Latino Life Spring 2024

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REGGAETON REVOLUTION

20 Years of UK

Urban Latin Culture

Books that travel through the continent

“FREEDOM IS

Back in the early noughties, when the UK music industry and media were ignoring urban Latin music, and Maluma was in nappies…LatinoLife began producing reggaetón events. In 2004 we produced the UK’s first ever Reggaetón and Latin Hiphop Festival and in 2005 launched the now legendary La Bomba nights at Ministry of Sound. Twenty years on, reggaetón is the world’s most streamed music and while the UK mainstream industries are still struggling to figure it out, LatinoLife continues pioneering UK urban Latin culture through media and events - weekly clubnights, festivals, showcases, talent development programmes and Candela Records, the UK’s first ever urban Latin record label. They say it takes 20 years to become an overnight sensation... that sounds about right. Here we roll back the years and tell our story, from the beginning to the present day. Amaranta

Darell at Outernet

The first in our series of events celebrating 20 years of UK Urban Latin culture…we brought the Puerto-Rican Reggaeton sensation to London for his first ever show. Known for his hits ‘Lollipop’ and the iconic ‘Te Boté Remix’ Darell delighted London fans at the Capital’s hottest new venue, Here at Outernet, located in the heart of central London, with state-of-theart sound and production.

check out future latinolife events @ fatsoma.com/latinolifeuk

20 years of Urban LaTin Culture in London

Back in 2004, when the UK music industry was ignoring reggaetón and Maluma was in nappies, LatinoLife produced the UK’s first ever Reggaetón and Latin Hiphop Festival, giving a platform to young UK-Latin kids bursting to show their vibe. The following year, the now legendary La Bomba nights at Ministry of Sound, became the Mecca for reggaetón. They say it takes 20 years to become an overnight sensation. Today, reggaetón is finally inserting itself into mainstream UK culture and homegrown urban Latin music is headlining festival stages. Lauren Williams reflects on the underground movement as UK Urban Latin culture celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Kiko

Guala

Faqundo Gonzalez

Caro Caxi Zems The Indios

Don Jaga Desta

On a Saturday night in Vauxhall, hipsters from Shoreditch, Latinas from South London and lads from Essex are vibing under the LED lightshow with Londoners from Sudan, Albania, Nigeria and all over the world to a beat that sounds vaguely African and words in Spanish that probably none of them understand. Most don’t know it’s Farruko’s hit Pepas, and even fewer will know that this genre, which began in Panama and Puerto Rico in the 1980s as a hybrid of dancehall, reggae en español and hiphop, is now the most listened to on the planet.

Much like hip-hop a decade before, reggaetón defied years of criticism, condemnation and prejudice to become part of today’s global pop mainstream. Last year, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti was the most streamed album globally on Spotify and, more recently, Karol G became the first female reggaetón artist to win a Grammy.

Back in the steamy South London club, Bad Bunny’s catchy Yo Perreo Sola stops playing and a feisty, energic Latina bounces on stage in a tight Colombian football shirt, greets the crowd in her Tottenham accent and launches into to drill-style rap, switching from London slang to Spanish without a pause.

Four decades on from the back street parties of San Juan, Puerto Rico, who would have thought that, on the other side of the Atlantic, there would be a budding community of homegrown UK reggaetón artists? The scene, which includes the likes of Venezuelan Angelo Flow, top producer Dukus, podcaster turned artist Milena Sánchez and many more, has been bubbling under the surface here in the UK since the early 2000s - since 2004, to be precise…

The Spark of a Revolution

On Sunday 28th October 2004, with the support of Amnesty International, José Seijas and Amaranta Wright produced the UK’s first Latin Hip-Hop and Reggaeton Festival. They invited young Latin artists bursting out of the streets to show their vibe, their talent and a new version of urban Latin, London style. For the first time, this celebration of Latin music didn’t take place in a typical Latin music hotspot, but in the iconic KOKO venue in Camden Town.

Dukus

Stylo Prohibido

Mike Kalle

This event is now considered to be a landmark moment for UK Reggaetón, much like the first ‘Eskimo Dance’ rave, founded by grime godfather Wiley in 2002, was for British Black music.

Twenty years ago, no media or Latin music promoter in the UK was interested in the genre, says Amaranta Wright, “for years we were knocking on doors of promoters, venues, media, funders, to help us showcase UK Latin urban artists and culture. Every time, we faced rejections and dismissal. They didn’t know what we were talking about. As Latinos promoting Latin music, we weren’t part of the ‘World Music’ old boys club, mainly white English men promoting the Latin music that they liked…so we had to do it ourselves…everything, the club nights, concerts and even our own media to promote them through. Reggaeton in the UK was a FUBU (For Us By Us) movement.”

development programmes, LatinoLife, the organisation founded by Amaranta and José (now an Arts Council funded National Portfolio Organisation) aims to launch the first UK Latin artist onto the global stage.

The La Bomba Years – “that’s where the cool music was getting played”

José Seijas, head of music and talent development at LatinoLife, remembers back in 2003 going to New York to buy records. “I came across Tego Calderon’s El Abayarde which had just come out. From that point, I knew reggaetón was going to be huge and I went ahead to buy the domain www.reggaeton.co.uk which I still have today.”

“As Latinos promoting Latin music, we weren’t part of the ‘World Music’ old boys club, mainly white English men promoting Latin music that they liked…so we had to do it ourselves… everything, the clubnights, concerts and even our own the media to promote them through.”

Jose and Amaranta followed its KOKO event with La Bomba – the now iconic regular reggaeton nights at Ministry of Sound - cementing a scene which has grown exponentially since. They say it takes 20 years to make an overnight sensation. Indeed, 20 years later, homegrown reggaetón has its own stage at LatinoLife in the Park, the UK’s biggest Latin music festival and in 2022 Candela Records became the UK’s first label dedicated to urban Latin music. From promoting reggaetón through its diverse media, events,

Around this time, London’s Latin music scene was predominantly dominated by salsa. José was DJing in London’s salsa clubs and would start fitting in short sets of reggaetón in between longer salsa sets. Eventually he convinced Ministry of Sound, in the heart of Elephant & Castle, where the majority of the Latin community resides, to let him start a reggaetón night there. Candela Records co-owner Luciano Pinto, a Londoner born to Chilean parents, was a teenager hanging out at his brother’s pirate salsa radio station in South London, Rumba FM, when José started La Bomba nights. “All our parents complained about the music, but that’s what we wanted to listen to.”

The monthly events at Ministry con stituted a space for young, second-generation Latins in London to lis ten to the latest bangers coming out of Puerto Rico, watch performanc es from local artists and DJs, get to know others

THE UK’S FIRST LABEL DEDICATED TO URBAN LATIN MUSIC

www.candelarecords.co.uk

in the wider community, and develop their identity as British Latins. Ecuadorian-born artist Guala, a bi-lingual rapper from North London remem bers his first time at La Bomba: “Me and my friends quickly decided… that’s where the cool music was getting played. Those parties gave me ideas about what I could be.”

