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I S S U E N0.14 June- August 2017
WELCOME TO Please excuse this strange summer edition. When you have Juan Luis Guerra, arguably Latin America’s most important singer song-writer, Brazilian football icon Roberto Carlos, and Argentinian rock legend Vicentico, all wanting to talk to us, how to you pack them all in? Answer: food, the travel and all the other usual stuff just has to make way. You could in fact call this the Legends issue, but that would be forgetting all the great Latin events happening this July, including this summer’s free Latin Festival, whose extensive programme of Dance, Music, Film, Sport and Talks filled up the middle section – a pull out festival guide. Of course, when you have so many legends to feature, it also poses the question: who to put on the cover? The icon of all icons of course! Amaranta Wright, Editor amaranta@latinolife.co.uk
CONTENTS 4
FRONT SECTION: Latin Hotlist, News and Gossip
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LA GALERIA: Livin’ the Latin vibe
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INTERVIEW: JUAN LUIS GUERRA
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LA CLAVE FEST: PULL OUT FESTIVAL GUIDE
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FOOTBALL: interview with Brazil’s Roberto Carlos, Spain’s Fernando Morientes, Mexico’s Jared Borgetti and Portugal’s Vitor Baia
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WHAT’S ON: Your listings guide to Latin London
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INTERVIEW: Vicentico and Sergio Rotman from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Latinolife is produced by: Editor: Amaranta Wright • Music Editor: Jose Luis Seijas Film Editor: Corina Poore • Listings Editor: Jesús Gualberto • Designer: Antonella Perreca www.latinolife.co.uk • twitter.com/latinolifeuk • facebook.com/LatinoLifeWeb
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THE LATIN HOT LIST
Guyana Chic We love these unique handbags from London-based British-Guyanan designer Monisola Omotoso. She draws inspiration from vintage textile sewing techniques from the 18th century, and uses Italian quilting to produce a stunning contemporary design, in mouth-watering colours. Evoking both London’s urban edge and querky Caribbean alegría, these sculptural works of art are bespoke and personalized and produced in the softest Cabretta gloving leather which hails from the long-haired goat that roams in South America and Nigeria. Finished with metal zippers and hardware in a gunmetal tone, the strap can be worn across the body or shortened to sit on the shoulder. www.pamela-p.com
Lush Life
From the girls who brought you the miracle-working CrecePelo, this sublime collection of Dominican products uses virgin organic Argan Oil, silk proteins and panthenol, to help revitalise, strengthen and hydrate dry hair. The outcome is remarkable shine and body and healthy, happy hair. The hair absorbs all its goodness to help eliminate damage and bring enviably silky soft and strong hair. All the while it works against the harm brought by straightening, bleaching, hair dye and harsh weather. www.dominicanhaircare.co.uk
Be a ‘Look at Me!’ Brasilera…
Summer always gives us a chance to show off Latin America’s finest swimwear. This year we’ve chosen Luca Nua, the Brazilian brand whose main aim, it says, is to “chamar atençã..” Made in a studio off Copacabana beach, by seamstresses who’ve been making bikinis for over 30 years, the pieces combine Brazil’s finest lycra with flamboyant designs. Carioca designer Luca says she understands the importance of the V shape bikini bottoms, while avoiding the traditional teeny tiny style that Rio beaches are famous for. She also uses intelligent stitching and gathering rather than padding and wires to create shape and form. There’s no discarding the bold colours and prints though. They do all the talking! www.lucanua.com
…Or a Discreet Brazilero
‘Reunidas’ is the result of an English man’s mission to bring Brazil’s exceptional tailoring tradition back to Europe. Brazilian tailoring and design were largely fuelled by Italian and Japanese immigration to the South of Brazil from the 1880s onwards. Brazil’s unique tailoring evokes the rural Gaucho heartlands and Latin flair. These shirts are characterized by the curved Brazilian yoke for shoulder comfort, the lowered top button & natural unfused Brazilian collars & cuffs, while using extra-fine Peruvian cotton. You can also get your grooming essentials from Granado, Brazil’s oldest pharmacy. www.reunidas.com
FRONT SECTION
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LATIN MOMENTS… The Best LUKAS Ever
What better combination than celebrating Britain’s most talented Latin artists and seeing a great performance by the hottest Latin act on the planet, Gente de Zona. The Troxy, hosting 3,000 people, with its fabulous 1940s glamour, proved to be the perfect venue for this year’s Latin UK Awards. The beautiful Trinidadian actress Renee Castle made a moving tribute to the Manchester victims, followed by an evening which signified the exact opposite of that crime; a platform to celebrate community, solidarity, diversity and show the best of each other. The amazing atmosphere showed that love conquered hate that night. Have you decided which UK, European or International Act to nominate for 2018? www.thelukas.co.uk
The Champion who defines resilience
In the very same week as he was crowned LUKAS Footballer of the Year, Alexis Sanchez proved just how great he is, by snatching the FA Cup for Arsenal. It’s been a hugely frustrating season for the hardest-working player in the Premier League, who at times seemed to be carrying the other nine Arsenal players on his shoulders - a lack-lustre team which denied the Chilean striker both a Champions League and top scorer place by 1 point. But his resilience was rewarded with the FA Cup. Whether the title is enough to persuade him to stay with us, rather than be lured by Europe’s many tempting offers remains to be seen.
