Rey Sin Reina [PA] (CD - 2008)

Like hip-hop, regional Mexican music has witnessed its share of violent tragedies. Hip-hop lost 2Pac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., and Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay to violence; regional Mexican music lost the influential Chalino Sánchez, Sergio Gómez (of K-Paz de la Sierra), trumpeter José Luis Aquino (who spent 14 years with los Condes), Zayda Peña (of Zayda y los Culpables), and Valentín "El Gallo de Oro" Elizalde to violence. The ambush and murder of El Flaco Elizalde on November 26, 2006 received a great deal of coverage in the Spanish-language media, and there were cries of "stop the violence" in regional Mexican circles just as there have been cries of "stop the violence" in hip-hop. El Gallo de Oro's death left his brother Jesus "El Flaco" Elizalde the only living recording star in the Elizalde family; so not surprisingly, there have been plenty of El Gallo de Oro/El Flaco comparisons. But as Rey Sin Reina (King Without a Queen) demonstrates, Jesús "El Flaco" Elizalde is an expressive regional Mexican singer in his own right. This 2008 release is a well-rounded banda effort that ranges from corridos ("Mario Aguirre") to ranchera-minded material ("La Vida del Hombre," "Se Me Deshizo el Corazón") to Latin pop ballads ("Y Que"). The 36-minute CD's melancholy title track has hints of doo wop (which is a common influence in banda, norteño, and duranguense), and "A Mi Hermano" is a poignant ode to El Flaco's murdered brother. As a vocalist, El Flaco doesn't display the technical range of some regional Mexican artists. But that doesn't prevent him from being expressive and making Rey Sin Reina an enjoyable contribution to banda. ~ Alex Henderson minimize