Some people could see Arturo Vega as just a guy who happened to design the Ramones logo, but the truth is that he had to get his hands dirty with hard work, and that meant loading tons of equipment, manning the lights and basically doing whatever was needed by the band. The reward was great: thousands, maybe millions, wearing an image that he created.

Many Americans know that Barcelona is one of the most fun towns in Spain. This is of course no secret to Spaniards themselves. Arume tells us why she likes to holiday in Barcelona whenever she gets the chance.

Arume studies filmmaking in her native Spain. She talks about what life is like for her now that she has graduated from high school and is out on her own.

Malaga gets over 300 days of sunshine every year, so it’s no surprise that Arume has chosen it for her vacation. She’s been studying hard and learning a lot over the past year, and luckily she’s agreed to fill us in!

Fuengirola, is an extremely popular seaside destination on the Costa Del Sol, in the province of Málaga. Not only are there five miles of sandy beaches, bars and hotels, but also you can find the remains of a genuine Roman Villa and a medieval Moorish fortress. Arume dropped in before summer itself became history.

The old saying goes “Hijo de tigre, sale pintado”. Literally, it means the baby tiger is going to bear the same marks as his father. But it also means that there are some things we inherit and carry with us. Here, Aterciopelados is singing about leaving some inherited, violent habits behind.

New York has the Hudson; Paris has the Seine; London has the Thames. Rivers were important in the building of these cities: they were commercial routes and also a source of food. Aterciopelados (in English, literally “The Velvety Ones”) the well-known Colombian band, remind us of the importance of our rivers with the title song of their socially conscious album Río.

The pouring rain doesn’t stop Aterciopelados from rocking the park in Bogotá. “Rock al parque” is probably the biggest open-air (free!) rock festival in Latin America, held annually in Colombia’s capital. Listen in as Aterciopelados sings out a tribute to this fun festival and to fellow bands performing there. (How many of them have you heard?)

Colombia's Aterciopelados ("The Velvety Ones") delivers another smooth song with a political message. This time, the band questions immigration policies and asks who has the right to dream of a better life.

Axel Fernando entered the Conservatorio Nacional Superior de Música in Buenos Aires at only eight years old, but dropped out in his early teens, wishing to focus more on academics, and less on music. To the delight of adoring fans throughout the world, he got serious again about music at seventeen, and hasn’t looked back since.

See Madrid from a different perspective. Our friend, Andrés, shares with us his favorite spot in the city: the rooftop of El Círculo de Bellas Artes.