Music Review: Alejandro Sanz: MTV Unplugged

 Alejandro Sanz: MTV Unplugged won the Latin Grammy for album of the year for 2002.  It is really a very enjoyable album.  It is a live recording from MTV.  It is a pop rock album with Flamenco influences.  My favorite song is "Cuando Nadie Me Ve" "When Nobody Sees Me."  It is the first song and sets a good tone for all that follows.  He sings of death of a friend who passed away in a motorcycle accident in "Se Me Apegó la Luz" "My Light Went Out."  it is very nice and an early Sanz hit that made him a star.  He sings of paternal love when he wrote "Y Solo Se Me Ocurre Amarte" "It Only Occurs to Me to Love You" after his first daughter, Manuela, was born.  "Aprendiz" "Apprentice" which reminds me a great deal of my ex daughter-in-law.  She was so toxic (and still is) but is very good about saying bad about those around her, not taking blame for anything and gaslighting that is as Carlos Sanz sings "of you my heart has learned."  He sings of broken hearts, "Corazón Partió"  He ends with a flamenco, "Todo es de Color" "Everything is in Color."  This is a very enjoyable C.D.  I would like to listen to more of his music.  

Spanish Music Review: RosalÍa: EL MAL QUERER

 Rosalía is from Spain.  Her music has many influences, including Tango.  She tries many different music styles which do not always work.  Her singing is very atypical.  In "Que no Salga la Luna" she almost sounds Arabic.  It does have a Flamenco rhythm.  One of the songs is called Bagdad.  It is very hard to follow because she does lots of ohohoh and ayayay runs.  This is her second of four albums.  You could say that Rosalía started a new Flamenco style of music.  All of the songs were written by Rosalía with cowriters on most.  C. Tangana a rap singer and her boyfriend ag the time was credited with being a co writer on nine of the eleven songs.  Another rapper El Guincho is credited credited on all eleven songs.  In the end we have a combination of rap, new Flamenco, pop, tango and religious chanting on this album.  Sometimes it is effective but other songs less so.