Customer Reviews

Mi Tierra

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mi Tierra is such a special, sincere, romantic and most of all a very Cuban album. In the market now for 10 years and still has its musical magic comparable to the first time that I listened to this production. No doubt this is one of her most complete albums and perhaps her best in the category of tropical music. Gloria Estefan has always been a renowned singer in English and if I am not mistaken Mi Tierra is her first Spanish album and who would of thought that it would be so successful. This cd has various Cuban rhythms like son, traditional, boleros and salsa. The album has 12 songs in total and they are all wonderful. Once you start listening to the album there will be no need to stop. The first song will really coax you into listening to the rest of the recording. It's a very romantic bolero and at the same time very inspiring and well sung by Gloria which will leave you motivated to listen to the rest of the songs. There are very danceable ones such as the forever popular "Mi Tierra" as well as 'Ayer" and "Hablemos el mismo idioma". Mi Tierra is one of those albums that has no time frame because the songs will live forever and this music has no boundaries. It's for anyone who knows how to appreciate the beauty that it has to offer. I hope Gloria produces more Spanish albums. I think she was born to sing in her native language! Try to ascertain a copy while you can. This is wonderful tribute to Spanish music, people and culture! Arriba Cuba!

This is the sound of a brilliant career reaching its apex. Unless Gloria Estefan surprises us with a turn no one could anticipate, MI TIERRA will go down as the best music she ever produced.

That's no small statement, since Ms. Estefan has been wowing fans with one top-selling album after another from back in the days of the Miami Sound Machine.

I first came to know Gloria as a Latin singer while I was living in Latin America. Only subsequently did I become fully exposed to her English-language pop persona. Though Gloria was only two when her family emigrated to the US from Cuba and is therefore fully bilingual and bicultural, my opinion has always been that she excels when performing in Spanish.

MI TIERRA may well prove the point.

Backed up by rhythm and sound of astonishing consistency, Gloria sings a dozen winners (that's twelve out of twelve) on this CD despite some daring and unconventional moves ('Montuno' and 'Tradición').

Surprisingly, her opening gambit ('Con los años que me quedan') got the lion's share of this album's air time in spite of it not being the strongest piece of the puzzle. The gem among the dozen is 'Mi Tierra', which I believe to be the most poignant musical statement of the emigrant's dilemma ever peformed. There is a moment in this song when, amidst the nostalgic description of old Habana's streets and alleys, Ms. Estefan asks, 'Can I ever go back there? ... *Yo no sé*' (= 'I don't know'). The three-syllable staccato of her ambiguous reply touches every emigrant's secret knowledge that you can never truly go back to where you came from. Her unexpected response to a self-posed question leaps out and grabs you by the throat. It is one of Gloria's finest moments and a hypothetical pickle that events in her native land may soon give her an opportunity to confirm or refute.

'No hay mal que por bien no venga' projects the Latin American spunk and survivability that make it a region to grow old in with a smile.

Estefan has never had the pure horsepower of Latin stalwarts like, say, the late Celia Cruz. But whatever she has lacked in natural talent has been more than compensated by the class, consistency, and good public citizenship that she has exercised now into the stage of mature motherhood.

I hope she exceeds MI TIERRA. But I can't imagine it happening.