Dukus, another La Bomba attendee who also ended up with a successful career in music as an award-winning producer, songwriter, sound engineer and musician collaborating with the likes of Craig David, Ed Sheeran, Central Cee, Giggs, Stormzy, Wiz Kid, said, “it was the first time you would go to parties and realise that there is a whole community of people like you.”

At the time, the London Metropolitan Police required that the controversial 696 form be completed by event organisers and promoters for music events to take place. The form was contested for its racial bias as it affected events where Black music would be played, especially those with an MC. While reggaetón is an inherently black music genre, where other black genres would be played, Jose Luis recalls how La Bomba parties “slipped under the radar” at the time, due to Latin music being associated with salsa. This meant La Bomba would become a magnet for Caribbean and African Londoners who could enjoy Black music, without being affected by racially coded monitoring and surveillance.

Latin Music in London - “The Rhythm is Universal”

Despacito could have been another onehot Latin wonder like Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca in 1999 or Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina in 2005. This time was different; the 2017 hit reflected a momentum in Latin Music that has been unstoppable since. The longevity of reggaetón weekly parties at venues like Tiger Tiger in Piccadilly and Lightbox in Vauxhall, and multiple stadium sell-out shows by Karol G this June, show just how much London has caught onto the genre. Fans stretch far beyond the Latin community, as shown in videos taken at Vauxhall’s VIVA party boasting to have ‘London’s most diverse crowd’, where partygoers interviewed derive from countries including Nigeria, Japan, the Philippines, Lebanon and more.

“In 2003, I came across Tego Calderon’s El Abayarde which had just come out. From that point, I knew reggaeton was going to be huge”

Joe Schiavon, the promoter at Live Nation UK who is bringing Karol G to London, confesses that finally “Live Nation is pushing the growth of Latin artists in the UK market. This comes after “several years travelling to the US, building relations with contacts in the global Latin music scene. When I first saw Karol G perform, I thought she had the potential to be a huge global artist. Her concert will be a good barometer of the potential for Latin music to cross over to the UK mainstream.”

The challenge in the UK has been that, despite the huge hype globally, especially on socials, the mainstream media is still reluctant to give media support to Latin artists.

“Mainstream top 40 rhythmic radio haven’t caught up and are rarely playlisting Spanish language music. You could have the most streamed record in the world and struggle to see a C-List playlist on the radio,” adds Joe. “There have been a few exceptions including Despacito, “I Like It Like That” or “Taki Taki”, but beyond those, music programming at UK Radio needs to stay abreast of some of the biggest Latin talent in the world. Once that is addressed TV would soon follow.”

Luciano at Candela Records adds “even an artist like Bad Bunny, the biggest artist in the world right now…you don’t hear him on the radio here, and it’s purely because of the language and cultural barrier.”

“Me and my friends quickly decided… that’s where the cool music was getting played. Those parties gave me ideas about what I could be.”

Despite this, Joe assures that Live Nation are going out on a limb to programme “a healthy Latin concert line-up in the UK over the next 18 months.” And yet, one asks the question…if the biggest superstar on the planet, surpassing Ed Sheeran or Dua Lipa in popularity can’t get radio play in the UK, what chance is there for UK Latin artists?

Talent on our Doorstep - “Desde Londres”

On our doorstep, we have a movement of talented second generation b-lingual, bicultural artists, whose parents arrived on these shores from every corner of Latin AmericaColombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile - and are merging diverse music of their heritage with drill, grime, soul, indie and hip-hop.

Bringing the talent together in one place, ‘Latino Life in the Park’, became the UK’s biggest Latin music purely on local talent.

“For a long time we saw Latin music festivals in London spend all their money on bringing acts from Latin America, who most English people didn’t know anyway, and then not even paying local artists,” says Amaranta. “We decided that if we could develop local talent whilst creating an amazing experience for festival goers, the quality would keep audiences coming back. And that’s what’s happened.”

The festival, now in its 9th year, supported by the Mayor of London and funded by the Arts Council England, features entire line-ups of UK-based Latin artists shining a spotlight on the variety of genres and the melting pot of cultures in London. Milena Sánchez, dubbed a “combination of Adele and Karol G” on social media, says that the uniqueness of their BritishLatin identity brings something new to the global Latin music industry. “I sing in “Spanglish because it’s true to who I am.”

Another London artist, Sachellys, adds “I don’t want to sound like artists in South America, that’s already been done…we have something they don’t. We listen to salsa and cumbia, at home but have absorbed the London sounds we are s urrounded by.”

One of the artists currently on the Candela Records roster is Venezuelan artist Angelo Flow, whose 2023 release ‘Hot Steppa’ was the fastest streamed track by a UK Latin urban artist and the first of its kind to secure airtime on Radio 1 Extra and Kiss.

“Our artists cannot sound like the artists from over there because otherwise we’re competing with millions of other artists,” says Candela’s A&R man Luciano Pinto. “If we want to participate in the global scene, we need to come in with a different sound that resonates here in the UK because it’s British and also potentially cut through the noise in Latin America because we are not sounding like the local artists there.”

Dominican London rapper R Louis, who includes London landmarks like The Shard in his music videos describes his journey as an uphill battle, like mounting the Shard itself, without a team behind, support of a manager, “along with being an artist, you have to be a content creator.” Nevertheless, the artists agree that the universality of “the reggaetón rhythm” and the solidarity between the artists will shine a light on the scene. “With Afrobeats,” Sachellys says, “the artists stuck together and worked together to make it noticeable”.

“The UK just isn’t going to get it” - the Hesitation to go Latin

Milena recalls thinking to herself, “the UK just isn’t going to get it.” Sachellys says for many years she only sang in English because she thought the language barrier would make it difficult for her to get airtime. But more and more artists are gaining confidence to sing in Spanish, says Luciano: “the circulation of other genres, such as afrobeats, with non-English lyrics proves that there is room for Spanish lyrics on the radio.” Milena vows to “continue breaking down the barrier until UK reggaeton is played on the radio.”

The artists describe the difficulty of being of a community that isn’t widely recognised neither in the UK. Still on most official UK forms, including funding forms, Latin Americans have to select ‘other’ as an ethnicity option. Even responses on TikTok disbelieving that there is a Latin population in the UK, and accusations that artists “must be faking it” as they switch seamlessly between a British and a Colombian accent, shows the kind of barriers UK Latin artists face.

The sell-out shows for Karol G this summer, suggest that UK-based listeners do feel the beat. Latin culture “is a happy culture - they [listeners] want to go out to have fun, and Latinos have fun.” It’s been a long journey, Guala said, as he recognises those who pioneered the scene in London. “What people like Jose Luis have done has made an impact on our music and our community.”

Angelo Flow

Sachellys

Yvli

Latyno Bbi

Malka Nono

Lisey Tigra

A Nahomy

R. Louis

Bypassing the UK Market

After 20 years progress, it’s clear there is still much work to do. Despite being the world’s most listened to music, the UK industry is still very ignorant of Latin music - both the UK scene and Latin music’s impact on the global market. Dukus suggests, “we need more Latin people with influence at Spotify and Apple Music who are going to support the scene,”

The lack of representation in the UK music industry - from A&Rs, bookers to music media and festival promoters – means that artists face prejudice on a daily basis, reflected in both programming and pay disparity. This year, Glastonbury allegedly offered below minimum wage to one UK-Latin act it approached for GlastoLatino.

