Interview with KLEBER MENDONÇA FILHO & WAGNER MOURA
“A SWEAT-SATURATED RIOT OF A MOVIE” SIGHT & SOUND
“VISUALLY AND DRAMATICALLY SUPERB IN EVERY WAY” THE GUARDIAN LITTLE WHITE LIES
WAGNER MOURA
A history of reggaetón
TOP
CLUB NIGHTS IN LONDON TOP 10 LATIN BARS IN LONDON
TOP LATIN THINGS TO DO THIS YEAR
An interview with Kleber Mendonça Filho & Wagner Moura
An interview with Alvaro Soler
You only had to watch Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show to realise why Latin Music is now o�ficially the world’s most listened to. For those of us who’ve been loving and promoting Latin music for years, it’s gratifying to see it finally get the recognition it deserves. The world's most streamed artist is Latin American and sings in Spanish, a Spanish-language album took the Grammy, and the first ever Super Bowl performance in Spanish. In the UK will be 2026 the biggest year in history for Latin Music in the UK with the first ever Latin music stadium show and Hyde Park Festival’s first ever Latin headliner. With Latin urban music at its peak, we take you back to the beginning and tell you the whole story in our History of Reggaetón. If you can’t get a ticket to Bad Bunny this year, inside you’ll find the best Latin things to do in the UK this Spring and Summer. We interview Danny Ocean, who, is showing that Latines are defying ICE and still making dreams happen in the US. We also interview Kleber Mendonça Filho, the director of The Secret Agent, tipped for the Oscar this year. Enjoy this edition, and don’t forget to come and see us in action this year at LatinoLife in the Park, on Sunday 19th July!
The Sound of Time and Space
ven while ICE is picking up Latino immigrants on American streets, Latino poster boys for the American Dream are still in the making. Danny Ocean is one of them. Within three months of arriving in Miami back in 2015, the Venezuelan’s song Me Rehúso began its journey to become a global hit. Ten years on, a�ter garnering 12.4 billion career streams, joining Bad Bunny as Premio Juventud’s most nominated artist, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone and his latest album landing at #2 on Billboard’s Top Latin Pop Albums Chart, the Caraqueño is on top of the world. Jose Luis talks to the artist who has become the symbol of more than just a viral phenomenon, but of hope and longing for diaspora Venezuelans.
If migration is the keyword of our age, then the song Me Rehúso is surely its soundtrack. It’s author, Danny Ocean was
a delivery boy in Miami, struggling to make a new life abroad, like eight million other displaced Venezuelans across the world, when his heartbreak ballad quietly exploded and, like a gentle eruption, wa�ted across borders. Travelling through WhatsApp threads, long bus rides, borrowed apartments, shared bedrooms, the track went on surpass 2 billion streams on Spotify and 1.9 billion views on YouTube
When I meet Danny over zoom, ahead of his sellout tour of Europe, I ask him how it feels to have become famous outside of his country first.
“What can I tell you? I made a lot of music in Venezuela before leaving. I finished university there and, a year a�ter I emigrated, I made a song that changed my life. It was a Valentine’s Day gi�t, but also a kind of emotional release about what we as Venezuelans were going through at that time. Those were the years when the exodus was massive.”
A
Song That Meant More Than It Said
On a personal level, the superstar tells me, “it changed my life, brother…. I made the beat in Venezuela and recorded it in Miami three months a�ter arriving. I never really had the chance to build a name in Venezuela. And honestly, Venezuela is di�ficult— the circuits are very closed. There’s very little industry, and it’s hard to get an opportunity to break in. I respect that and understand that’s how things are. But everything happened here in the United States. Me Rehúso started traveling—it completely turned my life around, 180 degrees—and now we’re here.”
And so, Daniel Alejandro Morales Reyes, graphic design graduate from Caracas’ Universidad Nueva Esparta became Danny Ocean, pop star travelling the world. The stu�f of dreams. Danny’s rise may make a good headline — DIY artist breaks through with trending global hit - but rather than a story about perfectly timed algorithms, its a story of of emotional resonance and cultural timing. A song-writer that could write on two levels was bypassing industry bosses before they could deem his romantic qualities too commercially risky for the urban space.
“I’m not into showing o�f cars and chains—I didn’t grow up like that. Other things matter more to me.”
On the surface, the song, which translates as “I refuse” or “I decline”, was a refusal to let go of a love story cut short. Underneath, it mirrored the experience of a generation forced to leave — lovers separated by visas, families split by circum stance, futures postponed indefinitely - a refusal to be victims, despite the tragic circumstances of the biggest displacement crisis in modern history.
Ocean never marketed the song as political, yet its ambiguity was key and its emotional architecture allowed millions to project their own stories onto it. It didn’t ask for permission from radio or labels. It moved with people who were already moving. Rather than a protest song, it was an emotional container, and containers travel well.
You don’t have the reggaetón look, your lyrics aren’t “street”, you’re kind of an underdog of reggaetón in a way, I propose…
“Reggaetón isn’t really my main pillar.” Danny agrees. “I think of myself more as pop— in the sense that it’s an umbrella for many genres. Any genre can be pop depending on its musical structure. When I
was a huge reference for my music and lyrics. I don’t try to box myself into genres. I like reggaetón—I like the movement and the dance it gives you—but I try to keep my lyrics as open as possible. I’m not a problematic person. I also don’t think Venezuela has that culture of talking about women in a degrading way. Venezuelans are very romantic.”
It’s clear that Danny’s message was the voice that Venezuelans abroad needed to hear. In another era, his so�tness might have been a liability. In the crisis age, it became an advantage.
Do you think the fact that Me Rehúso became such a global success gave you independence from the beginning and helped you maintain your essence? I ask
immigrant at a crossroads. What kind of artist did he want to be? Want kind of career did he want to have?
“When Me Rehúso happened, nobody expected it. At that point, I made a decision: if I was going to be an artist, I was going to be myself. I’d rather refine who I am than invest in something I’m not. That’s a pact I have with myself. I truly believe that when you do things genuinely, calmly, with your own vision, and from the heart, the universe surprises you.”
“I don’t think Venezuela has that culture of talking about women in a degrading way. Venezuelans are very romantic and that comes from my upbringing.”
"Yes, I do.” Danny replies. “No matter how much I might want to do other kinds of music, my musical instinct always pulls me back to my style. I can’t go into a studio and sing things that aren’t me—the magic disappears. I think Me Rehúso opened that door. Maybe it helped open the idea of romantic reggaetón, or pop-reggaetón. None of it was planned—it all happened unconsciously. To this day, I’m still finding myself, honestly—like everyone else.”
Danny signed with Atlantic Records. But, having never performed on stage, Danny says at the time of his success he wasn’t ready to be a touring artist or a media personality. So, when Me Rehúso exploded, Ocean disappeared — deliberately.
“When it came out, I wasn’t ready—not for interviews, not for stages. I had never been on stage before. Some people criticized me for not stepping forward immediately, but I wasn’t ready.” The Venezuelan confesses.
He did not immediately attach a face to the phenomenon. He did not �lood the market with follow-ups.
He studied.
“I spent a year, a year and a half, watching interviews, studying shows,” he recalls. “I wasn’t in a rush. Life is long.”
This decision — to delay visibility — is perhaps the most controversial, countercultural move of his career. In the streaming era, momentum is sacred. But Ocean retreated, treasuring his creativity as something to be protected, not exploited.
“I wanted people to discover me,” he says. “Like before, when you heard a song on the radio and didn’t know who sang it. And when you finally found the artist, you stayed.”
He had no choice but to trust — in the audience, in time, in self.
From survival to so�tness: building Babylon
Danny took his time, but slowly the hits came in the form of Dembow, Vuelve Ley Universal, Volaré and the multi-platinum Fuera del Mercado. Collaborations
followed naturally with Karol G’s "Ay Dios Mío" and Reik’s “Raptame.” In 2024, he received two Latin Grammy nominations for Amor (Best Pop Song) and Caracas en el 2000 with Elena Rose and Jerry Di (Song of the Year).
