The stupendous Natalia Oreiro released the fiery single “Me Muero De Amor” even before it became the theme song for Muñeca Brava, in which she also stars. The show was a smash hit not only in Latin America but also in Europe and the Middle East, and as such buoyed worldwide sales of the record.

The house is called “La Soledad”, which might be fitting enough for some of the souls who dwell within it. Grandma hasn’t left her room in years, nor is she on the best of terms with her son, the patriarch of the house. He, in turn, is no longer exactly enamored with his wife, nor sympathetic to her weakness for the bottle. The fun is just beginning…

Federico’s secretary invites him over for dinner, but there will be no berries and cream if she can’t be the master chef. Meanwhile… our delinquent little minas have escaped the confines of the convent orphanage.

Tío, there is something creepy going on upstairs in that big house! Anyway, the real action is at the dance hall, and that’s where we find our truant heroine, Milagros, and her willing accomplice, Gloria.

Sole likes her candy, but she’s not averse to sharing it. In Spanish, a lollipop is known as chupa-chups, piruleta or paleta. Do you have a favorite flavor?

The opening theme song of Verano Eterno, a show that follows a group of friends in a lakeside community, is filled with poetic phrases and metaphors. Enjoy this clip while today explodes.

As a young student, Pablo was smart enough to use his charm and good lucks to get the girls to do his work for him. But when it came to opportunities to perform, this he did himself whenever he got the chance.

Amelia and the girls at first don’t know what to make of him, a small man who arrives with a big wad of money. Soon enough it becomes apparent, Santiago Ritchie is intent on having more than a little fun. (But could that be the only reason for his largesse?)

Milena is enjoying some theater from her private box when Santiago Ritchie appears. Milena wants the lowdown on what he found out about Amelia’s girls while visiting. Santiago obliges. Flavio sleeps.

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.

In the previous segment we found Milagros and Gloria shaking it to un ritmo vallenato from Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Upon her return to the convent, Milagros is singing Ricky Maravilla’s "¿Que tendrá el petiso?" which probably got its inspiration from "Locas por el mambo", a huge 1950 Havana hit from the great Benny Moré.

David was born and raised in Caracas, but his parents were from Trinidad and Jamaica, so his accent is as much “Calypso” as it is “Salsa”. Find out why people call him “Doctor Guacuco”.

Doc G take two! We liked Doc G’s presentation so much we asked for a club remix version. Contains words and phrases not found in the first.

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.

Sofi’s “ex” seems to be courting a restaining order, no pun intended. Meanwhile, Jose, still pining for Mani, has a heart to heart with her brother, Franco, over the breakfast table about unrequitted love.

Totally ignorant of Jose’s longing for him, Mani (“el soñador”) is having his own private chat with Juan (who’s motto is: “quizás signifca sí”). It’s Clara, not Jose, who’s on Mani’s mind. Franco is thrilled with the job Violeta is doing, but tension is in the air when a cunning rubia enters the scene.

Mauro’s not afraid to place a wager on his success with Violeta, though we wouldn’t bet on it ourselves. Franco drops into Dolores’ shop, just in time to realize that Sergio is the father of Brisa.

It seems the brother-in-law is having an affair with the cook’s daughter, who is trying to get him to help her out of her maid’s uniform, and not only during the wee hours of the morning. But it doesn’t seem like el patrón is in the mood to be doing any favors for his wife’s brother, does it now?

When we ask for two, we’re happy to get any, but Melina is a lady not used to being short-changed, abril bello or no…

Gloria and Majo are still on the same job but inhabit different planets. Meanwhile Melina connives to plant seeds of desertion in Gala’s unsuspecting head…

As an artesan, Javier Marin works with a variety of materials, employing many techniques to create his pieces. He has been kind enough to take the time to explain some of these materials and processes. Javier’s father, in the days well before email, used to transmit telegraph messages via morse code in the building adjacent to where his son now works.

Ecological awareness is universal these days, especially among young people. Javier explains his own use of natural and biological materials, a use that does not involve the destruction of any living creatures, but rather the reuse of materials that have been jettisoned by their original animal owners.

Take it from the boys in Skampida, the best ways to learn a language are 1) to watch a lot of tv (yabla!) and 2) to find yourself a native girlfriend/boyfriend! Skampida is one of the best bands ever from Bogotá, and we caught up with them while they were spending some time hangeando in The Big Manzana.

Jesús Baz is the Director of Studies at the Don Quijote spanish school in lovely Salamanca, Spain. A true salmantino, Jesús has a real pride for his city, which is home to some of Europe’s oldest universities and has a very strong intellectual tradition. The school itself, in a beautiful old building that was formerly a convent, also houses a popular student café.