Latino Llife Spring Guide 2014 by Latino Life

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WELCOME TO

Issue number 2

I know, I know, you can’t deny the British winter, but (tell me if I’m wrong) does it not feel like we’re gearing up for

a hot Latin year? Everywhere I walk, queues are spilling out of Burrito bars, which seem to be popping up on every street corner in a London possessed by the Latin food frenzy. Spain’s biggest London fan, Boris Izaguirre, insisted on flying over to investigate the matter with a gastronomic tour. Poor him. Meanwhile, Britain is being gripped by a curious pandemic known as Cuban Fury. And well, we needn’t mention a wee football competition later on in the year. With all this going on…how could we not put out a Spring edition of Latinolife? Hope you like it…. Amaranta Wright, Editor amaranta@latinolife.co.uk

CONTENTS 4

The Front Section: The Latin Hot List, News, and Gossip.

Latin Flava – Boris Izaguirre on the Bloom and Burst of Latin Cuisine in London.

Comedy Actor Nick Frost urges Britain to unleash its Cuban Fury.

Everything you need to know about The LUKAS 2014 – The Latin-UK Awards.

Found in Translation: Interview with Spurs legend Ossie Ardiles, pioneer of Latin Football in the UK.

Top Ten Recent Latin Albums produced in the UK.

What’s on - Your listings Guide to Latin London.

SONEX: The New Sound of Mexico.

Interview: Nick Frost

“I was dancing with Yanet Fuentes and I did not feel strange at all, it just felt great!”

LONDON’S LATIN FLAVAS

- Boris Izaguirre’s gastronomic tour

Interview: Ossie Ardiles

…The Latin UK Awards, back for its 3rd year, bigger and better, “the hottest ticket in the Latin diary,” according to ballet icon Carlos Acosta, and the best networking event ever. With a new voting system, judging panel, a gala ceremony to die for, and hosted again by Spanish TV star Boris Izaguirre, everybody wants to get involved in choosing and celebrating the best of Latin Music, Dance, Food, Football and Art in the UK. Last year ‘s celebrities are already putting the 30th April in their diaries. Get voting for the local and international acts, footballers, and talented Latinos that you want to see at this year’s Gala ceremony at KOKO. www.thelukas.co.uk

Latinolife is produced by: Editor Amaranta Wright What’s On Editor Sara Bram Translator Ana Ryle Photographer (Boris Izaguirre) Diana Gomez Designer Cecilia Sanchez www.iamcecilia.com Cover Design James Golding www.zapcreative.co.uk

www.latinolife.co.uk • twitter.com/latinolifeuk • facebook.com/LatinoLifeWeb

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THE LATIN HOT LIST

Let’s go to the Moooovies There’s nothing quite like Argentine cinema - dynamic, brave, experimental, emotional, crazy, funny and, for fans, this annual film fest is just for you. This year the Argentine Film Festival is all about blockbusters; epic dramas, tense thrillers, quirky comedies and an animated Football feature from Oscar-winning director Juan Jose Campanella. www.argentinefilmfestival.com

Wear your colours If you’re gonna get patriotic for the World Cup, you might as well do it in style. We just love these t-shirts by Miami-based Color Latino. They even give you a free pair of shades with every purchase. You can get your very own free pair at Afro Latina nightclub and join in celebrating your Latin world by taking pictures and posting #ThroughLatinEyes www.colorlatino.com

‘South- East’ by Haroldo Conti (Immigrant Press 2013) …And it doesn’t get hotter than a good salsa London men, think twice before throwing a party. The Mexican gate crasher in mask and leotard is a veritable magnet for the ladies. Luckily, KANKUN luchador (aka Rolando) has another job, making the best Mexican sauces this side of the Atlantic: Chipotle, Marinade and Habanero. Rolando learnt the art of the perfect chilli by sneaking into his grandmother’s kitchen while she executed age-old recipes. “Liberate your inner luchador!” is Rolando’s motto. Yes, well lets just hope the kitchen is where he stays… www.kankunsauce.com

After stumbling across a copy of Sudeste, literary enthusiast Jon Lindsey Miles was so taken by it that he decided to translate and publish it himself. After Argentina’s military coup in 1976 Conti was warned his life was in danger, but decided against exile, and offered his home as a place of refuge for others under threat. The Argentine author was taken from the streets in the early hours of May 5 1976, and is since then listed amongst the thousands of the “disappeared.” Conti’s literature lives on, however, and now, thanks to Miles, first extraordinary first novel can be enjoyed in English. www.immigrantpress.org

Get cheesy, the Venezuelan way Forget Mozzarella, Venezuelan cheese is the real deal. Some like it soft (Guayanes), some like it hard (Llanero), but it never fails on 100% pure Venezuela flava. Latin America’s best kept secret is available online in the UK. www.K-Rico.com

LATIN MOMENTS OF THE YEAR SO FAR… EEEEUW…NOT NICE, EVEN FOR A BOXER

THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON

When Dorance Lorza left his native Cali he was considered one of the top arrangers in the market for Salsa music. Fifteen years later the London-based vibraphonist was invited to play at the world’s most prestigious Salsa event, La Feria de Cali, as international headline act, in the footsteps of Eddie Palmieri and Spanish Harlem Orchestra. It’s the first time a UK based Latin band has been invited to play at this Champions League Final of Salsa in the Colombian Salsa capital. www.dorancelorza.com

Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto may have seen some unpleasant things in his career, but none, apparently, as distasteful as the antics of English model Cara Develigne and Fast and Furious Actress Michelle Rodriguez. Trying to watch the New York Knicks basket ball game, the elite fighter found himself sandwiched between a soft porn display, as the two women drooled over each other, and his unsuspecting son.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE SALSA GIRLS Finally the UK dancers that most deserve the spotlight have made it to the big screen. Salsa queens Cuban Yanet Fuentes and Spaniard Susana Montero have been the leading light of Salsa dancing worldwide for years and choreographer Richard Marcel did not hesitate in bringing them as