Then in 2025 Danny released an incredible 14-track album—Babylon Club - very well produced, with top-tier collaborators including "Priti" with Sech. It’s an album that shows his artistic versatility,“consolidating his position as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Latin Music” according to Rolling Stone magazine.
“With my album Babylon Club, I wanted happiness. Joy. Beach energy. My body was asking for that. My soul too and my music followed.” Danny says,“I entered a tropical state. It was very genuine. For the first time, I got to tell a full story.”
Some may see Babylon as an advert for escapism, and Venezuelans have always had that hedonist streak, but for Danny, it’s more a liberation, when the vigilance of being an immigrant begins to so�ten. Its a another refusal, this time a refusal to remain in survival mode. Danny’s Babylon becomes less about excess and more about refuge: a space where so�tness is permitted.
“I’m just telling who I am and what I’ve lived. The album re�lects the years a�ter emigrating, and that desire to leave behind survival mode and start enjoying what you’ve worked for.” Danny says, and, crucially, he adds, with the album’s release: “Many people also started to see my face—to connect the person with the music.”
Babylon is notable for its many collaborations El Alfa, Árcangel, Sech, Aitana and Kenia OS. Was there anyone you wanted to collaborate with but couldn’t? Or someone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
“I think it was perfect. Collaborations shouldn’t be forced—they happen naturally, at the right moment. It’s also important to personally connect with the artist. Things will come little by little.”
Holding rhythm, emotion and accessibility at once, Danny’s music moves easily between spaces: playlists, festivals, clubs, bedrooms, road trips. That �lexibility explains his sustained success outside Latin America. European audiences, less bound by genre politics, responded to the songcra�t. The melodies and emotion needed no translation.
La Patria: Reality versus Fantasy
In Danny’s best year to date, as he was reaching then stars, reality brought him back to earth in an emotional way, as he was invited to sing at the Nobel
Ceremony in Olso, Norway in honour of the Peace Prize winner Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Ocean performed Alma Llanera and Venezuela, two songs that probably mean more to Venezuelans than any others.
How did the decision to sing at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony come about?
“When I emigrated, like every Venezuelan, I was just in autopilot doing everything not to sink. The first years in the US were very hard. But a�ter Me Rehúso became like an anthem for Venezuelan migrants I felt that staying silent would’ve disrespected the very song that changed my life. Music is very spiritual for me—it o�ten feels like you’re channeling something greater. That performance was the most
“There are things I can’t do,” he says quietly. “I can’t sing in Venezuela. And that hurts.”
In Danny’s case, success is more of a double-edged sword than for most. His music, which comes from and taps into the pain of a generation, has made him one of the most successful Venezuelan artists of his generation. A decade on and with his position no longer up for debate, he is “at peace with Me Rehúso and what it did.” He has the future at his feet, he has every reason to feel positive.
“A�ter Me Rehúso became like an anthem for Venezuelan migrants, I felt that staying silent would’ve disrespected the very song that changed my life.”
“I want the universe to surprise me. I want to keep making the best music I can and carry my �lag as far as possible. The diaspora is helping us grow culturally.”
As if wishing onto his country his own success, where emotional clarity, patience and faith, turned out to be catalysts for powerful
FROM THE UNDERGROUND TO THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN:
A HISTORY OF REGGAETÓN
his summer Bady Bunny, reggaetón’s biggest product, will be the first Latin artist ever to headline a stadium in the UK, with not one but two sell out shows at Tottenham and Pitbull will become the first Latin artist to headline London's Hyde Park show. Now the most popular rhythmn on the dance
�loors of the world, from London, Dubai and Cape Town to Medellín, Madrid, or Tokyo, it’s hard to imagine that reggaetón was once banished from Puerto Rican radio. The very government that banned the sound of its people, is now reaping the huge financial rewards created by Bad Bunny’s year-long San Juan ‘residency’. As many wonder if the genre has hit its peak and saturation, Amaranta Wright explores how the once scorned genre became the world's best selling music.
Twenty years ago, when we first launched LatinoLife, we published an article by DJ Jose Luis about the history of reggaetón. In it we referenced a landmark
moment when, on November 10th, 2004, at Madison Square Garden, a sold out “Megatón” Festival was heaving with the pride of 40,000 young Nuyoricans. America’s most important venue was stage to the biggest ever concert to date showcasing the rhythm of a new Latin Caribbean generation.
Here in the UK, DJ Jose Luis had just launched the UK's first reggaetón party, La Bomba, in London's Ministry Of Sound in 2005, which he went on to run for 15 years, under the radar of a UK music media and music industry that ignored the genre.
How things have changed! In June 2026, Bad Bunny will be the first Latin artist ever to headline a stadium in the UK, with not one but two sell out shows at Tottenham and Pitbull will become the first Latin artist to headline London's Hyde Park show. Suddenly the UK media is all over this Latin genre it dismissed for so long, although still quite unsure what to make of it.
The Roots: Rhythm as Resistance
In the late 1980s, Panama — a small country shaped by canal-zone segregation
From those shadows two decades ago, inhabited by Latin youth in London, New York or San Juan, a cultural revolution was born. What began as a mix of reggae, dancehall and hip-hop in the barrios of Panama and Puerto Rico became one of the most in�luential musical movements of the 21st century — and one of the most misunderstood.
and constant migration from Jamaica, Trinidad, and Colombia — became a melting pot of Caribbean sound. Jamaican workers who had come in the early 20th century to build the canal brought with them ska, rocksteady, and dancehall. Their children began translating those rhythms birth to reggae en español.
Decades a�ter black and working-class youth across Latin America carved out space in a world that tried to silence them where does Reggaetón stand now? As Bad Bunny closes the circle by bringing reggaetón back home with a residency in Puerto Rico that reportedly brought $700 million to the island in tourism, hotel occupancy, and o�f-season food, transport, and retail spend, has reggae tón reached its peak?
Artists like El General, Nando Boom, and Chicho Man became pioneers, singing over riddims imported from Kingston but giving them new swagger. Their lyrics celebrated barrio life and re�lected their social consciousness while making people dance — a mixture of pride and protest wrapped in bass.
Meanwhile, across the water in Puerto Rico, another revolution was brewing. The island’s youth, heavily in�luenced by US
In 1993 San Juan, Puerto Rico, a club called The Noise was the place for young Puerto Ricans to go and freestyle and rap over hiphop and dancehall-ragga tracks. DJ Negro, the resident DJ of the club, released "The Noise Vol. 1" in 1994. The sound was raw, with fast beats and heavy bass. A couple of years later, DJ Negro hooked up with a Panamanian DJ called Chombo and they released Los Cuentos de la Cripta.
Lyrics spoke about poverty, police brutality and sexuality with a directness rarely heard in Spanish-language music. The government responded with moral panic: raids, arrests, and media campaigns against this “obscenity.” hip-hop, was experimenting with bilingual rap, break-dancing and mixtape culture. The result was a rebellious scene that blended boom-bap beats with Jamaican dembow.
Mainstream record labels were not interested in this new material and radio stations boycotted the albums, criticizing their lyrics for being violent and vulgar. A�ter the unlikely success of The Noise series, a Puerto Rican entrepreneur, Raphy Piña, decided to try his luck with the new music and funded Piña Records. He signed almost everyone in the scene. Vico C, Big boy, Baby Rasta, Gringo and Don Chezina, to name just a few, had their videos shown in TV stations and their music played in some radios, thanks to Piña.
The content was unapologetically raw. Lyrics spoke about poverty, police brutality and sexuality with a directness rarely heard in Spanish-language music. The government responded with moral panic: raids, arrests, and media campaigns against this “obscenity.”
DJ Nelson’s Xtassy Reggaetón mixtape (including a version of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams) sold 100,000 copies in 2001. So the police then moved in to stop this mixtape industry, a campaign led by Senator Velda González. Radio executives and a united reggaetón movement took the Puerto Rican government to the Supreme Court. The Reggaetoneros won the case on the grounds of freedom of expression, on an agreement that lyricists would water down their lyrics.
