More than slightly superior to his current English release, Ricky Martin's Grammy-winning, 1998 release "Vuelve" exemplifies what a delectable dish can be made with the right combo of artist, producers & authentic Latin ingredients. Can we get seconds to go, please??
Unlike his current debut in the English-speaking market (your basic American power-pop with Latin frosting), "Vuelve" finds Martin in a more passionate musical rendevous, digging deeper into his newly-rediscovered Latin roots. Star-making producer/songwriters K.C. Porter, Robi Rosa & Luis Gomez Escolar take top honors for knowing what Ricky wants to say, and creating vehicles that show his talent in it's most flattering light. The samba-soaked, "Por Arriba, Por Abajo" and "La Bomba" make sitting still out of the question, while "Lola, Lola" makes The Girl From Ipanema sound like your kindergarten teacher. The Desmond Child influence felt on the 1998 World Cup theme song "La Copa de La Vida" only works here because thanks to Rosa & Porter, the tune so blatantly echoes Martin's hugely successful 1995 hit, "Maria". Without the seasonings by that dynamic duo, Child would have Martin as just a screaming, Bon Jovi sound-alike out in the middle of a soccer field.
For the romantics, plenty of palpitations are to be found in the gospel-infused title song by Venezuela's Franco da Vita; the dreamy, drifting "Perdido Sin Ti", and the melodically exquisite "Hagamos el Amor", the frank lyrics of which appear to mark a deliberate turn in the singer's public image from teen superstar to adult artist.
This masterpiece was the vehicle that put Ricky on the pinnacle of credibility from where he was able to swoop down and slay the Goliath American pop market. Let's hope Porter, Rosa, et. al. will be waiting to point the way back once the dance with Desmond has ground to a halt.