BRAZILIAN IRON MAIDEN FANS FUELLING BRITISH ECONOMY Thank God for Brazil and its love of hairy English white men. Not only is the nation bringing us the World Cup this year, its youth is keeping the British economy afloat by buying tickets to see veteran heavy metal band Iron Maiden. “Brazil is a huge driver of fans - and one of the biggest file sharing nations on the planet. With their constant touring, Maiden have been rather successful in turning free file-sharing into fee-paying fans,” said Musicmetric CEO Greg Mead. Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile, are among the top 10 countries with the most Iron Maiden Twitter followers. Last year’s São Paolo show alone grossed £1.58 million.

part of the cast of Cuban Fury. Sizzling Yanet is the dancing nemesis to wriggling dumpling Bruce, played by Nick Frost, and Susana transforms the pasty office worker into a veritable Salsa beast. Salsa teachers, beware what you wish for…

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LATIN FLAVA THE BLOOM AND BURST OF LONDON’S LATIN CUISINE

Omar Allibhoy”The Antonio Banderas of Spanish cooking”

7 From Peruvian and Mexican haute cuisine to Colombian and Venezuelan street food, via the meaty Argentine parillas and Brazilian rodizios, London is the latest city to be hit by the global craze in Latin cuisine. Spanish TV Star and El Pais Columnist Boris Izaguirre embarks on a gastronomic tour of London’s blossoming Latin restaurants.

t is said that London is the most culturally integrated capital city in the world, with hundreds of communities living side by side; Indians, Pakistanis, French, Italians, Arabs, Indonesians, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese, to name but a few, all contributing their fantastically diverse cuisines. As the relative newcomer to the city’s gastronomic mapamundi, Latin American cuisine has become the latest craze, tickling Londoners’ insatiable quest for new sensations. As a long time observer in this city, and now part resident, I was intrigued to find how the Latin American restaurant entrepreneur would fare in a notoriously discerning London, where atmosphere and coolness are just as important as the food, if not more. I couldn’t resist an invitation from my guide Jose Luis, now resident in London for 15 years, to explore London’s flourishing Latin American gastronomic scene. First off was MESTIZO, a magnificent adventure aimed at rescuing Mexican food from the garish carnival of carbohydrates and cheesiness that Tex-Mex has dragged it into.

very slowly on a thin recently baked maize tortilla. “You have to eat it slowly, “ Jose said. “Since the more you eat the more you want.”

FORGET GAUCHO CHIC

ur next stop was Camden Town, a hot bed of Spanish tourists (one day I’ll make a study of why Spaniards like this mecca of alternative consumerism so much). Camden High Street is a virtual motorway of

“ YOU HAVE TO EAT IT SLOWLY, SINCE THE MORE YOU EAT THE MORE YOU WANT.”

Perched stylishly on the corner of Hampstead Road, all window, like an Aztec fish bowl, Mestizo is above all an explosion of rich colours and flavours. One of Mestizo’s signature dishes is the too often elusive pollo en mole. It’s layers of complex ingredients, including Cacao and chilli, produce a unique sauce, transforming a so-oftenbland chicken dish, into the most delicious and multi-flavoured thing I have ever tasted. Jose Luis’ chose the potent, feisty cajeta, a rich stew made with pork, beef and chicken and “the most spectacular spicy chorizo,” which he placed Mestizo

shops, where dry cleaners and computer stores rub shoulders with restaurants from all over the world; you can go from Vietnam to Venezuela passing by San Moritz, and end up, as we did, in Patagonia.

La Patagonia is the brainchild of Noah Mirelman, grandson of LIborio Justo, the important Argentine philosopher, poet and photographer and Coco, La Patagonia’s magnificent parillero. Their aim was to create an unpretentious venue “as if we were on an estancia enjoying a barbecue, hanging out with family and friends” and to impart his passion for “the lifestyle, culture, music, and that indelible stamp Argentines put on everything.” The result, rustic more than glamorous, could not be better, especially if you order beef, chicken or spinach empanadas (with cumin and raisins to add that touch of sweetness), followed by the feast of Coco’s extraordinary steaks. Coco is a master of the asado de tira, marbled beef ribs cut across the rib cage as per gaucho tradition. It is truly an exquisite dish, accompanied perhaps by homemade chorizo and black pudding, salad of avocado and palm hearts, and of course by chimichurri, all washed down with a typical Argentine Malbec. Most importantly, Noah and Coco are always on hand to talk about the full array of favoured Argentine topics: cuts of meat, football and politics (British, European or Latin American). The whole experience evokes the gritty sun-burnt Gaucho sipping his Mate in the Pampa sun.

La Patagonia Parrilleros

corn patties instead of bread. In London it is a trendy novelty – set in the ultra cool district of Haggeston, East London. Let me say it again cooo-oool, for its not an adjective I ever thought I would to attach to the areperas of my native Venezuela. Meeting Arepa and Co’s patriotic owner, Augusto Salguero, and its back to the arepa I know. “Arepas are at the heart of Venezuelan cooking,” explains the former engineer proudly, refuting of course any suggestion that Arepas could be from anywhere else, say Colombia. “The arepa is ours,” Salguero affirms without humour (the Chileans and Peruvians have the same argument over Pisco Sours by the way). And all over a ball of baked pre-cooked maize flour. “In the 1950s, when Venezuela was awash with petrodollars, they used to stuff them with caviar,” boasts Alguero. Petrodollars notwithstanding, many nostalgic Venezuelans ask for his classic “Reina Pepeada”, a mixture of chicken salad with chunks of avocado, named after the first

THE WORLD’S COOLEST AREPERA

he following day, with barely any room left in our stomachs, Jose Luis organized a visit to Arepa&Co, one of quirkiest arepa Joints I’ve ever seen. In Venezuela an arepera is your street corner sandwich bar, only with Arepa & Co.

