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.

Yes, Belanova may be a shill for Pizza Hut Mexico, but we are not going to hold that against this fine synth-pop dance trio who came together in 2000 in Guadalajara. How did the band create the name Belanova? An entrevista en español in Enkidu magazine tells all.

Ibiza is a wonderful holiday destination any day, but the summer solstice presents an opportunity to partake in an ancient tradition and celebrate all night long. Let’s join Tatiana for a cruise on a beautiful velero to visit some secret swimming spots and then we’ll head into town for la noche de San Juan.

Imagine the horror of stepping on a landmine while gardening. This is what happened to farmers José Moncada and Reinaldo Herrera. Through great courage they survive to testify of the enduring evils that are minas antipersonales.

Francisco sees potential for creation and innovation in a wide range of materials: drift wood, shells, seeds, goat skin, even plastic debris. He is speaking with the governor about creating a tallerr, or workshop, that can be used to teach artistic skills to the young people of the area, as well as to showcase the work of other local artisans.

¡Oye Mamicitas y Papicitos! Forget about the Spanish! Get up off your colas, it’s time to perrear! Turn up the volume and put your hands in the air! Tell ‘em that you’re single (aunque si no!) Stand up right now and muévete that cintura! (You know you want to!)

The cocktail party effect explains our ability to isolate a solitary voice amidst a sea of yappers, music and crowd noise. Let’s meet our ladies at the disco, where background noise and the effects of actual cocktails upon speech put our own c.p.e. skills to the test. (This one is hard, use the SLOW button!)

Javier Garcia. Keep your ear to the sound system, we’re catching his tunes popping up at downtown lounges and restaurants. Come along for a ride as our man is at the helm of the tranquila bus. This song was Javier’s first release, and garnered gold records in three countries. It’s guaranteed to have you moving “suave, suavecito.”

You know what a calavera is, no? If you see one, especially on a sign in a former war zone, be very, very careful. Soldiers from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the U.S. came together to reduce the need for these signs in Central America… reclaiming fields filled with anti-personnel mines so that farmers can return to using them for crops.

Chober and his buddies are building a little club on the beach that is aiming to provide services to beach goers and visitors, while at the same time providing events and opportunites for community members, particularly young people. Like his friend Francisco, Chober is concerned with the environment, and finding uses for discarded materials.

In this installment of the dispute documentary we hear Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata quoted over a protester’s loudspeaker. As Zapata said: “¡Victoria o muerte!” (“Victory or death!”). To protest the taking of their farmland, the people of Atenco are using stronger and stronger language. Listen in.

Bella Belanova singer Denisse Guerrero studied fashion in Mexico before she became a rock sensation. We wonder if the supersized collar she’s sporting in this video for "Me Pregunto" was an extra-credit project from back in her university days.

Manuel Rosales attempted to become the next president of Venezuela. He had the support of much of the middle class, the upper class, and even some of the lower class, but in the end the populist appeal of Victor Hugo Chavez was just too big of a hurdle. Don’t feel too bad for Manuel, he is still governor of the state of Zulia.

Not only does our filmmaker continue with his diatribe against the state of society as he finds it in Nicaragua, but the story takes an investigative turn. We find that not only doesn’t sponsored-child Christina del Carmen match the photo that had been supplied by Ayuda en Acción, she is also not yet enrolled in a school.

Bienvenido al sueño is the first solo effort by the artist formerly known as Rubén Albarrán—of Café Tacuba / Café Tacvba fame. (‘Tacuba’ became ‘Tacvba’ after a lawsuit, according to this Wikipedia entry.) Check out Sizu’s wild video to the album’s title track. Nice hats, no?