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
Include the Indigenous in Climate Change Talks
Leer en español In the new issue of Americas Quarterly, we asked people, “What would you tell the next U.S. president about Latin America?” To see other authors’ responses, click here. Dear Mister / Madam President, Indigenous communities have contributed the least to climate change, but they have suffered the most from its consequences. Extreme … Read more
Telmary Díaz Demands That You Listen
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here The worldwide influence of Cuban rhythms such as son and rumba can make it easy to overlook how music continues to evolve on the island itself. Telmary Díaz’s 2013 sophomore release, Libre, is a showcase for this … Read more
Ibeyi Is Ready for the World. Is the World Ready for Them?
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here It wasn’t long after they released their eponymous debut in 2015 that the French-Cuban duo Ibeyi was catapulted into pop music consciousness by none other than the Queen B herself, Beyoncé. The reigning queen of pop … Read more
“I Was Destined to Be a Percussionist”
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here This interview originally appeared in Spanish in OnCuba magazine. Music flows through Yissy García’s veins. The daughter of drummer Bernardo García, founding member of the popular band Irakere, García was born in Cayo Hueso in Havana, … Read more
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