Winners

Here are the winners for last week's contest:

Danni from Boulder Creek, CA
Miriam from Pacifica, CA
JD from West Palm Beach, FL
Maria from Corona, NY
Evandrea from Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Luke from Hamilton, NY
Gabriel from Camden, NJ

Expect your Nacional or VotoLatino iTunes Card in your mailbox soon. Thanks for participating!

PS: Some busy weeks ahead but I'll post whenever I can!

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Contest!! Win iTunes downloads!

VotoLatino is a nationwide initiative to encourage latino youth to register for the 2008 presidential elections in the US. VotoLatino was launched by Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Petersen and backed by a lot of celebrities like Fat Joe, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, ... You might have already seen the banner on the right, where you can buy a benefit album filled with exclusive tracks for just $3.99. The album has been #1 on iTunes Latino for a few months, and with reason: the compilation joins Pitbull, Don Omar, Aterciopelados, Los Amigos Invisibles, Ozomatli and many more. So if you're a US citizen and haven't registered to vote yet - the world needs you. Click the button below and register! Or support the cause and buy the album.

To encourage you all to register, VotoLatino has 3 exclusive iTunes download cards to give away, with five free songs each.

But there's more. The nice folks over at Nacional Records also have iTunes download cards to give away - DOZENS of them!
With their cards you can download 20 songs from the whole Nacional catalogue, which includes some of this year's finest releases: Plastilina Mosh's All U Need Is Mosh (review), Bostich and Fussible's Tijuana Sound Machine (review) and Manu Chao's La Radiolina (review).

So what do you have to do? Just send an e-mail to laondatropical@gmail.com, and put "Card Me!" in the subject. Be sure to include your mailing address, or we won't be able to send the card over!
Only one string attached: you need an account on the US iTunes Store, which requires a credit card and a US address.
The all but innocent hand of my lovely girlfriend will pick the winners on Thursday, September 25th, so your entries must be in by then.

¡Mucha suerte!

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Winners!

Thanks for participating in our Sergio Mendes contest everyone. Here are the winners:

• The lithograph signed by Sergio himself goes to Sare from Utah


• The 'Brasil 66' soccer t-shirt goes to Amy from Texas


• And the advance Encanto CD goes to Zjef from Belgium!

If you haven't won, no worries because today Encanto is in stores ;)

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3 years La Onda! Contest! CD Giveaway!

Thanks to very big exams in the very near future, I won't be able to celebrate the third anniversary of La Onda Tropical the way it should. No big themed post this year, I'm very sorry. Thanks for sending in your remixes though, maybe later they'll get the spot they deserve right here on the site.

However, I can't let the big 3 pass without a contest! Thanks to Giant Step I have three great Sergio Mendes prizes to give away:

• A lithograph signed by Sergio himself


• An exclusive soccer shirt with the number 66 and 'Brasil' on the back


• An advance copy of Sergio's latest CD Encanto, out June 10th (and reviewed below!)

If that won't make up for the prematurely cancelled Eddie Palmieri contest last month... :)

You probably know the drill - just send your name and mailing address to laondatropical@gmail.com to be eligible, and be sure to mention 'happy birthday' somewhere in the mail. Be quick, because the contest only lasts until June 10th (next tuesday)!

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Contest! Win Concert Tickets!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The concert was CANCELLED because Eddie Palmieri needed to return early to the USA. Of course I'll have to cancel the contest as well, sorry for that, and thanks for your participation everyone!

You've probably noticed that we branched out our latin music activities recently. This spring and summer quite a few important latin artists pass though our tiny home country Belgium, so we decided to try the difficult but rewarding task of writing concert reviews. Mayra Andrade and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra were two big successes, and we hope to see even more latino performers do such a good job on unfamiliar soil.


The next concert sheduled for review is a real legend of latin music. Already over 50 years in the business with 38 full album releases and 9 Grammy awards, Eddie Palmieri is the unquestioned king of latin jazz. His latest tour (with the band La Perfecta II) brings him to the Ancienne Belgique concert hall in Brussels, more info on the show here. And we have some great news for all you Belgian/Dutch/French/German readers who can make it to la Bruxelles.