Daddy Yankee Reaches UK no.1
Latin love seems to have spread everywhere. How did an artist singing in Spanish and with no radio play reach Britain’s no. 1 chart spot? Pure Latin flavour and Swagga is the answer: defying radio DJs’ perennial bad taste, Despacito proved virally out of control. And how did Yankee become the only reggeatón artist ever to top UK charts twice? (you’ll remember ‘Gasolina’ in 2005). Between then and now, the reggeatón beat has come to monopolise dance floors without people even realizing it. So, whilst pop stars have been stealing the beat, it’s great to see one of the originals back at no.1. Even better to see the man who still defines reggeatón at Wembley Arena this July. www.reggaeton.co.uk
Montaño inspires kids through Foot-ba
The 200 children sat aghast as Fernando Montaño recounted his journey, from one of Colombia’s most poorest and most violent cities to become The Royal Ballet’s only ever Colombian principal dancer. There were stories of going hungry and sleeping on floors to hiding in Italian convents. The sacrifices were inspiring. But the most compelling idea for Coleridge Primary kids seemed to be the fact that this ballet dancer loved football and his invention ‘Footba’ - a choreography based one the moves of famous footballers such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, which he will perform at La Clave festival on June 17th. The kids eagerly promised to practice the moves and follow in a flash mob routine. Can’t wait to see that one! www.laclavefest.co.uk
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Divine Spirituality From his lyrics that verge on magical realism, to his intensely sensual melodies, the undecipherable enigma that is Juan Luis Guerra has defined a generation who has danced to his music and dreamt his dreams. Latinolife steals an exclusive moment with the Dominican hero and one of Latin America’s most sublime music makers. “Inspiration can come at any moment. For me, creating music is a habit, like eating or sleeping. Sometimes a song comes in minutes, sometimes it take longer…but it always comes.” This is how Juan Luis Guerra, probably the most influential Latin musician of his generation, loved worldwide for his merengue and bachata hits, sweeps away the question of finding inspiration to write great music. The simplicity of the Dominican’s answer, and indeed every answer in our interview, sums up the power of an artist whose songs are enshrined in the memory of a continent. Every answer makes me think: yes, of course, that’s how he would answer that question. Neither dismissive nor arrogant, what he says simply reflects his world: a world infused by his surroundings and his identity, which are reflected back through a music that makes people dance, cry, laugh, and feel unequivocally Latin American. Amazingly, despite producing some of the continent’s greatest music, Juan Luis Guerra grew up with no musical influences. No one in his family played an instrument. As a teenager, the Dominican taught himself the basics of guitar and, after winning a contest,
INTERVIEW
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attended the National Conservatory on a scholarship, prior to studying at the famous Berklee Conservatory in the United States. Guerra didn’t seek fame. If he had, he wouldn’t have returned from California to the Dominican Republic to play plena y bomba, bachata and merengue – music that was generally seen as poor people’s folk, and generated little interest beyond the island. He founded a band, Los 440 – named after the universal tuning pattern of the A note, 440 Hertz – wrote music and began rehearsing with friends in a garage on Sunday afternoons. It’s astonishing to think that bachata was once shunned, including by Dominicans, when today it has replaced the bolero and even salsa as the most popular romantic music in Latin America, producing huge hits and making superstars out of teenagers. But Juan Luis Guerra’s 1990 album Bachata Rosa changed everything. The record sold over five million copies, brought bachata into the mainstream in the Dominican Republic and gave the genre an international audience. Guerra says that it was simply the music that came out of him.
“There’s no denying that we make music for dancing. But would I like my listeners to experience this love that transcends understanding? Of course!” “In my youth, my uncle Oscar used to take me to school on his truck, and always turned on the bachata radio station. That is how my love affair began and the desire to write romantic bachatas. It was those journeys that first inspired me to write lyrics full of metaphors. That’s where ‘Estrellitas y duendes’ comes from, ‘Bachata Rosa’ y ‘Burbujas de amor’, and all the merengues from ‘A pedir su mano’ through ‘la Bilirrubina’. They stem from those sights and sounds of my childhood that seemed magical.”
Cycling Across Niagara Falls under Coffee Rain Guerra describes that period as “truly transcendental for us.” It was even more transcendental for Dominican music which, unlike Cuban or Puerto Rican music, had rarely left the island. Without Bachata Rosa, there would be no Romeo Santos, no Prince Royce, or any of the young bachata artists currently topping the Latin and US charts. At the same time, Guerra’s metaphorical lyrics took bachata beyond the realm of party anthems and catchy melodies. Latin Americans cherished his poetry, which even a good Spanish speaker would struggle to understand, as their own secrets. His 1998 release ‘Ni es Lo Mismo ni es Igual’ (Neither The Same Nor Equal), which won three Latin Grammys, was a case in point. It featured ‘El Niágara en Bicicleta’ (Riding Niagara on a Bicycle), one of Guerra’s most famous songs and a nod to when Guerra was very ill in hospital. Guerra explained: “The hospitals around here are not well equipped, and a lot of their equipment is broken. When I was getting out of there, I told the doctor I was going to write a song about my experience. After that, I wrote ‘Niagara en Bicicleta’.
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+ BOOM BOOM KID + DJ SCRATCHY
FRIDAY 14 JULY DOORS 7PM
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON TICKETWEB•TICKETMASTER•GIGANTIC STARGREEN•SEE TICKETS•AXS•SONGKICK
INTERVIEW
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‘ ‘Niagara on a Bicycle’ is a typically Dominican turn of phrase, referring to any task that is impossible, a virtual miracle. The chorus reflects a magical reality so many Latin Americans, especially in the countryside, experience: Don’t tell me that the doctors left. Don’t tell me you don’t have anaesthetic. Don’t tell me someone’s drunk the alcohol And sewn the thread for stitches into a tablecloth. Don’t tell me the forceps are lost, That the stethoscope is off partying, That the X-ray machine has burnt out And the serum has been used to sweeten the coffee. While Guerra’s merengues and bachatas touch on problems that Latin Americans face on a daily basis, in recent years his songs have made increasing allusions to God. He explains this new found faith: “I found that, even though I was successful in my career, I was still somehow feeling very empty inside.” Some critics feared his music, so cherished for its unique quality, would descend into the banality that characterizes some Christian music. But as Guerra himself argues, “one of our most popular merengues, Las Avispas (The Bees), is completely inspired by the word of God and narrates the love and protection experienced by those who receive him into their hearts. There’s no denying the music we make is for dancing. But, would I like my listeners to experience this love that transcends understanding? Of course!”
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SPRING GUIDE 2014
INTERVIEW
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Unbelievably, Guerra’s evangelism has neither affected his ability to make hits, win awards, nor the respect from the best of his peers like Rubén Blades, who said: “Juan Luis is an excellent musician, a gentleman, a spiritual person. A proud Dominican for all.” It also seems incongruous that the man who has created the continent’s party anthems, requires the opposite in his life. “I spend most of the time at home with my family, I read, I compose, I look after my garden…” Perhaps, for religious sceptics, it’s easy to ignore the subject in his lyrics which, even in Spanish, can be as cryptic as those of his favourite band, The Beatles. “I never understood what the Beatles were saying until I was older. Not long ago I studied the words of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with my niece, and I finally understood them. I used to sing it but had no idea what it was about.”
“Did you ever meet any of the Beatles?” I ask. “No, but every time I go to London, I cross Abbey Road and take some photos….” Then, he laughs at a thought…”I’d love to do a bachata with Paul McCartney, ha ha!”
He transformed folk music into pop music and made it universal, reinvigorating merengue, taking bachata to the masses twenty years before today’s Bachata Boom. And it’s all down to the quality.” So, having opened the doors for the international success of Dominican music, what does he think of the new Dominican artists making an impact globally?
”I’d love to do a bachata with Paul McCartney” “There’s a new generation of Dominicans doing good work, both in merengue and bachata. I’d encourage them to continue keeping the music of our country up there where it is globally” As always, Juan Luis Guerra makes the almost impossible task that he achieved sound so simple.
