Customer Reviews

Alma Caribena - Caribbean Soul

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The two words that come to mind when listening to this album are "rich" and "lush". This is Gloria Estefan's third Spanish-language album, and with this album she re-asserts herself as the originator of the 'resurgencia' of Latin music in the last twenty years. Unlike "Abriendo Puertas", which featured the musical styles of Central and South America, this album stays closer to the rhythms and instrumentation of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with deft touches of violin, flute and conga. By far the best song on the album is not the first one released, "No Me Dejes De Querer" (a very good song indeed), but "Tres Gotas De Agua Bendita", a duet with legendary Celia Cruz. Also good is "Por Un Beso", a song so Cuban, you can smell the cigars and daiquirís of 1950's Havana. Another treat is "Tengo Que Decirte Algo", which strays into Mexican territory with hints of Mariachi guitar and trumpet, and the great voice of José Feliciano. The general feel of the album is slower and more romance-inspiring than that of both "Mi Tierra" and "Abriendo Puertas". A plus for "Anglo" buyers is the inclusion of English translations of the lyrics in the liner notes (found in MT, but not AP). You will find this album a good listen, as Gloria's voice is very much at home in these songs. If you have enjoyed the recent re-emergence of Ibrahim Ferrer and the Buena Vista Social Club artists, then this album is for you. I highly recommend it.

In '93 Gloria Estefan pleasantly surprised the world; With her Grammy award winning, all spanish album "Mi Tierra" she celebrated her Cuban heritage and drove the Globe Salsa crazy. She then followed it up with her 2nd Grammy winner in '95, "Abriendo Puertas" which not only unleashed more Salsa, but combined it with the rhythms of hispanic countries worldwide to create a unique and highly danceable fusion. Now she has revealed "Alma Caribena/Caribbean Soul". In what has to be her most accomplished work to date, Gloria seamlessly blends the rhythms of Cuba with those of Panama, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. But the biggest surprise of all is how confident and passionate she sounds here. Gloria not only reveals a more sexy style with her vocals, she embraces it and really lets loose on such tracks as "Por un Beso" (For a Kiss) where her lush voice drips with sensuality and attitude as She confronts her partner for betraying their love. Then on the Salsa driven "Tres Gotas de agua bendita" (a duet with Salsa legend Celia Cruz) her honey soaked vocals dance over a bed of propelling latin percussion complimented by a swooping horn section. However one of the highlights of the album has to be the tropical ballad "Como me duele perderte" where Gloria has never before sounded so genuinely sad as she reflects on a lost lover. Accompanied by a beautifully melodic spanish guitar, enveloping percussion and a touching violin solo, this track is sure to be a worldwide smash when it's released as a single. The lyrics on this whole collection are cutting edge and poetic, most evident on "Tengo que decirte algo" the duet with Jose Feliciano where she confesses to him her act of adultery and begs for forgiveness. Another clever aspect of the album is in it's complex production. Just when you think the Salsa rhythm has stopped for a ballad, suddenly the arrangement whirls into a Salsa surprise and once again the beat never really lets up. Perhaps Gloria planned the trip from "Mi Tierra" to "Abriendo Puertas" to "Alma Caribena/Caribbean Soul" as a trilogy in her Spanish language albums but unlike most trilogies of cinema, this third outing is her best piece of work to date. Even if you're not a fan of Ms Estefan, you should include this in your collection as "THE" Salsa album.

Although it does lack the traditional upbeat/dance numbers that Gloria fans are used to, this album is still an outstanding collection. The first play may leave you confused as some of the songs sound similar, but on the second listen, themes like "Como Me Duele Perderte","Te Tengo A Ti", "Tres Gotas De Agua Bendita", and of course the phenomenal "No Me Dejes De Querer" really stand out. It's no huge party album that fans come to expect, but still an album well worth buying. Gloria es la reina!

Being Puerto Rican, I love to dance the Salsa, meringue, and music that just makes you swing. This latest from my most favorite diva is misleading. The cover of the CD shows her getting it down and dancing. Well, when I popped this cd in I couldn't dance to a single one.

Don't let the other reviews here fool you. If you like a lot of s-l-o-w, and I mean s-l-o-w ballads, then hey, I highly recommend this CD. If you're expecting real latin music, than the best picks are Abriendo Puertas (my favorite, because you can dance to all of the tracks) and Mi Terra (Just LOVE Mi Terra!). Gloria is my favorite singer of all time, and I worship her and all, but Gloria, honey, you really let me down on this one.

As a long time Gloria fan, I eagerly await each new Spanish release from her. I have found each to be excellent, each different in their own way.

