Pura Vida

Chino Espinoza | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dimelo! Records
• ASIN: B0009VBTPU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,446 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Born Mirley Espinoza in the city of Alajuela, Costa Rica, this Los Angeles-based salsa singer/bandleader (better known by his fellow's musicians and fans as "Chino El Salsero") is the new vocal talent of this town. He was raised in a home full of musical love, as his father was one of the leading percussionists in Costa Rica--a talent reflected 100% in Espinoza's younger brother César Espinoza, who is one of the leading percussionists in the Los Angeles Latin music scene, as well as the musical director of Los Dueños del Son. But it was his mother who inspired and passed on the love for singing to a young Chino. "My mother was always singing around the house," he remembers. The great ballad vocalists of Latin America and Spain, like José José and Raphael, influenced Chino's passion for singing, but it was through his father that he came to love the tropical sounds of El Gran Combo, La Sonora Matancera, Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Machito. By the time he and his brother César carne of age, they where both devoted to the Afro-Caribbean rhythms defined within the umbrella of salsa. In 1989, Chino arrived in Los Angeles, California, and within a year, he joined the ranks of the Opa Opa International Orchestra, an ensemble led by a fellow Costa Rican, trumpeter Oswaldo Bernard. In 1995, he recorded his first CD as lead vocalist for the band, under the Warner Brothers label. After five years with Opa Opa, he worked with several of the top musical groups in town, including the Malibu Salsa All Stars, The L.A. Jazz All Stars, and several other ensembles formed to accompany many of the top touring artists that annually carne through LA, such as Celia Cruz, Eddy Santiago, Tito Puente Jr., Tony Vega, Domingo Quiñones and Michael Stuart. For many years, he was also the lead singer of the group Son Mayor (a local favorite salsa outfit known for irs high energy and aggressive style of playing). Chino's vocals have been also featured on the recordings of Bobby Rivas, Pe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good for dancing salsa, August 20, 2008

By 

mamber-m (Champaign, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pura Vida (Audio CD)

I don't know much about theory of (salsa) music or the singer Chino Espinoza, but this is one danceable CD. Not too fast or too slow for salsa, and with perfect amount/strength of claves. If you like, for example, Sonora Carruseles, I think you'll like the artist, too. A bit more modern than Carruseles (less retro fravour) but equally danceable.

One complain is that I don't like "Yeah!". There are two versions of them! I guess those who love reggaeton appreciate the song but I don't simply because it is not a good salsa dancing song. Or maybe I am tired of this song.

Finally, I like the new album, "Maria", better. I hope he will produce a lot of danceable CDs in the future.