An astonishingly assured effort by Gloria Estefan, considered by many Gloriaphiles to be her best work. This sounds like an album of Afrocubanismo standards, like Linda Ronstadt's "Frenesi." Unlike Ms. Ronstadt's masterpiece, however, the songs on "Mi Tierra" are mostly original songs, many written by Gloria herself or by the great Estefano (who has written hits for Chayanne, Azucar Moreno, Paulina Rubio, Thalia, etc.). "Con los anos que me quedan" starts the CD off with a powerfully emotional ballad about making the most of life, fitting for an artist who survived a near-fatal bus crash. "Mi tierra" is Estefano's tribute to Gloria's homeland, and it wisely addresses it from a nostalgic, rather than political, perspective. "Ayer" is a lovely piece by Juanito Marquez, with a gorgeous chorus like the gentle lapping of warm ocean waves. "Mi buen amor" is another gentle Estefano song, this time with a gorgeous flute accompaniment by Nestor Torres. "Tus ojos" is lively and dancey, co-written by Emilio, who is often the rhythm behind Gloria's melodies. "No hay mal que por bien no venga," written by Cachao, has some gorgeous vocals by Jon Secada as well as stirring strings and woodwinds. It sounds very big band. "Si senor!" is a fiesty, fiery "son" of a song, seemingly infused with "la aroma de albahaca y hierbabuena" of Cuba and the beautiful Cuban people. "Volveras" slows down the pace, giving Gloria an opportunity to torch it up a bit. Not one of my favourite songs on the CD, this piece is nonetheless a great showcase for Gloria's voice. "Montuno" is another irresistable "son," written by Marquez. "Hablemos el mismo idioma" and "Tradicion," both co-written by the Estefans and thus deeply personal, are completely infused with movement and joy. The former reminds me of "Oye mi canto" from "Cuts Both Ways." In between these lively songs, we have the slow, sultry "Hablas de mi," another perfect showcase for Gloria's range. "Tradicion" is a perfect song to end on, since it expresses the credo of the Estefans: to continue the musical traditions of their forebears--Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Israel Lopez Cachao, Arturo Sandoval, etc. This CD manages to mix these Cuban influences with the old crew from Miami Sound Machine, add some great songwriting, and it all amounts to one of the greatest Latin language CDs of our time.

Out of the two spanish albums I have of Gloria this has got to be my favorite because she shows us a side of her we have never heard before what I mean is that she is going back to her roots singing in spanish. Being a Puerto Rican myself and after reading the liner notes inside I understand why it is so important to be a latino. The reason I love this cd is because of the great songs like Mi Tierra, Montuno, Hablemos El Mismo Idioma and Tradicion. So if you are in the mood for old time latin music then this cd is for you.

The lovely shot of Gloria you're looking at is not misleading. The music inside is just as beautiful as the artist. Gloria has long used Spanish music to let her artistic soul flourish and this is her masterpiece. This album is filled with beauty. If you love music and you want to hear the best of what it has to offer from around the world, then this is a perfect place to start.

Once the beautiful "With the Years That I Have Left" starts we are transported to an elegant and exotic club somewhere in South America. The sun has faded and a tropical moon has taken its place. The glossy hardwood counters are polished to perfection and the cherry finish complements a scattering of sego palms and Spanish lilies as wine glasses are filled with only the finest vintage.

Gloria's rich and emotional vocals surround the room and are backed by a lush orchestra and breezy spanish guitars. So rich is the atmosphere we can almost feel her moving around the room and smiling as she passes by our small table. The songs move from love of one's homeland to romantic love lost or waiting, and everything in-between.

Gloria fills this room with her magical phrasing of a beautiful language. We hear so many wonderful songs we dare not leave and miss a moment. There are songs of forgiveness and hope, and songs of true love and hanging on 'till the one lost to you returns. One song, the light and playful "Si Senor!" conjurs up images of the Andrew Sisters and another time.

One of the prettier songs we hear before our time in this moonlit paradise is over is "Volveras" (You'll Be Back). Gloria knows the man leaving her for another and taking her heart with him will be back, because he can't erase her memory. But we know it's only a song. No one could be foolish enough to leave this Cuban flower.

And all at once, it is over, and like all vacations, it has ended much too quickly. But what we've seen and heard has enriched and expanded our world. We want to come back once in awhile to feel like this again. Lucky for us we own this little keepsake of our time with Gloria in tropical paradise.

