Lost in MySpace

Special edition with mp3s! Just because I felt like it ;)

Many were surprised by the nomination of Colombian singer-songwriter Monica Giraldo for Best Newcomer in the upcoming Latin Grammys, but her soft, jazzy latin pop deserves everyone's attention. Listen to "Por Verte Llegar" and get carried away by the purity of her voice and the delicacy of her music.

Monica Giraldo - Por Verte Llegar mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

Mexican hipster netlabel Poni Republic embraced the acoustic indie pop duo Jóvenes y Sexys from Venezuela. "El Reloj" is a rhytmic pop song characterized by melancholic vocals and soft acoustic guitar, a little gem of a song that promises a lot for the future. Jóvenes y Sexys have only released one EP (Bruno) so far, but you can download it totally gratis at the Poni Republic blog!

Jóvenes y Sexys - El Reloj mp3 myspace

When three different promotors mention the same artist, you can bet something's buzzing. Alonso Brito is a Miami Cuban singer-songwriter with an instantly recognizable deep bass voice. His mixture of Caetano Veloso, salsa and sixties rock still has to grow on me, but it has potential. Check out "Bandolera" from the Santo Bueno EP.

Alonso Brito - Bandolera mp3 buy@iTunes myspace

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Pop: Jorge Drexler - Cara B

Long time readers of La Onda already know that Chapín and I are huge fans of Uruguayan cantautor Jorge Drexler (See this post for more Drexler). Everytime a Latin music festival in Belgium releases its line-up, we're always desperately looking for Drexler's name, only to be disappointed once again. Unless we should happen to be in Spain when he's performing - Drexler has been living mostly in Catalonia for some years now -, we're afraid we'll never see him play his songs live for us... You'll imagine our joy when we found out Drexler was to release a live album, entitled Cara B ("B-Side"), in April! Finally we have it, and when we listen to it we can actually imagine looking right into Jorge's guitar.

This two-disc album is a compilation of the best moments of Drexler's 2007 tour in Spain. Disc one contains the songs that were frequently on Drexler's set-list during his tour, most of them off his latest studio album 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006). Disc two, Cara C, is a selection of less known songs and covers. In Spanish (e.g. an introverted version of Kiko Veneno's "Volando Voy"), but also in Italian, Portuguese or English. Between the songs, Drexler is chatting and laughing with the audience, giving a really good impression of the intimacy of his concerts. The acoustic versions on Cara B lack the smart electronic arrangements of Drexler's studio recordings, but on this album, the singer and his gently weeping guitar create a universe on their own. Sometimes there is a singing saw involved, for example in the title track "Cara B"; an ironic, yet very sensitive song about a bad mood. Check the skipping record effect!

The intimate live atmosphere on Cara B suits Drexler's songs really well: every track is a little poem, written and sung by a real artist. Now that we can hear him play live, we definitely want to see him perform one day. ¡Ya vente a Bélgica, Jorge!

Jorge Drexler - Cara B mp3
Album: Cara B (Warner)
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon myspace

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Pop: Julieta Venegas, La Mala Rodriguez

I guess I don't have to tell you about the heavily promoted MTV Unplugged album that Mexican poprock princess Julieta Venegas released this month. But I'd still like to share a track with you, just because it's so great to hear it live. If you're not familiar with Julieta's music, this CD is an excellent introduction to her varied oevre, by the way! (Acutally, most MTV Unplugged albums are a great way of getting to know the artists from another side - Shakira's 2000 album is the best entry point for exploring her early Spanish-language work, for example!)

"Eres Para Mi" was a big hit across Latin America and the USA last year. I liked it, but maybe not quite enough to post something about it ;) However I love the unplugged version with Spanish rapera La Mala Rodriguez. Their voices are strangely compatible, the agressive blended with the etheric, and the reggae/ska rhtyhm is deligthfully sunny.

Julieta Venegas (ft. La Mala Rodriguez) - Eres Para Mi (Unplugged) mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon myspace

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Salsa: Willy Chirino

Even after all those years of listening to, searching for and blogging about latin music, the genre still has many suprises for me. I was astounded to find out that Willy Chirino, author of the fresh and bubbly salsa "Pa'Lante", is credited as one of the creators of the "Miami sound" that characterized the salsa sound of the first Cuban exiles (after the revolution in '60).

