Almas del Silencio [ENHANCED]

Ricky Martin

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Sony International
• ASIN: B0000950ZC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,765 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Being a pop icon is nothing new to the Grammy-winning, Puerto Rican singer/actor Ricky Martin. He was a child star with the '80s kid group Menudo. And he was a regular on the soap opera General Hospital. But he hit the big time in 1999 with his smash Anglo hit Livin’ la Vida Loca. On his new CD, Martin returns to his Hispanic roots with this zesty Spanish language release, which translates as Souls of Silence. Backed by poetic and pulsating string/synth/horn production from Tommy Torres, George Noriega, Emilo Estefan and Stefano, this effort comes with all of Martin's grand moods and grooves. The fiery, flamenco-flavored "Jaleo" is rendered in Latin pop and hip-hop, Spanglish versions. Both takes, along with the equally danceable numbers like "Besos de Fuego," are designed to move your bon bon. But Martin's bolero ballads "Tal Vez," the title track, penned by the other Latin star Alejandro Sanz, and Ricardo Arjona's "Assignatura Pendiente" show that Martin can sing for the heart and the hips. With this effort, Ricky Martin moves into Celine Dion territory and may be able to keep his loyal Latino dance/ pop fans while making new ones in the adult contemporary market. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not ballad fan, but LOVE THE REST!!!, May 24, 2003

By	Melody (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

I graded all his tracks from his new CD.

Tracks 1 & 13 are Spanish & Spanglish version of the song "Jaleo" -- I give them A+.

Track 2, Tal Vez, really big ballad project. I give it only a C. His love ballads sound predictably sappy and feel over-produced. Just my opinion.

Track 3, Jamas. Hello Ricky!! Keep it coming!!! Upbeat and awesomely authentic Latin feel. Truly great trombones in there too. A++.

Track 4, Si Tu Te Vas. Another ballad. Oh...this one has piano in it. But, still, I'm asleep.....C.

Track 5, Nadie Mas Que Tu. The intro has my attention. Then it turns into ANOTHER ballad. Well, Ricky actually wrote part of this song himself. So I give it a B- for the extra effort.

Track 6, Besos De Fuego. AHHH!!!!!!! A+++. Vocals are so smooth! Plus I have already been able to memorize half the song already. And the percussion has heated up with this track. Again with the trombones too.

Track 7, Asignatura Pendiente. Why throw in this right after that last one? C-. I must save all the ballads for my cool-down after a good workout....

Track 8, Juramento. This all sounds like a movie filmed in the desert. Very desperado-like. But a great driving tempo. Like a locomotive or galloping stallions. And nice chants thrown in. A++.

Track 9, Y Todo Queda En Nada. Pleasant, so I give it a B- because I could listen to it while I was working and not be tempted to take a dance break.

Track 10, Si Ya No Estas Aqui. A++++++. My Ricky is back!!! Listen to the passages with percussion, strings and layered vocals. SOOOO Caribbean. So very island-like....I wish I knew what he was singing because I sense that this song has a human message in it.

Track 11, Raza De Mil Colores. A++++++. African-sounding drums. Another human message I might might be missing here? AWESOME to dance to. Syncopation and voices galore, and the piano is back on track with a native Spanish sound. Hurray for the last 2 tracks! Hurray because he could have done something entirely different after his US success a few years ago. This is just well-done Latin and so much everything I've always liked about his music.

Track 12. Las Almas Del Silencio. Here's that sad piano again. I KNOW people love his ballads. He must like them too or he wouldn't do them. I need to get a hold of English lyrics and maybe that would tell me why these ballads are so important to his career. C.

I rate this CD a success because over half of the tracks got an A+. These A+ songs make a really solid set I might not break up to play along with music from his past. Probably always they should be heard together.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ricky's Triumphant Return!, May 26, 2003

By	Kevin Rodriguez "Loaded Man" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The hip-shaking, Latin superstar Ricky Martin returns to the music scene after a 2-year self-imposed hiatus with a new album that undoubtedly will propel him back to #1 status in Latin America and all over the world. After writing and recording 36 songs for his upcoming English CD, Ricky decided to stop in his tracks and make a comeback in his native tongue first. This album contains 13-tracks, including a Spanglish version of his second single, "Jaleo" which is sure to get airplay in Top-40 stations across the country. The lead-off single, "Tal Vez" which debuted on the Hot Latin tracks chart at #1 and stayed there for 7 weeks consecutively, has crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 this week as it debuted at #74, a tremendous feat for a song recorded in Spanish. On this album, Ricky enlisted a few of his "friends" who also happen to be the best songwriters in the Latin music industry such as Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Ricardo Arjona, Jon Secada, and Tommy Torres. In addition, Ricky co-wrote the 3rd single to released from the CD, titled "Nadie Mas Que Tu" a beautifully performed ballad that will move you emotionally. Other standout tracks include the highly-rhythmic "Besos De Fuego, the emotional "Y Todo Queda En Nada" and "Si Ya No Estas Aqui" which was produced by Emilio Estefan. "Almas Del Silencio" will go down as the top-selling Latin album of 2003 and will surely break many sales records before its run on the charts is complete. Do I see another Grammy next year for Ricky? A resounding YES! DA-ME JA-LE-OOO!!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ricky bears his soul......., May 21, 2003

By	Daryl B (Nashville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

Ricky Martin has had a wild ride the last few years. First came his widely acclaimed Spanish cd "Vuelve" followed by a show stopping performance of "Copa de la Vida" at the 2000 Grammys. When he later released his first English language cd that year, it became a huge hit, selling over 15 million copies. His next English cd sold 4 million copies and some people began to insinuate that he was just another one hit wonder. This new cd, "Almas del Silencio", proves the naysayers wrong. By returning to his Latin roots, Ricky is now singing with more passion, delivering a disc of beautiful ballads and some percussion heavy songs that make you want to jump up and dance. My favorite songs are "Jaleo", "Tal Vez", "Besos de Fuego", "Juramento", "Raza de Mil Colores", and the title track "Las Almas del Silencio". Also included in this cd set is the Spanglish version of "Jaleo", one of the first singles from the new cd. Ricky has included some of Latin music's most talented new singers and songwriters including Spain's Alejandro Sanz and Grammy winning singer/songwriter Juanes. You don't have to speak Spanish to enjoy this cd (I don't). If you are a Ricky fan, you will definitely want to add this refreshing cd to your collection. An added bonus is a interview cd (en espanol) with Ricky discussing the songs and chatting with the different contributors to this new set of songs. "Tal Vez", another single that has been released, has already hit number 1 on Billboard's Latin music chart. I think more number ones are bound to follow. Bottom line---if you enjoy Latin music, buy this cd!