And so, Latin artists and organisations like LatinoLife continue to do for themselves what the UK music industry is not doing. Part of that is building bridges to Latin American makets directly. Candela Records is doing just that, liasing with Colombian partners such as SF90 - a Bogotá based promotion company - and Ibagueto Records, to produce a UK/Colombian collaboration album and with ‘Hip Hop en el Parque’ - Latin America’s biggest Latin Hiphop event (250k audience in one day) to take UK-Latin artists to tour in Colombia. In Spain LatinoLife will be the lead country partner at Mad Cool Pro music conference in Madrid this November.

In the UK, it has part- nered with Tileyard’s TYX and renowned produc- ers such as Steve Lewinson (Simply Red, Mas- sive Attack) to produce high quality new music in their studios.

It has also brought in experienced managers in the UK industry such as Kevin Simpson (Jamiraquoi, Sia) and industry professionals from the likes of Live Nation and Sofar Sounds to mentor and manage UK Latin artistsand management to UK Latin artists. Luciano says: “we are slowly breaking down those barriers in the UK so art- ists can build a base here and then we use that mo- mentum to connect with the Latin market”.

“I don’t want to sound like artists in South America, that’s already been done…we have something they don’t. We listen to salsa and cumbia, at home but have absorbed the London sounds we are surrounded by… rap, grime and garage.”

UK Latin artists cannot afford to wait for the UK music industry to catch up with the phenomenon that is taking the world by storm. Social platforms have allowed artists to become discoverable to a wider audience. R Louis, for example, has sold out performances at club nights in London and Birmingham, but his largest audiences are in Spain and Ecuador, with between 15,000-20,000 listeners in both countries. Desta French took the US by storm when she performed her Cumbia-infused London R&B to SXSW in Austin, and then went on to tour Mexico.

With the likes of YouTube sensation Yung Filly now branching into music, capitalising on his Colombian roots which few knew about before, it could take one strong collaboration with a big UK artist to make the breakthrough, Dukus suggests. “Maybe Stormzy will hear us and jump on one of the tracks with a Colombian guy over here.” As has always been the case with non-white music, it’s the artists themselves plus a few lone visionaries that create the earthquakes that move things forward. If the UK media doesn’t catch on soon, it is the industry which will lose relevance. One thing is clear, Latinos in London ain’t waiting for no one.

Sophie Castillo

Babo Flow

Mia Maria Milena Tatto RD

10 uK Latin acts

to Watch out for in 2024

The UK Latin music scene is undergoing a vibrant transformation. 2023 was a year for the books and this year brings a new generation, spearheaded by a diverse group who blend cultural heritage with innovative sounds. Here we’ve selected a crop whose creativity heralds a new chapter in UK music, promising a rich, diverse future for the industry. Blending genres and breaking boundaries, from the Latin-infused pop of Malka to the bilingual drill of Zems, the following artists reflect the multicultural dynamism of contemporary Britain. As they carve their niches, they collectively push the UK’s music scene toward exciting times!

nina cobham

caro caxi

Caroline Alvares, known as Caro Caxi, is a London-based singer-songwriter with Spanish, Portuguese, and Asian heritage. Formerly part of the girl group Four of Diamonds, she gained recognition for hits like “Name on It” and “Stupid Things.” Transitioning to a solo career, Caro has worked with artists like Yendry & Lola Indigo and has taken sessions with J.Balvin. Signed to Warner Chappell UK, her music blends diverse cultural influences, marking her as a promising figure in the music industry.

Nina Cobham is a 22-year-old UK alternative pop artist who blends English and Spanish in her music. Raised in a musical household and initially inspired by Taylor Swift and Corinne Bailey Rae, Nina has evolved her sound to incorporate pop influences. Influenced by her time in a small mountain town in Spain, her bilingual storytelling and pop elements set her apart. With her biggest song amassing 21 million Spotify streams and features on BBC Spotlight and Radio 1, Nina’s music reflects intimate, nuanced pop with bilingual narratives.

Yxng Dave

sophie castiLLo

Sophie Castillo, a UK Indie Latin artist, combines her Colombian and Cuban heritage with a London upbringing to create an alternative pop sound with a Latin twist. Achieving viral success on TikTok with “Call Me By Your Name,” Sophie’s music features soft vocals, catchy melodies, and sensual rhythms. Singing in English and Spanish, she explores love, self-discovery, and spirituality. With 2.4 million Spotify streams and editorial features on Spotify, Sophie is a groundbreaking artist in the UK Latin scene.

At 21, Latino artist Yxng Dave is a rising star with his single ‘Canada Fur’ hitting over 3 million streams. His collaboration with Chip on ‘Blacked Out’ and performances alongside KSI at major venues highlight his growing fame. With Colombian and Spanish heritage, Yxng Dave blends English and Spanish in his music, marking his unique position in the UK music scene. His debut project ‘FAMOSO’ showcases his versatility and potential as the first UK artist signed to KSI’s TOT record label.

LiseY tigra

maLKa

Malka, a London-based artist, creates a unique sound with reggaeton and dance pop, reflecting her British, Moroccan, Ukrainian, and Uzbek roots. Discovered by GME Universal Music Spain at 14, Malka’s music is inspired by global superstars like Rihanna and Shakira, aiming to bridge traditional and contemporary sounds. Her debut showcases her ability to blend diverse cultural influences, positioning her as a significant upcoming talent in the music industry.

British-Colombian musician Lisey Tigra is redefining the UK Latin music scene with a blend of Latin and rock guitar. Recognized within the Latin community in the UK, she’s headlined major festivals and is dedicated to inspiring young girls in music. Her debut single ‘Latin Rockstar’ combines afrobeats and reggaeton with bilingual lyrics, showcasing her innovative approach. Lisey’s upcoming project, produced by Toddla T and Dukus, is eagerly anticipated.

the InDios

The Indios, formed in London by Colombian musician

Juan Contento and drummer Felipe Rojas, blend Latin American traditions with British indie and electronic music. Since their debut EP in 2016, they’ve performed in the UK and Colombia, exploring experimental sounds. Their single “Ayahuasca” reflects their innovative approach, merging diverse musical styles.

Yxng Dave

LatYno bbi

Latyno Bbi, a South London artist, mixes Reggaeton and pop with playful, cheeky energy. Singing in both Spanish and English, he creates a distinctive style aimed at making a mark in the commercial scene. His music contributes to the cross-genre movement, showcasing a blend of cultural influences.

At 21, Latino artist Yxng Dave is a rising star with his single ‘Canada Fur’ hitting over 3 million streams. His collaboration with Chip on ‘Blacked Out’ and performances alongside KSI at major venues highlight his growing fame. With Colombian and Spanish heritage, Yxng Dave blends English and Spanish in his music, marking his unique position in the UK music scene. His debut project ‘FAMOSO’ showcases his versatility and potential as the first UK artist signed to KSI’s TOT record label.

