Why a Quechua Novelist Doesn’t Want His Work Translated
On the 79th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Walt Whitman published his first edition of Leaves of Grass. That such quintessentially American poetry would be published on a day commemorating the country’s birth suggests both homage and irony — perhaps intentional. But when Pablo Landeo Muñoz published his novel Aqupampa (Instituto Francés de Estudios Andinos) on … Read more
Argentina’s Tonolec Experiments With Tradition
When Charo Bogarín and Diego Pérez formed the electronica duo that would become Tonolec in 2000, the music they created had little to do with the cultural heritage of their native Argentina. But when the worst economic crisis in the country’s history hit the following year, that began to change. On a self-described mission to … Read more
Indigenous Imagery in the Art of Mariana Castillo Deball
In the late 1970s, the makers of an American antipsychotic drug called Stelazine were looking for a way to market their product to consumers in magazines and medical journals. The campaign they settled on featured indigenous masks and headdresses from Africa and Canada alongside slogans like, “Lift the mask of schizophrenic withdrawal.” For a version … Read more
10 Things to Do: Buenos Aires
Argentina’s capital, synonymous with steak and tango, has been a tourist hotspot for more than a decade. But there is another city just off the beaten path — and it’s the combination of Buenos Aires’ thriving art scene, legendary nightlife, and friendly locals that keeps visitors coming back. 1. Sip on reds and whites. Visit local wine … Read more
Film Review: Tempest
“We know you haven’t done anything, but someone has to pay,” Miriam Carbajal recalls hearing from a court-appointed attorney before being put in jail. What started as a normal day at work turns into a five-month nightmare for Carbajal, one of the central characters in Tempest, an emotionally charged Mexican documentary by Salvadoran-born cinematographer Tatiana … Read more
Olha o Picolé
The Brazilian street vendors’ call “Olha o picolé!” (“Look at the Popsicle”) will evoke memories of steamy days for anyone who grew up in Brazil. But the picolé, once considered a cheap alternative to ice cream, has gone upscale. Now sold at shopping malls and even French restaurants, the picolé has become a favorite of … Read more
Bolivia’s Fiesta de las Ñatitas
Praying to a shrine featuring a real human skull may seem macabre to some. But since pre-Columbian times, inhabitants of what is now the Bolivian Altiplano have made the veneration of human skulls a central element of their spiritual life. The tradition continues to this day with an annual celebration on November 8 called Fiesta … Read more
Book Review: Open for Business
It can be difficult to document a historic moment while it’s still unfolding, but Richard E. Feinberg has taken to the task with his book, Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy. In exploring how President Barack Obama’s opening to Cuba “fits squarely within a broader theme of his foreign policy,” Feinberg has provided … Read more
Book Review: Multiple Choice
The literature of Alejandro Zambra is one of both movement and repose. On one hand, his work — reflected in titles such as Ways of Going Home, Bahía Inútil and Mudanza — brings to mind an expert in packing bags, works of few pages that speak to a traveler who knows in advance that the weight he carries will … Read more
Book Review: The Salvador Option
Despite decades of military support and millions in development aid, for many Americans El Salvador remains a caricature, caught somewhere between an episode of Gangland and the milieu of sex, alcohol and jungle violence portrayed in Oliver Stone’s 1986 film, Salvador. Those Americans who do spare a thought for the tiny country are prone to … Read more
Brazil Finds Remnants of Its Dictatorial Past in a Radio Show
If you’re driving in Brazil on a weekday evening and want some music for your drive, you should probably pack a CD. Chances are you’ll catch A Voz do Brasil, the country’s longest-running radio show, if you turn on the radio between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. This is because Brazilian law mandates that radio … Read more
A ‘School of Rock’ in Rio’s Biggest Favela
Kids from Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela are reaching new heights – literally. Equipped with grippy shoes, hand chalk and encouragement from renowned climbers worldwide, young people from the Rio neighborhood of Rocinha are increasingly taking to the city’s tallest mountains in search of recreation, thrills and, for some, a way to avoid the pitfalls … Read more
Speaking Guaraní, Don Quixote Rides into Paraguay
Don Quixote is riding into Paraguay, but he’s not just tilting at windmills. The idealistic knight from La Mancha has a new quest: to defend the indigenous Guaraní language. The first-ever Guaraní translation of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote was completed in June by a team of four Paraguayan scholars who labored eight years … Read more
AQ Top 5 Latin American Academics: Mónica Ponce de León
Leer en español See the rest of the AQ Top 5 As a child growing up in booming, prosperous 1970s Caracas, Mónica Ponce de León found inspiration for a future career in the modernist architecture springing up around her. “Everyone felt that the buildings represented the progressive culture of the city,” Ponce de León, now … Read more