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LATIN FLAVA Miss Venezuela to become Miss World. And, just to confirm Venezuelans obsession with the subject, Augusto offers another arepa, the “Miss Venezuela” filled with ricotta, lettuce and tomato, suitable for a Miss World’s diet. Alongside arepas, Augusto also offers an array of Criollo dishes - the mixture of Arab, Asian and neighbouring Caribbean influences in Venezuelan cooking: Asado Negro, a piece of melt in your mouth beef and patacones, deep fried plantain with a variety of toppings. Tequeños are finger pastries filled with soft white cheese or melted chocolate, to create an exquisite desert. But best of all is the fantastic Pabellón - shredded beef, rice, black beans and fried plantain. As a fellow Venezuelan, I confess I couldn’t get enough. The coolest arepera ever.

NOW FOR THE SERIOUS STUFF Lima, Europe’s first ever Peruvian restaurant to earn a Michelin star, has come to symbolize the Latin American

gastronomic boom in the UK capital. And rightly so: the food is quite simply magnificent. The ceviche has exactly the right balance, a kick of chilli that doesn’t overpower the milky smooth leche de tigre, which envelopes the fish. The vegetarian ceviche with quinoa and artichokes is a perfect dish for querk-seeking Londoners, as quinoa is the trendiest cereal at the moment, and because artichokes work

11 perfectly with the rest of the addictive sweet/sour/spicy flavours we associate with Peruvian cooking. Our ceviche starter was followed by an extraordinary main course, a Lima speciality: the Seco de Cordero, a piece lamb cooked in its own juices, marvellously tailored and presented. ”It’s called Seco because it is meat in its purest form. Without sauce or gravy, the meat is dry yet when you bite it all its juices and flavours flow out.

BACK TO THE MOTHER SHIP

Latino gastronomic journey could not end without a visit to Tapas Revolution, the small empire being built by Omar Allibhoy, a young Madrileño with roots in Burgos and India, who was inevitably going to find his true home in multicultural London.

Tapas Revolution is a bar with a wide counter crowded with people enjoying delicacies often not appreciated in Spain because they are traditional and commonplace. The taste, technique and preparation take on greater significance (both as nostalgia and novelty) when Spaniards go abroad. “I’ve clear memories of being in the kitchen with my mother at

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One of the most successful comedy actors of recent years, Nick Frost plays a depressed office worker in his latest film, who is forced to discover and unleash his, err…. Cuban fury in order to overcome

a bullying boss and …yes, conquer the girl. He talks to DJ Jose Luis about his collision with Britain’s Latin dance scene, the white Englishman’s indelible fear of touching a woman and yes, learning to dance!

ick Frost is not the first person you’d associate with a Salsa movie, Chayanne maybe, Patrick Swayze, but that of course is the point of Cuban Fury, a romantic comedy in which Frost plays a depressed 40-something, out of touch with his body and soul and youthful dreams. Years previously, Bruce (Nick Frost) had been a teenage salsa dancer competing in Ballroom contests, until some thugs put an end to his dancing ambitions. It takes 20 years and, of course some Latin flava, to get his mojo back in spectacularly comic fashion. Cuban Fury is a feel-good film about finding your inner strength and stepping out of your shell – and of course its funny, in that British self-deprecating kind of way. Latinolife: Hello Nick, how are you? Nick Frost: I am very well thanks, I’m here in my office in town, I come here every day and write… actually thinking of having a pint! LL: I went to see your film last night, I enjoyed that I have to say NF: So you came to the screening I did the intro for! LL: Yes, it surprised me when you mentioned that it was your idea to make a dance film, was it your idea to make it a Salsa film rather than Tango or Ballroom? NF: The idea was always Salsa, it is a dance where you need to have a partner and that partner is a woman, well 9 times out of 10. It had to be about the physical contact and in this case for someone who is British, the fear of that physical contact can be overwhelming! LL: Totally agree, but how did you know this if you were not into it before, did you do any research, did you secretly go out to spy on people in Salsa clubs? NF: Yes! During the seven months training I went through, we went out quite a lot. But even before I took my first dance lesson, they took me out. I just watched and drank rum…which was nice. Apart from the actual physical training, the hardest thing for me, at least for the first 4-6 weeks was learning that it was ok to touch my partner…you don’t have to be afraid of her!

LL: How did you feel when you landed in your first scenes with real salseros. Salsa people are a community, even though you a major actor coming to the scene causes a lot of excitement, still you were entering a world that was totally new to you. NF: Well part of the reason I tried very hard to learn was to pay my own respect to the community, even when this is a comedy about dancing, I did not want to take the piss out of Salsa, this is not what the film is about, we are taking the piss if anything about the lead character’s Englishness, when he finds his fire, he starts to become a better man. We wanted the community to embrace us. We took their feedback as they felt they wanted to talk to us. One of the things that stuck with me when I went to a Salsa club was I walked upstairs to another room, from the Cuban room to a Kizomba room, and I noticed on the stairs all the pairs of shoes, and I never seen that, people bringing their dance shoes to go dancing! It was an amazing thing. That gave me a real insight into the community which is you can leave your shoes there and they wont get stolen, where I am from you leave your trainers in the stairs and they will not be there when they come back! LL: I must admit salsa clubs are pretty safe, there is hardly ever problems of violence or crime as far as I know… NF: I think as soon as the community realized that I was putting a lot of effort, not just to learn how to dance but to learn about Latinos here in London, they started to take us more seriously. We heard back they were really honored and proud by the effort we put in and that is what we wanted, we wanted a film that was for them as much as anybody else. to make an

“I have excuse where I basically say to her, honey why don’t you put the baby to bed and I go and dance with a girl, a really beautiful girl from Madrid that you don’t know…for 5 hours.“

LL: I am Latino, but not a “salsero” in the sense that go out to take classes and buy dancing shoes kinda thing, but what I like about the film is that it’s not a film about Salsa per se, but rather about someone who is becoming a better person. NF: Absolutely. That is absolutely on it!

