London’s vibrant Latin music scene has a new vocal star, inner- city primary school music teacher and singer, Holly Holden.
Angie Lemon
Although born in London’s Shepherd’s Bush, Holly’s songs and music are inspired and shaped by years of travel and a deep love of Latin America where she was gifted a Venezuelan cuatro (small guitar) that now never leaves her side. She spent her childhood in London, adolescence in Cornwall and then, after studying a BA in German and Spanish and an MA in Caribbean and Latin American Studies, spent much of her twenties studying, living and making music in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“I remember the first time I set foot in Latin American, it felt like a part of my soul came alive, like I found a part of me that had been missing, it just kept calling me back. My studies of Spanish and Music is what took me to Latin America. The more fluent I became in the language the more it became woven into my songwriting, along with influences, rhythms and instruments that I was exposed to in my travels and picked up”, she says.
And adds: “In 2022, I returned to London to work at an inner-city primary school. There I hope that I manage to pass on some seeds of that passion to my students. I tell them about my work outside of school, about gigs, about adventures, about the records I’ve made, so they feel like it’s all tangible and possible”.
Her music… as she walks
Her music has a London twist and is, in her own words, for the curious explorers, joyful kitchen dancers and those who have loved and lost.
Her latest album “Al andar” (“while walking”), features 8 original songs composed by her and sung in Spanish and English. They weave Latin folk, poetic pop and global influences into something entirely her own.
“El andar” (produced, arranged and mixed by Greg Sanders) features some of the top musicians from London’s Latin American music scene: Greg Sanders (Teotima), Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlántica), Nando Arias (Carlos Vives), Yelfris Valdés (Chucho Valdés), Ernesto Marichales (Jordan Rakei), Fabio De Olivera (Babo Moreno) and Will Fry (Jungle).
As Holly Holden says, “Al andar” is for anyone who has loved and lost, “for anyone who has felt broken and taken bold steps to show up lovingly for themselves. It’s a love letter to the wanderers, the curious explorers, the joyful kitchen party dancers and anyone who has felt the fear and done it anyway. Las que cantamos al andar – we who sing as we go – this is for us!”
Recent Holly Holden highlights include a tour with Johnny Flynn (Alexandra Palace Theatre, Brighton Dome, Bristol Beacon), opening for Latin Grammy winner Vicente García, featuring on Rhythm Passport, A World In London, BBC Introducing and global radio playlists.
“Al andar” celebrates Holly Holden’s already rich musical career: In 2024, she supported Johnny Flynn on his UK tour, playing venues including Alexandra Palace Theatre, Brighton Dome and Bristol Beacon. She opened multi-Latin Grammy-winning Dominican singer Vicente García’s concert in London, sung on albums by Cosmo Sheldrake and The Wave Pictures. Holly toured with pioneering DJ and producer Mala as a vocalist on Mala in Cuba tour (2013) and with the Outlook Orchestra (2019). Holly is also a member of non-binary all female Deep Throat Choir since 2012. An upcoming project includes an EP with DJ Jigüe (Cuban producer who released Súbelo Cuba with Gilles Peterson) to be released through Guampara Records in 2026.
(Photos by Andrés Gómez, supplied by Angie Lemon PR)
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