In the end, this gave publicity to the genre and censorship only made the movement stronger. Reggaetón was becoming the voice of a generation raised between colonised identity and global aspiration.
Vico C Nicky Jam
DJ Playero
Dj Nelson
Big boy
Don Chezina
Baby Rasta, Gringo
BRico’s underground scene was boiling over. In 2000 an MC with a unique �low,husky voice and hard hitting lyrics started getting noticed. Tego Calderon was his name. This young black artist from San Juan’s Carolina neighbourhood released his first album El Abayarde in 2002. Tego's socially conscious lyrics, deep voice and Afro-Boricua pride connected reggaetón to the country's black roots, challenging the racial hierarchies of Latin pop. Heavily criticized by media and music critics, the album blew away those who heard it and sold 250,000 on the tiny island with no promotion.
At the time, many artists got their mixtapes funded by the bichotes, who also financed huge street parties. Artists and DJs a-like have fond memories of this era; the sound and the scene was fresh, the power was still in the hands of the market, the music was close to its source and the authenticity rang through. More importantly the artists were making money from their music, even if the drugs barons like El Boster (aka Angelo Millones) were making a lot more.
The “clean up” was inevitable, however. The Puerto Rican elite weren’t about to let all the money stay underground. The Puerto Rican/US authorities made an example out of one of the biggest artists at the time, Tempo, by charging and sentencing him for drugs tra�ficking. With the new interests involved, many of these original artists, like Mexicano 777, were never able to make it commercially because they were tainted by Reggaetón’s street image.
Despite being ignored by the big labels and Latin music bosses in Miami, Tego was soon being invited by 50 Cent to record the remix of P.I.M.P and with Cypress Hill he recorded Latin Thugs. In 2003 he opened concerts for Sean Paul and his tunes were in Tony Touch’s legendary mixtapes. In the autumn of 2004, the multi-million selling N.O.R.E (from Nore and Capone) decided to go back to his roots. He started listening to reggaetón in New York's Latin clubs and released Oye mi canto, featuring Nina Sky and Tego. The single burned the American charts and became the first crossover reggaetón hit, opening the door for the others to come. At the same time, Tego was also recording the remix of the now world hit Lean back by Fat Joe. He also did a cameo appearance in the video.
“I ain’t trying to be an employee. I have worked too hard to build what I have. I don’t like anyone telling me what to do. I lose millions…but I keep my freedom.” Tego Calderón
Meanwhile multinationals’ Latin music A&R men, were busy nurturing clean cut white Latinos like Ricky Martin and Chayanne. They didn’t like the way the likes Vico C or Tego looked, what they said, how they sounded. And they weren't about to change. “I ain’t trying to be no employee,” Tego said. “I have worked too hard to build what I have, I have never been a good employee, I don’t like anyone telling me what to do. Yup, I lose millions…but I keep my freedom.”
But by the mid-noughties, reggaetón was the hottest rhythm in the streets of New York and Miami. Those who thought it would fade out would be proved wrong.
“I remember that time with a lot of happiness, it seems like yesterday actually,” says Tego Calderón, now considered the godfather of Puerto Rican reggaetón. “My fans, my public, gave me a lifeline. My life wouldn’t have been easy without music and what its given me so I feel very grateful.
The Explosion: From San Juan to the World
Tego Calderon
Hector el Father
The Respectable Face of Reggaetón Arrives
Just when music bosses had to accept reggaetón wasn't going away, a respectable (dare we say whiter) face arrives with a hit
called Gasolina (2004). Everything changes. When Daddy Yankee’s anthem hit global airwaves, reggaetón leapt from the barrios into the Billboard charts. It was the first time a Spanish-language urban track dominated English-speaking radio — and the first time mainstream audiences danced to the dembow without even knowing its name.
While Tego was turning down sponsorship deals, Daddy Yankee was willing to take up all the commercial o�fers thrown at him. He accepted the o�fer from Pu�f Daddy to promote his clothing line that Tego refused (because of Central American sweatshop links) and the Pepsi deal. When Gasolina was remixed by Lil’ John, it became an instant hit in the US R&B charts and took Daddy Yankee and Reggaetón global in 2004, from BBC Top of the Pops appearances in the UK to Iraq, where the tune resonated with a generation invaded for its oil. Weirdly, Gasolina became the anthem of Iraqi boys selling petrol on the black market at street crossings.
“Just when
Record labels saw opportunity. The early 2000s were a transitional moment for the industry: Napster had shaken up CD sales, MTV was chasing the next youth movement, and the U.S. Latino population was booming. Reggaetón , with its bilingual swagger and irresistible beat, was perfect.
Major labels created new divisions like Machete Music (under Universal) to commercialise the phenomenon. Collaborations with hip-hop stars followed, Wisin & Yandel’s duets, Don Omar’s cinematic albums — and suddenly, the sound of the Caribbean was everywhere.
But success brought contradictions. What started as anti-establishment expression became a pop commodity. Reggaetón was no longer dangerous; it was marketable. Its Afro-Latin identity was o�ten so�tened for crossover appeal, and radio demanded cleaner lyrics. The underground rebel had become a global star — and some feared it had lost its soul.
music bosses had to accept reggaetón wasn't going away, a respectable (dare we say whiter) face arrives with a hit called Gasolina (2004). Everything changes.”
The Industry’s Dilemma: Profit or Pride
During its commercial peak (2004-2008), reggaetón ived a paradox. On one hand,it gave
visibility to Latin urban culture like never before. On the other, it faced accusations of monotony, hyper-sexualisation, and machismo. Critics argued that the genre’s original social commentary had been drowned out by formulas designed for nightclubs and product placement.
Inside the industry, power struggles erupted. Many pioneers were sidelined in favour of newer, more photogenic artists. Record executives — most of them from outside the Caribbean — sought to control what they barely understood. Reggaetón became "Urban Latin" - easier to market that way.
Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee
Wisin y Yandel Don Omar
Meanwhile, new talents who have made it big through years of hard work, good management and talent like Don Omar and Wisin & Yandel, created their own labels and snapped up new artists before the major US labels latch on, while A&R men of big labels continued trying to catch the trend. This has meant that, even though there is less money in it, the artists themselves are reclaiming control of their music in the same way to when it all began, promoting their own music via the internet.
Artists such as Pitbull, the Miami-based Cuban-American became household names, Panamanian singer, DJ Flex became an eight times Latin Grammy Award winner in 2008 and Calle 13 became the urban latin artist to win most Grammies ever, even with his political poetry. Ivy Queen broke gender barriers and even Shakira began cashing in on the genre. Their voices reminded audien ces that reggaetón was more than a party — it was a mirror of society.
But as radio saturation hit, public fatigue set in. Around 2009, the genre’s global momentum slowed. Pop and electro took over. Many declared reggaetón “dead.” They were wrong — it was only hibernating, waiting for a new generation to reboot it.
In the 2010s, the music world changed again. Streaming replaced CDs. YouTube replaced MTV. For young artists, that meant independence The Rebirth: Urban Latin and the Digital Revolution
This is where Colombia enters the story. Cities like Medellín became new creative hubs, with studios producing hits that fused reggaeton’s rhythm with pop, trap, and R&B. Artists such as J Balvin, Maluma, and Karol G introduced a smoother, melodic sound — less raw than the Puerto Rican underground, but more global in reach.
At the same time, Bad Bunny emerged as the bridge between worlds: fiercely Puerto Rican, proudly weird, politically vocal, yet commercially unstoppable. He brought back the genre’s rebellious energy while expanding its aesthetics — wearing skirts, defending workers’ rights, and rapping about identity and grief.
Urban Latin became a broader umbrella that included reggaetón, Latin trap, and all their hybrid children. Some saw it as evolution; others as erasure. Industry executives could sell the music without confronting its racial and social baggage, but artists themselves began reclaiming the term — insisting that reggaeton’s DNA could not be erased, only remixed.