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“I was really kind of disappointed that I did not look like Richard Marcel”

LL: I love the fact that you did not take the piss out of Salsa, man, like most British media do, the whole cliché of it being cheesy is so boring… NF: I think the salsa they take the piss out is the five English girls and the five English boys doing salsa in the back room of the pub in Hertfordshire, that is an easy target! Even so, knowing what I know, those five girls and boys in Hertfordshire, shouldn’t be laughed at. Salsa might be the highpoint of their week, when they get their dance fix. LL: Has dancing become part of your life? Have you been transformed into a salsa beast!? NF: Ha, ha. The sad thing is that we shot this film 18 months ago and I’ve shot three films since then. Shooting a film is so time consuming, that I find it very difficult to not do anything other than either shooting or being with my family. My wife does not dance so I’d have to make an excuse where I basically say to her, Honey why don’t you put the baby to bed and I go and dance with a girl, a really beautiful girl from Madrid that you don’t know…for 5 hours! I don’t think that would go down too well…

“I was dancing with Yanet Fuentes and I did not feel strange at all, it just felt great!”

LL: Something that really surprised me was seeing you dancing, like proper dancing! How was the whole training thing, because six months is basically the equivalent of two seasons of Strictly in one go! NF: Seven months, it was a lot…I went through a lot of different emotions. At the beginning I was really kind of disappointed that I did not look like Richard (Marcel, the choreographer). It’s like watching Roger Federer or Tiger Woods…they make it look so easy, you think you’ll be able to do it. I once watched some Eddie Torres videos in Youtube, essentially he doesn’t look like he’s doing very much at all, but if you try to do it, its like wading through treacle. If you’ve never done it, you don’t realize how much it takes to get to that level. That was incredibly frustrating. I felt kind of trapped because I was like ‘I have to do this now, even if it kills me’, because at the end of that seven month period there is a film waiting to be made, someone has invested a lot of money to make this film, people like Richard Marcel, Susana Montero, Robert Charlemagne and everyone had to teach me, and I felt a lot of responsibility to finish the job. And then about three months in, something happened where it suddenly started to click for me and I did not feel weird anymore, I didn’t ache as much and I looked slightly more like Richard, than I did at the beginning, until we got to a point where we were a few days from shooting and I was dancing with Yanet Fuentes and I did not feel strange at all, it just felt great! It was a real journey.

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THE LUKAS 2014 The Latin Fiesta begins at The 3rd Air Europa Latin-UK Awards.

In a year when the world’s eyes will be fixed on Latin America, Europe’s biggest celebration of Latin culture is here to kick off the party and show the world our talent! The Latin-UK AwardS (LUKAS) is the world’s first ever awards ceremony to recognise the contribution of Britain’s one million Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese residents. It is a fantastic, colourful, and entertaining celebration of Britain’s rapid growing passion for all things Latino.

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“I am delighted to be part of such a wonderful ceremony that recognises the talents of Latin Americans and their contribution to global culture”. Boris Izaguirre, one of the Hispanic world’s most popular TV stars, writer, journalist, screenwriter and presenter of the LUKAS 2013 and 2014. “I am so looking forward to co-hosting the LUKAS again. It is such a special evening with an amazing atmosphere. There is nothing quite like it in the UK” said dancer Yanet Fuentes.

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BE INSPIRED, JOIN THE PARTY!

“The LUKAS is an excellent initiative. In the United States they’ve been recognising the quality and popularity of Latin and Spanish music for years. With so many Latinos in Europe, and the popularity of the culture here, it is natural that we should have our own awards on this side of the Atlantic.” David Bisbal, Spain’s most successful pop artist of the last decade

“The LUKAS are doing a great job celebrating and rewarding the talent and efforts of our cultures” in the UK and Europe.” JUANES, multi Grammy award winner and currently the world’s most popular all-Spanish speaking artist.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO DESERVES A LUKAS?

Here are the Awards in this year’s LUKAS 2014

Awards for Contribution to Music • Alternative Act of the Year • Brazilian or Portuguese Act of the Year • Classical, Jazz or Folk Act of the Year • Concert of the Year • Concert by International Artist of the Year • Tropical Act of the Year • Urban Act of the Year • Musician of the Year • Vocalist of the Year • International Artist of the Year • Brazilian DJ of the Year • Tropical DJ of the Year • Crossover DJ of the Year

Awards for Contribution to Community • Community Organization of the Year • Community Worker of the Year • Charity or Human Rights Worker of the Year • Charity of Human Rights Organization of the Year • Personality of the Year

Awards for Contribution to Dance • Brazilian Dance Performers of the Year • Brazilian Dance School of the Year • Brazilian Dance Teacher of the Year • Flamenco School of the Year • Kizomba Teacher of the Year • Tango Performers of the Year • Tango Teacher of the Year • Tropical Dance Teacher of the Year • Tropical Dance Performers of the Year • Tropical Dance School of the Year • Zumba Teacher of the Year • Dance or Music Festival

Awards for Contribution to Business • Business Personality of the Year • Events Promoter of the Year • Clubnight of the Year • Venue of the Year • Tour Operator of the Year

Awards for Contribution to Sport • Sports Personality of the Year • International Footballer of the Year • International Sports Personality of the Year (not including football) Awards for Contribution to Food • Argentine Restaurant of the Year • Brazilian Restaurant of the Year • Colombian/Ecuadorian Restaurant of the Year • Latin Restaurant Outside London of the Year • Latin-Caribbean Restaurant of the Year • Mexican Restaurant of the Year • Peruvian Restaurant of the Year • Portuguese Restaurant of the Year • Restaurant Group of the Year • Spanish Restaurant of the Year • Food Stall or Cafe of the Year