Ultimately it is Guerra’s melodies and celebration of the Latin Caribbean that continue to connect with his audience. As DJ Jose Luis, the UK’s foremost Latin DJ, explains: “He plays pop to a super sophisticated level, his melodies are timeless, his songs from twenty five years ago sound like they were recorded yesterday.
Juan Luis Guerra will be headlining the O2’s first ever Latin Festival. For more info visit
www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/hola-london
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8 - 12 August
★★★★★ “An exceptional evening” The Times
Flamencura
Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company
Sadler’s Wells Theatre sadlerswells.com 020 7863 8000 Angel
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If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need, to get you through those times of despair? Man cannot live on sun and fish alone right? Our castaway, Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s greatest singer-songwriters, puts in his requests for musical salvation... “Here comes the sun by The Beatles…this song gave me the music patterns on which I based my way of playing guitar and harmonizing vocals” “Free Man in Paris by Joni Mitchell… (live version with Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker and Lyle Mays) …this track never ceases to amaze me every time I listen to it” “Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson…I heard this for the first time in and arrangement class in Berklee as an examples of what is an example of good orchestration, and it never left me”
“Diamonds in the Sole of her Shoes by Paul Simon… this is a masterclass in how to mix different genres of music”
“Phase Dance by Pat Metheny…this record changed my concept of how to play the guitar” “Ya Gotta Try by Count Basie…this arrangement is by Sammy Nestico for big band. The concept that I heard on this piece greatly influenced my horn arrangements for merengue” “IGY by Donald Fagen… he has the unique ability to adapt jazz chords to popular music” “St Matthew passion by Johann Sebastian …sublime!”
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“PuRe Heaven” METRO
19 July 6 August tanguera 210x148.5.indd 1
Sadler’s Wells Theatre sadlerswells.com Angel 29/03/2017 11:16
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Fernando Montaño’s Foot-Ba Ballet Fernando Montaño is the Royal Ballet’s first Colombian principal. Montaño was born in Buenaventura , one of the poorest areas of Colombia, but at the age of 14 won a scholarship to the National Ballet School of Cuba. He was spotted whilst dancing in La Scala and invited to join the Royal Ballet in 2006 where he was mentored by Carlos Acosta.
Grupo Lokito Afro-Salsa LUKAS Tropical Act of the Year 2017, Grupo Lokito fuse Congolese rumba and salsa in an exuberant explosion of sound, where singers shift effortlessly between melodious rumba and lively salsa before the band slips seamlessly into “Sebene” with soaring guitars and wild choreographed dance moves. With the quality of its musicianship and its powerful live shows, the band has been making waves both here in London and in Kinshasa and is not to be missed. Main Stage
Fernando will give a special performance of his own invention ‘Foot-Ba’, a choreography based on moves of footballers such as Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Rooney and Neymar, which he performed at the opening ceremony of the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Cali, Colombia. Town Hall Plaza
SAMBA in the STREET Dance performance
Rene Alvarez and his band
Romero de Mangueira, an internationally renowned samba dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Rio de Janeiro’s famous Mangueira School of Samba, brings his fantastic feather-adorned dancers and a dash of Rio sunshine to Crouch End’s grey square. 4.15pm-4.45pm Hornsey Town Hall square
Afro-Cuba Cuban born multi-instrumentalist, band leader and LUKAS Runner Up, has been one of the leading lights of salsa in Europe. Rene brings all the Caribbean flavours together - son , salsa, cha cha cha, rumba and even reggaeton – in a rocking nine piece band with a big sound. Main Stage Saturday 17th June, The Broadway, Crouch End London N8 9JJ
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Castells – A Catalan Human Tower Performance The public have begged us to bring back the Castellers of London, who drew oohs and aahs last year, as little children scrambled to the top of these human towers. Known as “Castells” in Catalan, London-based Catalans and other dare-devils are keeping this centuries-old tradition alive and wowing audiences on the way. Town Hall Plaza
Marco Santana’s Mega Batucada Samba After his hugely popular batucada that rocked La Clave last year, Marcos Santana will be back to get Crouch Enders in the rythmn yet again, this time accompanied by children from Rokesly Primary school who he has trained up and Haze Samba A thirty-five member children’s samba reggae bloco whose members are aged 8-14. The bloco has been running for six years and perform traditional samba reggae as well as samba funk, samba drum and bass, samba bhangra and a few other musical surprises! Town Hall Plaza
Luzmira Zerpa Latin Folk Venezuelan born vocalist and lead singer of the popular Family Atlantca, has graced some of the most important stages in the UK. Luz opened for Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s most famous artists, at the Royal Albert hall in front of 6000 people and she got a standing ovation from the crowd! Main Stage
Juanita Euka Latin Soul-Jazz Congolese-Argentine singer-songwriter and LUKAS 2017 vocalist of the Year, Juanita spent her early years in Buenos Aires and was the lead singer of London based Wara, before going solo with her flamboyant and uplifting blend of contemporary, Latin, hip-hop, soul and jazz. Main Stage Check times and schedule at www.laclavefest.co.uk
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OUTDOORS 12-10pm*
FESTIVAL GUIDE
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TANGO in the PLAZA Dance Raquel Greenberg, one of the UK’s leading tango dance teachers and performers, has an impressive international track record. In the UK she’s performed at the O2, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and during the 2012 Olympics. She’s been busy training a group of local school children who will also perform. Town Hall Plaza
Repercussion Pan-Latin A Pan-Latin fusion band led by top multi-percussionist Rafael Sarmiento (Colombia), Carlos Paul (Ecuador) and Gustavo Alcantara (Peru) with guest vocalist Candela Ghelfi (Argentina). Together they create exciting rhythms mixed with modern sounds, to make it one of the most exciting Latin bands in town. Main Stage
JayP and Olimac Latin Hiphop This LUKAS winning hip hop duo, is among the best of the new generation of UK Latinos who fuses London’s urban music scene with Colombian roots. The tow South Londoners have a large following amongst London’s growing young Latino community. Main Stage 2pm-2.30pm
La Bomba All Stars Urban Latin The UK’s most loved urban latin party brings the sound of the new generation; salsa choke reggaetón, merengue and much more. DJs Saul Maya, Kevin Gato and Luigi Sanchez will be accompanied by Mike Kalle hosting the in between acts and prepare everyone for a long set later in the afternoon Main Stage 6.20pm-6.45pm Check times and schedule at www.laclavefest.co.uk
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FILMS & TALKS
KIDS
Brazil’s Post Impeachment Talk What were real reasons behind President Dilma’s impeachment? Brazil experts Ali and Jan Rocha discuss the events that began with a political ‘coup’ and led to the current demands for the resignation of the man who replaced her, Michel Temer. These Latin American Bureau specialists attempt to make sense of it all. 11am-12 pm noon Council Chamber