Ozuna
Pitbull
Ivy Queen
Globalisation and Identity
Today, reggaetón is everywhere — not as a niche but as pop itself. From Rosalía’s �lamenco-trap experiments to Feid’s
lo-fi reggaetón aesthetics, from Natti Natas ha’s empowerment anthems to C. Tangana — everyone was doing reggaetón. Not only did you no longer have to be Puerto Rican, anyone who “identified” as Latino or Latina could (and felt obliged to) have a shot, o�ten to the detriment of musical quality and authenticity, as Latin Americans reminded their Iberian counterparts.
As reggaetón appeals to multiple dialects, who gets to represent reggaetón? When non-Cari bbean non-black artists top the charts with a black Caribbean genre, are the genre's black and working-class origins being appropria ted? In Latin America — where racism and classism remain taboo — for the white-run establishment atleast - this debate is not aired enough.
But, just like R&B, hiphop, the genre has taken its own journey in this world of global capitalism, which can't be controlled. And many of today’s artists — from Villano Antilla no to Tokischa — re-politicised the sound in a way that makes sense to them, using it to challenge gender norms and reclaim space for the marginalised. Reggaetón is becoming queer, feminist, experimental — a testament to its original spirit of rebellion.
Paradoxically, a�ter conquering the world, reggaetón is returning to where it started — the underground. Independent producers on TikTok and oundCloud are building scenes that echo the 1990s ethos: DIY, community-driven, and unapologetically local. The di�ference is that now, the “underground” is digital.
New collectives and artists in Chile, Argentina, and Mexico mix dembow with hyperpop and techno. Afro-Latino communities in Colombia and the Dominican Republic are reclaiming traditional rhythms like champeta and dembow dominicano, injecting them back into the mainstream conversation.
Feid
Natti Natasha Rosalia Villano Antillano
Raw Alejandro
The
Beat
That Never Dies
Reggaeton’s journey mirrors the history of Latin America itself: colonised, fragmented, yet unstoppable. It is a
sonic record of migration — from Jamaica to Panama, from San Juan to New York, from Miami to Medellín, from Madrid to Buenos Aires. Each era adds a layer of meaning: from the struggle for recognition to the assertion of global pride.
In 2025, the genre stands at a crossroads again. It has nothing le�t to prove, yet everything to remember. It has conquered the world — so what does its biggest star do? Bad Bunny wanted to bring it home.
Days a�ter releasing his sixth studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos - a love letter to his musical heritage blending reggaetón, bomba, plena, salsa - Bad Bunny announced that he would play over 30 shows in San Juan Puerto Rico. It became a cultural homecoming on a scale never seen before. The first nine shows were reserved exclusively for Puerto Rican residents and the stage featured a full-scale casita (traditional Puerto Rican home), a �lamboyánt tree, live bomba and plena bands, and surprise appearances from pioneers like Ivy Queen, local activists, and athletes.
Generating US$300 million for Puerto Rico, the island who 30 years ago had banned the genre from the airwaves, that very genre was bringing the cheque back home. Reggaetón has come back full circle — from diaspora export back to its Caribbean source - in the most spectacular way. The greatest vengeance, they say, is success. And success it became. Because reggaetón was never just music. It was — and still is — a revolution in 4/4 time.
Bad Bunny
TOP LATIN CLUB NIGHTS IN LONDON
VIVA REGGAETÓN
Every Saturday, Lightbox in Vauxhall turns into one of London’s biggest regular reggaetón nights, with a strong Latin crowd and
people travelling in from all over the city and worldwide! It’s a multi-room party, so you’ll hear reggaeton at the centre, with baile funk, pop and RnB across the other spaces, all backed by amazing LED production. You can also expect an incredible VIP area, cocktail garden, an arcade and games area… plus street food served until late!
@vivarreggaetonuk
MENTIROSA
Bringing the ultimate Latin party experience to the heart of the city. This is more than just a club night. It’s a celebration of music, culture, passion, and pure fiesta energy inspired by the vibrant barrios of South America. From the moment you walk in, expect rhythm in the air, lights on the dance �loor, and an atmosphere that feels like summer all year round.
@vivarreggaetonuk
TARDEO REGGAETÓN
Daytime vibes. Classic tunes. Pure old school energy. Just reggaeton the way you remember it. This is London’s Saturday a�ternoon
reggaeton rave dedicated to the golden era of reggaeton in the heart of Vauxhall. From 5pm to 11pm Expect 100% old school anthems and throwbacks from start to finish — the tracks that defined a generation and still hit just as hard. Designed for a 25+ crowd who truly appreciate the classics and come ready to dance.
@Tardeoreggaeton
CUBAN SUNDAYS
The new incarnation of the glorious Cuban Sundays at Juju’s bar, now at The Dark Horse Stables, has not lost any of its former
glories! The most authentic Cuban party this side of the Atlantic week in week out with some great dancing on display…and one of the few places where they play “Reparto” the latest music genre to come out of the island: a mix of Reggaeton, pop and Timba.
@cuban_Sundays
MESTIZO THURSDAYS
Mestizo’s Camden basement party is their weekly Mexican club night running every Thursday, with free entry before 8PM and
£5 a�ter. It’s a solid pick if you want to dance to Latin music without committing to a massive superclub (and their Mexican food upstairs is pretty delicious too)
@downstairsmestizo
LIVING LONDON VIVA BAILE
Avery popular event with young Latinos, living is one of the capitals most exciting up and coming events. Held in venues such
Steelyard they use the “crossover” concept , sort of latino open format! Good for the ones looking for a young crowd
Reggaeton’s lil’ sibling, turning 3 years now, it delivers Baile funk at its best with Djs on rotation and an
@livinglondon @vivabaile
VIVA REGGAETÓN
LATINOLIFE’S TOP TEN RESTAURANTS IN LONDON
There are many great Latin American Restaurants in London - from Argentine asado and Peruvian ceviche to Colombian chicharrón and Mexican mole. These are a few of our favourites from each genre.
Mestizo (Mexican)
Mestizo has long been a landmark for real Mexican cooking in London, the kind of place Mexicans recommend
before anywhere else. The menu covers everything Mexican from their tasty taco tray to their Mexican Tapas without straying from authenticity. Their margarita bar is also one of the strongest in the city with their curated tequila and mezcal menu. If you want to go to a Mexican-owned restaurant and eat Mexican food made the way it should be, this is where you go.
Where: 103 Hampstead Road, NW1 3EL, London
El Rancho de Lalo - (Colombian)
El Rancho de Lalo is the kind of Latin spot people talk about long before they take you there, because their food tastes like
it came straight from a Colombian home kitchen! Their Bandeja Paisa is the dish everyone mentions as it’s one of the best in South London. You’ll also find the best sancocho and cazuelas here, and the rule of thumb is that everything here is insanely delicious. With plates that arrive full and hearty, if you want Colombian food done properly this is the place to go. If you come from abroad and want a slice of home, you need to visit at least once.
Where:1 Buckner Rd, Brixton Hill, London SW2 5BY
Tierra Peru has been a steady favourite for Peruvian food in London. The menu stays close to the dishes
people know from home, with anticuchos, causa, ceviches and slow-cooked stews all prepared the authentic Peruvian way. The �lavours are bright and balanced with ají, and its one of the places we find their Lomo Saltado to be consistently good. It makes it obvious why the restaurant continues to climb the ranks! If you find yourself ever craving Peruvian classics, Tierra Peru is one of the easiest places we recommend to satisfy the urge.
Where: 164 Essex Rd, London N1 8LY
If you love Latin food but can’t enjoy most of it because you are gluten intolerant or coeliac, then this is the place
for you! Their dishes are 100 percent gluten free and built around the fresh ingredients and distinctive �lavours found across Latin America. They also have four di�ferent dining areas, but I would recommend sitting in their beautiful Courtyard Garden as you eat! The outdoor heaters also keep it cozy during Winter
Where: 4-5 London Rd, London SE1 6JZ
The abundant Argentine paraphernalia adorning exposed brickwork give the feel of an authentic bodegón,
particularly the many black and white photos provided by owner Noah’s illustrious Argentine ancestry, which include right-wing Presidents, Marxist intellectuals and Patagonian explorers. Culinary o�ferings range from classic dishes from Italian-Argentine cuisine such as fresh handmade pastas and milanesas (breaded escalopes) as well as classic parrilla. Monthly live tango nights add to the atmospheric independent abode.
