Spanish language music: Merengue

CD Suavemente [1998] • LISTEN • BUY CD • REVIEW: Dance pop-merengue star Elvis Crespo shot to the top of the charts in Billboard with his feverish and horn-fueled mix of nonstop merengue, as best exemplified by the anthem "Suavemente." Even if you don't know Spanish, the tribalistic grooves connect solidly enough that suddenly even merengue dance steps seem instinctive. The tune has been such a smash that label reps released a "Spanglish" version that was included in the movie musical Dance with Me. Also instantly hypnotic is "Tu Sonrisa," another blitzkrieg-paced merengazo propelled by bewitching horns and relentless percussion. These two tunes alone are worth the cost of the CD. Elsewhere, there are more merengues and the occasional romantic bachata--especially noteworthy are "Llorando" and the flamenco guitar-fueled "Te Vas." Another bachata, "Nuestra Cancion," is classic bachata, reminiscent of the great singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra. -- Review by Ramiro Burr

CD Greatest Hits [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD |CD Wow Flash [2000] • LISTEN • BUY CD

Browse or buy Elvis Crespo CDs at amazon 

CD En alma, cuerpo y corazón [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Atada [1998] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Lo mejor de Gisselle [1999] • LISTEN

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CD Colección romántica [2000] • LISTEN • BUY CD • REVIEW: Juan Luis Guerra takes another look at his long, successful career on Colección Romántica, a lavish, two-disc affair that finds the Dominican Republic native revisiting and remixing some of his most successful songs. The collection's 20 tracks could have arguably fit on only one CD, especially considering that Guerra has already released two greatest-hits albums in 1994 and 1996. Still, this is a compulsively listenable affair, marked by Guerra's trademark dabbling in jazz harmonies, African music, and pop flavors. The collection's first five tracks--"Tú," "Razones," "Ay Mujer," "Quisiera," and "Amor de Conuco"--have been transformed from their original salsa and merengue versions into polished ballads. The trick works, and it sets the exotic, candlelit mood that figures throughout the album. Other hits such as "Burbujas de Amor" and "Bachata Rosa" have never sounded better, thanks to studio remastering. Even if Guerra's previous hits albums are already in your library, Colección Romántica deserves a prime spot on the shelf. -- Review by Joey Guerra

CD Ni es lo mismo ni es igual [1998] • LISTEN • BUY CD |CD Bachata rosa / 4.40 [1990] • LISTEN • BUY CD

Browse or buy Juan Luis Guerra CDs at amazon 

CD Ilegales [1995] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Hits [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD En directo [1993] • LISTEN • BUY CD

Browse or buy Ilegales CDs at amazon 

CD Serenata [2003] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Lleno de vida [1999] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD The Best ... [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD | Live CD En vivo [2000] • LISTEN

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CD Por tí [2003] • LISTEN • BUY CD | Live CD Acustico [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Sin limite [2001] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Espíritu libre [1996] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Pasiones [1994] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD 30 exitos insuperables [2003] • LISTEN • BUY CD

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Browse or buy Zafra Negra CDs at amazon 

CD Soledad [1997] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Una mujer como tú [1993] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD El amor da vida [1994] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Corazón, corazón [1998] • LISTEN

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CD Olga Viva, Viva Olga [1999] • LISTEN • BUY CD • REVIEW: Merengue firebrand Olga Tañón delivers her best material in a red-hot setting at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida. The Puerto Rican native spread her wings and dove into pop with her 1996 album Nuevos Senderos, and she still has that eagerness to mix it up. Among the choice cuts here are "Mi Eterno Amor Secreto," which mixes bluesy soul with romantic salsa, and "El Frio de Tu Adiós," for its melodic intensity and mature lyrics of accepting the end. Tañón shows off her versatility, swinging from the mid-tempo ballads "Presencié tu Amor," to the full-blown dance-pop workout of the bonus track "Viva la Música," which recalls the heavy percussion of Marc Anthony's "I Need to Know." --Review by Ramiro Burr

CD Una nueva mujer [2005] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Sobrevivir [2002] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD A puro fuego [2003] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Llevame contigo [1997] • LISTEN • BUY CD | CD Siente el amor [1995] • LISTEN • BUY CD

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Browse or buy Johnny Ventura CDs at amazon 

BROWSE MERENGUE CDs AT AMAZON:

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