JDogg

JDOGG CL, a name derived from his late Godfather, began his music journey at the age of 10 alongside his brother-in-law, initially as a hobby. After focusing on studies for a period, he reignited his passion for music at 15, recording in a mini studio at his brother-inlaw’s house. His debut single, “ME MUERO,” marked his entry into the music scene and garnered recognition within London’s Latino community. He later released a drill Latino single titled “BARRIO” and is currently collaborating with his former manager DELAKWIZ, who is signed to Candela Records associated with Atlantic Records.

A Readers Guide to Latin America

Like its music, dance, theatre and art, Latin America is producer of some of the greatest literature that exists on the planet. But in this rich forest of words, it’s not easy to know where to start. This is why we asked our friends at Read The World: if you had two books per country, what would you choose? And thus we compiled a basic guide of must-reads, country by country. Whether you are a tourist wanting some context when travelling to the continent or a fellow Latin American unfamiliar with your own literary heritage, these classics will set you on your path to reading your way through this magical continent.

ARGENTINA

By Pushpinder Khaneka

‘The Tango Singer’ by Tomás Eloy Martínez (2004)

Bruno Cadogan, a doctoral student in New York, is having trouble with his dissertation on writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges’s essays on the tango. He decides to travel to Buenos Aires in search of inspiration and to track down a disabled, haemophiliac tango singer named Julio Martel – rumoured to be even better than the legendary Carlos Gardel. In this vibrant and passionate novel, Martínez meshes fact with fiction to reveal unsavoury events – human trafficking, torture, killings – in the history of “a city where unpunished crimes abound”. However, this book is also a homage to both Buenos Aires and Borges. Martínez, one of Argentina’s best-known journalists and authors, was forced into exile in the 1970s. He went to Venezuela, later moving to the US, and didn’t return to live in Argentina until 2006. He died in 2010.

‘My Father’s Ghost is Climbing in the Rain’ by Patricio Pron (2013)

Patricio Pron’s genre-defying novel of a struggle between memory and forgetting focuses on the “dirty war” in the 1970s when the country was under military rule. The narrator returns to Argentina in 2008 from self-imposed exile in Berlin to be with his dying father. In his parents’ house, he finds a trove of newspaper articles and photographs relating to a recent missing-person case, that of 60-year-old Alberto José Burdisso. But the key is material about the disappearance of Alberto’s sister, Alicia, decades earlier, under the murderous military dictatorship. Through it, the son is able to piece together his father’s past. In this largely autobiographical tale, the author pays tribute to those in his parents’ generation who defied the dictatorship. Pron was born in Argentina in 1975, the year before the dirty war began. He now lives in Spain.

BRAZIL

‘The Violent Land’ by Jorge Amado (1943)

Amado’s novel about the 1920s cacao wars in north-east Brazil is an epic tale of greed, lust, love and murder. Two powerful families, one led by Zinho Badaros and the other by Horacio Silveira, battle over the virgin forest of Sequeiro Grande, which they want to develop as cacao planta-

tions,

to increase their wealth and power. Amado vividly describes life in the local towns – with their adventurers, assassins, prostitutes and corrupt officials – inspired by his time growing up in the region as the son of a cocoa planter. The Violent Land is reputed to be the greatest novel by Brazil’s best-selling author and was his favourite. A sometime Communist party member, Amado endured prison and exile in the 1930s and 40s. He died in 2001.

‘Bahia Blues’ by Yasmina Traboulsi (2003)

A short, sharp novel about a group of people who congregate daily in a square in the north-eastern city of Salvador de Bahia. In monologues, the protagonists tell their stories as they go about their daily business, struggling to make a living. The arrival of an outsider, Gringa, is a catalyst for change, forcing those in the group to re-examine their lives. This passionately told tale offers a slice of 21st-century Brazilian life –in Rio’s violent, gang-ridden favelas, on São Paulo’s anonymous, busy streets and under the brutal regime of Bahia’s Canju prison. Traboulsi, a lawyer of Lebanese and Brazilian parentage, delivers a powerful, gritty and impressive debut novel.

CHILE

‘The House of the Spirits’ by Isabel Allende (1982)

Allende’s classic, hugely successful family saga is a masterwork of magic-realism. Fusing the personal with the political and fact with fantasy, it retells Chile’s recent history through several generations of the Trueba family, ending with a savage military coup that leads to the death of a president. The novel celebrates the spirit and resilience of the Trueba women, which shine through the political tumult and family turbulence in this clever, witty and stunningly assured debut. Allende’s father was a cousin of President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown and died during a military coup in 1973. In 1975, the author fled to Venezuela, and later moved to the US. She has said the book is an “attempt to recreate the country I had lost, the family I had lost”.

‘Curfew’ by José Donoso (1988)

Donoso’s engrossing novel spans 24 hours in the stifling and oppressive political atmosphere of 1985 Santiago under General Augusto Pinochet’s military regime. A leftwing singer returns after more than a decade exiled in Paris. His fame now faded and his politics mellowed, Mañungo Vera is no longer the fiery revolutionary he once was. His visit coincides with the death of Matilde Neruda, widow of Pablo, the Nobel prize-winning poet and icon of the Chilean left. Donoso paints a harrowing picture of life under the repressive military regime, and shows how negotiating its daily horrors damages both individuals and society. This intense, introspective tale reflects the political and spiritual decay of the nation after more than a decade of dictatorship. The author lived abroad for 15 years, returning to Chile in 1982 while Pinochet was still in power. Curfew was the first novel he wrote after his return. He died in 1996.

Directed by Jude Kelly

Paco Peña

Flamenco Dance Company

COLOMBIA

‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

In the best-known – and perhaps most dazzling – novel to come out of Latin America, Colombia’s most famous author takes us on a magic-realist carpet ride through his country’s turbulent past. The book’s splendid, opening sentence is like no other. Historical fact is liberally mixed with fantasy in a saga that spans six generations of the Buendía family, which play out in the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo. In this sweep of history as seen through the eyes of a single family, the country is embroiled in a long-running civil war, causing lives, loves and best-laid plans to be rent asunder. The dizzying chronology – in which time seems to lapse, loop, speed up, slow down or stand still, gives us history as a story of repetition and return, keeping readers on their toes in this absorbing, tragicomic novel. With this book, his magnum opus, García Márquez won the Nobel prize for literature in 1982.

‘Delirium’ by Laura Restrepo (2004)

Restrepo sets her novel in the drug-fuelled 1980s heyday of cocaine king Pablo Escobar, and uses insanity in one family to reflect the collective insanity of her native Colombia. Aguilar, a grizzled, leftwing literature professor who is reduced to selling dog food to make ends meet, returns from a business trip to find that his beautiful wife, Agustina, has gone mad. In his search for the causes of her delirium, he uncovers secrets and lies from her troubled past. Restrepo has a sharp eye for exposing the hypocrisies and class divisions that dog Colombian society, and memorably depicts the period’s excesses. Yet, through this morass, the novel – remarkably – ends on a hopeful note. Journalist and writer Restrepo’s involvement in Colombian politics in the 1980s brought death threats, forcing her to spend a number of years exiled in Mexico.

