CD Review: Juanes - Mi Sangre

Juanes has done it again with another exceptional album following in the wake of 2002's megahit Un Dia Normal. Mi Sangre (My Blood) is 12 tracks of pure listening pleasure mixing songs that are bittersweet with those that are thoughtful, sentimental and upbeat.

Colombian rocker Juanes was named by Times magazine as one of the "100 most influential people in the world today". I would name him one of the "100 fastest and most productive people in the world today" by virtue of producing an album of this caliber in four or five months, straight from coming off his 200 stop tour promoting Un Dia Normal.

Mi Sangre is a remarkably good album, no matter the time frame involved. Never leaving his Columbian musical roots very far or for very long, this pop/rock album has a rich mixture of Latin-tinged rock and ballads. The two notable ballads are the breakout track “Nada Valga sin Tu Amor” (“I’m Worth Nothing Without Your Love”) and “Para Tu Amor” (“For Your Love”).“Damelo” is energetic and catchy, with great rock guitar styling and some light-hearted rap. My favorite is “La Camisa Negra” (“The Black Shirt”) which hit the #1 spot on European singles charts. From beginning to end, the album is a listening pleasure.

Juanes is currently at the end of another mammoth tour promoting Mi Sangre. Someone who saw him perform at the New Orleans Jazz Festival last year commented that as a performer he seemed a cross between Antonio Banderas and Elvis Presley. Now, there’s an accolade that’s better than Time Magazine.