Where: 31 Camden High St, London NW1 7JE
Señor Ceviche -(Peruvian)
Señor Ceviche has some of the best ceviche in London. The clásico and the rainbow trout tiradito have a
delicious citrus kick, and the rest of the menu is just as good with plates like pork chicharrones, rocoto corn ribs and Peruvian-style grilled meats. There are great veggie options too, including miso mushrooms and their Jerusalem artichoke ceviche. People also rave about the pisco sours as well, with some saying they’re as good as the ones you find in Barranco!
Where: Kingly Court, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW
Tierra Peru (Peruvian)
La Patagonia (Argentine)
Paladar (Fusion)
Arepa & Co (Venezuelan)
Nestled in the backstreets of Southwark, Chimichurris is the joint culinary venture of Nicolas Federico
Fugazza who had been serving up juicy steaks in London for years before opening the restaurant. Nicolas was the Head Chef at Brindisa Spanish restaurant for five years while Federico is the founder of Porteña (Argentine Street Food & Products) which has been serving empanadas at Borough Market since 2007. Lamb is one of Head Chef Nico’s specialities, while the Parrillada “El Clásico” is a mixed grill that is perfect for sharing.
Where: 132 Southwark Bridge Rd, London SE1 0DG
Made in Brasil (Brazilian)
Made in Brasil has been bringing Brazilian cooking to Camden for an incredible two decades! Their
menu covers classics like coxinhas, pastéis, bolinho de bacalhau and pão de queijo, all made the way you find them in a proper boteco. Their Caipirinhas are also a standout, mixed with fresh lime and cachaça and o�fered in several �lavours, which is why many regulars call it the Caipirinha house of Camden. With their Copacabana-style bar downstairs, it’s an easy
Arepa & Co is home to one of the best Venezuelan comfort food spots in London. True to the name, the
arepas are the main star here, stu�fed generously and cooked with the best fillings like the classic Pabellon. Around them, you can also find more options like their mouthwatering tequeños and avocado tostones that speak to anyone who grew up eating Venezuelan food. With now four di�ferent locations, make sure to try out the one closest to you!
Where: 8 Ash Avenue, Elephant Park, London SE17 1GQ
La Brasa Grill is a go-to restaurant in South London for anyone who loves proper Latin-style grilled food.
Their charcoal-grilled meat is a favourite in the area, and it is easy to see why because the portions are generous and the delicious smoky �lavour comes through in every bite. The menu leans on the classics, with chicken, steak and ribs cooked in a way that makes you crave it later. The restaurant also has a relaxed feel so you settle in quickly, and they even have live grill shows where you can watch chefs make your steak. If you want
If you are not listed here, it could mean we haven’t visited you yet. If this is the case please contact us to let us know about your restaurant and we’ll come and visit!
La Brasa Grill (Fusion)
TOP 10 LATIN BARS IN LONDON
London has plenty of great bars, but here’s a hidden secret: when you want a night out where people actually have fun, you go where the Latinos are. And with the year wrapping up, now is the perfect moment to take note of LatinoLife’s best picks to start the year with a sip of Latin London.
Cubana - Waterloo
Since 1998, Cubana has been a Waterloo favourite and remembered fondly as the bar that first introduced the
Mojito to London. Though what really sets it apart is the way the drinks are made, with bartenders pressing the limes fresh each day, mixing them with fresh mint and raw organic sugar, and rounding it o�f with real Cuban rum. The rest of the cocktails stay true to that style, using real fruits and juices so each drink carries a little taste of Havana. The drinks alone remind you why Cubana has held its place in London’s Latin scene for so many years.
Latino Hits - Dalston
Latino Hits is the kind of place you hear about from the young latinos in East London rather than online. They
keep profile, so you will have to trust us when we say it is worth the visit. The drink deals are incredibly well priced, and whether you want a Cuba Libre or a strawberry daiquiri, there are plenty of cocktails to choose from. The rest of the night always tends to build on its own. With Latin music playing from start to finish, it’s common to arrive for happy hour and end up dancing salsa downstairs with strangers who feel like old friends by closing time.
Barrio has the charm of a Latin neighbourhood bar, with its colourful, cantina-style pulling
people in for their £2 tacos and 2-for-1 cocktails before the night takes on a life of its own. It’s one of those places where a quick stop can easily turn into a late night singing to Latin music with complete strangers. If you want a bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers a lively Latin night every time, Barrio is that place.
Coya - Mayfair
Coya’s Pisco Bar sits at the heart of the venue, a dedicated space where expert mixologists
make Peruvian-inspired cocktails, with their signature pisco drinks leading the way. Inspired by the oldest bars in Lima, It carries a strong sense of Latin identity without feeling themed, making it an easy pick for anyone wanting a refined bar experience that is still rooted in Latin culture.
The Samba Room sits on the 39th �loor of the Heron Tower, but every Friday the music brings it much
closer to Rio than to London. Their weekly ‘Rio A�ter Dark’ night draws on Brazil’s a�ter-hours spirit, with DJs playing afro-house and samba-inspired sets that keep the room moving. Live percussionists and dancers o�ten join in, giving the night the kind of energy you normally have to �ly for. If you want a Friday night out with a skyline view and a good time, you should come here!
Bola8 - Elephant & Castle
Bola8 sits in the centre of Elephant and Castle’s Latin community, where the night o�ten starts with
the sound of salsa dri�ting out onto the street. Inside, the DJs move through bachata and reggaetón, and the bar keeps the classic drinks coming in the way people remember from back home. Many say the place feels close to home the moment they walk in, and it is easy to see why. If you want to experience a bar where local latinos in London have gathered for years, this is definitely the spot.
Samba Room - Heron Tower
Barrio - Shoreditch
14 - 18 April 2026
For one week only
Embargo - Chelsea
Fregular for many who want an unforgettable Latin night out in Chelsea. With great DJs, insane cocktails and an interior shaped by vintage Cuba, their glamorous Little Havana bar has kept young Londoners coming back for years.
Made in Brasil - Camden
Seatured in Made In Chelsea multiple times as the ultimate going out spot, Embargo has become a mixed with fresh lime and cachaça in the same way you find across Brazil. Downstairs, the Copacabana Beach Bar brings the real fun, with live bands and DJs playing samba, bossa nova and Latin house until late. It is one of the few places in London that give a closer, more authentic glimpse of a Brazilian night out at a bar.
Chotto
Matte - soho
Chotto-Matte has become one of Soho’s favourite Peruvian spots, the kind of place people
pick for a first date or a night that calls for something a little di�ferent. Upstairs, the restaurant brings together Japanese and Peruvian �lavours in its own take on Nikkei cuisine. Whilst downstairs, the DJ curates the best ambience for an incredible time out with friends.
ince 2004, Made in Brasil sits on Camden High Street as a small slice of Rio. The bar is known for its Caipirinhas,
INCA London - Soho
Once you’re down the stairway and arrive at the beautiful bar in Inca London, your first taste tof any of the
cocktails will have you transported to a bar in South America. The ambience itself with its grand performances and incredible dazzling theatrical style, makes Soho feel far from London for a moment. It promises an experience that stands apart from the usual bar visit, especially if you want entertainment that does more than sit in the background!
What's on
THE SECRET AGENT
From acclaimed director Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT is a gripping, mischievous political thriller that entertains as much as it provokes. Wagner Moura stars in a Best Actor–winning performance as Marcelo, a father on the run from a mysterious past amid the vibrant cultural landscape of 1970s Brazil. Arriving in Recife during Carnival, he is swept into a dizzying world of colour, commotion, and secrets.