But "Pa'Lante" for some reason emanates the feelgood vibe that's so characteristic for vallenato. It might be the playful accordeon, or the positive message ("Live your dreams!") and the enthousiasm in Chirino's voice. The combination with acoustic guitars and a Polo Montañez-like violin is, on the other hand, typically Cuban. It all combines in a catchy and original pop song that definitely deserves your attention. With a discography of 28 albums and hundreds of songs, there's still much to discover about Willy Chirino...

Willy Chirino - Pa'lante mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon myspace

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Pop: Sergio Mendes - Encanto

Sergio Mendes was responsible for popularizing the bossa nova movement in the US back in the sixties, playing countless concerts with American jazz legends (Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann) and his own band Brasil '66. His cover of Jorge Ben's "Mas Que Nada" is common property: the older folks remember the bossa version off Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, the younger generation knows it thanks to Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. He produced Sergio's Grammy-winning comeback album Timeless two years ago, and was behind the controls again for the follow-up Encanto, out June 10th.

To be honest I was very sceptic about reviewing Encanto, I expected it to be much like Timeless which I found too focused on the hiphop crossover market, lacking the latin soul I search for. The fact that the album is distributed through Starbucks even added to the smell of commercialism.
But Sergio proved me wrong. The music is as sunny, colorful and sexy as the album cover (below). Encanto is a carefully selected collection of covers that got the Mendes treatment - jazzify, synthify, add suitable guest vocal. The result is an album overflowing with simple, happy, richly arranged tunes that will enlight your summer.

One of those legendary covers is "The Look of Love" by Burt Bacharach. Here is the original hit from 1967. Revamped with Fergie on the vocals, the song is stripped from its cheesy soundtrack strings, given a contemporary beat and a different chorus. The result is a completely different song, minimalistic and charming, blending in wonderfully with the rest of the album. Too bad Fergie is so prominent on the song - her voice leaves me completely indifferent.

But let's focus on the latino elements here - you'll hear the other songs more than enough I imagine. "Y Vamos Ya" forced me to lift the Juanes ban that reigns at Casa Chapín since the release of La Vida Es... Un Ratico. But after one listen that ban was back in force - Juanes totally ignores the whole point of the album by engaging in sentimalist whining ("Pajaritos van cantando a tu lado"... please!).

The other latino flavored collaborations are more worth while. "Lugar Comum" switches between Jovanotti's Italian raps and a soulful chorus of Brazilian girls. "Morning in Rio" and "Odo-Ya" (with the immensely popular Carlinhos Brown) make me feel like joining a carnival parade in the streets of Rio. "Catavento" (with his wife Gracinha Leporace on the vocals) is great for chilling out. If you don't mind the constant cuica sound (a.k.a. the "laughing gourd") that is. "Acode" (with Vanessa Da Mata doubts between gently samba drums and a pulsating dance beat. Also a great example of the guitar-piano interaction you'll often hear on the album. The album ends with "Agua De Beber", with Will.I.Am excelling in empty lyrics and Sergio making it all up with his inventive piano and synth arrangements - I always love it when jazz singers ad lib to the melody.

So Encanto has its heights and lows for the latin music lover, but it's certainly worth checking out as a whole, thanks to the sunny sound and Brazilian feeling of the album.

Sergio Mendes ft. Carlinhos Brown - Odo-Ya mp3
Sergio Mendes ft. Gracinha Leporace - Catavento mp3
Album: Encanto (Concord)
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Alternative/Indie: La Casa Azul, El Guincho, Los Punsetes, Sr. Chinarro

Spain has a very vibrant indie rock scene, many artists quickly gain an underground audience by performing a lot and networking through MySpace. There's much talent to be discovered: check out only four examples below!


La Casa Azul is one of the more mainstream indie bands. Specialized in catchy discopop, the Barceloneans even tried their luck in the pan-European camp fest Eurovision. "La Revolución Sexual" can only be enjoyed with attributes like an afro wig, a white costume, huge sunglasses, and a smile from ear to ear. The delicate rock touch in the chorus, and the beautiful piano intermezzo, separates them from other, more clichéd feelgood disco acts (Miranda) . As you all know by now, the Spanish public decided La Casa Azul doesn't match up to übercamp like Ireland's Dustin The Turkey, so they decided to send the already infamous Rodolfo Chikilicuatre. For which I'm kinda glad - La Casa Azul deserves an audience that truly appreciates their sexy grooves, not a YouTube hype based on superficial traits.

