Brazilian Music
Obituaries
We Love Sergio Mendes

Sergio Mendes may not have been the main originator of bossa nova - one of the most innovative musical movement of the 20th Century - he may not have been the most talented musician to come out of Brazil, but he became the most…

Things That Matter To
Things That Matter… Jards Macalé

Having worked with some of the biggest names in Brazilian music, including Joao Donato, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso and more, Jards Macalé has garnered status as one of the most influential samba and tropicalia artists. Macalé’s…

Culture Guides
A Timeline of Greatness - Musical Anniversaries to Celebrate in 2024

Here at LatinoLife, whilst nurturing up-and-coming artists, we never forget on whose should we stand and who we have to thank for the rich tapestry of sounds that we’ve inherited. This year in particular we look forward to some…

Obituaries
We Love...Gal Costa

Endowed with a charismatic and exquisite voice filled with stylistic delights, Maria da Graҫa Costa Penna Burgos (better known as Gal Costa) was a native of Salvador, Bahia. Along with Maria Bethania, she was one of the primary…

Obituaries
The Wonderful World of Tim Maia

Back in the 1970s the deep velvety voice of Tim Maia sparked a revolution in Brazilian mainstream culture that went well beyond music, igniting the rise of the Black Rio movement. His bassy tone, resembling that of his funk and…

Obituaries
Remembering João Gilberto

When we think of bossa nova, the revolutionary music that catapulted the evocative sound of Brazil onto the global stage, with think of João Gilberto, who gave voice to the extraordinary songs such as 'Desfinado',…

In-depth Interviews
Bebel Gilberto: Mother of Bossa Electronica

Being daughter to the legendary Joao Gilberto was quite a shadow to step out of. But over a remarkable 40-year career of her own, the multi-Grammy nominated and winning singer Bebel Gilberto became her own star with compositions…

Obituaries
Clara Nunes, A Guerreira.

Some consider Clara Nunes to be the greatest samba and MPB singer of her generation. She was the first female singer in Brazil to sell over 100,000 copies of a record,with "Tristeza Pé No Chão" and her achievements…

Features
A Brief History of Latin Music in London

Notwithstanding the cheesy album covers and the pastiche distortions of Latin dance on BBC’s Strictly’, London has had a long and idiosyncratic affair with Latin culture. From the hi-flying success of Edmundo Ros’ Latin Big Band…

Obituaries
Remembering Luiz Melodia

A Carioca God of music, Brazil's black Orpheus, a master of Música Popular Brasileira (MPB); Luiz Melodia was like a rhapsode, always absorbing what was happening in the universe of music at that moment condensing rock,…

Things That Matter To
Things That Matter to...Luiz Gabriel Lopes

Luiz Gabriel Lopes is a singer-songwriter from Minas Gerais, the fertile territory that spawned the incredible Clube da Esquina generation of Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges, Toninho Horta et al. Echoing these illustrious…

Obituaries
Pixinguinha: The Demiurge of Brazilian Music

‘If you have 15 volumes to talk about all of Brazilian popular music, rest assured it’s too little. But if you only have the space for a word, you are saved. Write quickly: Pixinguinha.’ Though this quotation by Ary Vasconcelos,…

Top 10s...
Top 10 Music Docs on Netflix

At LatinoLife we love our music and there are some great documentaries we've discovered on Netflix that we want to share...from a panoramic view into the electrifying world of Latin Rock to the fascinating lives of music…

Features
OUR TIME TO SHINE

Sons and daughters of immigrants, the UK’s first-generation Spanglish-singing Latino-Brits have been busy creating in the shadows of a bustling UK urban music scene. But with music in Spanish now making the global hits, they…

Obituaries
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…

Obituaries
The Continuous Death of Tom Jobim

In Brazilian music, there are so many names that do not require any sort of introduction. Indeed, these are names that are often conflated with the definition of Brazilian music itself. They are names that, when spoken, evoke…