Futsal Copa America Sports Back by popular demand, after last year’s success, Anglo-Chilean Football coach Ben Corbyn, organizes London’s only Futsal Copa America, in the splendid main theatre (and ideal wooden flooring) of the HTH. Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided game that is widely played across Latin America and the reason, many say, they are so good at Football! Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Xavi, all played Futsal to develop their skills. Eight local teams represent a different Latin American country. The winning team will get its trophy on the main stage in the afternoon. 11am-3pm Main Theatre, Hornsey Town Hall
Camilo Menjura’s Spanish Sing-a-along Music Join the adorably charismatic Camilo for a session designed to sing with your little ones but this time... in Spanish! You’ll learn a selection of simple rhymes so in no time you and your kids will be singing some Latin American/ Spanish nursery hits. 1-2pm Typists Bar (£5)
How Ecuador’s Amazonians are combating climate change Talk Through their direct action, the Sarayaku Kichwa and Huaorani communities are holding the attention of the global media to their role in preventing the destruction the world’s tropical rainforests. Linda Etchart will show a film and talk about this amazing community. 12-1 pm Council Chamber
Chocolate of Peace Film This documentary depicts the Colombian Peace Community of San José de Apartadó’s experiences of resistance to all armed actors of Colombia’s Civil war, through its production of organic chocolate. This film offers a panorama of hope, proof that despite great difficulties it is possible to sow peace through human and economic relationships. 1.15-2.15pm Council Chamber
Most events are free, but please reserve your place at www.fatsoma.com/laclavefest
INSIDE
FESTIVAL GUIDE
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presents
DIRECT FROM COLOMBIA
Saturday 15 July Omeara at London Bridge + on tour ‘Raw, passionate and visceral salsa’ Songlines
Book at
serious.org.uk/lamambanegra
FESTIVAL GUIDE
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Latin Noir – The Political Thrillers of Latin America Talk Is it any surprise that Latin America has produced some of the world’s best political thrillers? Latin noir has offered an imaginative terrain for questioning the shady practices of government and exposing the corruption of the police, military and judiciary in day to day life. Professors Maria Delgado (Central School of Speech and Drama) and Stephen Hart (UCL), editors of the Companion to Latin American Cinema discuss. 4.45 – 5.30pm Council Chamber
The Colombian Community’s Chronicle of War and Peace Talk With all the focus on the Havana peace negotiations, it is easy to forget the crucial contribution of Colombia’s rural communities such as San José de Apartadó whose refusal to accept war and whose fight to remain neutral became a beacon of light in the dark days of Colombia’s conflict. Chocolate of Peace director Gwen Burnyeat will talk about this inspiring community and, joined by Colombian women of the Truth, Memory and Reconciliation Commission, about the future of Colombia. 2.15-3pm Council Chamber
Beats of the Heart: SALSA (Jeremy Marre) Film This classic 1979 documentary captures a unique moment in time for Latin communities in the US, Puerto Rico and Cuba and exposes the roots and meaning of Salsa through the voices of its greatest exponents. Over the past twenty-five years, Salsa has profoundly influenced jazz and pop music, capturing music fans and dancers with its joy and improvisational brilliance. Celia Cruz is shown in rehearsal; Tito Puente performs with his band in the barrio; Ruben Blades demonstrates how politics and music can work together, while Ray Barretto plays bongos at a barrio wedding. The drumming of the secretive Santeria cult shows the influence of African culture that underpins all Salsa and that gives spiritual power to its message. 5.45-7pm Council Chamber
The Clan (El Clan) Film This 2015 Argentine biographical crime film, directed by Pablo Trapero, is based on the case of the Puccio family from Buenos Aires, that kidnapped four people -three of whom they murdered- in the 1980s. 3.15-4.45pm Council Chamber
Book tickets and reserve your place at www.fatsoma.com/laclavefest
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FESTIVAL GUIDE
WORKSHOPS
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DANCE LESSONS Argentine Tango with Raquel Greenberg. For aspiring tango dancers of all levels, from beginners to advanced, with One of the UK’s leading Tango teachers and performers. Raquel is one of the UK’s most prolific Tango performers and runs the very popular Raquel Greenberg Tango Academy. After teaching a group of 22 children at Coleridge primary school, she can teach anyone! 2-3pm Supper Room £12
Camilo Menjura’s Pop Up ‘LATIN CHOIR’ If you love to sing and Camilo’s Latin Choir session will fill your heart with joy and your soul with uplifting melodies from Latin America arranged for choir (no need to speak Spanish or to read music). This award-winning Colombian singer, guitarist and choir master works with the ‘SOAS University World Music choir’, the LOLCHOIR [Landscapes Of Latin-America Choir] and Stapleton Hall Singers, and is loved by all he coaches! 3-4pm Typist bar or supper room (depending on size) £10
Salsa & Bachata with Team Tropicana Ever wanted to learn the Latin Caribbean’s most infectious dances? Workshops for all levels, from beginners to advanced, with the UK’s best Latin dance teachers: Dominican Bachata with Alex Rasero y Laura Ann Willams, Pebbles y Daniel Chong, Juan Soto and Levante Feher; Cuban and Puerto Rican Salsa with Andres Morales (Salsa Cali Style), Ramiro Zapata, Alex Magnusson, Martina Angelova, Liz Kin and Vivienne Salsa 4-8pm Main Hall £10 Most events are free, but please reserve your place at www.fatsoma.com/laclavefest
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FESTIVAL GUIDE 29
Samba with Romero de Mangueira Learn to dance Samba with Romero de Mangueira Samba dancer and choreographer from Rio de Janeiro’s famous Mangueira School of Samba and widely considered as one of the best and most influential Samba teachers in Europe. 5-6pm Supper Room £10
FINE DINING
AFTER PARTIES The Big Latin Takeover The Tropicana team of stage a Latin Takeover of Hornsey Town Hall with their infectious tunes that defy any human to stand still. Join us for a unique night of salsa and bachata with some of London top latin djs. Tracks from the golden age of New York salsa to the bachata hits of today. All in a 1000+ capacity wooden floor dance hall like no other London. Friday 16th June - Evening 7pm - Three courses Menu £30 9pm-2am Main Hall £10
The Flavours of Latin America London’s pioneering Latin fusion chef, Esnayder Cuartos, takes you on a gastronomic journey through Latin America. We give the Hornsey Town Hall’s art-deco banquet hall a tropical twist for the weekend, and invite you to take yourselves back to 1940s Rio-Cartagena-Havana, whilst indulging in delicious Latin American delicacies, tingling cocktails and live jazz. The Committee Room, Second Floor, Hornsey Town Hall
Musica Kaleidoscopica N’Rich presents Musica kalaedoscopia A CHANCE TO DANCE !!! Journeys through rare groove, funk, soul, house & much more 9pm-2am The Supper Room (Town hall basement) £10
All events are free apart from where specified. You can book ticketed events at www.fatsoma.com/laclavefest
Book tickets and reserve your place at www.fatsoma.com/laclavefest
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FOOTBALL
WISDOM Ever wondered what it’s like to be a football icon? Latinolife talks to four legends of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese football about their life and passions, before they play against each other for their countries, yet again, in a six-a-side superstars tournament at the 02 this July.