We're giving away 2 x 2 tickets for the Eddie Palmieri show on May 18th in Brussels! All you have to do to participate is answer this easy question: Which of the following albums did not win a Grammy award?

1. La Perfecta II
2. The Sun of Latin Music
3. Listen Here!
4. Solito

Mail your answer to laondatropical at gee-mail dot com before May 10th, 2PM central European time. Be sure to include your mailing address or we won't be able to send you the tickets!

This contest and the reviews wouldn't be possible without the help of the concert promotors and programmers, so here's a big up to Greenhouse Talent and De Roma, and a hat tip to Tropicalidad.be for being always there to assist us!

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Winners! Plus, Our First Ever Reader Poll!

Thanks for your massive participation in our holiday season contest, I almost couldn't handle that much lovin' :)
Congratulations to the lucky winners below!

• Nacional Records Compilation
  Jan from London (UK); Andrew from the West Midlands (UK); Lauren from Columbus, OH; Dana from Tucson, AZ; and Amanda from Monte Rio, CA.
• Alexis y Fido - Sobrenatural
  JD from West Palm Beach, FL; and Catherine from Saltash (UK).
• Toby Love - Reloaded
  Chas from Derbyshire (UK); and Josée from Ottawa.
• Voltio - En Lo Claro
  Jim from New Zealand; and Samantha from Elm Mott, TX.
• Los Mono - Somos Los Que Estamos
  Martin from Derwood, MD.

I would also like to point your attention to the ugly little poll to your right, in the sidebar. The end of the year is approaching, and with it those countless best-of lists and summaries. This year I decided to let YOU have a say as well - we all love some interaction, right? Which artist deserves the La Onda 2007 Readers Award? is the question, and I included the names mentioned the most on the blog during the last twelve months. Of course if you have a suggestion yourself, don't hesitate to vote "other" and mention your own favorite in a comment to this post.

I'm counting on an equally overwhelming participation!

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The Biggest Holiday Giveaway Ever!

It's been a while since we had a contest here, verdad? Well, I have no less than 12 full CDs to give away before Christmas (those record companies sure are spoiling us!). And all you have to do is send one e-mail! Piece of cake! Send your name, mailing address and preferred CD over to laondatropical@gmail.com. One condition: you mention 'Ho ho ho!' somewhere in your mail. The contest closes Friday Dec. 14th, so you'll have your CD in time to put it under the tree :)
Which CDs we're giving away, you ask? Here's the list:

• Nacional Records has 5 compilation CDs to give away. The album has tracks of latin 'indie' artists like Mexican Institute of Sound (review), The Pinker Tones and Nortec Collective. Funky stuff!


• On the urban front, we have two CDs each of the latest important reggaeton releases: Sobrenatural by Alexis y Fido (mentioned here), En Lo Claro by Voltio and Toby Love Reloaded by Toby Love (both mentioned here)!
  


• And finally we have one copy of YouTube hit Los Mono - their eclectic electronic album Somos Los Que Estamos was reviewed here.

But there's more. Due to popular demand, we again made a selection of fine latin remixes, all of which have some connection with artists we love. There's the usual batch of urban makeovers to big latino hits, but we've also come across some unexpected covers and rare electronic remixes. If you found an interesting mix yourself, don't hesitate to comment!

Shakira & Beyoncé - Beautiful Liar (Freemasons Remix) mp3 buy@iTunes
British club-house deejays Freemasons (responsible for many European summer hits) made a thumping dance mix of Shaki's duo with Beyonce. It's both easy on the ears and groovy to the feet (an expression of which I'm not sure it exists :)).

Sergio Mendes ft. Black Eyed Peas - Mas Que Nada (Masters At Work Mix) mp3 buy@iTunes
Only two posts ago I confessed you my love for Masters At Work, a latino DJ duo specialized in exotic danceables. This funky remix of the Black Eyed Peas' version of Brazilian samba classic "Mas Que Nada" is also a part of the Loteria Beats Mixtape by Raul Campos.

