What’s happening (in the near future)?
15 March, 2026Some exciting events for UK Latin-music lovers are scheduled for a little later this year.
Roberto Fonseca at Cheltenham (April/May)
The Cheltenham Jazz Festival has become a bit of an institution. The Guardian calls it “the perfect stomping ground for newcomers and enthusiasts alike”. With Corinne Bailey Rae appointed as Guest Curator, it celebrates its 30th anniversary with some great concerts between Wednesday 29th April and Monday 4th May. Like many supposed jazz festivals these days, the interpretation of the word “jazz” is somewhat liberal. The likes of Earth Wind & Fire Experience, Joss Stone, 10cc, Nigel Kennedy, Van Morrison and others stretch the definition, but there are those like Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Makaya McCraven and Courtney Pine who would definitely earn The Fast Show jazz club’s mmmm, nice rating. Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca has suitable credentials, but his are those of a Latin jazz tailor-made for dancing. Tickets are on sale from the (online) festival office.
Como No’s 2026 programme
Como No!’s 2026 programme mixes legends, boundary-pushing collectives and breakthrough new voices, in performance across London and beyond.
Paco de Lucía Legacy, a tribute to the great flamenco guitarist, will take place at the Barbican, London, on the 10th April. The concert remembers his later second sextet and features Chano Domínguez on piano, guitarists Josemi Carmona and Diego del Morao, and vocalists Sandra Carrasco and Duquende. Tickets here, ladies and gentlemen.
Nortec: Bostich + Fussible will bring their fusion of techno with Norteño, the traditional music style from the north of Mexico, on 21st June at the Jazz Café. The two founding members of the Nortec Collective have earned a global following in reshaping modern electronic music by blending traditional instruments with heavy electronic beats. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, they’ll be performing live with full band. Tickets are available here. And here’s a little hors d’oeuvre…
The Andalusian collective Califato ¾, known for pushing flamenco into pastures new by blending indigenous sounds with a pinch of zouk, drum & bass, hip-hop, rave and more, will be the Jazz Café on 27th June. Try this on for size and then think about a ticket or two.
A musician who qualifies for that over-used label “icon” is Gilberto Gil. He will be at The Roundhouse for one night only on 7th July. The concert will present a celebration of Gil’s extraordinary legacy, showcasing a career that has shaped generations and defined Brazilian culture for over six decades. He needs no introductory sample, but if you’ve got an hour and a half to spare, here’s his concert with the Paris Philharmonic earlier this year. If you’re feeling very flushed, tickets can be booked here.
A day later, if you’ve arranged a loan at 0% for the two events, you could go and see Rubén Blades at the same venue. The 25-time (!!) Grammy winner will be appearing with the 20-piece Robert Delgado Big Band, the Panamanian ensemble that has collaborated with the salsa legend since 2010. Here they are in concert together…
On 20th July – Colombian Independence Day – Juanes will take the stage at the O2 Forum for a performance that promises both celebration and spectacle. One of Latin rock’s biggest global stars, the Medellín-born singer-songwriter has spent more than two decades blending rock, pop and traditional Colombian sounds into arena-ready anthems. With hits like “A Dios le Pido” and “La Camisa Negra”, and multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards to his name, Juanes has become a defining voice of modern Latin music (but has thus far escaped me, I’m ashamed to add). I’ll watch his Tiny Desk concert to learn more, but I’ll be at my sister’s significant birthday party so shan’t be buying a ticket.
On the other hand, I know a thing or two about the Argentine rockers with the mad and wonderful name, El Mató A Un Policía Motorizado. They’ll be returning to London for their biggest Camden headline yet, at the Electric Ballroom on the 5th August. Formed in La Plata, Argentina, the band has spent over two decades crafting a distinctive indie sound that has influenced artists like Amaia, Los Planetas, and Carolina Durante. They earned a Latin Grammy for “Best Rock Album” in 2022 and they’ll no doubt be performing numbers from their latest release, Súper Terror. Here’s their KEXP concert and a link to the London gig.
Making her UK debut a day later, on the 6th August, Ebony plays the Village Underground. The 25-year-old rapper from Queimados, once one of Rio de Janeiro’s most dangerous neighbourhoods, has some edgy stories to tell as a black child adopted by white religious parents. Tickets to see one of the most captivating contemporary voices of Brazilian hip-hop can be bought here. Take a listen to her breakout track, “Pensamentos Intrusivos”, which went to no.1 on Brazil’s Spotify Viral Chart.
Carminho, one of the most interesting voices in contemporary Portuguese fado, will be appearing at the Union Chapel on 4th October. Her seventh album, Eu vou Morrer de Amor ou Resistir, has been garnering some great reviews since it came out last October and she recently collaborated on “Memória,” a track from Rosalía’s album, LUX. Watch her Tiny Desk concert and, as her last album translates, “die of love or resist”. If it’s your cup of fado, you can buy your tickets here.
Another legend appears later that month. Eliades Ochoa will play The Roundhouse on the 25th October. One of the most distinctive voices of Cuban son, Ochoa was of course a core member of Buena Vista Social Club, so there’s probably little more to add except a link to the tickets. Here’s a reminder of what’s in store…
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