Roberto Carlos heads
the Brazil team, which includes Gilberto Silva, Belletti and Rivaldo. Nicknamed ‘el hombre bala’ (the bullet man) for his powerful free-kicks, Roberto Carlos is undoubtedly one of the most iconic footballers of all time. Having made a name for himself in Brazil, Carlos began his European career with Italian giants Internazionale, before joining Real Madrid in 1996 and forming part of the great ‘Galáctico’ generation at the Spanish club. During 11 highly successful years in Madrid, Roberto Carlos won four league titles, and three Champions League titles, scoring an incredible 71 goals from left-back position. In 1997, he was runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards - the same year he scored his famous 35m bending free-kick against France for Brazil.
In 2002, he added the World Cup to his long list of accolades, helping Brazil to victory over Germany in the final. I’m still very much involved in football… as a coach and as a Real Madrid Ambassador (I have four years left in my contract)… I’m on the training ground every day so in that way I’m still a footballer. I have done everything I wanted to do… in my career, but in three or four years, I’d like to get into management. Football has lost a lot of technical quality in the last few years… today’s teams work more on the tactical and the physical side of tens, so we don’t see as many “cracks” as we used to. In a smaller pitch you need to use your speed… your vision and the timing is so much tighter so it’s a great way to develop skills. You can’t compare the Brazilian team of different times, but… this team has improved a lot since the arrival of new coach Tite. We are playing well and leading the World Cup qualifying table; if It keeps going like it is, it will achieve great things.
FOOTBALL FEATURE
Neymar is making his mark in Brazilian football history and Felipe Couthino is fantastic! The less we talk about the racism I encountered the better… in the world of football, there is always someone with personal issues that ends up going to the stadium to make trouble. I think football in general has been taking the right steps with all the new legislation, from closing stadiums to sending racist fans to jail. The problem is not football, but people who have issues and take it out on others…
“The less we talk about the racism I encountered the better… in the world of football, there is always someone with personal issues that ends up going to the stadium to make trouble.” I will always be Brazilian… I left the country following my dreams and the life that my family lives in Spain is great, very calm, with less violence than there is in Brazil, but life in Brazil is amazing. In fact now that the big Brazilian football clubs have the opportunity to offer players big contracts a lot of them don’t want to leave to country to play in Europe.
Jared Borgetti heads
the Mexico team with Luis Hernandez, Alberto Aspe, Mario Mendez, Joaquin Reyes, Jorge Campos, Hector Altomiro, Alberto Rodriguez and Miguel Zepeda. With a phenomenal 272 goals in 525 career appearances in club football, Jared Borgetti is one of, if not the greatest Mexican footballer of all time.
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Borgetti also scored 46 times for Mexico, breaking the goal-scoring record for the national team during his career – a record only recently matched by Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández. Having spent the majority of his career with Santos Laguna, winning two Mexican league titles with the club, Borgetti became the first Mexican to play for an English club upon signing for Bolton Wanderers in 2005. In his one season with Bolton, Borgetti netted a respectable 7 goals, scoring in every competition he appeared in for the club. During his career, Borgetti was renowned for his heading ability – scoring a number of memorable goals from crosses into the box. I still love the responsibility that comes with playing football…whether it be for a club, or at a World Cup representing my country, or this amazing tournament coming up with the best players in the world… the competitive element never stops being exciting. But maybe not against the Brazilians because they play so well! (laughs)… seriously, the 6-a-side format will provide plenty of action around the goal which means more shots and more excitement! I want to see Jay-Jay Okocha again (who heads the Nigeria team)…and the other spectacular players I played with at Bolton, and see some former rivals like Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand. I’d like to revisit Bolton, and the city of Manchester too, which I always loved. English football is a lot more practical than Mexican - quicker, more direct, physical, and very professional. The way players conduct themselves, and the competitiveness during matches is so strong. I think every Latin American player who makes it into the league realises that it is a great opportunity for them, so they work very hard.
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Learning the different qualities of European leagues gives us Latin Americans a great advantage… as all leagues present different difficulties. Both Chicharito (Javier Hernández) and Miguel Layún, have really benefited from their experiences. I think it helps the national team too when picking a squad for The World Cup. There’s no such thing as an ex- football player… I’m not an ex-player, I’m an ex-professional. I still enjoy football just the same as when I was just starting out. Mexico currently has a strong new generation of players, kids who are under 17 who are joining those who won the Olympic football Gold medal at London 2012. We are already very close to qualifying for the World Cup. World Cups are always very difficult, especially once you make it through to the Second Round. In the last two tournaments we’ve come up against Argentina and the Netherlands.
Fernando Morientes
represents Spain with team mates Carles Puyol, Gaizka Mendietta, Michel Salgado, David Albedle, Alfonso Perez, Luis Garcia. Widely regarded as one of the top strikers of his generation, Fernando Morientes boasts an outstanding goal scoring record of 124 goals in 337 games over the course of 15 seasons in La Liga. After making his league debut with Albacete, it was not long before Morientes was signed by Real Madrid, where he won the UEFA Champions League during his first season at the club. During the 1999-2000 season, Morientes netted 19 times, helping Real Madrid to another Champions League title, scoring in the final against Valencia CF. The following season he secured his first La Liga title with the club, before adding a third Champions League medal to his collection a year later, playing the full 90 minutes in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. After leaving Madrid, Morientes signed for Liverpool, winning the FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Morientes also managed 27 goals in just 47 games for Spain during his career. I can’t wait to represent Spain again… once you put your country kit on, you want to play to the best of your abilities. Just wearing your country colours makes it important and makes you proud. Every team in the tournament has quality in it and playing against ex-team mates like Steven Gerrard is going to make it really special. I joined Liverpool because of its history… I was playing in the world’s best football club, Real Madrid, so I was only going to go to a team with the the same pedigree. The fans gave me a unique experience, they were two very important years for
FOOTBALL FEATURE
me, on a personal and professional level. I also won the FA cup with them, which was also a special moment. Spanish football has more quality than English… it is more paused, more skilled. English football is more active, more physical. But at the end of the day football is football and, as a professional, you learn a lot by adapting to a different style. Of all the important moments in my career, the most satisfying is… the moment that the dream I had as a little boy, of being a professional, became reality…everything else is a bonus, representing my country, scoring goals for any of my teams…winning the Champions League. But the most important was being able to play football for a living. I’d love to coach an English team… in England, football is lived with such passion, it has a football culture that unrivalled, and a premier league which is exciting, because every year you never know and who is going to come through and do well.