Aterciopelados - Complemento (Nino Remix) mp3
"Complemento" was one of my favorite tracks of 2006. This remix tears the song apart, and then rebuilds it step by step over a groovy dance beat. If you're up for more, Aterciopelados post all the remixes of their songs to the 'Downloads' section of their official site.

Los Tipitos - Mil Horas (Andrés Calamaro Cover) mp3 buy@iTunes
A beautiful update to Calamaro's latin rock classic. I especially like the addition of the piano. This song is part of Calamaro Querido! Cantando Al Salmón, a tribute CD to the Argentinean legend, also featuring Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Julieta Venegas, Pereza, Los Pericos and many more.

Café Tacuba - Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Juan Luis Guerra Cover) mp3 buy@iTunes
That's right, Mexico's finest alternative rockers covering the Dominican Republic's best known merenguero: Juan Luis Guerra. This is Café Tacuba the old style - lots of traditional/folk influences, no drummer, and an infectious positive mood. Excellent cover! (Sorry for the lousy quality...)

Gloria Estefan - No Llores (Urban Remix with Pitbull) mp3 buy@iTunes
One of the better 'urban' reworks of a big latin hit - but that's Pitbull for you, always conscious of his roots. He emphasizes the rumbling basses and deep trumpets in the song, removes Santana (great move!), and raps a few lines himself. Never knew R&B could sound so tropical!

Juanes - Me Enamora (Reggaeton Remix) mp3
An average, typical reggaeton remix - well, all that's been done is adding a background dembow beat. Still, I prefer this delicate mezcla over many of the more agressive horn-and-bells remixes out there.

Calle 13 & Orishas - Pa'l Norte (with Don Cheto) mp3
Don Cheto apparently is a hispanic TV show host (I never heard of him). All I know is this banda-sounding remix is very well done. Of course it helps that the original song is one of the best and most contageous of this year ;)

Casa De Leones - No Te Veo (Remix) mp3
The 'remixed' elements here are subtle and (let's be honest) quite obsolete, but any excuse is good enough to re-post this club banger. The reggaeton anthem of '07!

The Pinker Tones - Karma Hunters (Mexican Institute of Sound Remix) mp3 buy@iTunes
The Pinker Tones are one of the artists you'll find on the Nacional Records sampler we're giving away above. Here one of their tracks is remixed by one-man DJ project Mexican Institute of Sound. Always a guarantee for a funky track with lots of scratching and sampling! :)

Hope you enjoy the tracks, and don't forget to participate in the giveaway!

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Announcements

• I think we can call our Semana Brasileira a success: between 400 and 500 daily visitors is not something we're used to here ;) We loved all your comments, the more the better!


• The winner of the Tita Lima album 11:11 is... (drumroll).. Matt from Somerville, PA! And thanks to everyone who participated, of course.


• El Guiri is kicking back in Mexico at the moment, and I'm leaving for Spain in a few days. So you'll have to do without new posts until the beginnings of August, when we will return in full force! You can check out the wonderful blogs in our Link List (to your right, at the bottom) to help you through this dark period ;) See ya!

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Birthday Contest: Winners

Woops! In all this exam commotion, I forgot to announce the lucky winners of our birthday contest!

• Calle 13 - Residente o Visitante goes to Kristen in Gainsville, Florida


• Spanish Harlem Orchestra - United We Swing goes to Eldorado in Singapore (man, are we global or what?)

Thanks a lot for participating everyone!
PS: That Spanish Harlem Orchestra review is still in the making ;)

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2nd Birthday Extravaganza: Contest! Remixes! Mp3s! Reviews!

Has it been two years already? Damn! I could write an extensive post remeniscing the good ol' days, when this blog was written in Dutch and had about 20 daily visitors. Fact is, I still massively enjoy writing and designing La Onda, and I hope to spend much more hours looking for rare latin music and sweating over minuscule design details!

Of course we're doing another giveaway for the occasion! You can win one of these two sparkling new and super hot albums:

Calle 13 - Residente o Visitante
Even more impressive as their debut: Calle 13 have matured. Visitante confirms as a key innovator in latin urban music, Residente proves his splendid lyrical skill and sharp sense of humor. An essential album! (read full review)

Spanish Harlem Orchestra - United We Swing
This Grammy-winning all-star orchestra gives a new meaning to virtuosity. They prove old-school New York salsa is still hot, and will be hot forever. We'll review this album here soon!