La Casa Azul - La Revolución Sexual mp3 myspace buy@iTunes buy@Amazon


Talking of hypes, Barcelona indie producer El Guincho recently racked up a bunch of new fans in the US thanks to a raving Pitchfork review of his 2007 debut Alegranza!. Pablo Díaz-Reixa (his real name) makes rhytmical collages of repetitive tropical sounds, drowned in unintelligible chants and harmonies. Not really an easy accessible concept, right? This really is a hate-it-or-love-it type of music, and though I love the afrobeat-meets-sambadrum percussion, I'm having a real hard time with the repetitive character. But surely you'll have to decide for yourself! Listen to "Palmitos Park" below, it's the opening track of Alegranza!, and one of the more easily digestible songs.

El Guincho - Palmitos Park mp3 myspace buy@Amazon


Los Punsetes are from Madrid, and combine powerful feminine vocals with psychidelic guitars. The two-minute explosion "Fondo de Armario" first builds up the tension with tight drums borrowed from Bloc Party, and then derails completely in a wall of distortion while Adriana sings (or rather, yells) about the perversity of today's spoiled teens. This young band could benefit from some polishing up production-wise, but their raw and energetic self-titled debut LP promises a lot for the future - some are already comparing them to Spain's most legendary indie act, Los Planetas. Oh yeah, the entire album is freely downloadable on the Los Punsetes website!

Los Punsetes - Fondo de Armario mp3 myspace download album


Sevillan artist Sr. Chinarro (born Antonio Luque) is another long-time indie darling. His latest album Ronroneando was released with rave reviews in his home country. Sr Chinarro's brand of indie pop is more comparable with the American or British indie scene: delicate guitar arpeggio's with the occasional greasy riff, and a serene voice telling tales of desolation. "Timidos" could even be on the radio, if the Spanish ondas radiales weren't such a corrupt business. If you're into country-infused poprock, be sure to check out the rest of the album too.

Sr. Chinarro - Timidos mp3 myspace buy@Amazon

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Pop/R&B: Rue Melo

Rue Melo is a true world citizen. Born in Paris, raised by a French mother and Uruguayan father, and now living in California, she is a melting pot of cultures and colours. This is reflected on "Enamorada", a latin-flavoured R&B ballad in which Rue sings in Spanish, English and French. Her brother plays the acoustic guitar part, which - in combination with all those sexy languages - gives the song a sultry summer atmosphere. Rue's voice shifts between the poppy glitter of Alicia Keys and the naughty exoticism of Rihanna, a bold comparison, but if she works a little on the lyrics I'm sure she has a great future ahead. Her self-titled debut album has four more Spanish-language songs, check it out.

Rue Melo - Enamorada mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

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Alternative: Los Updates, Señor Flavio

Today we look at the solo efforts of two former members of famous Latin American rock bands.


Señor Flavio is the lucha libre-loving masked bassist of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, a true rock phenomenon back in the 90's. The Argentine ska punk band won several Grammies and sold quite a few records, and Flavio Oscar Ciancarulo (his real name) was one of the key songwriters. His third solo album Supersaund 2012 isn't really a look into the future (as the title suggests), but takes us back to the heydays of the Cadillacs, showing the same versatility and diversity. Reggae/ska is performed with the same ease and agility as garage rock, all with the punk mentality of The Clash."Polaroid 66" is one of the calmer tracks of the album: a polaroid picture provokes memories of a sunny childhood in 1966. The strangely appealing synth and the psychidelic guitar effects create a pure sixties surf atmosphere - everything just fits together. Great track!


Jorge Gonzales was the thriving force behind Los Prisioneros, an iconic eighties rock band from Chile. His latest project Los Updates takes the good from his new wave roots, and gives it a modern revamp, while still focusing on good songwriting. The result is very danceable, minimal electro pop with a little 80's nostalgia. "¿Acaso Quieres Venir?" (from the Los Updates EP) has unusually beautiful lyrics for a dance song, if Jorge's voice hadn't suffered that much over the years I'd even say this could become a hit.

