London Latin Music Festival La Linea will return in 2023 with its trademark mix of international stars and the brightest emerging talent from across the diverse music scene of Hispanic America, Brazil and Spain. This year’s festival has adopted the symbol of a flowering cactus to signify and celebrate the Latin music scene’s tenacity and resilience, and its ability to spread positivity and joy during even the most uncertain times.
La Linea 2023 will begin with a concert from three-time Latin Grammy winning Peruvian singer Susana Baca. Baca marked the 50th year of her prominent career in 2021 with the release of award-winning album Palabras Urgentes and will make a rare appearance in London with a show at Jazz Café on Friday, April 21st.
The Barbican is set to host seven-time Latin Grammy winning Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler who won an Oscar in 2005 for ‘Al Otro Lado Del Rio’, a song that he wrote for the film The Motorcycle Diaries. Drexler will perform music from his 2022 album Tinta y Tiempo.
Steam Down’s founder Ahnansé and Mambo Negro Records founder Daniel Michel lead the groundbreaking British-Colombian ensemble Mestizo. Making their live London debut at this year’s festival, Mestizo combine Colombian traditions of currulao, cumbia and salsa with British diaspora music and jazz improvisation. The show will coincide with their uniquely energetic self-titled debut album, Mestizo, released via Mais Um on 5th May 2023.
The New Regency Orchestra will return to the festival to perform at Colour Factory after a stellar, sold-out show at last year’s event. The 8-piece ensemble put their unique spin on the Jazz and Latin sounds that developed in New York in the 1950s, 60s and 70s and premiere some new material for La Linea.
Award-winning Brazilian quintet Alvorada will be joined by Brazilian mandolin virtuoso Marco Ruviaro for a special concert celebrating the music of Pixinguinha. Pixinguinha was hailed as one of the most important composers of choro, a lively instrumental genre originating from Rio de Janeiro, where European salon dances are fused with Afro-Brazilian rhythms. The show will take place on National Choro Day. The same venue will welcome multi-award-winning virtuoso Mexican guitarist Morgan Szymanski performing a program of music by Latin American composers highlighting the link between classical and traditional idioms.
Rich Mix is set to showcase LGBTQ+ rights activist Alex Etchart debuting their band Vientos presenting the melancholic sounds of South American folk combined with folk songs from the British Isles and Ireland as well as electronica influences. The evening will include support sets from groundbreaking Andean fusion band Sagrada Familia and Venezuelan DJ Popola / Ivicore.
Appealing to music fans of all ages is Madrid’s Chica Charcos whose show with her Katiuskas band is full of poetry, dance and humor. And there’s a La Linea first performance for Grupo Luma who will mark the 50thanniversary of the coup in Chile against the Salvador Allende government by performing some of the most iconic songs of Allende’s Popular Unity era and Latin America’s Nueva Canción as well as their own compositions.
Dynamic Son Jarocho group Chapulines will present an evening of Mexican and Latin party sounds to AMP Studios, mixing traditional Mexican music with Caribbean and rumba grooves plus special guest DJ – Sabor A Mi (Rinse FM).
La Linea 2023 Program:
Susana Baca
Friday 21 April at Jazz Café
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/susana-baca-6/
Theatre En Español: Chica Charcos ‘Con Katiuskas y a lo loko’
Saturday 22 April at Rich Mix
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/chiquikids-chica-charcos-con-katiuskas/
Grupo Luma, Political Song in Latin America – Chile 50
Saturday 22 April at Rich Mix
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/grupo-luma/
New Regency Orchestra
Saturday 22 April at Colour Factory
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/new-regency-orchestra-7/
Alvorada + Marco Ruviaro (The music of Pixinguinha)
Wednesday 26 April at SOAS Brunei Gallery Theatre
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/alvorada-marco-ruviaro/
Morgan Szymanski
Thursday 27 April at SOAS Brunei Gallery Theatre
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/morgan-szymanski/
Emicida
Thursday 27 April at Barbican
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/emicida-3/
Saturday 29 April at Rich Mix
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/duarte/
Jorge Drexler
Monday 1 May at The Barbican
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/jorge-drexler-5/
Alex Etchart & Vientos + Sagrada Familia + Popola / Ivicore
Thursday 4 May at Rich Mix
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/alex-etchart/
Chapulines + Sabor a Mi + Movimientos DJs
Friday 5 May
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/chapulines/
Mestizo
Sunday 7 May at Village Underground
https://www.comono.co.uk/live/mestizo-2/
More information and tickets at www.lalineafestival.com
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central