Location: Brixton Jamm
Clubbing
Every Saturday
Lquickly became afixture in London's nightlife, prompting us to introduce weekly events every Saturday. 4 Rooms, VIVA Baile (Brazil), VIVA Pop, VIVA House, and Reggaetón vs Afrobeats bringing an incredible variety of music genres under one roof. Our weekly events cater to diverse clubbers from various backgrounds and cultures, each week o�fering a new and exciting theme and spectacular shows in the main room.
LOS 4
Live Music
20 Feb
One of Cuba's most explosive bands, Los 4 is one of the pioneers of Cubatón, a fusion of timba cubana Cuban reggaetón, salsa and hip-hop, and has acrrued one million monthly listeners with hits such as Historia entre tus dedos. The raw, dynamite energy at this limited capacity venue is reminiscent of the band’s Havana beginnings, far removed from its current worldwide festival success.
GABRIELA ORTIZ CREATES…
12 March
his one is for the curious listeners, because this event o�fers a di�ferent angle on Latin culture through contemporary music. Curated by ondon's Biggest and Craziest Weekly Reggaetón Party! Originally a monthly a�fair, VIVA Reggaetón
TLocation: The Lightbox, Vauxhall, SW8 1SP
Film February 20 shops with live music and social nights, so there will be plenty to experience.
Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, it’s going to be a programme that spotlights modern Mexican sound worlds. If you want to branch out with your music taste this year, this could be a great start.
Location: Southbank Centre
FORRO FESTIVAL
Dance Festival
19 - 22 March
Forró London Festival brings a few days of Brazilian culture to the city, with forró at the centre. The programme will mix dance work-
Location: ??? www.reggaeton.co.uk
What's on
PACO PEÑA’S SOLERA
Dance Show
2-4 April
What can be created when young �lamenco dancers and the expertise of older artists come together? That is exactly what world-renowned �lamenco
guitarist Paco Peña will show you in Solera. Peña’s passionate work, created with long-term collaborator, director Jude Kelly, debuted at Sadler’s Wells in 2022. Solera is an exploration of artistic wisdom and the fearlessness of youth in the search for new expression
Step into the intoxicating world of Buenos Aires nightlife, where passion, drama and desire are
brought vividly to life through the most sensual of dances: the Argentine tango. Back by overwhelming demand a�ter its sold-out 2018 run, World Tango Champion Germán Cornejo returns with his extraordinary dance company in the internationally acclaimed Tango A�ter Dark. This is tango as it was meant to be experienced: raw, intimate and irresistibly seductive.
Location: Peacock Theatre, Holborn
ROSALIA
Live Music
5 - 6 May
Rosalía’s London dates are set to be one of the year’s biggest Latin concerts. If you’ve been following her
latest album “Lux,” then be sure to catch her perfor- ming this May!
Location:The O2
LA LINEA
Music Festival
20 April - 6 May
This is a Latin music festival spread across venues around the city. High profile acts from across Latin America, the UK and beyond including Mexican Latin Grammy singer Silvana Estrada, one of Fado's brightest stars Sara Correia, all-female salsa band celebrating Celia Cruz's centenary with Las Salseras –A Tribute to Celia Cruz directed by Eliane Correa, Desta French presents: Latinas of London shining a light on London's vibrant Latina community, Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian singer Zé Ibarra, one of the most successful Mexican rock bands of all time Caifanes and more.
Location: www.comono.co.uk/la-linea/
SABOR
Family Day Out
Every Sunday
What better way to spend your Sunday than at a full immersive Latin family experience. Let the rhythm of Latin music transport you to the
streets of Latin America. Feast on the mouth-watering �lavours of empanadas, arepas, paella, and churros, paired with refreshing cocktails and icy cold beers, while enjoying live performances and DJs playing the best salsa, bachata, reggaetón, and more! Kids are welcome and have their own area with bouncy castle, di�ferent arcade games and more. Latin music, Latin food, and Latin cultura
Location: Vauxhall Gardens, SW8 1SP @saboruk
What's on
A�ter being hailed as one of the best curated festival stages of 2025, LatinoLife has been invited back for a second year to curate the Latin music stage at SxSw London. This UK edition of the world’s most innovative festival brings together tech, film, music, and interactive media with sessions, showcases, screenings and networking for professionals and enthusiasts. Featuring Nonô (Brazil/UK), Dame Blanche (Spain/UK), Adriana Blu (Spain/UK), Olaya (Brazil/UK) and En la Arboleda (Colombia/UK)
Location: StrongRoom,Shoreditch
WORLD CUP IN THE GARDEN
Jun 11 – Jul 19, 2026
Enjoy the World Cup the way Latinos do it and get immersed in the passion of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
Paraguay and Uruguay by joining their fans at these screenings in Vauxhall as they watch their teams battle it out. With food and drink from the countries, music you’ll be treated to more than just a game of football, but a pice of Latin Amnerican passion in the heart of London.
Location: Vauxhall Gardens, SW8 1SP
10 July
Another historic UK landmark for Latin music as Pitbull becomes the first Latin headliner at Hyde Park. Born Armando
Christian Pérez, to Cuban parents, the Grammy-winning rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Miami, o�ten called "Mr. 305" or "Mr. Worldwide", is loved for his high-energy Latin-infused hip-hop, pop anthems, and global hits like "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" and "Timber."
Location: Hyde Park
17 July
These two legends of Bachata released a surprise joint album and will be going on tour this year. For the Latin community,
it’s easily one of the most unmissable nights on the calendar.
Location:???
BAD BUNNY Live Music
27- 28 June
One of London’s biggest Latin moments, not only of the year but in hostory. A stadium show from Bad Bunny is not just a gig
but more of a cultural event, and it’s set to be one of the best London weekends. Tickets are sold out in London but keep your eye out in case!
Location: Tottenham Stadium
LATINO LIFE IN THE PARK Festival 19 July
This is one of the most significant Latin events on London’s summer calendar, and it’s designed as a full day festival that brings the community together in one place. Expect a wide spread of live music across Latin genres, various food stalls, and entertaining performances. More than anything, it’s a big, public celebration of Latin culture in the city and it does it at a scale London doesn’t get o�ten enough.
https://www.latinolifeinthepark.com/
“AN ITCH YOU CAN’T SCRATCH”
Featuring a stunning performance by Bahiano actor Wagner Moura (Narcos/ Elite Squad), The Secret Agent opens a door to the tenuous aspects of life in Brazil and Recife in 1977. Corina Poore interviews Kleber MendonÇa Filho and Wagner
Moura, the director and actor of the Brazilian film on everyone’s lips
Despite being listed as a neo-noire historical political thriller, The Secret Agent feels a lot like a road movie.
Widower Armando Solimões’ (Wagner Moura) life
as a researcher on Lithium batteries at the University is thrown into disarray when Henrique Ghirotti ( Luciano Chirolli) a corrupt businessman, uses his in�luence to stop his research funding and threatens him because of his own vested interests in the sector.
Set in chapters, Armando �lees to Recife, his home town, hoping to pick up his son Fernando (Enzo Nunes) and leave the country. There, he is, ironically, befriended by an equally corrupt Chief of Police, Euclides Oliveira Cavalcanti (superbly played by Robério Diógenes) who, (with his two side- kick sons and partners in crime), takes a shine to him. Discovering he’s being hunted by two hit men, Armando seeks Chief Euclides’ protection which only partially solves the problem. Meanwhile, by an underground resistance group who are dedicated to helping dissidents of the Military Dictatorship, Armando is persuaded to obtain false passports for himself and his son If he has any hopes of managing to leave the
This delightfully multilayered and imaginative film plays with time and memory. A profound love of place (in the case Recife) shines through, with all its accompanying eccentricities and idiosyncrasies with a multitude of background themes: including a tiger shark that is found to contain a ‘hairy human leg’. This unexpected discovery particularly disturbs the Chief of Police.
This ‘hairy leg’ then takes on a life of its own, making it almost impossible to dispose of, causing a whole myth to rise around it. When it’s claimed to be attacking people in the local park gay rendezvous area, it’s accused of creating homophobic undertones in the town. (This wonderful true story, printed in the actual local newspaper at the time, created a media frenzy in Recife.)
