Customer Reviews

Monna Bell 40 Exitos [Edicion Limitada] La Mejor Coleccion..

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Recientemente compré esta colección de EMI. Se compone de dos discos com-
pactos. La selección de canciones fue acertada, aunque tengo que admitir
que hubiese deseado más canciones que no hubiese oido anteriormente, ya que no se consigue mucho de Monna Bell en Puerto Rico. El sonido es exce-
lente, muy limpio y pueden oirse claramente no sólo la voz de la cantante
sino la instrumentación. Me encantó su versión de Marea Baja y de Yo sin tí. De las mejores que he escuchado. Recomiendo este disco sin reservas
para aquel que quiera escuchar lo que es una verdadera diva de la canción
popular.

M. Cintrón

Monna Bell was one of the greatest vocalists in Latin pop. That should say it all, however in Miss Bell's case there is so much more. She had a unique sound that was immediately recognized and was truly one of the few Jazz singers in the history of Latin American music. Her phrasing was spotless, her timing perfect and her ability to turn a banal tune such as El Telegrama into an important musical statement is unparalleled in south of the border show-biz. Dozens of Latin vocalists have acknowledged publicly how Monna Bell inspired and influenced their musical careers, among them Lissette, Juan Gabriel and Lucha Villa. Others have not been so outspoken but you can hear the Bell influence in their voices.

If you think I'm over the top on my praises let me tell you that I am merely reminding both the public and the record industry of Miss Bell's place in history. You see, for years Monna's legacy has been grossly neglected to the point that she is almost unknown to the new generations of Latins and to the record executives that took over the business in the last two decades. Most of the time they just don't know how to market Miss Bell's recordings properly depriving younger audiences of a chance to discover the unique talents of this gifted vocalist. Meanwhile fortunes are spent in promoting Latino-Light versions of Madonna, Britney Spears or, worse, Lady Ga Ga. Don't get me wrong. I know that music evolves in time and that young audiences want something that sounds current and there's nothing wrong with that. But we should never forget the greats that preceded us and their legacy (their recordings) should not be swept under the carpet.

Now that I got all that out of my chest I will comment on this 40 Exitos of Monna Bell released by EMI Music in Mexico. The 2 CD set offers most of Monna's greatest Hispavox hit recordings as well as other material which had been previously unreleased in CD format. The remastered sound is excellent although the mono versions were favored over the stereo, an issue that puzzles me because if there are stereo versions why keep releasing the mono? Still let's concentrate on the blessings that this set is available and it is a proper witness of Miss Bell's genius. From her fun-filled award winning "Un Telegrama" to her dramatic tour de force in "La Montaña", the two CDs are full of great music by a great artist. American listeners who do not understand Spanish will recognize many of the selections like "Un Amor Inolvidable" (the love theme from the film "An Affair To Remember"), "En El Azul Del Cielo" (Volare), "La Chica de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema), "Marea Baja" (Ebb Tide), "La Sombra de tu Sonrisa" (The Shadow of your Smile) and many others which were huge hits in the US by local artists. Indeed, order this excellent collection of Monna Bell and get turned on by an unrepeatable unbeatable songbird.

I am really happy someone got the idea of remaster and publishing this beautiful collection of the Monna Bell' songs. She was one of the best singers on late fifties. In fact, she won with her son TELEGRAMA the Benidorm Songs Festival in 1959 -the same year when I was born- fifty years ago. Her great performance of RECUERDOS DE IPACARAI is, in my opinion, THE BEST version of this wonderful latin american song. I did look in vain for longtime this CD that I heard in vinyl LP when I was a child. Her voice tone is unique and wonderful for jazz songs in Latin American style. Thank you for offer this CD collection to Monna Bell's fans. She is forever a SUPERSTAR!