Jose Feliciano and Celia Cruz each add their own unique stamp to the album - both songs work very well and are a nice compliment to the songs which feature Gloria.

A number of people have said here that they expected a lively Carribean disc. While there is no shortage of songs like that here, especially the very fun, incredibly rhythmically complex "Tres Gotas De Agua Bendita" with Celia Cruz, I don't think that will stop anyone from enjoying the music. The ballads, like "Como Me Duele Perderte", and especially "Me Voy" are absolutely beautiful. "Me Voy" is possibly the best song Gloria has ever recorded - the melody, lyrics and the emotion of her delivery are heartbreaking.

The only clunker on the CD is the hideous final track, the dance mix of "No Me Dejes De Querer". As a professional jazz and rock musician, it pains me to hear synthesized noise masquerading as music. The beauty of the rest of this album is the incredible production/mix and musicians' talents. I have to skip through this song every time.

The music of Gloria Estefan inspired me to learn Spanish. An entire world of music, friends, experiences and love has been opened up to me because of Gloria Estefan. Thank you once again Gloria.

I must admit this album took me by surprise because I was expecting something comparable to "Mi Tierra" which by far is one of the best tropical albums of all time. I think the title of this album is where the deception lies. "Alma caribena" leads one to believe that the album is soulful, upbeat and possibly danceable. However, the album cannot be described as such. It is rather mellow, nostalgic and slow paced with a few tropical songs which definitely uplift the production. I found it hard to rate this album at first because I did not want my perception of what I expected to hear influence my assessment of what the album really has to offer. No question about it's definitely a tropical album but contains mostly boleros with four songs that can fit into the category of salsa more or less or "tropical music". The musical arrangements are creative and the cuban influence and elements can be heard. In a nutshell expect a a very mellow slow-paced album with balads/boleros in a tropical rhythm. This album is good for easy listening and background music. Instead of "Alma caribena" maybe it should be called "Alma diferente". Overall it's a solid production.

I am truly HORRIFIED by the lackluster reviews Alma Caribeña has received by some so called "fans." It is not to say that all fans should love Gloria's music if it is bad; but this album is certainly one of her best. Gloria has never sounded so genuine. You can hear her emotions in these songs. This is truly a Carribean Soul. "No Me Dejes de Querer" is a wonderful song, but listen to the heartache in "Como Me Duele Perderte" and the fun she has with Celia Cruz (the original diva) in "Tres Gotas de Agua Bendita." This is not a mediocre album. You can tell that Gloria and Emilio worked long and hard making this album perfect. This is a must have for anyone who enjoys listening to quality music. Even if you don't understand Spanish, you will understand Gloria's Carribean Soul.

Well, I was expecting a lot of flashy salsa rhythms. I was surprised by the large amount of baladas on this cd. My favorite songs are: No me Dejes de Querer (it is sooooooooo neat), and then Gotas de agua bendita (that is neat too), and the duet w/ Jose Feliciano is pretty. I don't care for all of the balads, they get tiring, although they are very pretty. The Pablo Flores mix of No me dejes, is not that special, but I guess a good dance mix. Although I was a bit disappointed with this cd, I gave it 5 stars, b/c what I do like on it, I like a lot, and I think that it is a good cd regardless, I was just expecting a lot more out of it, in terms of up beat salsa rhythms.

Incredible how Gloria can weave from one musical genre to another with such ease and create original,classic and commercially successful music simultaneously! Yes, the CD is more on the ballad side, but then again, isn't she identified for her ballads ("Anything For You," "Don't Wanna Lose You," "Cuts Both Ways," "Here We Are," etc.)in the first place? Also, I don't think listeners and fans should be all that disappointed that it is a ballad heavy cd since one can easily turn to her fabulous "gloria!" cd which is ALL original dance/club music! As for Alma Caribena it's absolutely lush and her vocal phrasing and stylings are definitely new ground for her as well. I suspect these new vocal stylings are throwing many listeners off.......is she REALLY missing those notes or is it the phrasing? Finally, if you want more spanish dance sounds do check out her club remixes from this album beginning with the Pablo Flores remixes of "No Me Dejes De Querer" of which one version is the last track included on this CD. Enjoy it! and greatjob GLORIA!

I was anxious awaiting Glorias new release and bought it last week even before the official releasedate, May 23rd. Upon listening to it for the first time I was kind of disappointed in one way. The cuban/caribean sound is there but I miss the uptempo rhythm which was present in her previous latindisc "Mi Tierra". Far the best song of "Alma Caribeña" is "No me dejes de querer" with an extra great remix by Pablo Flores. I'm looking forward to new remixes that will surely pop up in the near future. Nevertheless, Gloria keeps me amazing with her bright voice and her good music that can't stop you from dancing.