Awards for Contribution to The Arts • Visual Artist of the Year • Exhibition of the Year • Theatre Production of the Year • Cultural Institution or Resource of the Year • Arts and Cultural festival of the year

Special Awards for Lifetime Achievement • Lifetime Achievement in the Arts • International Lifetime Achievement in the Arts • Lifetime Achievement in Community or Human Rights • Lifetime Achievement in Sport

How voting works: There are two rounds of voting in The LUKAS 2014. The public can vote a total of two times for every nominee: once in February, the primary round and once again in March, the final round, when the long list will be reduced to five finalists. The winners and runners up will be decided at the end of final round, with the public vote counting for 50% and 50% by votes from a panel of experts selected for each award. To nominate a candidate for any of these awards go to www.thelukas.co.uk Voting starts on February 1st, but you will still be able to nominate candidates until February 20th.

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Scouted after Argentina’s 1978 World Cup victory, Osvaldo Ardiles was one of the first foreign footballers to play in the Premier League. He became arguably the best player in English football at the time and his FA Cup victory for Tottenham Hotspurs made him a legend at the North London club. Ahead of receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to British Sport at The LUKAS gala ceremony in April, the Argentine recounts his early days playing football, the 1978 world cup, Anglo-Argentine relations and getting lost in pronunciation. By Rob Soutar

“

When we arrived in 1978” is a phrase that Osvaldo Ardiles repeats many times throughout the interview, as if that year punctuates two clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ phases in his life. “Not only were we the first players from Latin America, but we were the first foreign players”, the Argentine recalls his arrival at Tottenham Hotspur from Huracán, with an unerring sense of occasion: “It was a great adventure.” There had been foreign-born footballers in the English top divisions before (German Max Seeburg, coincidentally also of Spurs, had been raised abroad and moved with his family to England as a 2 year-old) but none that reached the level of acclaim that Ossie had before doing so. One of five brothers, football had always played a prominent

part in Ossie’s life. For his lawyer father, however, it did not constitute a career to pursue. The verdict was that Ossie should follow in his footsteps and take up legal studies. But El Pitón’s football was continually defying all parental, and other, expectations. Quickly from being selected for the Cordoba elite squad, Ossie made his debut for Instituto de Cordoba aged just 17. Five years later he moved to Belgrano in Buenos Aires, then Huracán and was promptly called up to the national side. Despite transferring from the law department at the University of Cordoba to the University of Buenos Aires, the studying stopped when he became a regular Albiceleste. Football was proving beyond all reasonable doubt a financially rewarding occupation for Ossie.

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FROM WORLD CUP GLORY TO WHITE HART LANE

t the 1978 World Cup, which Argentina won, Ossie had caught the eye of Tottenham manager Keith Birkenshaw. A move to England was discussed at a hotel in Buenos Aires. The adventurous Cordobés had always thought about playing in the European leagues, but England, with it’s anomalous long-ball style, was equivocal: “I wanted to progress in Europe, but I was thinking about Spain, Italy, France in that order.” Nonetheless, Ossie “liked the idea” and a deal was done very quickly, enabling Ossie to also recommend another player to accompany him. He chose fellow Argentine World Cup player Ricardo Villa. How did Ossie find his new home? “Well I adapted very quickly. I was player of the month and player of the year.” For Ossie, as it was for compatriot Ricky Villa who made the journey with him, the fortunes of his footballing life were homologous with those of his personal life. “The more happy we were, the better we would play football” he concludes. Villa did not settle as easily as Ossie. Was that a foregone conclusion for the urbane city-dweller who had already been learning English for six years? “Some say it was because I am from the city and Ricky is from a farm… you can go on all day thinking about why. We

are very different as people. In fact, Ricky is much more extrovert than me so it should have been easier for him. But perhaps because he was more extrovert, not being able to speak

made him feel even more frustrated.” Their thick accents led to one memorable misunderstanding. The clearly distinguishable pair were heading to Harrods at the invitation of the Argentine embassy and, knowing they were close to their desitination, asked two policeman for directions: “You know Harro’? Where is Harro’?” The helpful constabulary escorted them all the way to Harrow, back and beyond the North Circular, closer to the football ground than the famous shop.

“We were looking for Harrods an were escorted all the way to Harrow by very friendly policeman” DIFFICULT TIMES

illa would dream about being back in his lingual camp, but Ossie was more pragmatic: “now we are living here, we should do the most (we can) since we are here,” he would tell his teammate. ‘The most’ did not preclude trying to keep up with Argentinian affairs, even if 1970’s communications made this problematic. “We would read the news one week late.” Ossie explains: “This was before internet. The paper had to arrive to the Argentinian embassy, then they had to send it to us...” But Ossie didn’t have to wait to get news of one of his life’s most significant events. Something that he describes as “a very terrible time.” He was in Argentina with the national team training ahead of World Cup in 1982 in Spain when the outbreak of the Malvinas conflict happened.

determination: “Out job was to lift the World Cup, nothing else.” Was Ossie worried that a victory might be appropriated by the dictatorship as a victory for them? “No.” he replies categorically, “We were Argentina.” Ossie’s opinion about sport and politics couldn’t be clearer: “Football has always been used by politicians, it doesn’t matter if it’s a dictatorship or a democracy...every time politics is involved with sport, it’s sport that suffers.” Not that Ossie doesn’t engage with politics and current affairs, he does. He is patently of a different era in that respect. Does he think that life is easier for foreign footballers now? “The clubs know what to expect and are familiar with their needs.” he says. Not only footballers but managers too. Southampton’s Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino has a

“Basically the country that I was born in, that I love, Argentina, was at war with the country that had adopted me…Personally for me it was a very terrible time.”

