LATINADA: This Local Street Food & Music Festival Celebrates Latin American Culture In Asia

Are you a fan of Latin American culture? (Credit: Courtesy of LATINADA, Isabella Mendes)

One great thing about living in a cosmopolitan city like Singapore is that you can find exported pockets of culture within, and that includes a slice of Latin America. Celebrating the spread of Latin American influence in our tiny red dot is LATINADA, a returning event that’s now amplifying its presence as a full-fledged street food and music festival.

Scheduled as a two-day fiesta on 23 and 24 March at CANCHITA – an authentic Peruvian restaurant in Dempsey – LATINADA was first launched in 2018 by husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Tamara Chavez. It ran for two editions before taking a hiatus after 2019, and it’s now back after five years for a LATINADA that stays true to its culinary roots while delivering something beefier (in more ways than one).

Better come hungry for this event (Credit: Courtesy of LATINADA)

For its 2024 comeback, LATINADA continues to raise awareness for the Latino community and culture in Asia through the pillars of street food and cocktails. Cooking up a storm is a roster of 11 Latin American chefs from Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Chile – all of whom are based across Asia. These include gastronomy whizzes from Latin-focused restaurants in Singapore like Bacatá, Tamales Mexicanos, and CANCHITA; as well as regional establishments such as Mano (Kuala Lumpur), ChullsChick (Hong Kong), Buenazo (Bangkok) and Cantina (Bali). They’ll be whipping up an appetite with food-focused event highlights like paella battles, anticuchos parties, lamb barbacoa and tequila duets and an attempt to create the biggest ceviche ever in Singapore.

Gonzo

Anand

May May

Ollie'des

Ramesh

SWTLKR

Now naturally you can’t have a festivity of Latino culture without dancing, and LATINADA delivers with an ensemble of guest DJs who’ve helped broaden the local party scene with their repertoires of worldly selections. Busting out a Latin-centric arsenal of dancefloor numbers is a super squad of DJs representing several globetrotting collectives. These aptly include SWTLKR, May May and Gonzo (Salsa Y Comida), Moon and Anand (Beatroot), Ramesh (Tropika), u~ta (Sonida Singapura), DJ EL King (JR Fitness) and Ollie’des. So come prepped with your salsa and bachata moves – or none at all if you’d rather rock your reggaeton – ’cos this party’s gonna work up a sweat.