CUBA

‘Havana Fever’ by Leonardo Padura (2009)

It’s 2003, and ex-cop Mario Conde – the hard-drinking, heretical antihero of Padura’s Havana Quartet of crime novels – is now a secondhand book dealer. In his constant search for literary gems, he stumbles across the decaying mansion of a wealthy Cuban who fled the country after the revolution. Inside, Conde discovers a library containing a treasure trove of antique books – watched over by a half-starved brother and sister. Padura vividly evokes the glamour and sleaze of the 1950s under the Batista dictatorship – when Havana was a mafia-run playground for rich Americans – and the hardships of daily life in post-Soviet Cuba. The Cuban capital is central to the story as Conde’s inquiries lead him from the heart of his beloved Havana to its dark and dangerous underbelly. This is crime noir delivered with all the verve and verse of a memorable bolero. Padura, an investigative journalist-turned-novelist, still lives in the Havana neighbourhood where he grew up.

‘Dreaming in

Cuban’

by Cristina García (1992)

García’s bittersweet novel of love, loss and longing, set against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution, tells the story of three generations of women in the Del Pino family who are divided by loyalties and location. Celia, the matriarch, loves the island and El Líder (Fidel Castro). Her elder daughter, Lourdes, has fled to the US with her family, embraced the American dream and despises Castro. Meanwhile, Celia’s troubled younger daughter, Felicia, seeks solace in the Afro-Cuban religion of santeria. García’s lyrical storytelling moves from first to third person, past to present, and Havana to New York. And although the protagonists carry unrealised dreams and frustrated hopes, infusions of humour and magic realism lend the novel an alluring lightness of touch. Havanaborn, New York City-raised García worked as a journalist before writing this, her first novel.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

‘The Feast of the Goat’ by Mario Vargas Llosa (2000)

Vargas Llosa’s taut, edgy, page turner about the assassination of Rafael LeónidasTrujillo – aka the Goat – and its blood-soaked aftermath is a masterpiece of historical fiction. Fact and fiction, past and present are entwined to tell of the last days, in 1961, of the dictator who corrupted and brutalised the Dominican Republic over three decades.Trujillo lusts after power and women – using his secret police to terrorise Dominicans and exercising his droit du seigneur with young girls and his minister’s wives. But with some of those close to him, as well as the US and the Catholic church, increasingly alienated, control is slipping from the ailing dictator’s grasp. Trujillo’s death doesn’t immediately end the nightmare; his cronies unleash ferocious reprisals against the plotters and their families. It does, however, eventually herald the bloody birth of a democratic opening. This powerful tale is a worthy addition to the Latin American literary canon of dictator novels. The Peruvian author was awarded the Nobel prize in 2010.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (2007)

Fat, nerdy, sci-fi obsessed Oscar, the teenage son of immigrants to New Jersey, has one overriding ambition: to get laid. A social misfit in the macho Dominican culture he grows up in, Oscar is constantly falling in love with women who don’t love him back. He drowns his disappointments in his writing, aiming to be the Dominican Tolkien. The novel moves between Oscar’s coming of age in the 1980s US and his family’s fall from grace in the Dominican Republic during the murderous Trujillo regime, which blighted the country from 1930 to 1961. Díaz’s propulsive, hyper-energetic prose – mixing streetwise American English with Spanish slang – delivers a hilarious, heartbreaking and hugely entertaining book. The Dominican-American author won a richly deserved Pulitzer prize for this, his debut novel.

GUATEMALA

‘The

Long Night of White Chickens’ by Francisco Goldman (1992)

A young Guatemalan orphan, Flor de Mayo Puac, is sent to a suburban Boston family as a maid. They decide to adopt her and send her to school, and she becomes a big sister to the son, Roger (Rogerio) Graetz, who is the novel’s narrator. Roger – like Goldman himself – has a Jewish-American father and a Guatemalan mother. Clever, beautiful Flor eventually attends Massachusetts’ prestigious Wellesley College. After graduation, she returns to run an orphanage in Guatemala, where she is murdered. She is accused of running an adoption racket, selling Guatemalan orphans – children of people killed by the military – to rich Americans. Goldman vividly captures the edgy Guatemala of the 1980s, as a bloody civil war rages and death squads operate with impunity. Melding personal with political, the novel segues from comingof-age tale into whodunnit, history lesson, love story and more. It’s a remarkable first book. The author covered the Central American wars as a journalist in the 1980s.

‘The President’ by Miguel Angel Ásturias (1946)

This political satire is an impassioned condemnation of tyranny. Asturias conjures up the nightmarish and paranoid world of a totalitarian regime – a system driven by cruelty, cronyism and corruption. The ruthless president surrounds himself with sycophants and has secret police do his dirty work. His basic tenet is “never to give grounds for hope, and everyone must be kicked and beaten until they realise the fact.” When an army colonel is murdered by a deranged beggar, the president sees an opportunity to manipulate the situation and liquidate his perceived enemies. He tasks his favourite henchman, Miguel Angel Face, to set a trap for a rebellious general. But Angel Face betrays his benefactor, abducts the general’s beautiful daughter, and promptly falls in love with her…The Guatemalan novelist was a pioneer of both magic realism and the Latin American sub-genre of the dictator novel. He based The President on Manuel Estrada Cabreras, who ruled from 1898 to 1920. Ásturias won the Nobel prize for literature in 1967. He died in 1974.

MEXICO

‘The Years With Laura Díaz’ by Carlos Fuentes (1999)

Fuentes’s epic novel uses one extraordinary woman’s life and loves to sweep through 100 years of Mexican history. Laura Díaz – daughter, sister, wife, mother, lover – comes of age during the long, bloody Mexican revolution in the early 20th century. The execution of her halfbrother Santiago (one of four generations of Santiagos in the novel) by firing squad at the start of the revolution launches her political journey. Fuentes’s grand project encompasses Mexico’s political upheavals, its union movement, the Spanish civil war, the Holocaust, McCarthyism and the massacre of students in Mexico City on the eve of the 1968 Olympics (Laura’s grandson, another Santiago, is one of the victims). Its intelligence, emotional power and bold ambition make this a memorable book. Diplomat, Harvard professor and one of Mexico’s most famous writers and polemicists, Fuentes was often mentioned as a Nobel prize contender, but never won. He died in 2012.

‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ by Juan Pablo Villalobos (2011)

In Villalobos’s small but perfectly formed debut novel, reality and surreality entwine in a darkly comic tale that offers a fresh take on Mexico’s nasty narco-wars. Tochtli (“rabbit” in the indigenous Nahuatl language), the precocious, seven-year-old narrator, tells us about his life as the son of a drug kingpin called Yolcaut (“rattlesnake” in Nahuatl). He has a passion for hats, samurai, guillotines – and Liberian pygmy hippopotamuses. He reads the dictionary every night, and among the words he likes to use are “pathetic”, “devastating”, “disastrous” and “sordid”. His father doesn’t shield Tochtli from the brutality of the drug world, resulting in the child being chillingly well-versed in matters relating to bullets, knives and getting rid of dead bodies. “I think at the moment my life is a little bit sordid. Or pathetic,” he says. Although easily devoured in one sitting, this clever little book is to be contemplated at length afterwards. Mexico-born Villalobos spent almost a decade in Spain (where he wrote this novel), and now lives in Brazil.