Señor Flavio - Polaroid 66 mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon
Los Updates - ¿Acaso Quieres Venir? mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

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Back on Track: Pop & Rock

The White Stripes are one of the few alternative rock bands that are equally popular in the English-speaking world as in Latin America. They often manage to fill stadiums throughout the continent, and their albums sell quite a lot on the (black) market. And listening to their latest album Icky Thump, Jack and Meg White mixed their share of Mexican influences into their heavy rock riffs (the videos for singles "Icky Thump" and "Conquest" reveal a fascination for mariachis and bullfighting as well). But the news that they would do a single in Spanish still came as a big suprise - usually the crossover is made in the other direction. It's a Spanish version of the already excellent Patti Page cover "Conquest", published as "Conquista" by Las Rayas Blancas. I'm especially loving the Versión Acústica de Mariachi, though both songs suffer a little from the horrible translation. Still kudos for a great idea!
PS: the audio is ripped from YouTube, and thus of extremely horrible quality, sorry. For full HQ files I redirect you to the iTunes Store!


Chambao engage themself for illegal immigrants on "Papeles Mojados". Keeping true to their original recipy of flamenco-infused electronic music, this track also has a remarkable influence of Arabic instruments and sounds. Which is probably because illegal immigration in Spain, Chambao's home country, is mostly an affair of Africans crossing the sea from Morocco in improvised boats. La Mari sings the fate of the most unfortunate immigrants:

Miles de sombras cada noche trae la marea
Navegan cargados de ilusiones que en la orilla se quedan
[...]
Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueños
Papeles mojados, papeles sin dueño

(The tide brings thousands of shadows every night
They fare full of illusions that stay on the border
Many don't arrive, they dreams drowned
Soaked documents, documents without owners)

Despite the serious theme, it's quite a poppy tune. Hopefully it manages to raise awareness a little. "Papeles Mojados" is the first single off a new Chambao album, Con Otro Aire. Be sure to check out the beautiful video below as well!

The White Stripes - Conquista mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon
Chambao - Papeles Mojados mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

The White Stripes - Conquista

Chambao - Papeles Mojados

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Pop/Rock: Le*Pop

You'll agree with me that televised singing contests rarely result in the discovery of exceptional talent. I even tend to think the Star Academy's, Idols and Eurovisions of this world are the last twitches of a marketing machine doomed to go down with the rise of the internet. MTV Latin America (a channel where you can watch music videos sometimes - in contrary to European MTV) had a similar contest, but more internet-oriented: on LaZona.com bands could post a profile with mp3s, and votes from registered users decided who deserved a contract. And behold: the victory didn't go to 'that cute boy with his romantic reggaeton' or 'that hot chick with the fake rock attitude' - an unknown indie-pop band from Costa Rica called Le*Pop won the contest on pure quality. In any case, a band that cites Fisherspooner, CSS, Hot Chip and Gustavo Cerati as their influences can't do anything wrong in my eyes!

Debut single "No Tengo Calma" is infectious and energetic. Lead singer Stella Peralta combines a poppy voice with rock maturity. Indie electro-rock from the top shelf. Yes, there was obviously a big production team behind this (their MySpace and website are quite too hip for a debuting band as well) but you can't deny the quality of the song, which is sparked with the honesty and enthousiasm of a starting band. I even like the crisp-clean mix, it kinda fits with their overall sound.

Other songs on their album Bendita Televisor put forward a more commercial electro-pop sound, still a clarity and purity makes them stand out among similar bands (Miranda, Belanova). I predict them a great future in Latin American charts, and lets hope their songs keep the same vibe!

Le*Pop - No Tengo Calma mp3 buy@iTunes

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Pop: Jorge Drexler

As you might remember from this post, Uruguayan cantautor Jorge Drexler made a beautiful cover of Radiohead's "High and Dry" for his eighth and most recent album 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006), maybe his best - and most melancholic - record yet. So if you're getting tired of listening to that song over and over again - that's what I did! - now is the time for you to get to know another genuine Drexler gem!

12 Segundos de Oscuridad is a story about darkness, so says Jorge Drexler. In the title song, he sings about the intervals of darkness between the beams of light of a lighthouse:

No es la luz
lo que importa en verdad
Son los 12 segundos
de oscuridad

This "darkness" is to be understood in a metaphorical way: it represents his divorce of Spanish singer Ana Laan. This explains the bitter-sweet taste almost every track on this album leaves in your mouth. All songs express Drexler's sadness, his doubts and fears, but never in a dramatic way. On the very last track on the album, "Sanar" ("to heal"), the singer talks once more about the pain of losing love. But this time, there's a spark of hope:

Y volverás a esperanzarte
Y luego a desesperar
Y cuando menos lo esperes
Tu corazón va a sanar
Va a sanar
Va a sanar
Y va a volver a quebrarse
Mientras le toque pulsar

After the rain comes sunshine, his heart will heal again. But everytime, it will break again... and then heal again. It's the circle of love, which Drexler seems to finally accept in this song. It's a down-to-earth conclusion for a poetic and stunningly beautiful album...

