-Latino? Maria V. Luna explores the resurgance of black pride in Latin America and its diasporas.
Latin Londoner #18: Gloria Lizcano - LGBT community leader
Celebrating 20 years of her legendary Latino LGBT Club night Exilio this Friday, Gloria Lizcano has been the pioneer and main activist for the Latin LGBT community in London.
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
Brazil: Pixacao Sao Paulo’s Urban Calligraphy
Although present in many different Brazilian cities, pixação (often spelt ‘pichação in official accounts) is most closely identified with São Paulo. In this ‘city of walls’, pixação is everywhere. No building or wall is…
RUNNING FOR JUSTICE
Wall to wall coverage - but 43 students remain missing in Mexico. Karen Harding meets a new generation of London based human rights campaigners looking to turn the spotlight on the unfolding tragedy of the disappeared students in…
Signs of Hope for the Munduruku
Two important advances for the Munduruku Indians in the Brazilian Amazon in recent days suggest that they could pull off an extraordinary victory.
The Blue Line to Cali
Mirca Moreira revels in the short London journey that quenches her craving for a little piece of Colombia.
The UK's Top Colombian Movers and Shakers
Take a trip to Elephant and Castle or Seven Sisters’ indoor market and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d been transported to Colombia. Salsa blaring out of little shops, couples dancing between tables in mid-afternoon,…