PERU

Vargas Llosa’s ambitious novel paints a portrait of power and politics in Peru under the dictatorship of General Manuel Odría in the 1950s. Santiago Zavala, a young journalist, bumps into Ambrosio Pardo, his wealthy father’s former chauffeur, and they go to a rundown bar in Lima (The Cathedral of the title) to talk about old times. Santiago is estranged from his family, rejecting their upper middle-class values and his father Don Fermín’s shady business dealings and rightwing politics. Ambrosio admires Don Fermín and served him well. Through their reminiscences they tell the story of the country during those dark years. “At what precise moment had Peru fucked itself up?” asks Santiago on the opening page. Vargas Llosa builds the story around their hours-long conversation, linking it with other characters and conversations. Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America’s best-known authors, ran for Peru’s presidency in 1990. He lost, and so was able to concentrate on his writing rather than on running the country. Twenty years later, aged 74, he won the Nobel prize.

‘Red

April’ by Santiago Roncagliolo (2006)

Roncagliolo’s chilling political thriller is set in the provincial town of Ayacucho in 2000, in the month leading up to Holy Week. Félix Chacaltana Saldívar, an eccentric, mother-obsessed prosecutor, newly returned to his hometown from the capital, Lima, is asked to investigate a series of brutal murders. Is a serial killer on the loose or is a resurgence of the Maoist-inspired Shining Path guerrillas to blame? But the savage, two-decade Senderista insurgency that claimed 70,000 lives is officially over. “In this country, there is no terrorism, by orders from the top,” a senior military officer tells Chacaltana. The lines between good and evil blur as civilians are caught between Shining Path terror and the brutal military response. Roncagliolo excavates the dark side of his country’s turbulence under the Fujimori regime, whilst exploring corruption, impunity and racism in Peruvian society, with irony and black humour. Peruvian writer, journalist and scriptwriter Roncagliolo now lives in Spain.

‘Conversation in The Cathedral’ by Mario Vargas Llosa (1969)

VENEZUELA

“Doña Barbara” by Rómulo Gallegos (1929)

Gallegos’s novel is a paean to the Venezuelan llano (plains) and plainsmen. Set in the 1920s, this is an epic tale of the struggle between city and country, civilisation and barbarism, good and evil. Santos Luzardo returns from studying in Caracas to reclaim the family ranch in the rural state of Apure, only to discover that much of the land and cattle have been stolen by his cousin, the beautiful and bewitching Doña Barbara. She holds sway in this untamed and lawless region of ranchers, cowboys and rustlers. Santos decides to confront her, but he is hobbled at every turn by the venality of government officials, who are in thrall to the manipulative mistress of the plains. The ensuing battle sees blood spilled and magic and seduction deployed as the novel’s lush, lyrical prose casts its own spell on the reader. Gallegos was Venezuela’s first democratically elected president, in 1948, but was overthrown by a military coup within months and went into exile. On his return 10 years later, he was elected a senator for life. He died in 1969.

“Doña Iñés vs Oblivion” by Ana Teresa Torres (1992)

Torres’s magic-realist novel is seen as Venezuela’s answer to Colom- bia’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude.’ Doña Iñés Villegas y Solórzano, the irascible, aristocratic matriarch of a plantation-owning family recounts their saga over 300 years, from the early 18th to the late 20th century. Although her focus is on a bitter family dispute carried through generations, Iñes weaves her story into an idiosyncratic history of Venezuela. That history is rife with political and natural upheaval: slave rebellions, the war of independence from Spain, civil war between liberals and conservatives, dictatorships, and finally democracy, not to mention earthquakes and floods. Caracas-born Torres worked as a clinical psychologist for more than two decades before taking up writing full-time.

“Comandante” The Life and Legacy of Hugo Chávez by Rory Carroll (2013)

Hugo Chávez came to prominence when, as a young lieutenant colonel in 1992, he led a failed coup against the country’s sclerotic ruling elite. Following two years in jail, a dramatic change of fortune swept the once poor plainsman into the presidential palace in the 1999 elections, upending the political system. To those who invested their hopes in him – poor, dark skinned, working class – the new president promised improved health and education, a path out of poverty, and a voice in government. For a time he succeeded, particularly when benefiting from record oil revenues – and his popularity soared. However, a concentration of power in one capricious man, economic mismanagement, over-dependence on oil, turning a blind eye to corruption, soaring crime rates all contributed to stymying his socialist Bolivarian revolution. Although Chávez was no dictator, he became something of an “elected autocrat” and to this day remains an immensely polarising figure, both loved and loathed.

Pushpinder Khaneka is the author of ‘Read the World: A Country-By-Country Guide to the Best Books on Africa, Asia and Latin America.’ www.ReadTheWorld.com

MARCH/APRIL

From 22 March

The Delinquents Film

Bank employee Morán steals enough money to never work again, then offers his colleague a cut if he hides the cash while Morán confesses and does what he calculates will be a short jail sentence. Soon under investigative pressure, accomplice Román meets a woman who transforms him forever.

Location: Check nearest cinema www.mubi.com

31 March

VIVA Salsa Clubbing

Unleash Your Passion, Dance with Elegance at London’s Hottest Salsa event. Due to popular demand, the VIVA Salsa is back on Sunday 31st March! Dress to impress! Our dress code is all about embracing elegance, so gentlemen, don your finest suits, and ladies, slip into your most glamorous gowns. Salsa Elegante is where style meets sensuality, and we want you to shine. Cocktail Garden • VIP Tables • Arcade & Games Area

• Street Food All Night Long • Shows on Stage • Live Entertainment • Special Surprises

Location: Lightbox, S Lambeth Rd, SW8 1RT, UK

Every Saturday VIVA REGGAETON Clubbing

The UK’s biggest weekly reggaeton party, bringing a new wave of Latinx clubbing to London. Fresh and welcoming with a great changing cast of DJs and 4 rooms - reggaeton, house, Brazilian and pop - plus weekly themes, great performers and the latest in cutting edge sound, lighting effects and production.

Location: Lightbox, Vauxhall, SW8 1SP

17 – 20 April

Paco Peña’s Solera Dance Show

What can be created when young flamenco dancers and the expertise of older artists come together? That is exactly what world-renowned flamenco guitarist Paco Peña will show you in Solera. Flamenco is not a written tradition but one handed down from one generation to the next. The best performances incorporate part of what has been created before by the great practitioners of the past as well as the vibrancy and innovation of young dancers. Solera is an exploration of artistic wisdom and the fearlessness of youth in the search for new expression.

Location: Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN

25-27 April

LatinoLife Incubator –Writers and Producers Camp Around Town

Latino Life and TYX announce its first Music Writer’s/Producer’s Camp: 3 days hands-on music making with professionals in one of London’s best studio facilities. The camp, hosted in the inspiring spaces of TYX London, will gather up to 25 music professionals from various backgrounds, including producers, writers, singers, and musicians.