Just send your name, address, and album of preference to laondatropical@gmail.com. Don't forget to mention "Birthday" in the subject. We'll announce the winners next week!

But what would an anniversary post be without a big load of mp3s? Here's a collection of remixes, covers, live versions and mash-ups, loosely related to artists and songs you first heard here at La Onda. (My bandwith limit has been exceeded - I'll re-upload the songs soon!)

Shakira ft. Alejandro Sanz - La Tortura (DJ Manish Arabanghra Remix) mp3
Shakira herself, of partly Lebanese descent, would certainly approve of this eclectic remix. The Middle Eastern violins play a prominent role while the banghra-influenced beat constantly switches and changes. PS: "La Tortura" was the first song ever posted on this blog! (original post)

Ojos de Brujo - Sultanas de Merkaillo (Novalima Remix) mp3
An exciting remix of a magnificent song. The flamenco clapping and fast guitar were already irresistible in Ojos de Brujo's original (found on Techarí, recently released in the US). Afro-Peruvian band Novalima added a thobbing beat and voice effects, with a tropical dance track as result. (original post)

Gustavo Cerati - Crimen (Live, ft. Ricardo Mollo) mp3
The most beautiful rock song of 2006 performed live in Buenos Aires by two legends of Argentinian rock. Cerati is as brilliant as in his Soda Stereo heydays, and ex-Sumo guitarist Ricardo Mollo joins in for an explosive solo and sober vocals. (original post)

Grupo Control - La Camisa Negra (Juanes Cover) mp3
"La Camisa Negra" has been remixed dozens of times. This norteño cumbia version by Grupo Control contrasts wonderfully with the light-headed, poppy original because of its melancholic, almost sad vocals. (original post)

Federico Aubele - En El Desierto (Live @ Stubb's) mp3 buy@iTunes
Although this live version lacks the sweaty atmosphere of the original song (found on his forthcoming sophomore album Panamericana), Aubele must be applauded for his effort to translate this mainly electronic track to an unplugged performance. (original post)

Chambao - Pokito A Poko (David Ferrero Housepark Remix) mp3
DJ David Ferrero takes flamenco-chill collective Chambao to the dancefloor. You probably did not hear them first here, but if I'm correct, Chambao is now ready to storm North and South America with Caminando, a rework of the previously released Pokito A Poko and some older tracks. (original post)

Bebe - Malo (Oskar Fuego Remix) mp3
Oskar Fuego spices up "Malo" with a heavier rhythm. "Malo", and even more "Siempre Me Quedara", became worldwide hits after they were featured here - could there be a connection? ;) (original post)

Mach & Daddy - Pasame La Botella (DJ Tranzas Batucada Remix) mp3
The anthem of last summer in most parts of Latin America. Also, the anthem of many dumped men who drunk away their sorrow. The remix adds carnival-style drums to the already cheerful carribean rhythm. (original post)

Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie (Sera Sera Spanish Version) mp3
The anthem of last summer in the rest of the world. This is the Spanish version, which is usually better than the English one. I guess Shakira's voice is just more suited for singing in Castellano... (original post)

Calle 13 - Atrévete-te (Rompe Mashup) mp3
"El reggaeton se te mete por los intestinos, por debajo de la falda como un submarino": even mashed up with a Daddy Yankee song, Calle 13 sound superior. The hit that catapulted them into latino fame still hasn't lost its appeal. (original post)

Daddy Yankee - Impacto (ft. Voltio, Jowell y Randy) mp3
This remix has the participation of the hot reggaeton duo of the moment, Jowell y Randy. I like the Fergie version more, but hey, you probably hear it enough already ;) (original post)

And our final treat: the long-awaited new Daddy Yankee album, El Cartel 3: The Big Boss, extensively reviewed below! To think I posted this only two weeks ago ;)

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Semana Electronica Conclusion

We conclude our little electronic special with the announcement of the contest winner. The Luz Mob CD goes to:

Joris from Tilburg, The Netherlands

Thanks to everybody who (so massively) participated, and better luck next time.