Enjoy the song, and don't hesitate to go for the full album! You won't regret it.

PS: It's O.K. to secretly shed a tear while listening to this song. Don't worry: va a sanar!

As an extra, here's the very original stop-motion videoclip for "Transoceánica", the first single off of 12 Segundos. It's directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep). Check it out!

Jorge Drexler - Sanar mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

Jorge Drexler - Transoceánica

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Pop/Rock: Jarabe de Palo, La Mari

It's a busy month, so I can use some peaceful tunes to wind down a little. And Jarabe de Palo is always a great source for delicate popsongs!

Even this summer at the Jarabe de Palo concert I attended, "Dejame Vivir" was one of the most intimate and enchanting songs in the set. The additional vocals of La Mari (of our favorite flamenkito band Chambao) add a more traditional Andalucian touch to Jarabe de Palo's usual poprock sound. It's a no-nonsense track without pretention: simple guitar chords with soft percussion is all it takes to let Pau Donés and La Mari bring their leave-me-be message. Be sure to watch the very suiting and utterly beautiful video below!

Jarabe de Palo ft. La Mari - Dejame Vivir mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

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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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Holiday Report: Jarabe de Palo, Daddy Yankee

We're back! And yes, even on holiday we're soaking ourselves in latin music. Spending that holiday in Spain or Mexico helps a lot of course ;) Here's what we've been up to.

Járabe De Palo plays a home match in Castejón de Sos

Chapín saw Járabe de Palo perform in their home area in Spain, a unique concert for both the band and the locals. You might know Járabe de Palo of (international) hits like "Bonito" and "La Flaca", and they've just released their 6th album Adelantando, with "Olé" as first single.

Castejón de Sos is a tiny mountain village in Alta Ribagorza, the region where lead singer Pau Donés lived for most of his life. And with tiny, I mean tiny: the 1000 attendees momentarily tripled the usual population of Castejón. As it was raining most of the day, many feared the (open air) concert would be canceled; in addition, Castejón is reached only by treacherous mountain passes not suited for tour buses and trucks loaded with speakers and instruments. So the greater was the relief when eventually the group entered the stage (which was moved indoors) to kick off this special concert.

I always thought JdP songs suffered from being too radio-friendly and too much the same (compare "Bonito" and "Olé" above). But the mere enthousiasm of Donés and his band, together with funkier arrangements, lifted this concert way above the quality of the CDs. The band seemed to know exactly where the songs needed to be spiced up (or mellowed down) to work on stage, even the songs I hadn't heard before sounded like latin pop classics. Guitarist Jordi Mena deserves a special mention, his impressive solos rocked the show. Also, the chemistry between Pau and his audience was extraordinary. He made fun of his friends, talked about his growing up in the region - all in the local Aragonese dialect - and got the audience on his hand from the first minute. The big hits were sung along word for word, and a bis round with "La Flaca" made the place go completely wild. A unique concert indeed! I still blame myself for not having a digital camera around...

(More dates for the Adelantando tour at the official JdP site.)

El Guïri meets Daddy Yankee

El Guïri had the luck to interview film writer Guillermo Arriaga (of Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel) at a Mexican TV show. And backstage he bumped into none other than Daddy Yankee! Yankee said he's a long time fan of La Onda and checks back here every week, but he's a little shy to comment online. He didn't have time for an interview, but of course we could call him 'anytime' for VIP concert tickets and stuff like that.

(Or maybe that's not true, and all we got was the lousy quality picture above! ;) The white guy on the right is El Guïri himself, if you hadn't guessed.)