The participants will be divided into five dynamic teams, fostering an environment of creativity and collaboration. The initiative seeks to bridge cultures and experiences by mixing Latino and non-Latino artists, aiming to create a unique fusion of sounds and ideas.

The Writer’s/Producer’s Camp is now open for applications from interested music professionals. Those looking to take part in this unique experience are encouraged to apply early, as spaces are limited. For more information, to apply for the camp, or to schedule an interview, please contact: candelauk@gmail.com

Location: TileYard Stdios, 5 Tileyard Rd, London N7 9AH

MARCH

Every Sunday

The Sunday Xperience Film

London’s favourite Latino Sunday Clubnight, in the heart of London, with DJ Jose Luis playing a fiery mix of Reggaeton, RnB, AfroBeats, Baile Funk and Salsa. Classes with celebrity choreographer Richard Marcel start at 7pm with our famous FREE LATIN WARM UP EXTRAVAGANCIA!

Location: Bar Salsa, Charing Cross Road

Friday 12 April

Lila Downs

Live Music - La Linea 24

The Grammy award winning Mexican-American singersongwriter brings her unforgettable live show to the Barbican for a performance across Latin American and wider popular music traditions. Lila’s compositions combine genres and rhythms as diverse as Mexican rancheras and corridos, boleros, jazz, hip-hop, cumbia, and North American folk music, to create a distinctive sound that has earned her international recognition on the world stage.

Location: Barbican Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Saturday 13 April

Ana Tijoux

Live Music - La Linea 24

Rare London show for the Chilean rapper Tijoux – MC, singer, poet and lyricist – who is known for her willingness to confront social injustice and her commitment to nonviolence. Ana has become the voice of a generation, not only in Chile but for Latinos worldwide. She and her band are playing tracks from her new album Vida.

Location: Village Underground 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2A 3PQ

Every Sunday SABOR Around Town

London’s authentic Latin Family Day Out: let the rhythm of Latin music transport you to the streets of Latin America. Feast on the mouth-watering flavours of empanadas, arepas, paella, and churros, paired with refreshing cocktails and icy cold beers, while enjoying live performances and DJs playing the best salsa, bachata, reggaeton, and more! Kids are welcome and have their own area with bouncy castle, different arcade games and more. So gather your friends and family, put on your dancing shoes, and come join us for a day of Latin music, Latin food, and Latin cultura that you won’t soon forget!

Location: Vauxhall Beer Garden, SW8 1SP

Sunday 14 April

Los Tigres del Norte

Live Music - La Linea 24

Long-awaited UK debut for Los Tigres, from Mexico and based in California. Over more than 70 albums, they have infused Norteño, an accordionbased polka music indigenous to Northern Mexico, with boleros, cumbias, rock, and waltzes. In 2019, Los Tigres were the first musical act since Johny Cash to film a concert at Folsom Prison.

Location: Eventim Apollo 45

Queen Caroline St, London W6 9QH

Tuesday 16 April

La Yegros

Live Music - La Linea 24

La Yegros returns to La Linea with a brand new show and album released in early 2024. She brings pyrotechnics, breathtaking energy and her exuberant personality, inventing her own folklore by knitting together new rhythms and integrating original sounds (bassoon, transverse flute, flamenco guitar) with echoes of reggae and funk.

Location: The Jazz Café 5 Parkway, London NW1 7PG

Thur 18 April

Live Music

This prolific Venezuelan singer/songwriter has performed internationally as a solo artist and toured extensively throughout Europe. Luzmira’s music blends traditional, folkloric music from Latin America with world influences, notably Afrobeat, blues and jazz. Her band Family Atlantica was awarded best upcoming band by Songlines Magazine in 2015. She is now presenting her new project mixing Venezuelan, Latin and African music with electronic and phychodelic sounds.

Location: Greenleaf Road Baptist Church, Walthamstow

5 June

J Balvin

Live Music

Global superstar and multiLatin GRAMMY Award winner J Balvin, hits London as part of his highly-anticipated 2024 headlining “Que Bueno Volver a Verte” International Tour. Colombia’s super-popular reggaeton artist and entrepreneur has multiple wins across Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, Latin GRAMMY’s and many others and is one of the best-selling Latin music artists with sales of more than 35 million records worldwide.

Location: 02 Arena

18 & 19 June

Karol G

Live Music

Multi-platinum global recording artist, an international pop culture icon, and a leading Latin Music powerhouse, Karol G hits London for the first time. Known for her ability to shatter records, Karol became the first female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with a Spanish-language album, broke the all-time record for the biggest female Latin album by firstday streams on Apple Music, and had the biggest debut ever for a Spanish Album by a Female Latin Artist on Spotify. She is the most watched Artist of 2023 on YouTube excluding features with over 990 Million Views this year alone.

Location: 02 Arena

13 July Maná Live Music

For the first time ever in London, Mexico’s most influential rock band...comes to London. By far Mexico’s most influential rock band, MANÁ have produced some of the most beloved anthems of our era. ‘Vivir sin aire’, “Oye Mi Amor., Rayando el Sol’ ‘Clavado en Un Bar’ ‘¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños?’ And many many more. It’s gonna be a night to remember ¡Viva Mexico!

Location: Ovo Arena Wenbley

Sat 8 - Sun 9 June

LatinoLife Stage @ Lambeth Country Show Live Music

After last year’s phenomenal success LatinoLife returns to the Lambeth Country Show with the programming it has build a reputation for. LatinoLife brings the Latin party to Brixton. Over two days, expect the unique programme of high quality and diverse Latin artists that LatinoLife is known for, taking you on a journey through salsa, reggaetón, samba, jazz, fusion, folk, funk, hiphop and lots of dance, culminating in a sizzling party you won’t want to leave.

Location: Brockwell Park, Brixton

Domenico LanLuzmira Zerpa & Frends

“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. It is a masterful, surprising and passionate film that invites us to explore the kernel inside all of us that wants to be free. Selected as Argentina’s entry for the Oscars, this latest offering by Rodrigo Moreno is based on the 1949 Argentine film “Hardly a Criminal” (Apenas un Delincuente) by Hugo Fregonese - in which the protagonist José Morán steals money from the bank he works for. It is a masterful, surprising and passionate film that invites us to explore the kernel inside all of us that wants to be free. We talk to Moreno about subverting expectations ahead of the film’s’ UK release.

On the surface there is nothing unusual about the heist protagonist in Moreno’s The Delinquents. José Morán (Daniel Elías) figures that, if he steals the amount of money he would earn working at the bank for 25 years, after 3 years in prison he’ll never have to work again. But everything changes as events unfold which call into question what society views as freedom.

In his masterplan, Morán enlists his equal-

ly fed up co-worker Román (Esteban Bigliardi) to hide and store the money for him whilst he completes his time in jail. Unable to take the pressure of a full-on investigation into the robbery, led by Laura Ortega (Laura Paredes, from Argentina, 1985), Román hides the stolen banknotes for Morán in the idyllic hills of Córdoba. On that trip, Román, who is married, falls in love with the beautiful and free-spirited Norma (Margarita Molfino) and befriends her sister Morna (Cecilia Rainero).

