Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
You may know the baraja española, the Spanish deck of cards, with its classic renderings of kings and knights in four suits. Our illustrator friend Antonio Vargas created a uniquely Mexican baraja with native imagery drawing from the pre-Columbian Aztec, Olmec, Toltec and Mayan cultures.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Nelly Ocacia and Benjamín Moldonado are both 19-year-old university students, and enjoy dancing with the Ballet Folklórico Guamanique when not studying. We caught up with them at the airport in San Juan, where they were welcoming new arrivals and seeing off departing passengers, much to the delight of travelers.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Uruguay
Pablo Echarri, Argentine heartthrob and television star, describes his earliest years in Buenos Aires. Also we hear from Pablo’s father about his experiences as a new parent for the very first time.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Uruguay
Echarri and his sister grew up without excess wealth, and even a hint of poverty, but they were happy. Circumstances only served to pull the family together and make them stronger.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Uruguay
Pablo’s sister, Roxa, came on the scene when he was seven. Like millions of little children before him, faced with the arrival of a rival, he was none too pleased. Today they are inseparable.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Uruguay
Muñeca Brava’s Natalia Oreiro came into the world on the 19th of March, 1977, in Montevideo, Uruguay. She showed early signs of being extraordinary, but was also quite a handful for her young parents. Her love of art and showmanship quickly manifested itself, and as a young child she spent hours singing into a tape recorder and along with the radio!!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Uruguay
Though Natalia Oreiro may seem to have it all—talent, beauty, brains, personality and success—she wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her family suffered economically, and moved many times trying to better their situation. This was a bit unsettling for little Natalia, and perhaps contributed to her being a handful for her primary school teachers.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Uruguay
Natalia was quickly growing up. Like most teens, she was anxious to explore the world. At thirteen she began to go out dancing with her best friend, Rosa. Ivan, the high school hunk, was to become her first love.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina, Uruguay
When a strange man insists he is Natalia’s true father, she is oddly sympathetic, “we all know about el proceso.” But do we? The “process” is shorthand for the era of military dictatorships that engulfed the Southern Cone in the mid 70’s. During this era, untold numbers of infants of suspected “subversives” were kidnapped, often taken by police or military members to raise as their own.
Difficulty: Beginner
Ecuador
The Tsáchila community has undertaken the task of opening its doors to foreign visitors, giving them the opportunity to learn more about their traditions and culture.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Spain
What's the story behind the music-filled bar called "Leize Gorria"? Well, the name means "red cave" in Basque and it was founded by a musical family of 6 from Uruguay. Listen in as we learn more about the bar and its many events.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Peru, Spain
Gonzalo is a Peruvian painter living in Germany. We had a great opportunity to visit him and talk about his life. Before learning about his work, let’s listen to the amazing tale of how he met his wife.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Peru, Spain
Let’s listen to more of this love story, starring a German woman and a Peruvian man on a date with destiny!
Difficulty: Beginner
Venezuela
José Rodriguez, the caretaker of a beautiful finca, or farm, is kind enough to show us around and tell us a bit about the area and himself. You will probably realize that pues, as José employs it, is a common muletilla (“filler” word), used to add a bit of emphasis or just as a matter of speech style, and doesn’t really always have to be translated (though it can often be thought of as akin to “well”).
Difficulty: Intermediate
Ecuador
Ecuadorian gynecologist and perinatologist Pedro Pablo Luna Jaramillo is passionate about childbirth and addressing the concerns of expectant mothers.
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