Saturday, July 18, 2009
Welcome to the Latin Lounge
We would like to announce the arrival of our new blog and invite you to visit the Latin Lounge. It was created to replace this blog in providing news, views, events, travel tips and general information on volunteering overseas. It aims to provide a diversity of posts covering everything from environmental issues to Latin American music and cinema.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Book of Green
Book of Green is a free paperback eco directory that will guide you to hundreds of companies with environmentally friendly, sustainable, fair trade, organic, ethical and socially responsible products and services.Book of Green was co-founded by Sue Jueno (founder of Allthingseco) and Katie Keegan (founder of One Green Earth), who run their own individual online eco directories providing free listings and promotions for green and ethical companies.
To find out where in the UK you can get a copy or view the book online please visit the Book of Green website.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Album of the Month
Gotan Project - La Revancha Del Tango
Phillipe Cohen-Solal and Christophe Mueller started working together in 1996, and consequently set up their own label, Ya Basta! to release their material. With two projects under their belt, Boys From Brazil and Stereo Action Unlimited, they explored the connections between traditional Brazilian beats and modern dance music at a time when it hadn’t been done much. In the late nineties, they teamed up with long-term friend Eduardo Makaroff to form Gotan Project and give an Argentinean twist to their music. Being based in Paris, a city with a long tradition of welcoming musical influences from all over the world, was definitely instrumental in the inspiration of the trio, as they were able to recruit a handful of exiled Argentinean musicians, including Nini Flores and Gustavo Beytelmann.
La Revancha Del Tango is flooded with bandonions (a small South American form of accordion), and Latin inspired beats, to which the trio give a modern touch, and explore the sensuality of Tango, on and of the dance floor. But Gotan Project don’t just take musical influences lightly. This album is everything but dance music with a South American flavour. Cohen-Solal, Mueller and Makaroff work with their guests, let them occupy the front of the stage while they apply diverse textures. Inspired by these ancestral ambiences, in the background. La Revancha Del Tango is haunted by the natural melancholy of Tango music, and the compositions become even more romantic and empowering on the stunning Epoca and Una Música Brutal, when a languorous voice comes landing on these beautiful musical structures. When the Latin vibe gets entangled with Dub, on Chunga’s Revenge, Santa María (Del Buen Ayre) or El Capitalismo Foráneo, Gotan Project only bring together two genres that have much more in common that meet the ear. Beat deconstruction and sound distortion have always been integrant part of both genres. The rebel character of Tango, inviting people to express themselves through dance, finds its roots in the same need to escape ordinary life as Dub, although for slightly different reasons. The strength of Gotan Project lies in the way the trio assimilates the native cultures of their influences, without corrupting them in any way. If La Revancha Del Tango is certainly not an album of Tango music as such, it offers far more than a simple reinterpretation of genres, even on the club classic Triptico, when the South American roots meet New York’s deep house in an unexpected clash of cultures.
Gotan Project achieve with La Revancha Del Tango a brilliant record in many ways. Their very modern approach to classic genres is refreshing and incredibly in tune with today’s musical culture.
A fine record indeed.
Phillipe Cohen-Solal and Christophe Mueller started working together in 1996, and consequently set up their own label, Ya Basta! to release their material. With two projects under their belt, Boys From Brazil and Stereo Action Unlimited, they explored the connections between traditional Brazilian beats and modern dance music at a time when it hadn’t been done much. In the late nineties, they teamed up with long-term friend Eduardo Makaroff to form Gotan Project and give an Argentinean twist to their music. Being based in Paris, a city with a long tradition of welcoming musical influences from all over the world, was definitely instrumental in the inspiration of the trio, as they were able to recruit a handful of exiled Argentinean musicians, including Nini Flores and Gustavo Beytelmann.
La Revancha Del Tango is flooded with bandonions (a small South American form of accordion), and Latin inspired beats, to which the trio give a modern touch, and explore the sensuality of Tango, on and of the dance floor. But Gotan Project don’t just take musical influences lightly. This album is everything but dance music with a South American flavour. Cohen-Solal, Mueller and Makaroff work with their guests, let them occupy the front of the stage while they apply diverse textures. Inspired by these ancestral ambiences, in the background. La Revancha Del Tango is haunted by the natural melancholy of Tango music, and the compositions become even more romantic and empowering on the stunning Epoca and Una Música Brutal, when a languorous voice comes landing on these beautiful musical structures. When the Latin vibe gets entangled with Dub, on Chunga’s Revenge, Santa María (Del Buen Ayre) or El Capitalismo Foráneo, Gotan Project only bring together two genres that have much more in common that meet the ear. Beat deconstruction and sound distortion have always been integrant part of both genres. The rebel character of Tango, inviting people to express themselves through dance, finds its roots in the same need to escape ordinary life as Dub, although for slightly different reasons. The strength of Gotan Project lies in the way the trio assimilates the native cultures of their influences, without corrupting them in any way. If La Revancha Del Tango is certainly not an album of Tango music as such, it offers far more than a simple reinterpretation of genres, even on the club classic Triptico, when the South American roots meet New York’s deep house in an unexpected clash of cultures.
