Difficulty: Beginner
Puerto Rico
This Puerto Rican band wasn’t on the island from the get-go. Two of La Secta’s members, Mark and Gustavo, met in Orlando during school and then moved to Miami Beach. There, they met up with John and Carlos and started writing songs. The message of their album Fuego, which shines through in “Déjalos que hablen,” is, according to John, “to be positive in the face of a moment of so many changes in the world.”
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
A wounded puma is an angry puma, and with that in mind, Yago and Ramón make a plan. Morena tells her puma attack story. Will Laura be as impressed as she was with Tarzan’s bravery? Yago is thinking about his deceased mother while Lucio is at his sister’s grave… but will mourning make Lucio’s illness worse?
Difficulty: Beginner
Argentina
It’s not easy for most kids growing up in the Chaco region: before the morning bell rings, they have already been picking cotton in the fields. Hop on a boat with Eduardo and Luciana and learn about the community service they do for needy rural schools in Argentina.
Difficulty: Beginner
Mexico
Have you ever been at the end of a dark alley wondering why, how, when? Well that’s exactly the mood of this Café Tacuba song: a metaphysical alley where we wonder what did we do wrong and ask for a second chance. It seems that this guy needs a metaphysical GPS system.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Argentina
What do you like more, money or power? It seems like almost everyone on this show is after one or the other and is willing to do almost anything to get it. Madam has a headache… or is it something worse? Is madam hallucinating, drinking—or being set up?
Difficulty: Beginner
Ecuador, Puerto Rico
People. People. People. We usually love them and that’s why we talk with them. People from Puerto Rico, people from Ecuador. It doesn’t matter if they are bleeding or in love. We just can’t stop talking to people!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Puerto Rico
Calle 13 joins up with Cuba’s Orishas to sing a paean to those pobres who hike pa’l norte (northward) in search of a better life. The first 13 captions are very colloquial and difficult, but after that this video is very clearly annunciated with lots of great vocabulary, so hang in there! This song is thought-provoking and catchy. No one will ever accuse Calle 13 of taking a weak position in rhythm or in politics!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
Yago is a simple man from the jungle—a man of brave deeds but few words. When Yago meets Morena, a talkative city slicker, he doesn’t know what to make of her. But he does know how to save her from an attacking puma.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Spain
“Reinvention” could be Enrique Bunbury's middle name. He’s a prolific composer, always finding inspiration in various books, movies, songs, and moods. And he thrives on creative collaborations. In the second part of YABLA’s exclusive interview, Bunbury opens up and tells us about the creative process behind his music.
Difficulty: Beginner
Panama
There’s a lot to love about Panama’s Cienfue. Take this great song and its even better video. It makes you want to walk right into the ocean to play guitar underwater on a sunny day, doesn’t it?
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
Milagros continues her refinement lessons under the watchful eye of Grandma. Grandma might be old, but she is tough and willing to do anything to straighten Miss Millie out. But while one person is getting on the right path, another is straying from it.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Spain
We had the chance to interview Spanish superstar Enrique Bunbury about his music, his art. The former Héroes del Silencio lead singer has been enjoying a successful solo career since 1996. Now he’s promoting his most recent album, Las consecuencias, which couldn’t be more different from his previous album.
Difficulty: Beginner
Spain
Meet Enrique Bunbury, a big name in rock en español. The Spaniard was the lead singer of the classic rock band Héroes del Silencio for 12 years. When the group disbanded in 1996, Bunbury began his solo career. "Frente a frente"—a cover of the song first recorded by Euro-pop star Jeanette in 1981—is the first single from Bunbury’s 2010 album Las Consecuencias.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
A bloodied man? A naked woman? It’s amazing what you find in the jungle these days. Does Yago’s brother know the injured Frenchman? Is Yago and Morena’s second chance meeting a more auspicious one? There seems to be more than a spark of recognition when Yago throws his shirt to the bathing beauty…
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
Mmmm. A feast of flowers. Literally. This music video features lovely ladies in flowing dresses stuffing their faces with petals, stems and pollen. We can’t tell whether it’s right or wrong, but it’s fun to watch.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Spain
Depedro is the solo project of Spanish singer and guitar player Jairo Zavala. Here, Yabla talks to the talented musician from Madrid about his exploration of Latin American pop, picking up new instruments on tour in Mexico, his musical beginnings and his appearances with U.S.-based Calexico.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
It seems that everyone in this house is a two-faced liar. What’s more, they don’t respect their elders, and some even plot to destroy their bosses. So, what keeps this place together? Have the webs of deception become so tangled that no one can escape? Or are some looking for honest love and acceptance despite it all?
Difficulty: Intermediate
Spain
We’re always curious about what goes on backstage. On a warm Miami night, we venture behind the scenes of La Mala Rodriguez’s great show. There we chatted with some friendly people who are making the musical magic possible.
Difficulty: Beginner
Colombia
Guess who was voted the best new band in the world in 2009? Drum-roll, please… Our friends Bomba Estéreo! Yabla met them back when they were the opening act of (the also great and friendly) ChocQuibTown. Since then, Bomba Estéreo have been spreading like fire all over America and Europe.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
We learn a little bit more about Morena’s background: as a soon-to-be bride in New York, she was left in the church waiting for her fiancé. Maybe that explains her close-to-a-nervous-breakdown behavior!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mexico
In this video, art meets toys! Forget about quiet museums and long art history classes, this is playful, colorful and full of sound! But don't you dare think of this as kid’s stuff. These artists take their toys very seriously!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Argentina
Hiding under the desk at midnight sure seemed like a great idea, but in this house of deception, the best hiding places are crowded with devious schemers! What a tangled web of lies! Can you keep up?
Difficulty: Beginner
Colombia
Shakira certainly knows something of the change-up life. A Colombian, she lives in the Bahamas, dates an Argentinian, switched to English, was a brunette, is now a blonde. In this video for “Gitana” (Gypsy), watch her flirt with Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal as she tells us what fans already know.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Argentina
Argentinian born and Mexico-based, Noel Schajris is better known as half of the sensational duet “Sin Bandera.” Since 2000, Noel, along with Leonel Garcia, has composed, played and sung hit after hit after hit. But in 2007, Noel and Leonel decided to part ways. Lucky for us, we still can listen to their emotive songs!
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