Author
Articles by Ismail Okafor
Culture & Entertainment
Reggaeton History — Reggaeton's Rise: How a Puerto Rican Sound Took Over the World
From cassette mixtapes sold out of car trunks to the loudest rhythm in global pop, the genre's road ran through Panama, San Juan carports and streaming playlists.
Ismail Okafor
Culture & Entertainment
Venice 2026: a Bechis competition entry and Gael García Bernal's debut carry Latin America
At the 83rd festival (September 2-12), Latin America's competition hopes rest on 'Back to Buenos Aires,' while 'Hombre al Agua' — Gael García Bernal's directorial debut — leads the buzz. Mid-festival dispatch.
Ismail Okafor
Culture & Entertainment
From Globo to the algorithm: the telenovela's streaming afterlife
The genre that taught a continent to watch television daily now anchors the streamers' Spanish-language slates — 'Cien años de soledad' and 'El Eternauta' are its newest monuments. The business of serialized drama.
Ismail Okafor
Culture & Entertainment
Why Europe's clubs shop in South America: the transfer economy, explained
Brazil tops the world's player-export table year after year, and the continent's clubs earn on the order of a billion-plus dollars annually selling talent. How the pipeline pays.
Ismail Okafor
Culture & Entertainment
After the Boom: who profits when Latin American literature travels
García Márquez sold the region to the world; Bolaño, Schweblin and a translation economy carry it now. The publishing business behind the region's letters.
Ismail Okafor