Vítor Baía leads the Portugal
team with Maniche, Deco, Fernando Couto
Former Portuguese goalkeeper Vítor Baía is one of the world’s most highly decorated footballers, having won 35 major honours during his illustrious career, including the UEFA Cup and Champions League with FC Porto. Baía made his professional debut for Porto aged 19, and kept his spot in the team for six years, before moving to FC Barcelona in 1996 for a record transfer fee paid for a goalkeeper at the time. Baía won the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup in his first season with Barça. He later returned to Porto, helping the club to win consecutive European titles, and being named UEFA Club Best Goalkeeper of the Year in 2004. Baía also made 80 appearances for his country Portugal, representing the national team at two European Championships, as well as the 2002 World Cup.
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I’ve been bumping into Puyol, Belletti and Roberto Carlos at events… and the word war is really heating up…we are all talking about meeting at Star Sixes, so we’ll see what happens on the pitch! I can’t wait to lay with Deco again… he’s a friend as well as a colleague, and I love him dearly and it will be incredible to compete alongside him again. I remember playing Champions League games in England…I never played in the English league, but Iove its competitiveness and the atmosphere of the stadiums.
I really believe in this generation of Portuguese players. They are probably the best we’ve had and they deserve their Champions League title. We always thought it was a really united group, and this unity was as important as their talent. If we maintain these values, who knows what can happen in the World Cup? Roberto Carlos, Fernando Morientes and Jared Borgetti will be pulling on their national shirts again at Star Sixes, an international six-a-side tournament for legends at The O2, London, July 13-16. Tickets are on sale at: www.starsixes.com/tickets
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jun-jul 24rd June
14th July
Clubbing
Clubbing
Crossover Latin Sounds with DJs Urbano, Filo, Gordo, Kevin “Gato” and Manny Castillo. £10. Free entrance for women before 11
With Reggaetón taking over London’s concert agenda, there’s no better time to get into the groove at London’s number 1 Reggaetón club night.
Tequila Sunrise at the Latin Groove
16th June
LA BOMBA The Cuban Special Clubbing London’s number 1 Reggeatón clubnight returns with a Cuban themed night showcasing the the new wave of dance music from the likes of Gente de Zona, Jacob Forever, El Chacal, Yomil & Danny and may others. DJs Javier La Rosa, Green Papi, JJ Latino and special guest all the way from Germany Alejandro de la Cruz, plus resident DJ Luigi Sanchez and host Mike Kalle. Also featuring a PA by Cuban Reggaetón duet Philips Man & Lolo MC. Location: 02 Islington Academy, N1 Centre 16 Park Field Street, London N1 0PS 17th June – 10am-2am
La Clave Fest Festival Free
A free multi-arts festival that brings the best Latin music, dance, theatre, film, literature, sport, gastronomy and arts into a local community. During the day, its fun, food and fiesta for all the family, including a Futsal ‘Copa America’, dance classes and film screenings. Main stage performers include includes LUKAS winning acts such as Grupo Lokito, La Papayera, Juanita Euka, La Bomba All Stars, plus DJ sets. Inside the amazing art deco building you’ll find a Latin American banquet and a huge after party until 2am. Location: Hornsey Town Hall Plaza, Crouch End Broadway, N8 9JJ
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Location: 1 Archway Road N19 3TD 9th July
Daddy Yankee and Ozuna @ Reggeatón Fest Music/Festival Daddy Yankee, the world’s most famous Reggaetón artist, is hitting London as part of the Reggeatón Summer Fest, accompanied by Ozuna, the genre’s biggest-selling young contender. Location: SSE Wembley Arena
LA BOMBA Summer Party
Location: O2 Islington Academy, N1 Centre 16 Park Field Street, London N1 0PS 14th July
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Music Arguably the most significant band to emerge from the Latin rock world in the last 30 years, this irreverent and humorous mix of rock, ska, jazz, folk, reggae, funk and big band brass often contain political undertones and have become terrace anthems in Buenos Aires. Location: O2 Academy Brixton, 211 Stockwell Road, London, SW9 9SL
13th-16th July
Star Sixes Football
The first competitive six-a-side football tournament for former international players which will see 12 teams compete, including Spain, Brazil and Mexico. International Spanish legends include Carles Puyol, Gaizka Mendieta and Míchel Salgado, while Roberto Carlos will play for Brazil and Steven Gerrard will captain England. Location: The O2 Arena, Peninsular Square, London, SE10 0DX
15th July
La Mambanegra Music Hailing from the Colombian salsa capital of Cali, La Mambanegra is a powerful Latin music orchestra with a venom made of 70s NYC Salsa and elements of Jamaican and Colombian music, funk and hip hop. Location: 6 O’Meara Street London SE1 1TE
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jul-aug Saturday 22rd July
11th August
Festival
Music
Grammy award winners Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes join forces to launch the very first Hola! London Festival, along with David Bisbal and Sebastián Yatra. Stalls and free live music outside..
The Argentinian band return with their wild mix of cumbia, rock and hip-hop all with critical and reflective lyrics and a punk spirit.
HOLA! LONDON
19th July - 6th August
Tanguera Dance
Location: Venue: The 02, Greenwhich
20rd-30rd July
Chico Trujillo Football Chile’s Chico Trujillo bring their exciting mix of traditional cumbia, ska, Andean folk, hip-hop, reggae and rock. Location: WOMAD FESTIVAL UK 2017, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK, SN16 9DG 27rd-30rd July
Grupo Canalón Music Hailing from the Pacific coast of Colombia, this multi-membered outfit are best known for their rootsy rhythms and lead singer Nidia Góngora’s African-style chanting, backed by marimba and folkloric percussion. Location: WOMAD FESTIVAL UK 2017, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK, SN16 9DG
Kumbia Queers
Location: Rich Mix, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA 8th-12th August
Flamencura
Αν adrenaline-fuelled journey through the sizzling world of tango, with Argentinian dance superstar Mora Godoy. Boasting a cast of over 30 dancers and musicians, now Argentinas hit show Tanguera returns to Sadlers Wells for a strictly limited summer run!. Location: Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R
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Dance Show
27rd-30rd July
Nomade Orquestra Music Spaced-out jazz, funk, soul, Afrobeat, Ethio-grooves, dub, hip hop, electronica and traditional Brazilian styles are all woven effortlessly into this ten-piece outfit from Sao Paulo.
