Born smashing! 

Hi, my name is Phillip and I run Piñatas London. I was born to a Mexican dancer and an English/Scottish mariachi musician. 

Here I am. Dancing whilst dad plays with his mariachi band (he's the handsome one playing the 'vihuela', third from the left).  

And here's mum. She made a name for herself in Mexico city as a traditional mexican dancer for the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico.

Mum and dad met at a party in London. Dad was playing music and mum was dancing. Our family became very integrated into the latin community in the UK. Mum and dad have spent the last 40 years running a small teaching team called 'Mexicolore' and have taught in 100s of schools nationwide running workshops on Mexican history and culture (www.aztecs.org). 

Ok, so the piñata thing. Before piñatas were so popular and well known here in the UK it was very hard to source one unless you were lucky enough to know a Mexican or knew how to make one yourself.

Around 20 years ago I was helping mum make some piñatas for Sprite (the Coca-Cola company) in our basement in Battersea. They were in the shape of the Sprite Goblin.

Mum turned to me and said 'Phillipito, ya no tengo la energía para hacer piñatas. ¿Te interesaría hacerlas? Tal vez podrias hacerte un negocio pequeñito. After all you are an artist!' which translates loosely as: 'Phill, do you want to take over the piñata business?' I said yes.