Gotan Project achieve with La Revancha Del Tango a brilliant record in many ways. Their very modern approach to classic genres is refreshing and incredibly in tune with today’s musical culture.
A fine record indeed.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Carnaval del Pueblo
Carnaval del Pueblo (CdP) is the largest and best loved free Latino fiesta in the UK and Europe, celebrating music, dance and culture from 19 Latin American countries.
Londoners of all communities, Latin people and lovers of the Region, come together to share this intense, vibrant cultural experience. This year Carnaval del Pueblo will celebrate its 11th year on Sunday 2nd August in Burgess Park. The annual carnival has become the biggest Latin American event of its kind staged in the UK and Europe attracting, according to the Metropolitan Police figures, well over 100,000. The Event is now used in order to promote knowledge and understanding of Latin American culture.
Top Latin American singer, Luis Felipe Gonzalez will be the main artist at Carnaval del Pueblo. The Venezuelan singer has got many awards as Disco de la Feria de Cali in 1969, Congo de Oro in Barranquilla, Guaicaipuro de Oro in Venezuela and the Gold Star given by Phidias Danilo Escalona renowned for being the first person who used the word Salsa for named this kind of music. The singer has shared stage with famous artist as Joe Cuba, Richie Ray, Tito Rodríguez Joe Cuba, Richie Ray, Tito Rodriguez and the tenor, Placido Domingo.
Carnaval del Pueblo will present Los Chinches, Sur 4, Bahareque, Mariachi Mexteca, Salsa Cubana Cabaret, La Chica Latina y Shakirita and other some surprises.
The Carnival kicks off at midday with a lively and colourful procession from Elephant and Castle to Burgess Park, via Walworth Road, Camberwell Road and Albany Road. This year’s parade will be eco-friendly. Cars won’t be allowed. An innovative system with tricycles and powerful sound equipment lead the procession which have plenty of street performers bringing a representation of the best Latin American carnivals.
Transport Links
Tube & train station for Burgess Park: Elephant & Castle (Northern Line and Bakerloo Line).
Buses to Burgess Park: 12, 171, 68, 45, 468, 148, 176
Please visit the Carnaval del Pueblo website for more information.
Londoners of all communities, Latin people and lovers of the Region, come together to share this intense, vibrant cultural experience. This year Carnaval del Pueblo will celebrate its 11th year on Sunday 2nd August in Burgess Park. The annual carnival has become the biggest Latin American event of its kind staged in the UK and Europe attracting, according to the Metropolitan Police figures, well over 100,000. The Event is now used in order to promote knowledge and understanding of Latin American culture.
Top Latin American singer, Luis Felipe Gonzalez will be the main artist at Carnaval del Pueblo. The Venezuelan singer has got many awards as Disco de la Feria de Cali in 1969, Congo de Oro in Barranquilla, Guaicaipuro de Oro in Venezuela and the Gold Star given by Phidias Danilo Escalona renowned for being the first person who used the word Salsa for named this kind of music. The singer has shared stage with famous artist as Joe Cuba, Richie Ray, Tito Rodríguez Joe Cuba, Richie Ray, Tito Rodriguez and the tenor, Placido Domingo.
Carnaval del Pueblo will present Los Chinches, Sur 4, Bahareque, Mariachi Mexteca, Salsa Cubana Cabaret, La Chica Latina y Shakirita and other some surprises.
The Carnival kicks off at midday with a lively and colourful procession from Elephant and Castle to Burgess Park, via Walworth Road, Camberwell Road and Albany Road. This year’s parade will be eco-friendly. Cars won’t be allowed. An innovative system with tricycles and powerful sound equipment lead the procession which have plenty of street performers bringing a representation of the best Latin American carnivals.
Transport Links
Tube & train station for Burgess Park: Elephant & Castle (Northern Line and Bakerloo Line).
Buses to Burgess Park: 12, 171, 68, 45, 468, 148, 176
Please visit the Carnaval del Pueblo website for more information.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Galapagos - A World Heritage in Danger
International Galapagos Tour Operators Association - Making Tourism Part of the Solution The Galapagos Islands face serious threats to their unique biodiversity. In 2007, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre placed them on their list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. In response these threats, the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) has launched a new education and funding program to help meet the challenge of lasting protection for the islands.
The program is designed to help travelers understand the serious issues facing Galapagos, and how travelers themselves can be part of the solution. Visitors to the islands can provide critical financial support for scientific research and conservation and follow best practices during their travel.
For more information click here
Monday, June 15, 2009
Recession Has Prompted Booming Interest in Volunteering
The numbers of people travelling across the globe to be volunteers has rocketed since the economic downturn began. As unemployment and redundancies continue to increase, there is growing interest in taking time out to do voluntary work overseas, or to learn new skills on a short or long-term project in a developing country.
