"Mas Y Mas: The Los Lobos Box [BOX SET]"
Los Lobos
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Still in their prime, this Los Angeles band has had a great career--one
certainly worthy of box set coverage. "Mas y Mas" is an exhaustive
collection that's loaded with treats for the Los Lobos completist. In
addition to all of their hits, it includes tons of nuggets: covers,
outtakes, demos, live versions, and songs from soundtracks and compilations
that were never available on a Los Lobos disc.
"Purest Of Pain"
Son By Four
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The Latin answer to the Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees (who've made a
crossover attempt with "Una Noche"), Son by Four up the ante for boy bands:
they're completely bilingual, plus they mingle Latin rhythms with the usual
pop/R&B blend. So now there's another reason for teenage girls to
scream, in Spanish.
"WOW Flash"
Elvis Crespo
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Puerto Rican merengue sensation Elvis Crespo returns with an attempt to
re-create the magic of "Suavemente." Though his merengue-pop stays close to
his tried-and-true formula, it still definitely heats up the dance floor.
"Guitarra Mia: A Tribute to Jose Feliciano (Un Tributo Jose Feliciano)"
Marc Anthony
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Jose Feliciano's ability to create lush, atmospheric music is apparent in
this tribute to his work. The maestro himself contributes to this
collection, as do current Latin pop stars, including the likes of Marc
Anthony, Gisselle, and Son by Four.
FREE DIGITAL MUSIC
A longtime fan and supporter of Brazil's tropicalia pop-rock, David Byrne teamed with genre icon Caetano Veloso on the softly rhythmic, bilingual "Dreamworld: Marco de Canaveses." Download this highlight from "Red Hot + Lisbon: Onda Sonora"--a Red Hot benefit CD for AIDS awareness and relief.
Go to "Dreamworld" download
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More on Red Hot downloads, CDs, and AIDS awareness
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Go to all Latin downloads
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CUBAN SOUNDS
"Solo: Live In New York"
Jesus "Chucho" Valdes
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Cuban master pianist Chucho Valdes, the founder of Irakere, is a musician
of power and elegance. On this solo outing in New York City he makes his
piano sing, coaxing boleros and rumbas out of its keys.
"Las Flores De La Vida"
Compay Segundo
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Charismatic pianist Compay Segundo's beautiful son montuno continues to
delight, as Buena Vista madness enters its fourth year. This is Cuban soul
music, and it's beautiful to see it finally getting its due. Segundo's
graceful interpretations of Latin classics such as "La Negra Tomasa" are
warm--like an old friend you haven't seen in years.
CUBAN SIGHTS
"Buena Vista Social Club"
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Wim Wenders's gorgeous portrait of Cuban musicians and the story of
American guitarist Ry Cooder happening upon their musical gifts is as
picturesque as they come. It is misleading in that it paints a portrait of
a Cuba indifferent to these musicians' gifts (which couldn't be further
from the truth--many were able to make their music due to Cuban government
programs), but it does capture the zest and vitality of these artists.
Wenders's film is one of the most beautiful in recent memory.
"Strawberry & Chocolate"
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This film presents, with warmth and generosity, another nuanced, vibrant
picture of Cuba. It's a great story of the unlikely friendship between a
young communist student and a cultured, intellectual homosexual, and how
they come to terms with one another. It's also a fine personal portrait of
daily life in Cuba: beautiful in a somewhat tragic way, like an aging
starlet with a lot of feistiness in her yet.
FIERCE FIESTAS
"Merengue Con Diente"
Vargas
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"Merengue con Diente" is a hilarious novelty compilation that literally
means "merengue with teeth." It unites merenguero odes to various animals,
like "El Baile del Perrito" (The Dance of the Puppy) and "El Gato" (The
Cat). In addition to illustrating the ludicrousness of merengue lyrics,
it's also a lot of fun. Maremoto (who's featured four times and clearly has
some issues to work out) contributes the raucous "El Toro," which benefits
from the singer's maniacal ragga-inflected voice and a dance-friendly
arrangement. This is great silly dance music.
"Salsa Fresca! Dance Hits Of The 90's"
Martinez
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"Salsa Fresca!" is a strong Latin dance compilation that features many big
players of the modern salsa scene (Grupo Niche, Frankie Ruiz, and
musician's musician Willie Colon) and some of the best dance hits of
the '90s. It's a great introduction to the tropical rhythm that is
currently the dominant sound of Latin America.
COLOMBIANS ROCK
"Serie 2000"
Aterciopelados
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This Bogotano band is one of the most creative Latin alt-rock groups
around, and "Serie 2000" is a great introduction to their sound because it
features most of their biggest hits. Singer Andrea Echeverri's bittersweet
drawl is incredibly unique, enriching these lush rhythms. The
Aterciopelados have managed to incorporate traditional Colombian rhythms
with Pixies-esque guitar riffs without sounding even remotely cheesy. Their
elegant music has a lot of soul.
"Bloque"
Bloque
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The rebel yell of rock, punk, and youth is definitely present in Bloque's
self-titled debut. But that attitude meshes beautifully with Colombian
sounds (vallenato, cumbia, and coastal drumming at their best) to create a
sound that simultaneously boils with fury and tradition. Their debut is one
of the most exciting albums (in English or Spanish) in recent memory.
See our Caffeinated Colombian Rock list
...order here.
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