“Basically the country that I was born in, that I love, Argentina, was at war with the country that had adopted me…Personally for me it was a very terrible time.” There is a detectable change in Ossie’s poise and otherwise self-possessedness as he recalls those “very turbulent” years. For the first time in the interview Ossie is reflective and distant. In the absence of formal bilateral relations between the UK and Argentina, Ossie, along with Villa, made a decision “With Ricky, we said that we have to be a kind of bridge between the two countries. With our football.” There’s a detectable sense that Ossie wanted to put things right but that, moreover, he would be privileged to attempt do so: “We were so famous here and popular. We were representing Argentina and were happy to.” It was a position that suited Ossie. After all, he had relevant experience. Before the Malvinas conflict, back in 1978 Ossie and the rest of Argentina’s World Cup squad found themselves in the undesirable position of representing a country under a cruel dictatorship. Coach Cesar Luis Menotti attempted to isolate the players from the turmoil and fostered a resolute

personal interpreter and has yet to conduct a press conference in English. “I know for a fact that Mauricio speaks English,” Ossie smiles, again reminding us of the precedent he set when he arrived in (when was it again?) 1978. “He’s just taking his time.” He muses, apparently amused. Perhaps because things have changed since and because of Ossie. Perhaps because modern clubs will afford Pochettino the luxury of doing so. Or perhaps because Pochettino just doesn’t want to end up in Harrow. Ossie Ardiles will receive his Lifetime Achievement Award at the LUKAS gala ceremony on 30th of April at KOKO.

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DA LATA Fabiola (Agogo Records 2013)

RECENT Latin Albums

PRODUCED IN THE UK

Latin music is not an easy thing to produce, let alone promote, in the UK; you need real instruments, great musicians and arrangements to make it sound good, and there is rarely any money to work on. Despite the lack of exposure and support, these bands have moved mountains to release quality Latin music through pure passion and dedication. We take our hats off to the best Latin Albums produced in the UK in the last 18 months.

Da Lata have always been a shining example of how to fuse Brazilian grooves with Afro and House/Dance music. After a very long break, 10 years to be precise, this London band returns to form with a long overdue and beautifully crafted album, boasting an array of international guests to give it extra pizzazz. Probably their best album so far. Glad to see them back! www.dalatamusic.com

WARA Leave to Remain (Movimientos Records 2013) Cuban Timba meets Hip Hop, Dub, Reggae and much more, this is the band that’s hot right now. Led by charismatic pianista and musical director Eliane Correa, Wara has been getting better and better and their first full release is proof of that. Also check out their cool new video for Leave to Remain on Youtube. https://www.facebook.com/waramusic

LOS CHARLY’S ORCHESTRA Rediscovering The Big Apple (Imagenes Recordings) A fantastic Salsa album by London Latin Funk band. A tribute to the New York sound from the 60’s and 70’s that shaped Latin American music forever. Rather than a cover versions project, this is a rather well executed tribute with new arrangements and superb recording quality. www.loscharlysmusic.com

DORANCE LORZA & SEXTETO CAFE Rumbero de Corazon (DL 2012) This is Lorza’s 3rd album since being in the UK, the one that got in the Top Ten albums of the year in Latin Beat magazine and the one that landed him the most prestigious gig of his career at the famous Feria de Cali’s collectors fair. There is more of that unique vibraphone sound that has made Dorance famous in Salsa quarters around the world. A top album and another eventual classic for Lorza. www.dorancelorza.com

FAMILY ATLANTICA Family Atlantica (Soundway Records 2013) The new darlings of the World Music scene, the Family Atlantica debut album is a mash up of African, Venezuelan, Cuban and Colombian Folk, Salsa, Jazz and more. The beautiful voice of Venezuelan Luzmira Zerpa resonates. Put together in a period of four years, it shows the eclectic musical influences of the band and why London is such a great place for musical creation. www.familyatlantica.com

LOS CHINCHES Fongo (Movimientos 2013) Los Chinches are London’s leading exponents of the Cumbia craze that is

of the Salsa world. His first release as a bandleader is a serious Salsa album for the dance floor! carlospenasalsaswing.blogspot.co.uk

CONJUNTO SABROSO

Ya Tengo lo que Quería (CS 2013) sweeping the planet of cool Latin hipsters. They let their music do the talking with their new album. www.facebook.com/LosChinchesMusic

Conjunto Sabroso is probably the UK’s best known Salsa band. Led by Venezuelan Percussionist Wilmer Sifontes and his wife Luz Elena Caicedo, they have been the “da facto” band, supporting the many international Salsa acts that have visited the UK over the years. This, their debut album, firmly places them as London most dynamic Latin outfit. www.conjuntosabroso.co.uk

FLOWSNATCHA Mantenlo Callao (FS 2013) The Debut album from winners of the LUKAS 2013 Urban Act of the Year. Flowsnatcha mixes Cuban Hip Hop with Electronic beats, Moombahton and all sorts of tropical flavours to great results. This is Urban Latin made in the UK with its own identity. https://www.facebook.com/flowsnatcha

CARLOS PEÑA Y SU SALSA SWING Mi Musica (Latinthing Records 2012) Carlos is a true veteran of the Salsa scene and without a doubt one of the best Salsa singers in Europe. Born in Venezuela, he has played and shared the stage with the who-is-who

STREET SOULS Smash & Grab Vol 2 (2013) London’s most prolific Latin Hip hop crew, Street Souls keep delivering mixtape after mixtape, video after video without signs of slowing down. Smash and Grab Vol 2 sees MCs Mike Kallejero, La Guerrera and Dogman get serious behind the mic, featuring a series of top guests. Get it!! www.facebook.com/streetsoulsuk

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12TH FEBRUARY

21ST FEBRUARY

Film premiere Documentary putting Chile’s current student protests in the historical context of the Pinochet dictatorship. Followed by a Q&A with director Roberto Navarrete.

