Learn Spanish with Stories

Latin America has produced some of the most amazing artists, and today's star of our podcast is no exception. Rubén Blades, born to two musicians in a humble neighborhood, grew rapidly to become one of the world's household names when it comes to salsa and other tropical music.

However, he didn't stay limited to being recognized as a world-class "salsero", oh no... he studied at Harvard, also became a movie and series star, featuring in massive Hollywood hits (Predator 2, Fear the Walking Dead), and eventually came back home to Panama to launch his race for the presidency.

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we explore the life of one of the world's most recognized Latin American artists, and discover just how he accomplished so much, so quickly.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4901

The United States and Latin America are connected in a massive amount of ways, and it's not just a matter of geography: generations have grown up listening to American music, watching American TV and Hollywood productions, and receiving a heavy inflow of cultural influences in every aspect.

But it hasn't just been culture - it's been technology, politics, worldviews, and so much more. The truth is that United States and Latin America are not just two separate entities but an ecosystem that, previously, was heavily skewed towards the US providing most of the influence, but which seems to be gradually reversing...

Find out more about the U.S. influences Latin America and how this trend might be changing as we speak in this week's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4868

Hybrid languages - have you ever heard of them? Spanish has at least two main hybrid languages: Spanglish (which you've probably come in contact with at some point) and Portuñol, which features heavily in the border areas between Brazil and other South American nations. But I'm sure you've never heard of Llanito, and other variations of the Spanish language.

In this fun episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we go back to our roots, which is language learning, and explore Spanglish (the mix of Spanish and English), Portuñol (Portuguese and Spanish) and Llanito (an entertaining mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English), so that you can understand how they came to exist, WHY they came to exist, and where they're evolving towards.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4835

One of the scariest and most controversial places on the planet is located in Cuba, in a city of the same name: Guantánamo Bay detention camp. Established by President George W. Bush in 2002, following the Islamist attacks of September 11, it was created to house terrorism suspects and "illegal enemy combatants".

However, the reality is that this prison has held many an innocent, those simply falsely accused of belonging to a terrorist organization by others who decided to 'sell' them in exchange for a bounty paid by the United States. Not to mention the amount of torture and mistreatment that prisoners have received while captive...

In this special DUAL NARRATOR episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we cover a realistic interview between an international reporter and a captive of Guantánamo, as he tells his tale, not only so that the entire world may know what occurs within its walls, but also so that they may never forget. 

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4802

Latin America is a melting pot of cultures, as you'll already know - Spanish culture mixing with Amerindian tradition, and with African rituals combining with Aztec, Mayan, British and... Dutch(?) influences, somehow - so you already know that there's going to be very bold and unique ways of perceiving life, death, religion and belief systems in general.

So, it comes as no surprise that the occult features so heavily in Latin American culture, especially in the daily lives of certain sectors of society. Part of this is as mysterious and scary as voodoo, while other traditions, such as Pachamama and Sunday Mass, are considered more harmless.

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we explore just exactly what it means to believe in Latin America, and how each individual approaches their connection with the beyond... enjoy!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/4769