Alma Caribeña (CD - 2000)

Personnel includes: Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Jose Feliciano (vocals); Rene L. Todelo (12-string acoustic & Spanish guitars, cuatro); Sal Cuevas (acoustic guitar, acoustic & electric basses, background vocals); Manny Lopez (guitar, requinto); Justo L. Rivera (guitar); Yomo Toro (quatro); Nelson Gonzalez (tres); Luis R. Torres (flute, baritone saxophone); Nestor Torres (flute); Ejidio Cuadrado (accordion); Hernan "Teddy" Mulet (trumpet, trombone, background vocals); Jorge Torres (trumpet); Papo Lucca (piano); Pedro Perez Rivera, Nicky Orta (bass); Jorge A. Padilla (bongos, congas); Daniel Lopez (congas, timbales); Edwin Bonilla (timbales, guira, maracas, percussion); Robert Blades, Wendy Pederson, Angie Chirino (background vocals).

Producers include: Emilio Estefan, Jr., Robert Blades, George Noriega, Randall Barlow, Rene L. Toledo.

Engineers include: Scott Canto, Sebastian Krys, Javier Garza.

"No Me Dejes De Querer" won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Music Video and was nominated for Best Tropical Song.

ALMA CARIBENA won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.

ALMA CARIBENA won the 2001 Billboard Latin Music Award for Female Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year.

This is a Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players.

Personnel includes: Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Jose Feliciano (vocals); Rene L. Todelo (12-string acoustic & Spanish guitars, cuatro); Sal Cuevas (acoustic guitar, acoustic & electric basses, background vocals); Manny Lopez (guitar, requinto); Justo L. Rivera (guitar); Yomo Toro (quatro); Nelson Gonzalez (tres); Luis R. Torres (flute, baritone saxophone); Nestor Torres (flute); Ejidio Cuadrado (accordion); Hernan "Teddy" Mulet (trumpet, trombone, background vocals); Jorge Torres (trumpet); Papo Lucca (piano); Pedro Perez Rivera, Nicky Orta (bass); Jorge A. Padilla (bongos, congas); Daniel Lopez (congas, timbales); Edwin Bonilla (timbales, guira, maracas, percussion); Robert Blades, Wendy Pederson, Angie Chirino (background vocals).

Producers include: Emilio Estefan, Jr., Robert Blades, George Noriega, Randall Barlow, Rene L. Toledo.

Engineers include: Scott Canto, Sebastian Krys, Javier Garza.

"No Me Dejes De Querer" won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Music Video and was nominated for Best Tropical Song.

ALMA CARIBENA won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.

Personnel: Emilio Regueira Pérez (rap vocals); Rene Toledo (guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, Spanish guitar, cuatro); Sal Cuevas (guitar, acoustic guitar, bajo sexto, acoustic bass, electric bass); Manny López (guitar, cuatro); Justo Rivera, José Feliciano (guitar); Herman "Teddy" Mulet (acoustic guitar, cuatro, trumpet, trombone); Yomo Toro (cuatro); Nelson Gonzalez (tres); Omar Hernandez, Nicky Orta (bajo sexto); David Ewart, Gil Romero, Katia Popov, Barbara Porter, Debra Price, Mari Tsumura, Robert Gerry, Gina Kronstadt, Rachel Purkin, Jennifer Bellusci, Brian Leonard, Darius Campo, Pedro Alfonso (violin); Matt Funes, Jorge Moraga, Carole Castillo, Andrew Picken, John Scanlon, Ron Strauss, Brian Dembow, Keith Greene, Harry Shirinian (viola); Paula Hochhalter, Jodi Burnett, Miguel Martinez, Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Stephen Erdody (cello); Luis Rafael Torres (flute, baritone saxophone); Nestor Torres (flute); Egidio Cuadrado (accordion); Bruce Dukov (concertina); Ed Calle (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Randall Barlow (trumpet, keyboards, programming); Jorge Torres, Jason Carder, José Sibaja (trumpet); Papo Lucca, Paquito Hechavarria (piano); Joel Someillan (keyboards, programming); George Noriega (keyboards); Archie Pena (drums, percussion); Jorge Padilla (congas, bongos); Daniel Lopez (congas, timbales, percussion); Juan Nogueras (congas); Edwin Bonilla (guiro, maracas, timbales, percussion); Reyneiro Perez (programming); Ricardo Gaitán (drum programming).

Audio Mixer: Sebastián Krys.

Recording information: Calima Music Studios; Capitol Studios, CA; Cresant Moon Studios, Miami, FL; Out Line Studios, Miami, FL; Pianissimo Productions, Puerto Rico; The Hit Factory Of Florida, Inc.

Director: Herman "Teddy" Mulet.

Arrangers: Randall Barlow; Robert Blades; Reyneiro Perez; George Noriega; Papo Lucca; Rene Toledo; Jorge Calandrelli; Juan Vincente Zambrano; José Antonio Molina.

Alma Caribeña (Caribbean Soul), Gloria Estefan's third Spanish-language album, is another assured, varied effort in the tradition of its predecessors, Mi Tierra (1993) and Abriendo Puertas (1995), both of which were popular successes. The album is a virtual tour of the Caribbean Islands, not only presenting styles from the singer's native Cuba but also from other Latin American countries. Much of the record has a traditional feel with acoustic instruments prominent, but that doesn't prevent a wide range of rhythms and musical approaches from being used. Salsa, son, murga, bolero, bachata, and Afro-Cuban styles are mixed, sometimes several in one song. Estefan sings with assurance and is joined for one song each by Latin music forbears Celia Cruz and José Feliciano. Though the album is intensely rhythmic, there is little for the singer's dance audience until the end, when a remix of the first single, "No Me Dejes de Querer (Don't Stop Loving Me)," provides the requisite dancefloor entry. ~ William Ruhlmann

ALMA CARIBENA is surely Gloria Estefan's most uncompromisingly Latino roots record since 1995's ABRIENDO PUERTAS. Unlike the latter though, which takes a more Pan-Latin American approach to tradition, ALMA CARIBENA steers decidedly toward the island of Cuba. The tasty lineup of top-notch producers (Emilio Estefan, Jr., Rene Toledo), songwriters (Robert Blades, the Estefans) and distinguished guests (Celia Cruz, Papo Lucca) makes for a classy dose of roots pop.

Gloria opens the sumptuous bolero, "Por Un Beso," with a primal cry of desperation that awakens the romantic senses. Papo Lucca commands a lush big band chart filled with thrilling stop-starts and snappy trombone, tres and piano solos. "Punto De Referencia," sets out as a dreamy, pared-down acoustic love tune overflowing with water imagery, before taking off into a full-blown salsa passage. "Solo Por Tu Amor" continues in the same pop-bolero vein, with a rosy twist of flute and strings and the delightful accordion of Egidio Cuadrado (of Carlos Vives fame). Jose Feliciano joins Gloria for an amicable duet on "Tengo Que Decirte Algo," while the regal Celia Cruz joins in on "Tres Gotas," a fun salsa take on grandmothers and their old-world ways. minimize