Fantasy Island Tracks
Marcos Valle'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 Marcos Valle, one of the most important and popular artists in the history of…

First Person
Me and my namesake, Vinicius de Moraes

Vinicius de Carvalho, appointed Director of King's Brazil Institute, pays tribute to the man he was named after, Vinicius de Moraes, one of the most important figures in modern Brazilian music. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for…

In-depth Interviews
“Through Love we can Link”

Brazilian superstar, Emicida, talks about his rise from the Sao Paulo favela to headlining world festivals, and impresses Arden Farrow with his message of love, positivity and hope, which is what we all need to hear right now.

Obituaries
MORAES MOREIRA - Brazilian Musician (1947-2020)

Antonio Carlos Moraes Moreira, the Bahian singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer known to his many fans as ‘o eterno novo baiano’ (the eternal new Bahian), passed away following a heart attack on 13th April at 72 years of age.

In-depth Interviews
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

Things That Matter To
Things That Matter To...Flavia Coelho

From the morros of Rio de Janeiro where she was born to the paved streets of Paris, where she now resides, Flavia Coelho has travelled the world and is at home where her music feels welcome. Needless to say, the Brazilian has…

Culture Guides
THE LUKAS MUSIC WINNERS 2019

Undoubtedly the best ever year in terms of the range and quality of nominations, we proudly present this year’s LUKAS winners 2019 for Outstanding Contribution to Music

Fantasy Island Tracks
Milton Nascimento'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 Milton Nascimento, one of the most significant Brazilian musicians of the last…

Reviews
MARCOS VALLE- SEMPRE- Far Out (FARO 211 LP)

For several decades, Marcos Valle’s winning formula of well-produced bossa/boogie/beach vibes has been a shoo-in for non-Brazilian MPB fans and Sempre, his 28th album, is no different.

Spotlight on...
Roberto Carlos

John Armstrong attempts to synthesise the enduring appeal of Latin America’s most successful artist.

Fantasy Island Tracks
Bebel Gilberto'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? This castaway, world renowned and multi-Grammy-nominated Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova icon Joao…

Fantasy Island Tracks
Nando Reis' 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 iconic rock star, Nando Reis, the bass player of one of Brazil's most…

Top 10s...
My 10 Favourite Samba Songs for Dancing

In the last piece in our series on Brazilian music, samba dancer, academic and enthusiast, Foteini Foteinaki, reveals her favourite Sambas for dancing.

Top 10s...
Latinolife's Baile Funk Playlist

With what has become known simply as Funk (or Funke as they pronounce it in Brazil). the rich tapestry of Brazilian music is nowhere more evident in the world of dance floor bangers Forget James Brown and Sly and the Family…

Top 10s...
Top 10 Great Brazilian musicians (you might not've heard)

Brazilians love superlatives. The biggest rainforest, the widest river, the richest bio-diversity. Yup, we have a lot to boast about (ignore the one about biggest gap between rich and poor!) and music is no different where our…

Top 10s...
Favourite Sambas

My father lead and played in a carnival band for more than 30 years and most of the time, this band rehearsed at our home. They played in clubs for the four nights of carnival parties and the weeks that preceded them. Outside…

Opinion
Being Samba

In his love letter to Samba, Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho , declares its importance to Brazilian identity and explores what it means to embrace this art form in all its simplicity and complexity.

In-depth Interviews
The Sum of Tribes

What happens when three friends get together in a hut on a beach to jam? A best-selling album of course. Well, perhaps only if you are already best-selling superstars. Felipe Botelho Correa talks to Marisa Monte, Arnaldo Antunes…

In-depth Interviews
The Heart of Brazil

Brazil’s definitive fiesta front man, Zeca Pagodinho, is one of the country’s most loved artists. Embodying the free, easy-going Carioca spirit and representing the tradition of sambas de raiz (grassroot sambas), Zeca…

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