Spanish On the Go! - Improve your listening comprehension skills with our authentic podcasts

La Catrina is one of the most recognized symbols of el Día de Muertos, but her origins were not related to this popular celebration. This iconic figure first appeared in a satirical zinc etching created by Mexican cartoon illustrator José Guadalupe Posada that took aim at people of middle and upper class who rejected their native heritage in favor of assimilating into European culture. Years later...

Every year on November 1st and 2nd, Mexico honors their dead by celebrating their lives with offerings of food, flowers, candles, music, and more. These Day of the Dead festivities take place across Mexico and in Mexican communities all over the world. Some of the most traditional and elaborated Día de Muertos celebrations take place in the state of Michoacán where legends, pre-Hispanic traditions...

Ava Gardner was one of the brightest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her exotic looks, femme fatale roles and high-profile romances with Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra brought her international fame, but also constant scrutiny from the press and public. When she first arrived in Spain, she immediately fell in love with the natural surroundings, the culture, the people and their laid-back, h...

In the late 1880s the first wave of Chinese immigrants started to arrive in Mexico driven away from the US discriminatory policies and horrible labor conditions. Unfortunately, their reception in Mexico was not so different, and these Chinese immigrants were forced to do hard labor in farms, railroads, and mines for very little pay and under terrible conditions while being vilified by Mexican soci...

Contrary to the brutality -never questioned- of other European nations against native inhabitants of the lands they colonized, Spain went through the excruciating dilema of how to treat the peoples they had conquered. Abuses were also committed by the Spaniards, of course, but from the early days of the conquest, many questioned the legality of these abuses and even of the conquest itself. Bartolo...

Born in Austria in the 19th century, the accordion was affordable and easy-to-play, and it quickly spread among the locals in various Spanish-speaking countries. On its arrival to the American continent, the accordion perfectly melded into the rich and diverse musical landscape of the region, thus cementing the signature sounds of popular genres like la cumbia, el vallenato, el norteño and el tang...

José Martí was a Cuban writer, poet, journalist, diplomat and freedom fighter loved (by both the left and the right) in Cuba and the diaspora. He was a key political figure in the Cuban independence movement against Spain. His political activism took him all over the world including Spain, México, Venezuela and New York where he spent 15 years. It was in New York where he designed a plan to free C...

Tacos are the undisputed star of Mexican cuisine with countless varieties in every region. In the central Mexican region, the tacos al pastor stand out as a true feast for the senses: full of vibrant colors, intoxicating aromas, and perfectly balanced flavors. Interestingly, these quintessential Mexican tacos can trace their origins back to the culinary traditions brought by Lebanese immigrants th...

Forks, along with spoons and knives, are such a big part of our daily life and eating habits that it's hard to imagine our meal times without them. Before its invention in 11th-century Florence, for centuries people used their fingers to grab food to eat. Nevertheless, it's very hard to conceive the uproar caused by the Catholic Church upon the invention of the fork. Centuries of prejudice and ste...

"Mirreyes" is a colloquial term used in Mexico to talk about young people from the country's elite. Known for their lavish and flashy lifestyle, the mirreyes are the offspring of Mexico's wealthiest politicians and business executives. The obscene displays of wealth and luxury that are part of the mirreyes' daily life is a sad contrast to the realities of the majority of the Mexican population and...

Día de muertos is a special holiday to honor the dead that takes place in México at the beginning of November. During these festive days people believe that their loved ones return to the land of the living, so they prepare a big celebration with food and music to welcome them back. Dating back to pre-Hispanic times, the modern Día de los muertos festivity perfectly combines the ancient traditions...

Latin America's beautiful landscapes such as the Andes mountain range, Mexico's warm sandy beaches or Bolivia's salt flats have been transformed by Hollywood into such diverse locations as the capital of Tibet (in Seven Years in Tibet ), the battlegrounds of the Trojan War ( Troy ), the icy waters where the Titanic sank, and even planets from galaxies far, far away ( Star Wars ). Click play to dis...