The master of flamenco Paco Peña returns with his five-star show Flamencura, an electrifying showcase of incredible flamenco talent, featuring three dancers and six musicians. A legendary guitarist, composer, dramatist and producer, Peña’s work over the past five decades has dazzled audiences across the globe and earned him exceptional critical acclaim. Location: Sadlers Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R
Location: WOMAD FESTIVAL 2th August
Las Cafeteras Music The chicano/urban folk band that fuses spoken word with traditional Son Jarocho, Afro-Mexican music and zapateado dancing. Reflecting the diverse, hard-working, politically active neighborhood of East Los Angeles, their second album “Tastes Like L.A” is infused with social consciousness and celebration. Location: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA
19th August
Tequila Fest Drinks Festival It´s time to tequila! More than 2500 people, live music and DJ´s, over 30 different tequilas, processions, piñatas, Tequila cocktail bar, tacos, fajitas… Location: Studio 338, 338 Boord St, London SE10 0PF
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aug-sep 25rd-28rd August
Forro Fest UK Dance Festival The UK´s only Brazilian Forró dance and camping festival. Workshops, performances and activities all day and live music every night. Forró, samba, campoeira, street dance, kizomba, yoga, tango, singing, afro-dance and wonderful spaces for camping under the stars. Location: Bellingdon and Asheridge Village Hall. Chesham HP5 2XU 26rd-28rd August
Nothing Hill Carnival Caribbean Festival
26rd-28rd August
London Spanish Film Festival Film The 13the edition of the Spanish Film festival come again to South Kensington, Regent Street and May Fair. It will bring the best of Spanish cinema. The program will be announce at the end of July. Location: Ciné Lumière at the Institut français, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT Regent Street Cinema, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW The May Fair Theatre, Stratton St, London W1J 8LT
Location: Bishops Park, Putney
Exhibition Exhibition of 14 European and Latin Americans artists including Eduardo Stupía (Argentina) –Enrique Brinkmann (Spain) Francisco Corcuera (Chile) and Aída Rubio González (Spain). Location: Rosenfeld Porcini, 37 Rathbone Street London W1T 1NZ
Dance
16th-17th September
Find Latin Street food, chefs, products, cocktails, beers and wines at this festival for London foodies.
Romance
Acosta Danza
Location: spread throughout W10 (Nothing Hill, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park)
Food Festival
28rd September
27rd-30rd September
The biggest European carnival has been taking place since 1964 in the West London borough of Nothing Hill, a celebration of Caribbean communities showing their culture and traditions. Steel bands, Caribbean food and a Latin Stage.
Comida Fest
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26rd September
Maluma Music
The Latinas of London will no doubt be lining the streets of Hammersmith to get a glimpse of this Colombian urban latin-pop sensation. With the looks and the swagger to match, this will doubt be sold out by the time you read this. Location: London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire www.gigsandtours.com Web page: www.gigsandtours.com
Following an exceptional career as a ballet star, international dance icon Carlos Acosta launches his brand new company, Acosta Danza in the UK. They will perform new and existing pieces by Cuban choreographers who have rarely been seen outside the country, and commission new pieces from international choreographers who will take inspiration from their iconic nation. Location: Sadler’s Wells Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 29rd September
La Fiesta del Chivo (Peru) Literature A chat about great books, accompanied of tapas and wines. The best combination to enjoy talking about “La fiesta del chivo”, a Mario Vargas Llosa´s best seller. Location: 99 Lavender Hill - Unit 121 London, SW11 5QL
THE
Fabulous
Chameleons Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have calved a place as one of Latin America’s most succesful rock bands, thanks to a unique and ever-mutating style, based on an urge to copy, they say, from The Clash. LatinoLife talks to Vicentico and Sergio Rotman about the band’s past, present, and future. By Santiago Oyarzabal
It’s 10am on a warm, sunny Rioplatense day when Gabriel Fernández Capello, better known as Vicentico, stops his car to receive this call from London. Vicentico occupies an unusual place in the Latin music scene. On the one hand he’s seen as the ‘rebel’ vocalist of a band that’s earned a sacred place in the history of Latin American rock. On the other, he is also loved by a public more drawn to romantic melodies and boleros. In reality, Vicentico does not care much about styles, we will learn: he likes all kinds of music, and plays them all too. Nearby, in the residential district of Vicente López, Sergio Rotman has just woken up. The “third Cadillac”, as he likes to call himself (in reference to the central roles of Vicentico and Flavio Cianciarulo) drinks mate, the typical local tea, and reads “some stuff”. In many ways, it seems that the crazy old Cadillacs have settled down; Sergio has paralel projects with his own wife, Puerto Rican singer Mimi Acevedo, whom he met during a Fabulosos Cadillacs tour in Latin America in the 1990s and Flavio lives by the beach.
INTERVIEW Vicentico laughs: “The truth is, we’ve learned to like work during the day, and enjoy the morning and the sunshine. Now it wouln’t cross my mind making an album like in the old times, when we consumed a lots of things and lived by night.” Los Fabulosos Cadillacs formed in the mid 1980s. Flavio and Vicentico (born on the same day and in the same hospital) met as teenagers when Flavio started to go out with Vicentico’s sister. They became friends and Flavio invited him to join a new band they were putting together with Mario Siperman (keyboard) and other lads. They had already recorded a demo and were after a sax player, so they invited Sergio to join. “I couldn’t be a part of (it), but it was a necessary album… these two characters, Vicentico and Flavio, who are so different and so similar at the same time, they needed to make this album together.” Sergio: “There wasn’t much happening in the early 1980s in Buenos Aires. At the time there were Virus, Los Violadores, Sumo and that’s about it. Argentina was just coming out of a dictatorship, so we would easily bond with people dressing strangely like ourselves. It was in one of the Virus shows when I met Fernando Ricciardi, and since then played together in every band I’ve had.” The original LFCs Vicentico (voice), Flavio (bass), Sergio (sax), Dani Lozano (trumpet), Siperman (keys) y Ricciardi (drums) are now joined by Vicentico’s own son Florián and Flavio’s son Astor, who doubles as either second drummer or second bass player.
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Sergio: “Having Florián and Astor play with us is very natural, because both had already come to the shows and played with us so we didn’t even need to teach them anything. At this point we live a very quiet life too. All the crazy things, we did them already in the 1990s, so now we are fully dedicated to our playing and touring. Florián and Astor give a sense of perpetuity to LFC, as if it were to last for ever, and that’s really fun…” Vicentico agrees: “The kids know the songs perfectly, they can play better than anyone, they’re cool and are the kind of musicians we admire too, with blood in their veins, and they are very similar to us… so they fit perfectly our needs. When we discuss the lists of songs for a show, for instance, Florián and Astor suggest songs we haven’t played in ages which we wouldn’t normally play, and they make us think about them.”