Sitting with Rodrigo Moreno after the screening of his film during the London Film Festival, the director confesses, “I’m not a victim of what in Argentina we call marcar tarjetas (a clocking-in 9-5 jobsworth) - in truth I never did those kind of jobs, but in capitalist society we are all subject to its rules. Even as a filmmaker, especially when you’re working on a series - they force you to do things that you don’t want to and impose commercial pressures that are stressful and stifling.”

After robbing the bank, Morán also journeys to Córdoba, and also falls in love with Norma, before turning himself into prison to complete his sentence. Ironically, it is in prison, the symbol of captivity, where Morán encounters ‘free time’ or, at least, liberation from the notion of productive time that dominates people’s lives outside prison. When a teacher at the prison introduces poetry and books to the inmates, he gives Morán a new lease of life, most notably when he discovers and recites ‘La Gran Salina’ (The Great Salt Flat’), a poem by Ricardo Zelarayán.

The film operates through the juxtaposition of opposites and reflections - freedom

and captivity, city and countryside, and the grey bank is the mirror image of the prison. Nature and creativity appear as an antidote to the limited world that the bank and prison represent.

“Nature turned out to be a place where we could make the idea of living wild and free more visible, but the point wasn’t so much nature in itself, but in people who can use their time as they want to, which is represented by the two sisters and Román in Córdoba,” says Moreno. “Both Román and Morán discover people who can lead a life in a different way; nature simply allowed me to create a poetic atmosphere around them.”

This poetic atmosphere renders Román and Morán’s parallel experiences in Córdoba like a late-blooming rite of passage that was denied them by the capitalist system. Nevertheless, it creates questions as to whether nature offers a space of transformation or simply a temporary escape.

“Freedom is not something exterior, it’s something internal. The characters’ search for freedom is ultimately about recovering something deep inside that has been supressed,”

“The truth is that in the film we don’t know what will happen, but yes, Morán wants to live his whole life in that place.

He even imagines a life with Norma in Córdoba. And in the end, the film finishes before we find out. The last shot is of a guy, Morán on horseback losing himself in an immense plain. In Román’s case, we don’t know if this will be temporary or not, but clearly there’s a change within both of them that is lasting. One of them decides not to take the money and the other decides to quit his job.”

“I didn’t tell myself ‘OK, I’m going to film the city poetically,’ rather I filmed the city from my deep love for it, and well, its consequence could be poetic.”

a state of being or, even more illusory, like reaching the rainbow at the end of the horizon?” I ask Moreno.

Not knowing the outcome of the money ultimately points towards how neither character looks for monetary based freedom. The iconic song Adonde Está la Libertad (“Where is Freedom”) by Argentine band Pappo’s Blues plays as Morán rides into the distance:

“Adónde está la libertad, Where is freedom

No dejo nunca de pensar

I can’t stop thinking Quizás la tengan en algún lugar maybe they have it somewhere Que tendremos que alcanzar that we have to reach”

“Is freedom a place that can be reached,

“I believe freedom is within everyone. It’s not something exterior, it’s something internal. The characters’ search for freedom is ultimately about recovering something deep inside that has been supressed,” he replies. “In the film we use some visual metaphors that transmit this to the viewer, but in any case the film talks about a change that is within every person.”

The film toys with this sense of inner change playfully through the anagrams of the protagonist’s names; Morán, Román, Norma and Morna. The letters are rearranged to have another meaning in much the same way as Morán and Román’s stories increasingly overlap as it is revealed that they both become Norma’s lovers at different moments, which provides one of the main narrative twists in the film. By organising their fates differently, similar stories lead to very different outcomes, exploring the dichotomy of freedom, as paths in life that are a result of both choice and fate.

Even though the bank and the city represent the antithesis of freedom, Moreno depicts Buenos Aires in a loving and poetic way, which he merges with a documentary style language. It is no secret that Moreno loves filming in the Argentine capital:

“I have a deep admiration for what Buenos Aires was more than what Buenos Aires is today: Buenos Aires is a city that unfortunately is in a kind of terrible transformation, because its architectural heritage is being demolished for the fever of the property market, which is trying all the time to pull down architectural jewels and put up horrible buildings in their place. I like that the film can make a kind of clipping of the city that interests me. The central scene of the film was filmed like

a scene from a documentary or an ultraindie film, so even if the film is a fable you also see situations that are extremely documentary-like and I feel that creates a kind of closeness.”

Perhaps it is precisely the everyday lived experience and sounds of Buenos Aires where Moreno found the city’s poetry, I suggest.

“It could be, but I don’t think that way - it’s an effect, a consequence, everything poetic is a consequence. I didn’t tell myself ‘OK, I’m going to film the city poetically,’ rather I filmed the city from my deep love for it, and well, its consequence could be poetic.”

“there’s a type of Buenos Aires centrism in Argentine film, everything has to be in Buenos Aires, everything happens in Buenos Aires, and always white people’s problems, so it seemed interesting to me to have different voices to open up a bit.”

How did Moreno’s identity as a porteño (from Buenos Aires) influence his approach?

“After the pandemic we thought the world was going to be better and the world is worse. Our lives are subjugated by work more than ever. The film asks us, what we are doing with our lives?”

“The protagonist Morán isn’t porteño, he’s from Salta, a northern province of Argentina. In Córdoba, Norma calls Morán a porteño many times and he insists I’m not from Buenos Aires, I’m from Salta. But yes, I do believe that the decision to have a protagonist who isn’t from Buenos Aires was important. There’s an idea there to include a way of speaking, an accent that in Argentine cinema isn’t so common. I mean in Argentine cinema we have a great filmmaker from Salta, Lucrecia Martel, but even her films don’t feature the Salta accent anymore. So I liked that suddenly we have a voice that’s not from Buenos Aires - like there’s a type of Buenos Aires centrism in Argentine film, everything has to be in Buenos Aires, everything happens in Buenos Aires, and always white people’s problems - all the time - so it seemed interesting to me to have different voices to open up a bit.”

Moreno points out that the perceived freedom in Córdoba and lack of it in Buenos Aires in the film is not about making an absolute point, but rather about exploring how people experience the same places in different ways. “Norma comes to Buenos Aires and finds the city is uninterest-

ing, compared to her life on horseback in Córdoba. For me Buenos Aires is a beautiful city, but I liked that for her character it wasn’t.”

Audiences could be tempted to view Morán’s need for liberation from his job in the bank through the lens of Argentina’s own acute economic difficulties – yet Moreno insisted that he had no intention to make a political comment particular to Argentina, but rather about a worldwide situation following the pandemic.

“The film presents a human dilemma and therefore a global one. It is being shown in many countries where audiences feel challenged by this problem, which is an existential one. So, it does have to do with a political context, but a global one, that is - after the pandemic we thought the world was going to be better and the world is worse. After the pandemic, our lives are subjugated by work more than ever. The film asks us, what we are doing with our lives?”

The Delinquents will be in cinemas March 22 and streaming on MUBI from May 10