Cats are loved, feared and -sometimes- hated. Our love for cats goes back to Ancient Egypt when wild cats earned the admiration of the Egyptians with their ability to protect crops from rodents and snakes. This instance marked the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship between cats and humans. However, as the domestic cat population started to spread across Europe, they weren't always wel...

On December 12, people all over Mexico come together to celebrate  el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe , patroness of this country. This day marks the anniversary of a series of apparitions by the Virgin Mary in front of an indigenous man in the Hill of Tepeyac, who with the sanction of the Catholic Church, built a sanctuary in her honor. The cult of the Virgen de Guadalupe quickly spread throughout...

Tango is a famous music genre and dance that originated in Argentina in the 19th century thanks to a special fusion of musical influences from all over the world. Although people are quick to point out tango's European origins, they often dismiss, ignore, or whitewash the important Afro-Argentine roots that laid the foundation for this passionate and melancholic rhythm.   Click play to hear how Af...

Piropos  are phrases used to compliment someone's qualities, particularly a woman's physical beauty. Attitudes about  piropos  have changed over the years and across cultures: while some consider them a poetic form of flattery and harmless flirtation, to others they're a vulgar, aggressive and outdated display of sexism.   Click play to learn more about the evolution of people's view on piropos an...

Tinto de verano is a refreshing summer drink from Spain made with red wine and soda. Although its true origins are unclear, the delicious tinto de verano has been a seasonal staple in Spain for generations, and -in recent years- it has even surpassed the popular sangría.   Click play to hear more about el tinto de verano and learn how to make it at home!

Ángeles Santos was a gifted Spanish artist that broke into the male-dominated art scene in 1929 at only 18-years old. Santos was celebrated by peers and art critics by her unique deeply-imaginative paintings. However, her family strongly disapproved of her artistic aspirations which led to a dark chapter of her life and a stark change in her work. Click play to discover the life and work of this g...

The bolero is a music genre and dance intrinsically linked to Latin America's cultural identity. The history of the bolero starts in Spain, but it truly flourished in Cuba with its rich African and Caribbean musical influences. During the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, this country embraced bolero's tales of love, heartbreak, and betrayal, turning this passionate musical style into an international...

Samuel Zemurray, also known as Sam the Banana Man, was a Russian-born, US businessman who made his fortune on the fruit trade -particularly bananas. Zemurray's business practices were very controversial and often bordered on the illegal. To advance his financial gain, he actively instigated and supported military coups and US interventionism in Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia. On the good side, h...

Mexican cuisine is known for its ancient well-balanced mix of fresh and flavorful local ingredients.  Behind every delicious taco, mole, or chiles en nogada there are hundreds of years of culinary traditions and techniques. Nowadays, Mexican staple ingredients and dishes can be found all over the world, yet if you really want to try la auténtica comida mexicana there's no place like Mexico. Click...

During the American Revolution, Spain aided the Thirteen Colonies by providing funds, weapons, reinforcements and troops, including a noted military leader from Málaga by the name of Bernardo de Gálvez . As governor of Spanish Louisiana, Gálvez provided valuable support to the American rebels, and led an impressive army that defeated and weakened the British forces in key territories.   Click play...

When the Thirteen Colonies rebelled against the British Crown, they quickly turned for help to the empire's three major rivals: Spain, France, and the Netherlands (the Dutch Republic, at the time). Spain played a major role as an ally in the American Revolution providing funds, weapons, reinforcements and carrying out strategic maneuvers to weaken the British forces. Click play to hear more about...

Merengue is a popular musical genre and dance that originated in the Dominican Republic towards the end of the 19th century. Merengue is a symbol of Dominican cultural identity. The United States occupied the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924. During this period, a new merengue variety commonly known as merengue 'apambichao' came about as a covert mockery of the way US occupants failed to prope...

Mariana Pineda was a brave young woman from Granada, Spain, who willingly sacrificed her own life to protect her liberal principles and the identities of her cohorts in their opposition of absolutist ruler King Ferdinand VII in the 19th century. As part of her activism, Mariana sheltered and provided safe passage for those persecuted by the Crown, distributed information supporting the liberal cau...