My family is cuban and this album is one of our greatest treasures. It is THE staple in our respective collections. Each one of us (5) has a copy in our homes and we regularly give it as a gift to anyone who may appreciate the Cuban culture. It embodies the Cuban experience and fills your home or car with joy and rhythym. I never get tired listening to it. From beginning to end, while listening to this album, your spirits will be lifted and you'll find yourself singing or dancing along with the music.

This is an incredible collection of música cubana. Gloria's voice is perfectly matched with a broad range of melodies and musical style. We hear salsa, cha cha and lush ballads. This album demonstrates the variety of styles available in Cuban music. I highly reccomend this album to anyone, whether or not you speak Spanish. I listen to this for my own enjoyment and I share it with my Spanish students. This album and "Abriendo Puertas" (Another all-Spanish album by Gloria) are two of my favorite albums in my 80+ CD collection. If you regret purchasing this album, email me and let me know.

Even more than artists like Celia Cruz, Estefan has popularized Cuban music and brought it into the mainstream. This is a well thought out album with many good songs, only a few fillers and a great beat. My only complaint, and I'm not trying to insult Estefan, is that there are other singers out there with a much better dynamic range (Celia Cruz, to name a big one). Still, you have to give her credit for boosting Cuban music sales and for doing a very solid job interpreting many classics and new works.

From the opening bars of the beautiful "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" (translation: "With the Years I have Left"), the luscious and seamless sounds of Gloria Estefan's heavenly music on MI TIERRA (MY HOMELAND) fill my heart with tenderness and longing. This wonderful ballad provides just a little taste of the range and brilliance of the music of Cuba, the country of Gloria Estefan's soul and rich heritage. How lucky are we that Estefan chose to share the music of her heart with us.

We hear a little bit of everything, from son montuno (a variation on the son, a typical Afro-Cuban rhythm) on "Si Senor! Es Mi Son!" to montuno on "Montuno" (another rhythmic traditional type of music whose influence is often heard in salsa, and transcends nationality, rooted in its uptempo beat). The lyrics in these pieces (translated into English) are pure poetry. They are filled with rich romantic imagery, passion, longing, pain and joy. Several were penned by Estefan and husband Emilio. They include "Mi Tierra (My Homeland)," "No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga (Out of All Bad, Some Good Things Come)" and "Hablemos El Mismo Idioma (Let's Speak The Same Language)." What's more, Gloria and Emilio Estefan had the beautiful concept of inviting (in their words on the CD jacket) "All-Star Latin Musicians" to participate. This includes the legendary bass player Israel Lopez "Cachao," flautist Nestor Torres, and Jon Secada (who co-wrote "No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga" with Gloria and Emilio, and Cachao).

This is, for me, some of the best music I have ever heard from Gloria Estefan's repertoire. This album is truly in a class by itself and I really think it's essential for any Latin Music collection.

¡Mi corazón y alma canta con este CD -- y así que voluntad el tuyo! (My heart and soul sings with this CD -- and so will yours!) Okay, so you can't read spanish -- I am pretty bad myself. But whether or not you know Spanish doesn't matter when it comes to this CD. You'll LOVE it. It is one of those rare CD's that I play over and over and over and over again without realizing it. It lifts my spirits, moves my feet and makes me dance!

MI TIERRA is not only a Grammy winner, it is a masterpiece. I have always loved Gloria Estefan (and the Miami Sound Machine) so this was a natural selection for me. All the cuts are great and it is hard to pick my favorites but definately Mi Tierra (my land or homeland), No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga (Out of all bad some good things come), Si Senior (Yes, sir its my s-o-n [an Afro-Cuban rhythm]) and Montuno (Montuno --another Afro-Cuban rhythm) top the list. The arrangements and the musicians on this CD are spectacular.

If you are interested (or even care) there are English translations included within the CD jacket. If you are looking for a change and a CD that you'll never tire of -- try this one. All I can say is, "Cante Gloria cantan. No puedo conseguir bastantes." (Sing Gloria sing. I can't get enough.)
;-)