Latin artist Mercedes Sosa dies

Dubbed the 'voice of Latin America' Sosa fought against military rule
Argentine folk singer and activist Mercedes Sosa has died aged 74 after suffering kidney problems.

Sosa's popularity in Latin America spanned four decades, but she fell foul of the Argentine junta in the 1970s.

Her latest album has been nominated for three Latin Grammy awards, which are due to be announced in November.

Dubbed "the voice of the silent majority", Sosa was credited with championing the poor and fighting for political change.

Along with her first husband, Manuel Oscar Matus, she became a founding member of the mid-60s Nueva Cancion movement.

At a 1979 concert in the Argentine city of La Plata, Sosa was searched and arrested on stage along with all those attending the concert.

She was subsequently banned from recording, and left the country to live in Paris and Madrid. She returned to her homeland in 1982 just before the collapse of military rule.

A Unicef goodwill ambassador, Sosa produced 40 albums over her long career and collaborated with musicians including Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Shakira and Joan Baez.