Pop: Melendi

I'm off on a 12-day trip through Eastern Europe, so you'll have to rely on El Guiri for the meantime :) At the moment he's allowing his white skin some much-needed sun in Sevilla, Spain, but he'll be back soon.


One artist he'll be hearing often is Melendi, currently #3 in the Spanish top 40. Ramón Melendi Espina has a nose for success: he manages to combine a singer-songwriter background, a streetwise image and a passion for flamenco music into a typically Spanish commercial pop/rock sound. He appears in videogames, commercials, and sold almost a million records, but when he sings about Oviedo street life in"Calle La Pantomima" you just have to believe he even sleeps outside. A melancholic song consisting of childhood memories, but in a way very uplifting and sunny.

Melendi - Calle La Pantomima mp3 buy@iTunes (Europe only) buy@Amazon

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Pop: Estrella

Estrella is a young pop artist from Sevilla with a great voice. She grew up hearing her mother sing flamenco, and now she tried to combine that with modern black music in an original way on her self-titled debut album. She describes it herself as 'soul flamenco', but to me there is an essential component of modern pop involved too. No doubt, her vocal performance is impressive, best compared to an Andalusian version of Christina Aguilera. The difference being: Estrella is a purely natural talent, she learned everything from listening to old flamenco records.

"Tan Solo Tú" is a sparkling, captivating song zigzagging between mainstream r&b pop and flamenco. We even hear some arabic elements here and there. Producer Erik Nilsson knows very well how to let his Estrella shine: keep arrangements modest, and let her voice stand out. For a conventional Spanish pop song, this is an innovating experience. We wish Estrella a bright future!

Estrella - Tan Solo Tú mp3 buy@iTunes (Spain only)
(Video is bad quality, sorry.)

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Flamenco: Ojos de Brujo (+ contest!)

As you might remember from other posts, we like Ojos de Brujo! On February 20, their album Techarí will finally be released in the US. Let’s celebrate that with two more songs! Ojos de Brujo caught our attention with their sunny flamenco tunes, but also with their socially engaged lyrics: on Techarí, Ojos de Brujo express their worries about today’s society. “El Confort No Reconforta” is a fierce indictment against capitalism and consumerism, against a society where money is more important than human lives:

“Derechos humanos mueren día a día calladamente
Personas sin papeles no ven salida a su vida legalmente
Inmigrantes encerrados en las iglesias en huelga de hambre
"¿¿Dios no existe o por impago le han cortao el cable??"”

This song is typically Ojos de Brujo: an exciting blend of cante flamenco, hip hop beats, and rattling rhymes by percussionist Maxwell Wright. Very impressive! Another song with a message is “Piedras vs. Tanques”: aggressive guitars (that reminded me of Rodrigo y Gabriela) open this song full of rage, but stand aside for the beautiful rumbita burden (hand clapping, guitars, a beautiful voice…). It’s an authentic protest song with a hopeful message, inciting a popular revolution:

“Señores presidentes el pueblo no quiere batallar más
al frente mande a sus hijos si con armas quiere ganar
aquí piedras contra tanques no más cadenas ni un paso atrás.
Escucha este silencio
será tu pesadilla son las voces de mi gente echando el resto
sanando, revolucionan, luchando el presente...”

As you see, this is quality music. No beats or big pimpin’ here, but a unique mix of genres and meaningful lyrics.

And you can win this fabulous album right now: just drop a mail with your address at laondatropical {at} telenet {dot} be. There is however one limitation: you must have a mailing address in the USA this time. (Don't worry, there will be plenty of contests for the rest of the world in the future!).

Ojos de Brujo - Piedras vs Tanques mp3 buy@iTunes (Europe only) buy@Amazon
Ojos de Brujo - El Confort No Reconforta mp3 buy@iTunes (Europe only) buy@Amazon

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Lo Mejor del 2006

(Don't forget to participate in our CD giveaway contest!)

It's been a great year for latin music. Well, at least for me: maintaining this blog allowed me to discover beautiful and special music I'd otherwise not even hear of. And nothing more pleasant than sharing those tracks with you, the faithful reader ;)
You'll notice a slight orientation towards rock music in my top lists, but I tried to include all the major genres covered here. There's about an hour of listening pleasure below, so have fun, and ¡feliz año nuevo!

Albums
Rock: Gustavo Cerati - Ahi Vamos



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2006 saw some heavily anticipated rock releases (Maná, Gustavo Cerati, Enanitos Verdes) and the discovery of many new South American favorites (Los Bunkers, Los Tipitos, Babasonicos), but Cerati all beats them effortlessly with this complicated but oh so powerful album.

Pop: Los Amigos Invisibles - Superpop Venezuela



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A disappointing year for pop music, if you're not into Paulina Rubio or RBD. Los Amigos Invisibles came as a breath of fresh air, in a music industry suffocated by overproduced commercialism.

Salsa: VA - Los Cocorocos



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Salsa is back! Dozens of radio stations converted from reggaeton to salsa this year, and not without reason: new efforts (like Los Cocorocos) gave salsa an image boost, a new energy, and a second youth.

Reggaeton: Tego Calderón - The Underdog/El Subestimado



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While the general vibe of reggaeton was turning negative (big egos, dissing, sexism, the lack of new talent, and heaps of money), Tego Calderón blew away all competition with honest, positive and socially conscious songs. On the same onda: the impressive debut of Calle 13. And while "big names" Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Hector El Father were fighting (and delivering mediocre songs), Shakira made the reggaeton beat famous again with "Hips Don't Lie".

Other: Andrés Calamaro - Tinta Roja



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The Argentinian rock legend devoted himself to sensitive tango songs this year. Calamaro effortlessly captivated the atmosphere of the forties on Tinta Roja, not an easy album, but a rewarding one. Special mention: Ojos de Brujo, for their unique blend of flamenco and hiphop.

Singles
Rock:
1) Gustavo Cerati - Crimen (original post)

2) Los Tipitos - Campanas En La Noche (original post)

3) Fobia - Dos Corazones (original post)

4) Gustavo Cerati - La Excepción (original post)

5) Los Bunkers - Llueve Sobre La Ciudad (original post)

Just didn't make it: Pereza, Enanitos Verdes, Babasonicos.

Reggaeton:
1) Calle 13 - Atrevete-te (original post)

2) Paulo FG & Roldan - Te Boté (original post)

3) VA - Noche de Entierro (Nuestro Amor) (original post)

Special mention for spreading Latino vibes throughout the world:
Shakira & Wyclef Jean - Sera Sera (Hips Don't Lie Spanish Version) (original post)


Pop: Jarabe de Palo & Jorge Drexler - Que Bueno Que Bueno (original post)

Salsa: Bamboleo - El Zorreo (original post)

Merengue: Grupo Mania & Elvis Crespo - Echate Pa'ca (original post)

Cumbia: Bonka - El Problemón (original post)

Other: Chambao - Pokito a Poko (original post)


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