We waited and waited and waited for this year’s offering from the fantastic Manolito y Su Trabuco- ready for the meaty tracks that explode as soon as your finger hits the play button, and we were....well,....disappointed.Don’t get me wrong. This is not a bad album and I still consider the group the greatest talent in Cuba today but this is just not what we expected.
The album slides towards our ears gently with ‘Relampago’, one of the numerous tracks penned by Amaray, now the band’s longest running member. We pass onto ‘Loco Por Tus Besos’ which is another relaxed, romantic tune complete with guitar and teclado sounds that are reminiscent of Manolito from the 90s. The same guitar introduces track 3 and El Nor’s debut recording with the group. This new singer straight from Maikel Blanco’s Salsa Mayor has a distinctive timbre and this track doesn’t do his voice justice. Perhaps this one was meant for his predecessor ‘El Indio’.
‘La Habana Me Llama’ is the super-popular track currently being blasted through the club sound systems of Havana and for a good reason- the arrangements are fab and the track builds, dies, builds and climaxes into the catchy coro that you will find yourself singing when you least expect it!
‘Collecionista de Canciones’ and ‘Corazon’ are more romantic Amaray offerings- not bad but not exactly slamming stuff.
Mayami’s bassy, rough vocals sex it up a little with ‘Muevete’ which grooves and gives us some of the Manolito we know and love and is one of the best tracks on the album Though some say that Mayami lacks in the vocal department, his talents lie elsewhere (lol) and brings something slightly raw to the album.
‘Niebla de Riachuelo’ features Andy Montanez on vocals and is more romantic stuff, then ‘Guines Que Le Pasa A Tata’ is another guest track by the legend Tata Guines who died earlier this year. Though good, why are these tracks on the album?
‘Popurri’ winds up several classic tracks together, but I can’t help feeling that the originals are far, far better and the salsaton ‘Control’ is more Manolito style but sadly is a bow to the reggaeton craze.
I’m disappointed. What happened guys? There are a few good tracks on the album, but as I said before, this is not the Manolito y Su Trabuco we know and love. Maybe too much writing opportunity has been given to Amaray (who is ever-fond of romantica) or maybe they are losing their recording momentum...They still ROCK live and it’s definitely worth seeing them as much as possible in Havana, but this recording is almost like a different band, a different genre, a different time.
Buy it, but don’t expect it to be like the other albums.
1 comment:
What a wonderful blog, and what a pity it's virtually not commented!
Just would like to share my opinion on that album. True, Manolito is possibly timba's #1, and true, it's far from being his best work. The timba freshers might find the old stuff potpourri the best track on the album, which would depict it the most eloquently. The jazzified rumba in "Control" is worthy, as well as obviously Andy Montañez's hearty vocal on "Niebla del Riachuelo". By the way, the profaning cover version of "Locos por mi Habana", that might have looked scandalous on one of Montañez's previous albums, in fact was recorded with Manolo's permission. They are friends.
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