Clubnight Another edition of one of Uk’s biggest and most established salsa night, with 4 rooms to choose from and hundreds of dancers from around the country. On the third Friday of every month.

Bolivar Hall, 54 Grafton Way, W1T 5DL http://www.alborada.net/

Club Colosseum, Vauxhall SW8 http://www.salsarepublic.co.uk/

Chile’s Student Uprising

El Grande

22ND FEBRUARY

Movimiento presents The Fontanas + Barking Bateria + New Street Collective Live Music Carnival comes to South London – street party vibes from live acts and DJs playing samba, Brazilian funk, bossa nova, afoxe, reggae, soul, and more Hootananny Brixton, 95 Effra Road,

SW2 1DF http://www.movimientos.org.uk/ 27TH FEBRUARY

Egberto Gismonti + Ralph Towner Live Music Barbican Contemporary jazz from the virtuoso pianist and guitarist, a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian culture. Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS http://www.barbican.org.uk/

LONDON’S HOTTEST LATIN CLUBNIGHTS Weekends @Casa Cuba South London best kept secret. Hosted by acclaimed DJ Flecha and guest bands…the closest you can get to Habana without leaving London! http://www.casacuba.co.uk Latin Krazy @ Bar Salsa Already a Salsa institution, Every Thursday hundreds get down and dirty to the Latin beat. http://www.bar-salsa.com/whats-on/ La Clave @ Area Club South London hottest Salsa and Crossover party - two rooms, loads of DJs. Don’t miss it! https://www.facebook.com/LaClaveLatinClubAtArea Exilio @ Venues across London London’s longest running LGBT party, promoted and host by DJ G… also the creator of ‘Miss Exilio’ - a highlight in the LBBT calendar. www.exilio.co.uk Pelucas y Tacones @ Concrete Basement The new kids in the block, and the irreverent face of Latino party. Small in size but big in attitude! https://twitter.com/PelucasyTacones Afrolatina @ The Garage Salsa meets Kizomba in this mega venue in North London, expect some of UK best dancers to showcase their skills on the last Friday of every month. www.afrolatina.co.uk MegaSpanish Party @ Scala A mega celebration of spanish music…big numbers and a great vibe. www.RockSinSubtítulos.co.uk Segunda Louca @ Walkabout (Temple) Showing no sign of slowing down, Monday after Monday the Brazilians and friends get this venue absolutely packed. The place to be for Brazilians in London. https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.jam Parada Dominicana @ La Pollera Nobody part herder than a bunch of Dominicans on brutal! welcome to Santo Domingo in the heart of London! www.lapolleracolora.co.uk Zero Hour Milonga One of the longest standing Milongas and the place to be for London’s milongueros every Wednesday at The Dome London. http://www.zerohouruk.com

1ST – 15TH MARCH

performance.

Dance and music festival Sadler’s Wells’ renowned annual flamenco festival is back for its 11th year, opened by international superstar Sara Baras.

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6LA www.richmix.org.uk

Flamenco Festival London

UNTIL 15TH OF MARCH

Sadler’s Wells, Rosebury Avenue, EC1R www.sadlerswells.com 6TH – 29TH MARCH

I’d Rather Goya Robbed Me of Sleep than Some Other Arsehole Theatre Rodrigo Garcia’s one-man show about a man who tries to solve his financial, familial and philosophical crisis by unusual means.

The Spanish Golden Age Season Theatre Three translations of rarely-seen Spanish plays – two comedies and a tragedy – performed by one fantastic ensemble cast.

7TH – 23RD MARCH

¡Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival

22ND MARCH

Eduardo Niebla Live Music Internationally-acclaimed Latin guitar virtuoso brings his mesmerising flamenco jazz to the South Bank. Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX www.southbankcentre.co.uk 29TH MARCH

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston E8 3DL www.arcolatheatre.com 21ST MARCH

Gate Theatre, 11 Pembridge Road, Notting Hill Gate, W11 3HQ www.gatetheatre.co.uk

Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Claudia Aurora Live Music The powerful new voice of fado, traditional Portuguese folk-blues comes to the city. Purcell Room, Southbank Centre,

Ismael Rivera Jr. Live Music London debut for Puerto Rican Salsa singer, late of the Late Ismael Rivera who at his peak was considered the greatest “sonero” ever by his peers. River of Life Centre 12-36 Hatchman Road SE15 1TW

Film festival 20th year of the Manchester festival, including events for film fans and language learners – comedies, dramas and documentaries mean there’s something for everyone. Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford St., Manchester, M1 5NH www.cornerhouse.org 30TH MARCH

13TH MARCH

Salsa Celtica Live Music Unique synthesis of leading Scottish and Irish Celtic players with outstanding international salsa musicians – back with a new studio album and exciting live

Romeo Santos Live Music The King of Bachata and one of Latin American biggest artists comes to London for his debut show. 02 Academy Brixton, Stockwell Road SW9 9SL Hotline: 07702 630 257 http://www.o2academybrixton.co.uk

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4TH APRIL

Gaby Moreno *Part of La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival 2014* Live Music Guatemalan singer-songwriter, guitarist and Latin Grammy Award winner blends indie-soul, blues, R&B and jazz – back with her third album.

forms with a big band led by Cuban virtuoso violinist Omar Puente to inject some Havana heat into their tunes. Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, N1 2XD http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/ 4TH APRIL AND 5TH APRIL

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6LA http://www.richmix.org.uk/ 4TH APRIL

London Community Gospel Choir feat. Omar Puente *Part of La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival 2014* Live Music Worldwide gospel phenomenon per-

