JUANES ES POR TI - An Album Review
"Un Dia Normal"

By JENNIFER CHANG, editor-in-chief

He’s sexy. He’s sultry. He’s a Latin sensation who’s got the ladies all a-twitter...

...and he didn’t have to live la vida loca or tongue-wrestle with Anna Kournikova to get where he is today.

Meet Juanes, a music industry veteran. He taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of seven, and quickly trained himself in the traditional Latin sounds of boleros, tangos, cumbias, and Colombian folk music such as vallenatto and guasca. At the tender age of fourteen, he developed a love for heavy metal music and formed a band called Ekhymosis (Bruise) which released seven albums before he decided to break from the group and go solo. He moved to Los Angeles and was quickly taken under the wings of famed Latin Alternative producer Gustavo Santaolalla and music manager Fernan Martinez. His first album, “Fijate Bien” (“Listen Closely”) raced to the number one spot in his native country when it debuted two years ago, although his brand of alternative Latin music did not initially catch on so quickly in the rest of Latin America. It took 7 Latin Grammy Award nominations (3 of which he won) to place Juanes squarely in the spotlight. In light of the surprising media attention, he and his producers scrambled to release his second album.

Now that it’s here, there is no indication at all that it was a rushed job. “Un Dia Normal” is an album loaded with heartfelt, catchy, and passionate tracks. Whereas his first album seemed almost to be an musical ode to his life experiences, his second focuses mainly on pure moods and emotions. There are very few tracks that fail in eliciting genuine emotional responses from listeners.

Part of what makes his music so effective is his voice; he has the ability to apply just enough strain to make you believe he’s overcome with lust, and just enough of a soft quality to convince you of his being is a state of love-induced bliss.

Though all of the tracks on his album are beautiful, there are several that are simply exceptional. For those who prefer a latin-pop sound in the veins of the music of Ricky or Enrique, “A Dios Le Pido” is a must-listen. For the romantic in every one of us, Juanes gives us “Es Por Ti” – which I would say is my personal favorite song off of this album. It captures the sweet essence of an all-consuming desire better than any one of our lousy boy-bands can with their “oh-baby” dribble. Also worth a sampling are the anger-fueled tracks “Mala Gente” and his enthralling newest single – a duet with Nelly Furtado entitled “Fotografia”.

Juanes has proven himself to be a master of conveying very specific emotions through artful lyrics set to exquisite melodies. Whether he’s growling his words through gritted teeth or groaning them with raw passion, you’ll believe that he truly feels what he sings.

Biography and Picture Source: www.juanes.net

VISIT THIS SITE FOR SAMPLES OF EACH TRACK OFF HIS NEW ALBUM.