There's an increasing sense that now is a good time to get away, spend some time abroad doing something worthwhile, and then return when the economy is back on its feet. Another motivation for taking a placement abroad is the chance to gain experience and training that could help facilitate a career change. It seems that rather than thinking of the credit crunch in negative terms, people are determined to turn it into a positive and use it to do something worthwhile.
The British Red Cross says it has seen inquiries about volunteering opportunities quadruple since the downturn began. The Red Cross figures echo findings published late last year by volunteering charity VSO, which said it had seen inquiries about volunteering double. Projects Abroad, the biggest organiser worldwide of overseas volunteer work, and Hands Up Holidays have has also seen a rise in inquiries amidst the credit crunch furore.
What these findings seem to suggest is that the economic downturn is drawing in more people - it is inspiring people to seek meaning and enrichment through volunteer travel. People will always find creative ways to source and pay for their travels if they feel their travels have value and meaning. This is what makes volunteer travel one of the most resilient markets during a recession.
A recent international volunteer survey conducted by GeckoGo in conjunction with Bradt Travel Guides and Lasso Communications, revealed the fact that travellers find meaning in volunteering abroad during a recession. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of respondents believed that their trip was very meaningful, 22% found it was meaningful, and less than 1% felt that their trip was not meaningful in any way. A constant battle in the voluntary work sector is to effectively manage expectations of the volunteer – the fact that almost 100% of respondents found their experience meaningful in some way shows a major victory for the field.
This provides strong evidence of sustainability and longevity for volunteer travel abroad.
Some other interesting findings from the report included that sixty-four percent (64%) of females are currently volunteering or have volunteered before, compared to only 51% of males. The majority of travellers went on their trip alone (57%). Travellers were more likely to arrange their travels through an organization (48%), but independently organized trips were gaining ground (34%) and price was a major consideration (43%). Based on the findings of travellers' concern with pricing, coupled with greater amount of information available on the internet, it is expected the DIY (do-it-yourself) volunteer travel sector will benefit most - with its market share rising in the coming years.
The top overall volunteer travel destinations were Peru (23%) and Brazil (14%).
There's an increasing sense that now is a good time to get away, spend some time abroad doing something worthwhile, and then return when the economy is back on its feet. Another motivation for taking a placement abroad is the chance to gain experience and training that could help facilitate a career change. It seems that rather than thinking of the credit crunch in negative terms, people are determined to turn it into a positive and use it to do something worthwhile.
The British Red Cross says it has seen inquiries about volunteering opportunities quadruple since the downturn began. The Red Cross figures echo findings published late last year by volunteering charity VSO, which said it had seen inquiries about volunteering double. Projects Abroad, the biggest organiser worldwide of overseas volunteer work, and Hands Up Holidays have has also seen a rise in inquiries amidst the credit crunch furore.
What these findings seem to suggest is that the economic downturn is drawing in more people - it is inspiring people to seek meaning and enrichment through volunteer travel. People will always find creative ways to source and pay for their travels if they feel their travels have value and meaning. This is what makes volunteer travel one of the most resilient markets during a recession.
A recent international volunteer survey conducted by GeckoGo in conjunction with Bradt Travel Guides and Lasso Communications, revealed the fact that travellers find meaning in volunteering abroad during a recession. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of respondents believed that their trip was very meaningful, 22% found it was meaningful, and less than 1% felt that their trip was not meaningful in any way. A constant battle in the voluntary work sector is to effectively manage expectations of the volunteer – the fact that almost 100% of respondents found their experience meaningful in some way shows a major victory for the field.
This provides strong evidence of sustainability and longevity for volunteer travel abroad.
Some other interesting findings from the report included that sixty-four percent (64%) of females are currently volunteering or have volunteered before, compared to only 51% of males. The majority of travellers went on their trip alone (57%). Travellers were more likely to arrange their travels through an organization (48%), but independently organized trips were gaining ground (34%) and price was a major consideration (43%). Based on the findings of travellers' concern with pricing, coupled with greater amount of information available on the internet, it is expected the DIY (do-it-yourself) volunteer travel sector will benefit most - with its market share rising in the coming years.
The top overall volunteer travel destinations were Peru (23%) and Brazil (14%).
Paperless Payments Policy
We introduced our new policy last year because conventional payment methods (i.e. cheques, postal orders or bankers drafts) posed an unnecessary threat to the environment. This initiative has been a complete success and we recommend other organisations consider going green.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Jungle's Not for Sale
Peru is witnessing violent clashes between indigenous groups desperately trying to protect the Amazon and the government, who has pushed through legislation allowing intensive mining, logging and large scale farming in the rainforest. If government and extractive industries have their way, the Peruvian rainforest and its people will suffer massive devastation, with disastrous consequences for the global climate.
Sign the urgent petitions below and support the courageous struggle of the indigenous peoples to protect the Amazon.
Peru - take action 1
Peru - take action 2
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