Vicente Fernandez - 'Otra Vez' CD Review

Vicente Fernandez, the King of Ranchera music, is back with a new album. Otra Vez is a CD that offers a nice variety of sounds thanks in big part to the contributions of the Mexican songwriter Joan Sebastian who actively participated in this production.

For a classic artist like Vicente Fernandez, this work appears as an innovative product that has already provoked some criticism. Nevertheless, Otra Vez is also an album that shows once again the enormous talent of one of the most influential Latin music artists in the world.

Let's start with a general view of this album. Otra Vez contains 12 tracks that combine different styles such as Bolero, Mexican Son, Ranchera, Banda and Huapango. This, of course, adds a very nice diversity of melodies to this album.

The 12 tracks were written by the famous songwriter and Mexican music artist Joan Sebastian, who had previously worked with Vicente Fernandez during the making of the hit album Para Siempre. Besides putting together their music talent, the Mexican duo brought something unique to Otra Vez: A combination of electric guitar and Banda sinaolense sound into Ranchera music.

This innovation has been subject to some criticism by fans of the traditional style that has characterized Vicente Fernandez throughout his career. Although I do not like that much the electric guitar part (and that is only my personal taste), I think the Banda sound that has been incorporated into some of the songs on this album ended up to be a very nice experiment.

"Otra Vez" and "Volcanes Dormidos"

The very first track on this album, which gives the name to this production, is one of my favorite singles in the entire album. "Otra Vez" offers a wonderful interpretation of a Bolero Ranchero song, a genre that fits Vicente Fernandez's voice better than any other. Again, this single offers the controversial sound of an electric guitar in the background, which at times gives a weird Country-like music sound to this single. In spite of this, the voice of the King of Ranchera makes this song a jewel.

After "Otra Vez," the single "Amores Malditos" moves the album into a more lively terrain leaving the field open for "Volcanes Dormidos," the first single released from this album. "Volcanes Dormidos" is the first single of the album where you can get a good feeling for the innovative sound that has been incorporated into this production. In fact, it sounds a bit too Pop for Vicente Fernandez. However, it offers a pleasant melody that rewards the whole experiment.

One of the nice surprises on this CD is the successful attempt to blend Banda music with Ranchera. There are several songs that highlight this side of the experiment including "El Vestido Blanco" and "El Ultimo Barco". In these two tracks, you can enjoy all the elements that define Banda music including the unique sound of the tuba and the accordion combined with the traditional beat that marks this Mexican music genre.

'Otra Vez' - Bottom Line

Overall, Otra Vez is a very nice work to listen to. Because of its music innovation, Otra Vez is not your typical Vicente Fernandez album. However, the collaboration between two icons of the Mexican music world provides this CD with all the quality that these two artists have consolidated throughout their music careers. With Otra Vez, Vicente Fernandez has proved once again he is the absolute King of Ranchera music.

• "Otra Vez"
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• "Amores Malditos"
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• "Volcanes Dormidos"
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• "El Vestido Blanco"
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• "El Ultimo Barco"
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• "Alitas"
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