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Merengue: Elvis Crespo, Zona D'Tambore, Ilegales, Monchy y Alexandra, Juan Luis Guerra

Yes, Elvis Crespo is back. He's still a master of merengue, and still looks like that guy from 5ive. Only now he's adopted the guys of Zona D'Tambore, a boysband-ish tropical rap collective. I know that sounds awful, but believe me, their song is great. Crespo's characteristical voice stands out wonderfully against the (bland) ZDT vocals. "La Foto Se Me Borró" is a slow merengue with a contemporary romantic theme: he's lost the picture of some girl on his mobile. The horror! I'm surprised about the trivialities youth are concerned with these days ;) No, serious, this song will be a continent-wide hit very soon, and Crespo will sell lots of copies of his upcoming album Regresó El Jefe!


Next, we dive into even more commercial music: Ilegales is a merenhouse combo from the Dominican Republic, not to be confused with the legendary Spanish rock band of the same name. (Side note: merenhouse is to merengue like Crazy Frog is to the Beverly Hills Cop theme). Ilegales teamed up with the bachata stars of the moment, Monchy y Alexandra, on "La Otra". The result is an eclectic mix of rhythms and instruments one can only classify as 'latin pop fusion'. The song has grown on me: the chaos is in some way very latino, and Alexandra has totally convinced me that she will not be la otra, the other girl.


And as promised in the previous merengue post: here's another track off THE tropical album of 2007, La Llave De Mi Corazón by Juan Luís Guerra. In our review we mentioned "Como Yo" as one of the groovy dance tracks on the album, but maybe we should say the grooviest dance track. Everything about this song is irresistible: the quiet start, the hesitating rhythm change, and most of all the magnificent chorus. I bet you'll be singing "Te quiero como yo" for the rest of the day!

Elvis Crespo ft. Zona D'Tambore - La Foto Se Me Borró mp3 buy@Amazon
Ilegales ft. Monchy y Alexandra - La Otra mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon
Juan Luis Guerra - Como Yo mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

Ilegales ft. Monchy y Alexandra - La Otra

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Crossing Over: Beyoncé, Shakira, Alejandro Fernandez, Don Omar, Rell, Zion, Akon, Daddy Yankee, Fergie

Sometimes we just have to give in to the acts being pushed by the music business. And a lot of crossing-over is going on between the Anglo and Latino industry lately. An overview:

R&B meets Pop Latino

Beyoncé is pretty serious about marketing herself into the latino audience (as we reported earlier). Not only has she recorded a (stale and uninspired) r&b song with that other pop queen of the moment, Shakira - it's called "Beautiful Liar", check out the videos below. She also realized that, if you're an artist that wants to get to the heart of latin pop culture, there's only one thing to do: record a theme song to a telenovela. On "Amor Gitano" she joins Mexican pop idol Alejandro Fernandez on a gypsy/flamenco influenced ballad. I'd say her accent is improving (however, ayayayayaaaay sounds the same in every language). The novela is about Zorro, by the way :)

Reggaeton meets Hiphop

Don Omar is announcing his breakthrough into the English-language market. For the 10th time, that is. "Calm My Nerves" is still mainly in Spanish, but at least he's is trying. The Jamaican dancehall influence is undeniable on this song, another move to appeal to a more international public? Anyway, both El Don and guest rapper Rell do a really good job rhyming over the (suprisingly fast) reggaeton beat. A dancefloor topper, and sure to stick on the radio too:

Baila como diosa sobre la luna
Y en una bola, vuelta tu cabeza

Baby-faced reggaetonero Zion is dropping his first album without companion Lennox soon, it will be called "The Perfect Melody". That's right, in English! He's even got a track with the Anglo r&b star of the moment, Akon. "The Way She Moves" is smooth and overproduced like any other r&b song, but Zion was part of my former favorite reggaeton duo so I'll cut him some slack ;)

And last but not least - here's the first single of Daddy Yankee's 8th album El Cartel. "Impacto" features Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, and I must say I like how it sounds, even though I can't stand either one of them. Maybe it's the excellent work of reknowed producer Scott Storch?

(PS: Watch this blog closely the next few days... a special feature is coming up very soon!)

Don Omar ft. Rell - Calm My Nerves mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon
Daddy Yankee ft. Fergie - Impacto mp3
Beyoncé & Alejandro Fernandez - Amor Gitano mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon
Beyonce & Shakira - Beautiful Liar:

Beyonce - Bello Embustero (Beautiful Liar Solo Spanish Version):

Beyonce & Alejandro Fernandez - Amor Gitano:

Don Omar ft. Rell - Calm My Nerves

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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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