This delightfully multilayered and imaginative film plays with time and memory. A profound love of place (in the case Recife) shines through, with all
its accompanying eccentricities and idiosyncrasies with a multitude of background themes: including a tiger shark that is found to contain a ‘hairy human leg’. This unexpected discovery particularly disturbs the Chief of Police.
This ‘hairy leg’ then takes on a life of its own, making it almost impossible to dispose of, causing a whole myth to rise around it. When it’s claimed to be attacking people in the local park gay rendezvous area, it’s accused of creating homophobic undertones in the town. (This wonderful true story, printed in the actual local newspaper at the time, created a media frenzy in Recife.)
At the same time, Fernando, Armando’s son is tormented by nightmares of sharks sparked by the posters of the new blockbuster ‘Jaws’ (1975) that is about to be played at the authentic and [still] existing local São Luiz Cinema, where Fernando’s grandfather Alexandre (a superb Carlos Francisco) is the projectionist.
The film is built up of a rich collage of scenes, images and stories that �loat about the communities in the area around Armando, with amazing people like Dona Sebastiana (a fantastic Tânia Maria) who takes Armando into her small condominium pf other refugees despite the risks it entails. Mendonça Filho has the ability to use transgressions here and there, to fill out the characters, adding a surrealistic feel together with a wonderful undercurrent of dark humour. Objects are given a symbolic significance that is carried across time, as Kleber Mendonça Filho says: -
“Well, I think I love these elements because, first of all they are interesting to me and hopefully they will be interesting for parts and elements of the story. I grew up reading books and watching films and that is how it goes. You look to do the right thing - it’s very specific to a place, as in BROOKLYN which is a film I saw in 1990 and it became a major reference for me in terms of making a film. In fact, it led me to writing my first film ‘Neighbouring Sounds’ (2012) which also takes place in a city block, and that’s how it works. You begin to play with references that you saw before.
When you come from a city which has so much character like Recife, and I grew up with (laughs) so many crazy elements and stories, [things like] Carnival, and the music, so it's only natural that I should use Recife as a character. It has [o�ten] become a character of sort in my films.
I was recently in Los Angeles and I gave a speech when I was given the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best International Film. So, [in the same way] I could [also] talk about Los Angeles, or even about London in cinema. So, I think where you come from is probably a very interesting place and that comes out naturally in the films that I write.”
Recife in the state of Pernambuco has also been buzzing in the last few years with an array of talented filmmakers emerging from it. Creatives like Gabriel Mascaro with ‘The Blue Trail’ (O Ultimo Azul 2025) or Guto Parente, with films like ‘Inferninho’ (A Little Private Heaven 2016) and ‘The Cannibal Club’ (2019) have been causing a stir at the festivals, so much so that Recife has become a very powerful creative hub in Brazil.
High among them is Kleber Mendonça Filho. He has o�ten talked about having been inspired by directors and filmmakers that include Robert Altman, Steven Spielberg, John Boorman’s ‘Point Blank’, and Karel Kachinyña’s ‘The Ear,’ to name a few. But there is an element that belongs to Mendonça Filho on a more personal level that is very distinctly Brazilian, and that is the way he uses objects, as
“There is something tactile about objects, we all know this. Right in front [of me now] there are many shelves of old books and I can only imagine where these books come from, and now, they are being used as décor in a hotel in London! (laughs), but I like the whole idea of each object having its own life and its own history. A good example in’ The Secret Agent’ are the cassette tapes. I remember once I visited a cinema tech, a Brazilian cinema, and they were scanning an original negative. I looked at the negative and I thought wow, this is the original camera negative from this 1951 film, and there it was, being scanned in a modern German scanner. The cassette tapes for me, are the time machine in the film because the same cassette that was used to record Armando in the [São Luiz] Cinema in 1977, was now being handled by this young woman in the future…”
“…I love digressions but they can tricky. There was one digression that I had to cut out of the film. It was a great scene with Wagner but it didn’t work in the whole panorama of the film, but digressions are wonderful. I love them.”
The two hit men almost resemble a sinister comedy duo, a dead body that appears on the roadside by a service station is le�t abandoned. No one claims or even examines it, including the police who are more interested in trying to collect bribes from the living. Or equally, the notorious by now pretty ‘high’ “hairy leg,” getting stolen- not something one would normally run o�f with! But then, there is a purpose to every story, as Chief Euclides exclaims to his sons:
“We’ll be safe as long as they don’t find anything else apart from the leg… let’s hope the piranhas are out tonight…” as they toss the leg back into the water.
“When you come from a city which has so much character like Recife, it's only natural that I should use Recife as a character.”
Kleber MendonÇa Filho
As much as what Mendonça Filho calls digressions, there are elements in this movie that echo the surrealism of someone like Luis Buñuel. A woman in a pop-up police station types away with no paper, then, a�ter finding some paper, she decides to proposition Armando with a message.
That may or not be the case, but Armando finds himself in what he perceives to be an almost unreal world, having been unwittingly targeted and haunted by the ghosts of the past that has permeated life in the regions. He is mystified that he should need false passports to go abroad when he knows he has done no wrong. He is living a nightmare, not far o�f those his own son is su�fering from when tormented by sharks in his dreams.
The casting director (Gabriel Domingues) has to be congratulated for the actors fit their roles to
perfection. In particular Wagner Moura as Armando (or Marcelo, to mention his fake name when he is on the run). This magnetic and versatile actor has played a myriad of di�ferent roles. There is a mischievous spark that shines in his every movement and there is a reason that he has developed a reputation for intelligent interpretations of his roles, (fortunately recognized with well-deserved awards including his recent Golden Globe as ‘Best Actor’ in ‘The Secret Agent’).
“The film came from a very personal moment that we both lived, which was Brazil under Bolsonaro. I was aware of how that character was going to function, even before I read the script.”
Moura describes his role in the film as a collaboration with the director: -
So, we were going to work together at some point but I think that The Secret Agent is a film that came from a very personal moment that we both lived, which was Brazil under Bolsonaro. So, I was very aware of how that character was going to function, even before I read the script. What I look for when I read the script, or what I want to do as an actor, is exactly what Kleber o�fered me in this film, which is a character with complexity. One of my favourite scenes in the film is when he [Armando] is in the movie theatre and he discovers that there are hit men looking for him. Then he goes downstairs and it’s the carnival and he gives himself to that carnival. That kind of thing, you don’t see it happening that o�ten. Usually, the characters are written in a very monolithic way, so I think it’s the hardest part of the whole process for the scriptwriter.”
Wagner Moura
“This [role] comes from a very personal encounter between Kleber and I. I think we would have ended up working together [one way or another] because I have been trying to work with him for a while. We became friends and we see politics and we see Brazil and our roles as artists in a very similar way, even though we’re very di�ferent men.
There is a small cameo appearance by the late Udo Kier (1944-2025) in his last performance as Hans. He is pestered (almost tormented) by Chief Euclides who is convinced that he is a WW2 veteran and Nazi refugee, when in reality he is a Jewish Holocaust survivor.
Both Director and Actor align in their political sympathies and Moura who admits to having wanted to work with Mendonça Filho for some time admits they would have found a way not matter what, especially taking into account the fact that the shadow of the dictatorship still lies heavy on the country: -
Pho
Ghassan El Moussa Directed by Jude Kelly
“Very much so. First of all, in practical terms I think it has set us back maybe three decades, that is 30 years! It stunted the development of our country and this is not only my opinion. It’s also an open wound. Fernando, at the end of the film, finds it really hard to go into that subject. This happened to many families. The same thing happens in Spain. We showed the film in San Sebastian and we had some great conversations with film critics. The Franco era is [also] still unresolved.”
In 2016, at the screening in Cannes of ‘Aquarius’, that staged a protest upsetting the powers that be in Brazil. This led to that film and the subsequent stunning “Bacurau” (directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho with Juliano Dornelles) both being boycotted from representing Brazil at the Oscars.