I hope you enjoyed reading La Onda this week, we've put quite some time into it, and the results were overwhelming (all visitor records broken). We'll probably do something similar in the future!

(However, we were a little disappointed to see nobody commented on our posts this week. But you can make that up by showering us with love in the comments to this post! ;))

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Contest: Luz Mob

At the end of this special week, one winner will find Luz Mob's intriguing instrumental album Luz Interpretations in his or her mailbox. All you have to do to participate, is send an e-mail with your name & address to: laondatropical@gmail.com. And please mention "Contest" in the subject. This friday, the innocent hand of El Guïri will pick the winner.

Luz Interpretations is the second album of US-based electronic artist Luz Fleming, aka Luz Mob. His latin-influenced ambient instrumentals is "not just an album for laying back, [but] also the perfect album for waking up and getting out of bed on the right side."

Read our review here!
buy@iTunes - buy@Amazon

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Ojos de Brujo Contest Winner

Gabriel Chacón wins a copy of Techarí by Ojos de Brujo. Congratulations!

The rest of you: thanks for participating! You can always grab a copy of Techarí the traditional way, the album is released in the US next tuesday (Feburary 20th). European flamenkillo fans can order right away, through iTunes or Amazon.

And I'd like to make a service announcement: the silence on La Onda (caused by a fantastic skiing holiday together with El Guiri ;)) will probably continue for some time. I'm moving out to live with my novia, and you'll understand there won't be much time left for blogging. After things have settled down, I'll be back in full force!

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Christmas Giveaway: Winners

Here are the lucky winners for our Christmas Giveaway contest.

• Los Amigos Invisibles - Superpop Venezuela goes to Alison from Tacoma, Washington


• Calle 13 - Calle 13 goes to Pieter from Belgium (if you read Dutch, be sure to bookmark his fabulous world music blog tropicalidad.be)


• Pitbull- El Mariel goes to Hape from Germany

Thanks for participating everybody!

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Christmas Giveaway! Los Amigos Invisibles, Pitbull, Calle 13

A Christmas present from La Onda Tropical: we have another CD giveaway contest for you! Just send me your name and mailing address (and the name of the CD you prefer) at laondatropical [at] telenet [dot] be. Anybody who mails between now and January 2nd, is entered in the draw. Good luck!

Here are the prizes:

Los Amigos Invisibles - Superpop Venezuela
A dive into Venezuelan music history, that made it to Amazon's Top 10 Albums of 2006. Read our raving review here!

buy@iTunes - buy@CD Universe
Bonus: Los Amigos Invisibles - Dun Dun mp3


Pitbull - El Mariel
Not the politically conscious rap album we expected it to be, but still a party slammer with some potential hits. Read the review here.

buy@iTunes - buy@CD Universe
Bonus: Pitbull - Ay Chico (Lengua Afuera) mp3


Calle 13 - Calle 13
If you don't own the critically acclaimed and grammy-winning debut album of 'alternative' reggaeton duo Calle 13 yet, here's your chance. We reviewed it back in march, but even now it's still a fuego.

buy@iTunes - buy@CD Universe
Bonus: Calle 13 - Suave (Reggaeton) mp3

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Winners!

The winners of last week's giveaway are (drum roll):

• Los Cocorocos: Herman V. from Belgium
• Now Latino 2: Matias from Argentina (or New Zealand, whatever :))

Congratulations to them, and to all others: thanks for participating. We'll be having more competitions soon!!

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Giveaway!

You can win one of these two brand new & smokin' hot latino albums! All you need to do, is send me your mailing address (and album of preference) at laondatropical [at] telenet [dot] be. The lucky winners will be announced next week.