Simón Bolívar National Youth Choir of Venezuela Concert Venezuela’s Youth Choir performs as part of the Pull Out All The Stops festival at the South Bank’s iconic Royal Festival Hall. Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd., SE1 8XX http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

5TH APRIL

Camilo Menjura: Exploring Latin American Song Workshop The UK Latin Musician of the Year explores the rhythms and harmonies of Latin American vocal music, focusing on Venezuelan and Colombian pieces. Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd., SE1 8XX http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ 7TH APRIL

Ed Motta Live Music *Part of La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival 2014* Brazilian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist combines jazz, popular Brazilian music, rock, film

soundtracks, funk, classical, bossa nova and reggae. Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, N1 2XD http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/ 8TH APRIL 2014

Roberto Fonseca and Family Atlantica Live Music *Part of La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival 2014* Buena Vista Social Club piano prodigy brings Cuban jazz with a modern twist and African rhythms to Camden. Paired for the night with London’s Family Atlantica. Koko, 1a Camden High St, NW1 7JE http://www.koko.uk.com/

10TH APRIL

Lokkhi Terra: CubaAfrobeat feat. Dele Sosimi Live Music World premiere of a new musical mash up between Afrobeat-Cuban group and ex-Fela Kuti keyboardist, a precursor to a much-anticipated album Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6LA http://www.richmix.org.uk/ 11TH APRIL

Marinah

Live Music Former lead singer of Ojos de Brujo presents her new project El Baile de las Horas for the first time in the UK. Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd,

E1 6LA http://www.richmix.org.uk/ 30TH APRIL

The 3rd Air Europa LUKAS gala ceremony Live Music/Dance show “The Latin event of the year” according to Carlos Acosta. Celebrities, Footballers and the Latin culture loving public come together to celebrate Latin, Spanish and Portugues achievement in the UK. KOKO, 1a Camden High St, London NW1 7JE http://www.thelukas.co.uk/

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SPRING GUIDE 2014

The New Sound of Mexico

Image: Rodrigo Díaz Vogel

Los Sonex is Mexican roots reinvented. Folk fused with Pan American rhythms (Afro-Peruvian and Venezuelan) as well as Flamenco, Salsa, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock and Reggae, it’s Mexican music for the 21st Century, a mash up of global grooves that mixes influences from everywhere, transforming them into their own unique sound. Sonex is one of the most exiting sounds to come out of Mexico in recent years, which is why they’ll be receiving the LUKAS Award for International Breakthrough Artist, given to exceptional Latin artists unknown to the UK audience. Latinolife: You won the distinguished “Día de la Tierra” accolade organized by National Geographic and MySpace. Tell us a little more about this. Los Sonex: We recorded Sobre Tus Aguas about a year before the contest and we decided to submit the song. 7,500 bands were competing and 11,000 songs by composers from all over Latin America. Our song was awarded first place, which was a massive thing for us. LL: Your new album Madre Natura has just come out you’ll be showcasing it for the first time in Europe at London’s LUKAS gala in April. Can you tell us how this opportunity came about and what we should expect?

LS: The LUKAS are an amazing platform for Latin American music in Europe and we couldn’t believe it when they selected us as breakthrough artists. We’ve tried to fuse musical genres of our country and the continent. It’s an album made with a lot of heart, ideas and a certain freshness that we hope resonates both here and in Europe. LL: How do you feel about coming to the UK in April to play at the LUKAS gala ceremony? LS: It’ll be our first time in the UK so really excited and especially because it’s an opportunity to share the music that identifies us as Veracruzanos, as Mexicans and as Latin Americans. For tickets to the LUKAS Gala go to www.thelukas.co.uk

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....Continued from page 11 about two or three years old, of helping her cook,” explains Allibhoy, charming and generous, standing in front of his counter enjoying every second of his success. “My whole childhood and adolescence was cooking. If my friends came to my house, I cooked. If we invited people to dinner, I cooked. It was my life, my obsession.” His precocious talents took him to El Bulli, “but I have to admit I was more fascinated by Arguignano, the TV chef.” Tapas Revolution is the project of a man on a mission to bring Spanish cooking to the British mainstream. “The high point was when the managers of the Westfield Shopping Centre (Europe’s biggest) contacted me and suggested I make easyto-eat quality food suitable for the venue. It was an incredible challenge,” he tells us as he enjoys a delicious Moorish kebab. And so we end our tour with a story of the Spanish immigrant’s dream. In only eight years, Allibhoy has published several recipe books and become a TV personality, baptised the “Antonio

Banderas of the Kitchen.” For myself, the ever in-between, it’s back to Madrid, wanting to continue my journey into London’s Latino gastronomy. There are more marvellous Spanish restaurants, incredible Brazilian rodicios, Colombian home cooking and even a vegetarian venue run by former carnivores from Uruguay that have my mouth watering already. Everything is possible in this magnificent, dynamic city where its clear that Latino food is clear to stay.

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....Continued from page 15 LL: I can see that, you can actually dance, well done for that! Before I finish, was there any other aspect of Latino culture that you took away with you, because a lot of salsa people don’t actually to listen to salsa music in its own right off the dance floor like Latinos do, and in the film the music is spot on. I think the soundtrack is as good as any other Latino or Salsa film out there. NF: Absolutely, I never listened to Salsa before. When I was young, I worked in Chiquitos a ‘Mexican’ restaurant and they played the same Salsa CD continuously, day in day out, and because of that I think there something in my brain that switched off with Salsa. But since the film I do have a lot of Salsa in my Ipod. There is a track by Eddie Palmieri, Vamonos Pal Monte, I listen to it most days…I just love it! But apart from the music I would suggest to you there is a direct correlation between Salsa music, dancing and happiness because I never

met a more positive group of people, so yeah, go dancing, get a nice pair of dancing shoes and take your partner out!!