Customer Reviews

A Mis Amigos

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A Mis Amigos is a charming Nat King Cole CD; and even if you don't understand a word of Spanish you'll enjoy this for sure! Nat is at his very best here; his voice is truly a fine tuned instrument. The artwork is wonderful; and the quality of the sound leaves nothing to be desired.

The track set starts off with Nat performing "Ay, Cosita Linda." Nat sings with a Brazilian beat about how he set eyes on a beautiful young woman the previous night. Nat's excellent diction bolsters his performance and I love this starting tune! "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" features Nat front and center with a great arrangement for the strings and percussion. Nat sings of his woman's beauty and how their romantic time alone together means so much to him. There's also "Caboclo Do Rio;" this tune has Nat handling tempo changes like the pro he always was. I believe the lyrics for this song are in Portuguese.

"Fantastico" sports a feisty beat and Nat sings this to perfection; he's so happy that he has his one true love in his life. "Nadie Me Ama" is another highlight of this album; this gentle torchy love ballad is both melancholy and yet somewhat sweet at once. Only Nat could pull that off! "Perfidia" has a stunning arrangement and Nat sings beautifully of how he wants his one true love with all his heart--and he sings this with all his heart and soul as well! The beautiful Latin arrangement greatly enhances the natural beauty of this number.

"Nao Tenho Lagrimas" is sung in Portuguese; this lively ballad gets you moving as Nat sings this with energy, zest and enthusiasm unlike almost any other male singer ever could! The percussion and the drums help to carry the melody along very well. "Tu Eres Tan Amable" switches back to Spanish; Nat again sings so wonderfully of the woman he loves and wants to be his soul mate. The strings work wonders for "Tu Eres Tan Amable" and Nat never misses a beat!

There's also the Spanish version of "L-O-V-E;" of course Nat sings this more wonderfully than any other crooner ever could; and the elegant arrangement for the piano makes the melody very pretty and memorable.

"Come To The Mardi Gras" is in a language I think I recognize--it's English! LOL Nat delivers this with panache and the complicated vocal arrangement poses no problem for Nat; he was THAT good. The album ends with Nat performing "Come Closer To Me." "Come Closer To Me" works well as Nat sings this with great work from the strings.

Overall, A Mis Amigos is a great album by the immortal Nat King Cole. I recommend this for his fans; and people who enjoy classic pop vocals in Spanish will never want to part with this CD.

This was one of three latin-themed albums pop crooner Nat "King" Cole recorded back in the Eisenhower era... Although we'd hardly consider this "world music" today, this excursion was pretty hep back in the late 1950s, particularly since Cole flew down to Rio and recorded with the locals while on tour in South America. Unfortunately, the liner notes don't say just who was backing him here -- apparently bandleader Dave Cavanaugh went with him to help run the sessions -- but from the brassy tones one might imagine that jazz/gafieira bandleaders such as Astor Silva, Zacaraias or Radames Gnattali were involved. The flexibilty of Brazilian sensibilities is readily apparent since only a handful of these tunes were originally of Brazilian vintage -- most are tangos and boleros from elsewhere in Latin America, but the Brazilians breeze through it all without batting an eye. Cole's phonetically-based pronunciation is atrocious, moreso in Portuguese than in Spanish, but it also lends a kitschy, retro charm. I'm sure everyone appreciated the thought, anyway. This new edition greatly expands on the 1959 original, including several recordings that were previously only available on collector's records in Europe and Latin America, and in a couple of cases, only as singles in Brazil! It'll grow on you. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Music Guide)

This 1958-59 compilation is easily the best selling of about 3 albums of mostly songs in spanish and some in portuguese recorded by the inmortal Nat King Cole. These songs were recorded in Cuba, Mexico, Brazil and possibly Argentina. These are all time classics like: "Ay Cosita Linda", from Colombia, the english version of Cuba's Osvaldo Farres, "Acercate Mas" entitled "Come Closer to Me" and "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" both recorded in Cuba in 1958. Also "Capullito de Aleli" by Rafael Hernandez of Puerto Rico and from Brazil, classics like "Caboclo do Rio", "Ninguem Me Ama", also included in this compilation is its spanish version, "Nadie Me Ama", "Nao Tenho Lagrimas", Chile's "Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros", Venezuela's "Ansiedad" popularized in those days by singer Adilia Castillo,Portugal's "Lisboa Antigua" aka "Coimbra", and also album bonus tracks like "Suas Maos", "Tu Eres Tan Amable" and "Fantastico", possibly never before released. This album was part of several covering Nat King Cole's Latin American tour of 1958 and 1959. Nat King Cole had many fans there and he reciprocated with a historical tour that will remain forever in the hearts and memories of those of us who lived there.
Viva Nat King Cole! Nunca te olvidaremos! Long live Nat King Cole, we will never forget you!