Los Cocorocos is a very ambitious cooperation between modern salsa and reggaeton stars. They revive the atmosphere of 70's nightlife in Puerto Rico, singing the salsa gorda classics of back in the days. Check our full review article!
buy@iTunes - buy@CD Universe

• 1. Gallego - Intro
• 2. Don Omar & Gilberto Santa Rosa - Los Hombres Tienen La Culpa
• 3. Zion & Domingo Quiñones - Dos Jueyes
• 4. Tego Calderón & Victor Manuelle - Ché Ché Colé
• 5. Domingo Quiñones & La Sister - Mal Agüero
• 6. Papo Rosario (El Gran Combo) & Aniel Rosario (his son) - Perdona Viejo
• 7. Tito Nieves, Pedro Brull, John Erick - Los Gorditos
• 8. Mista - Ayí Viene Mista
• 9. Junior Gonzales & Plaza - Mulata Rumbera
• 10. Jaking y Maximo - Esa Nena
• 11. Mafo Crew - Mafo Crew
• 12. La Symphonia - La Wasa
• 13. Voltio - Claro de Luna

Now Latino 2 is the leading compilation for chart-topping latin hits. Just in time for christmas ;) You'll recognize lots of tracks from this blog, the link in the track list will take you to the corresponding article.
buy@iTunes - buy@CD Universe

• 1. Juanes - Lo Que Me Gusta a Mi (article)
• 2. Daddy Yankee - Machucando
• 3. Rakim & Ken-Y - Down
• 4. RBD - Este Corazón
• 5. Julieta Venegas - Me Voy
• 6. Don Omar - Angelito (article)
• 7. Luís Fonsi - Paso a Paso
• 8. Mach & Daddy - La Botella (article)
• 9. Calle 13 - Se Vale To' To' (article)
• 10. Tito 'El Bambino' - Caile
• 11. Voltio - Chévere (article)
• 12. Wisin & Yandel ft. Anthony "Romeo" Santos (Aventura) - Noche de Sexo
• 13. Thalía ft. Anthony "Romeo" Santos (Aventura) - No, No No
• 14. La Oreja de Van Gogh - Muñeca de Trapo (article)
• 15. Marc Anthony - Se Esfuma Tu Amor
• 16. Frankie J - Pensando En Ti
• 17. Reik - Levamente
• 18. Chelo - Cha Cha
• 19. Belanova - Por Ti (article)
• 20. Fonseca - Te Mando Flores

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Contest Update

Here's the right tracklist for the Onda Tropical Mix:

• Catupecu Machu - A Veces Vuelvo


• Fobia - Doce Pasos


• Michael Stuart - Mayor Que Yo


• Luny Tunes, Baby Ranks, Daddy Yankee, Tonny Tun Tun, Wisin y Yandel, and Hector El Bambino - Mayor Que Yo


• Calle 13 - Atrévete-te


• Zion y Lennox - Don't Stop


• Yaga y Mackie ft. Nina Sky - Bailando

• Orlando Conga - La Lavadora


• Limi-T 21 - El Baile Pegao


• Daddy Yankee - Lo Que Pasó, Pasó


• Juanes - La Camisa Negra


• Kumbia Kings - Mi Dulce Niña


• Shakira y Alejandro Sanz - La Tortura


• Juan Luis Guerra - Las Avispas


• Jeffrey - Palabritas

Reinout from Belgium got the most songs right. Congratulations ;)

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One Year Anniversary/100th Post Extravaganza!

Next week La Onda Tropical will celebrate its first birthday. And last week, I posted the 100th entry to this blog. Two reasons to celebrate! So let's do a little contest...

Below you'll find a special birthday mix of latin pop, rock, merengue, salsa and reggaeton songs that have been featured on La Onda (and its Dutch-language predecessor Latino Muziek Blog) the past year. Recognize as much songs as you can, and mail me the right track list! The five participants who get the most songs right, will receive one of these five cds (be sure to mention your preferred disc in the mail):

• Don Omar: King of Kings (Reggaeton)


• Calle 13: Calle 13 (Reggaeton)


• Juanes: Mi Sangre (Pop)


• Jean: On (R&B)


• Pa' Saber de Flamenco 2 (Flamenco)


• (and if you don't mind waiting a week or two for the release:) Proyecto Suburbio: ..Solo Clase

Here's the mix: part 1 & part 2. The winners (and the right track list) will be announced on Friday June 2nd. Until then there'll be no updates to the site (I'm in the middle of exams now).

Have fun!

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