Una Nueva Mujer (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Olga Tañón (vocals); Rafael Carrasco (guitar, tamboura, tambora); Pablo Manavello, Sergio Minski (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Yasmil Marrufo (acoustic guitar, cuatro, bajo sexto); José Luis Morín A. (acoustic guitar, programming); Sal Cuevas (bajo sexto, bass instrument); Ricardo Martinez (bajo sexto); Juan "Chocolate" DeLaCruz (tamboura, congas, tambora); Orlando J. Forte, Mei Mei Luo, Kurt Coble, Scott Flavin, Joan Faigen, Alfredo Oliva, Pedro Alfonso (violin); Chris Glansdorp (cello); Iker Gastaminza (accordion, programming); Angel Torres (alto saxophone); Tedoy Mullet (trumpet, trombone); Luis Aquino (trumpet); Manuel Tejada (piano, keyboards, bass instrument, programming); José Luis Arroyave (keyboards, programming); Camilo Valencia, Juan Antonio Salazar (programming); Gershan Suero (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jose Luis Mateo (trumpet); Jose Flete (trombone); Milton Salcedo (piano, programming); Richard Bravo (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Eric Schilling .

Recording information: Alpha Recordings Studio, Puerto Rico; Cuero Recording Studio; Lemon Tree Studios, Miami, FL; Midilab Studios, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana; Norfolk Music Studios, Orlando; Nostra Mussa Recording Studio; Peaceful Planet Studio, Miami, FL; Santander Studio; The Hit Criteria.

Photographer: Mateo Garcia.

Unknown Contributor Role: Willie Torres.

Arrangers: Manuel Tejada; Milton Salcedo; Camilo Valencia; José Luis Morín A.; José Luis Arroyave; Juan Antonio Salazar.

Though Puerto Rican vocalist Olga Tanon's early work (1993's MUJER DE FUEGO) was rooted in traditional merengue, her sound pushed and prodded at the boundaries of the genre over the course of subsequent albums. UNA NUEVA MUJER continues Tanon's evolution as a Latin-pop diva. While churning merengue is still the main ingredient here, Tanon's musical recipe also includes healthy doses of salsa, cumbia, emotion-packed balladry, and driving dance-pop, all held together by the deliciously sultry thread of the singer's voice.

While Tanon's forays into commercial pop may disconcert fans of traditional Latin forms, it is hard to deny the infectious chorus of a song like "Abre Tu Corazon." Tanon skillfully downshifts to ballads as well, on "Maldito Seductor" and "Sin Ti No Puedo Vivir," a song that features a moving duet between Tanon and her daughter. But the artist is at her best when she's updating classic merengue beats, as on the dance-floor fillers "Damelo Todo" and the merengue version of "Bandolero" (the album also features pop and cumbia renditions of the song). Fresh, upbeat, and immediately likeable, UNA NUEVA MUJER solidifies Tanon's standing as one of the leading lights of contemporary Latin pop. minimize