But as Moura insists: they are both politically motivated individuals and feel the need to speak out where necessary. He was the First South American actor to win the ‘Best Actor Award’ at Cannes and at the 83rd Golden Globes and like many other Latin artists, understands why Latino actors have o�ten complained about their situation versus the Hollywood giants and feel the need to fight for more rights and recognition of the talent that they o�fer:
-
“I think it is getting better, but it is still there and it also depends on us to, to refuse, to not… I do not want to simply be reinforcing stereotypes about Latin people in Hollywood, so it’s a path with two ways. I mean it’s for them also, they have to take responsibility when they write their scripts and they cast the actors, but we also have to fight for it. It is our responsibility not to [do it]- but it is hard to judge because many actors are there just trying to survive and pay their bills, but I think it’s our responsibility not to … I, myself, want to fight for that, for that representation. It’s very important, I have been saying like we have simply been receiving some awards like: The ‘First South American’ to receive this award, the ‘First South American’ to receive that award! Although I am very happy for them, I always make a point in saying: “Really? Haven’t you seen what’s been going on in Latin American Cinema for the past 50 years?” I am a political person and I would like to support these things in everything. It is how I behave as an artist.”
The Secret Agent is screening in cinemas and streaming from February 20 th 2026 on MUBI.
THE LONG EXHALE
ot many artists can say their very first release changed the trajectory of their career, but Alvaro Soler certainly can. It’s been a decade since a young Soler burst onto the Latin pop scene with his breakout debut single ‘El Mismo Sol.’ What began in a home studio became an international career almost overnight, knocking the singer-songwriter into a tidal wave of industry attention he barely had time to process back then. But it is his latest album ‘El Camino’, a work that reveals a wiser and more grounded artist, that draws our attention. Jess Paucar gets together with the German-Spanish artist to unpack his creative process, his experience growing up between cultures and the evolution that birthed the latest chapter of his career.
The first thing I notice about Alvaro Soler is his calmness. The kind that comes from someone who has lived through a whirlwind and learned how to walk through life at his own pace. I remember first being introduced to him back in 2015 when the single El Mismo Sol launched him into stardom in Europe and Latin America. When I hear it now, I still get hit by a nostalgia that feels like stepping back into the summer months of my teenage years.
Ten years later, Alvaro sits across from me through a screen, relaxed and steady as we settle in to talk about his journey. When you look into an artist’s early life, you o�ten find a thread that quietly explains who they later become. In Soler’s case, that thread stretches across continents.
Alvaro spent his childhood moving between Barcelona, Tokyo and Berlin, shi�ting between cultures and languages long before he launched into the music industry. By his teens, Alvaro spoke six languages. When I ask whether growing up between so many worlds ever made him feel out of place, his expression shi�ts into something so�t and thoughtful.
“I was laughed at in school alot,” he says. “I felt like I did not belong anywhere. Music was where I felt safe and understood.”
The sensitivity in what he says carries weight. So many of our readers have probably known that sinking feeling of not quite belonging whilst growing up in a di�ferent country.
"For me, music was a nice place to be in…to feel comforable and safe. I think we all need to find that place for us and also be with each other," he adds. "That is why my family is very united.
“I was laughed at a lot in school. I felt like I did not belong anywhere. Music was where I felt safe and understood.”
"It is his way of saying that belonging is not always a location. Sometimes it lives in what you love and in the people who anchor you while you figure everything else out.
This leads me to want to know the boy Alvaro was at the very beginning. I ask him what life looked like around the time he released his first album Eterno Agosto (Eternal August) in 2015, long before he knew one of its songs would go double platinum.
“I was a very shy boy, very introverted,” he informs me. “I played the keyboard with my band, and my brother was the lead singer. I wasn’t used to being in the front. At first, I didn’t know what to do with my hands if I didn’t have the protection of an instrument.”
I can almost picture him then, the young pretty face hiding behind a keyboard during his time in the band ‘Urban Lights,’ unaware that a seismic shi�t was coming. So I ask whether his overnight rise ever felt real, or if it bypassed him completely.
“EEverything happened so quickly,” he says. “When I released El Mismo Sol, it went to number one in a month, and then Jennifer
Lopez called. I was just in my room, and suddenly I was here with all these amazing people and sharing stages with the greats of the time... I think I didn’t even have time to process it then”.
Now, at 34, Alvaro has lived so many di�ferent lives. From being a judge on The Voice Kids to performing at large festivals, Alvaro’s buckets of experience have now taught him how to process and also express himself better through his new music.
When conversation turns to his new album El Camino, he sits up a little, almost subconsciously. Even having a screen between us, his closeness to this album feels unmistakable. So how di�ferent was his creative process this time around?
“This is an album to listen to from number one to number sixteen,” he replies. “It is a whole [linear] story.”
As he describes the process, it feels like he is guiding me through a long corridor of ideas, each door a di�ferent sound and a di�ferent moment in his life. “I was trying out di�ferent things…even with cassette tapes, to sort out what belongs,” he explains.
He even tells me he wrote around fi�ty songs before cutting them down. As someone who can barely throw away an old receipt, I have to ask if it was hard to part with so many songs.
“It was really hard and really tough to choose the songs because I had many, many songs,” he explains. “There is a moment where you have to choose... and I was like, yeah [to the song], but it just doesn’t fit in the concept.”
When, in a pivotal moment, he realised what the album was meant to be called, he says, everything immediately clicked.
“The moment I knew El Camino was going to be the title, then I knew what I wanted to do. From then on it only took me a year.”
Hearing that surprises me. A�ter the tapes, the experiments, the fi�ty songs, the fact that the final stretch only took a year feels almost unreal.
Hearing the album for the first time, my curiosity was piqued by Distancia (great song by the way). I found myself wondering about the di�ferent instruments, so I had to ask what they were. As soon as the question le�t my mouth, Alvaro’s face lit up.
There is one instrument Alvaro cannot get over: “This three-metre drum that is hollow from the inside…I would play it while it was suspended because if it is not suspended it has no sound.” He laughs, still slightly amazed. “It was crazy.”
He moves on to another instrument…. “A Chinese string instrument. The last time it was tuned was 1996 and it was still in tune.” He laughs.. “Old instruments have many stories to tell.”
While le�t slightly bewildered at the thought that I’ve never met a person more enthused by old instruments, we continue through the album. Apagame, he says “talks about my struggles with social media, between the real world and the digital world and how I struggle between both worlds.”
Then comes his song Artificial: “Sometimes I thought wow, this is a bit weird and alot of people asked me ‘What were you thinking’,” he smiles. “The lyrics talk about depression and fear and how I sometimes create these castles of fear which do not really exist. I wanted the song to show a positive outcome.”
Curious about how these songs took shape, I ask him what tends to come first in the studio. Is it the lyric, the melody or the feeling? He thinks for a moment before answering. “Sometimes I have a lyric that I write down on my phone,” he says. “Then I bring it back when I am in the studio and start with that lyric and try to figure out some chords to put on.”
When I ask how he celebrated the moment he finally finished everything, I half-expect a story about champagne showers. Instead, he gives me a grin “We did a celebration in Barcelona with my friends and family. I chose a restaurant I love with a beautiful roo�top. The whole day was perfect and then exactly in that hour it started raining heavily,” he laughs, shaking his head at the memory. “But we still had a great time.”
His voice warms as he talks about the people closest to him. He shares with me one of his favourite traditions, something he has carried through every album. “I bring all my friends and family to the studio when every song is almost finished. We stand around one microphone and sing together. It always feels like a big moment.” There is something tender in the way he talks about it, letting the people who shaped him live inside the music too.
Before we wrap up, I ask him to describe EL Camino in one sentence. He pauses for the first time in our interview.
And then he concludes “Just listen and have a good time.”
And that is exactly what El Camino feels like. A slow exhale. A journey traced from years of growth. A reminder that we all deserve a good time. Alvaro Soler walked his path, and now he invites us to walk a little of it with him.