In 2016, there was a lot of media furore around the fact that Sergio didn’t play with LFC, during the tour of their album ‘La Salvación de Solo y Juan,’ with speculation that he had been left out. “Touring with LFC would have meant delaying all my other projects, which are not as known as LFC but are important to me. And because I have quite a strong personality, it was better not to be there than be grumpy,” Sergio laughs, and in it relaxes and reveals... “and it was made worse by the fact that was a great album, which I couldn’t be a part of, but it was a necessary album…”
45 Why necessary? I ask “Because these two characters, Vicentico and Flavio, who are so different and so similar at the same time, they needed to make this album together. The rest of us are in their shadows or their mercy. I love that the band has two composers with their attitude and commitment to making music. They bring their ideas, and their songs have moved LFC to the extremes, say from the jazz of ‘La Marcha del Golazo Solitario’ [1999] to the powerful rock of ‘La Salvación de Solo y Juan’. I am very proud to be part of their whims and lunacies. Vicentico adds: “It’s true that Sergio did not take much part but it wasn’t something we did on purpose, like ‘let’s compose something only us’, we’d been thinking of this story for ages with Flavio and needed to do it….”
How was the process? Vicentico: “It was a long process and a lot of fun. We met every day in the morning, first wrote the story, defined the argument, the tone, and then the lyrics started to appear, and also the music to go with them.”
Contrary to today’s albums which, if released at all in that format, are a collection of short fast tracks, ‘La salvación’ is a concept album based on the 1970s’ rock operas, that demands you to sit and listen. The Latin sound of LFC gave place to more powerful guitars, two drum kits or two bass.
While Flavio and Vicentico have written most of the songs, Sergio is the composer of some of the most important LFC songs, including ‘Siguiendo la luna’, ‘Ríos de lágrimas’, ‘Ciego de amor’, ‘Miami’, ‘Amnesia’, and ‘El fin del amor. ’ He calls himself the George Harrison of LFC, “Obviously not in a musical sense, but because we have our John and Paul, and I’m in the middle with my own songs. I’m like George also in that I often bring new stuff. I’m the DJ who tells them ‘listen to this or that’, and they pay attention and appreciate it.” “The Clash helped us understand about live music. They changed from album to album, incorporating and adapting styles. We were influenced by other styles and wanted to learn to play them… and still do. In that sense, The Clash was the model to follow.”
LFC has changed its style throughout the years but always keep recognisable. How do you achieve that? Sergio: “I think we owe that to our predecessors. We grew up with bands like The Clash who helped us understand about live music. The Clash changed from album to album, incorporating and adapting styles. We started with ska and reggae as main rhythms but even before Bares y fondas (1986) [the band’s first album] we were already influenced by other styles and wanted to learn to play them. We learned them on the way, playing live on stage, and composing. The process was incredibly intense in the 1990s, and it hasn’t stopped. We’re, again, learning to make songs from a different place. In that sense, The Clash has been more than just inspiring, it was the model to follow.”
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LFC rose to fame between 1987 and 1989 with hits such as ‘El genio del dub’, ‘Mi novia se cayó en un pozo ciego’, ‘Yo no me sentaría en tu mesa’, ‘Yo te avisé’, and ‘Número 2 en tu lista’. Despite their early success, with the Argentine economy in crisis, the band struggled to survive as musicians. Yet, their fans continued to follow them and hits such as El León (1992) and Vasos Vacíos (1993) and Rey Azucar (1995) made them huge in Argentina. By then Caribbean rhythms, congas, and percussion had take prominence over ska, and their new hits ‘Gallo rojo’, ‘Matador’, ‘V Centenario’, ‘Mal bicho’, ‘Padre nuestro’ catapulted them across Latin America. Something unusual happened. Not only did LFC keep groing popular across Latin America, but they did so while going more and more experimental, mixing Latin rhyths with hardcore, tango, and a bit of jazz in Fabulosos Calavera (1997), and La Marcha del Golazo Solitario (1999). But this hyper-prolific period took its toll, and after the live album Hola/Chau (2000) they stopped playing together. Despite the rumours and solo albums between 2001-2 and 2007, Vicentico, Flavio and Sergio always claimed to be good friends. In 2007 they recorded a song for the album Calamaro Querido and played Akustic Loco in an FM radio where Flavio hosted a programme. One year later the return was announced officially as ‘Yo te avisé’ (I told you so). Since then, they have combined live shows, tours, albums together with their solo careers, which perhaps explains the eclectic and ever-evolving life of the band. Vicentico: “We all listen to a lot of music, of all types. So if someone suggests, ‘let’s go this way’ we have no fear to go one way or another. We listen to everything and we never cared much for preconceptions about what is ‘good’ music. To me, what’s most important is for the song to have a heart, something beating inside. The style and genre, and anything that surrounds the song, is less important. For a song to live long and become important, it has to have something, be alive and tell a truth. Later you can dress it, find a style or the form, maybe add some distortion.”
How are the rehearsals today in comparison with the first years? Sergio: “Sporadic. With Flavio living in Mar del Plata we don’t rehearse often. So, we get together with a set of songs and we modify it depending on the show. After almost 32 years playing together there is a flow, a kind of telepathy, so our main concern is more what we’re eating for dinner than what we’re playing.”
La Salvación de Solo y Juan received a Latin Grammy award (best rock album) and La tormenta (best rock song). What do those prizes mean to you? Vicentico: “I personally don’t feel prizes as an achievement, but also don’t want to be disrespectful to them and I also appreciate when somene awards one to us. Prizes in general have mostly to do with the music industry, not necesssarily with your music or with a colleague saying, ‘I really like this’. In the case of the Grammy, it was fun going and take part because we were all together, with our kids, and it was a good occasion for us to spend time together and enjoy.” “What’s most important is for the song to have a heart, something beating inside. The style and genre, and anything that surrounds the song, is less important.”
And what can we expect in London? Vicentico: “Honestly, we still haven’t thought what we’re going to play. We always decide the songs the day before the show. We have a lot of songs rehearsed and we can also play the ones we haven’t rehreased. I’d guess we’ll play a bit of everything. Playing only the new album may be a bit boring or annoying for those who haven’t heard it and for the fans who haven’t seen us in a while, but we also love playing the new songs because they sound really good and we love them too.”
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs will be playing at the 02 Brixton Academy on Friday July 14th. Tickets at www.comono.co.uk/live/los-fabulosos-cadillacs
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