Who tops the Spanish critics’ charts?
A group of sociologists has assembled a best-of-the-best list of the top 50 national musicians From the last half century, Radio Futura and Camarón lead the way
Rock Latino
The center of Hispanic culture is shifting westward due to Mexico's demographic weight and its infiltration of the US
“To be honest, it’s been months since I played a record”
At 64, celebrated singer-songwriter Joaquín Sabina shows signs of winding down
Germán Coppini, voice of ‘la movida’
Singer with 1980s bands Siniestro Total and Golpes Bajos died on Christmas Eve
Prohibited pop
Fidel is all-powerful. For arriving late for a meeting with him you can spend two weeks locked up under guard, in a shack in the sticks
Off with her head
The relations between Islamic activists and pop culture are explored in an interesting new book: Schmoozing with Terrorists, by Aaron Klein
Dancing to the beat of a different drum
Documentary ‘Off the Beaten Track’ captures the creativity of African electronica
Vee-Jay lost The Beatles
The Chicago firm in 1963 signed a contract to release The Beatles' records in the United States but it lost that license to print money out of mere fecklessness.
Lawyers, guns and money
Almost all the independent recording firms that channeled creative energy were gangsterish in their behavior, if not directly owned and operated by the mob
The spoilt army
While the rest of the world was starved of sounds, US soldiers in WWII could listen to V-Discs
Wish you weren't here
Concerts are becoming disagreeable on account of the cellphones and other wonder gadgets being raised to immortalize what is happening on the stage
Just for the record
No one seems to have mentioned that Cervantes Prize-winner José Manuel Caballero Bonald once ran a record company - and it was one of the best in Spain
Bolshevik indie
Between 1980 and 1981, Robert Wyatt released four particularly Martian singles on the Rough Trade label
The dignity of pop
The trail left behind by Amy Martin calls for a re-thinking of the dignity, the poor-but-honest image of Spanish pop
Spanish rock vanishes
Only one Spanish band made it on Rolling Stone's list of 'best Latino rock albums of all time'
A foreign country
It seems amazing now to read that 50 years ago, Duke Ellington's band toured the East in representation of the US government
Twisting at the Price
A new CD boxed set relives the dawn of rock'n'roll in Spain
Gutsy 'ranchera' singer who captured a world outside of Mexico dies at 93
Chavela Vargas made a courageous comeback after surviving alcoholism
The girl from Ipanema
The famous song, 50 years old, was inspired by a teacher from a conservative family
The friar of Tangier
In July of 1968, the dethroned king of the Rolling Stones showed up in Yahyuca with his girlfriend Suki and an engineer with microphones
Pop Secrets
There are plenty of interesting stories still to be told in the history of the Franco regime
Rumba with Brando
The complete works of Guillermo Cabera Infante show a journalist who covers his chosen field with exceptional brilliance
Rock around the coast
When local politicians stump up funds to subsidize high-profile concerts, they expect a photo with the visiting band in return