Rating:
Genre:
Latin
Release Date: 05/24/2005
It certainly isn't unheard of for a regional Mexican singer to excel at both
mariachi and
banda;
Ezequiel Peña, just to give one example, is widely regarded as an expert in both areas. But the way in which
Lupillo Rivera compartmentalizes
mariachi and
banda on his two-CD set
El Rey de las Cantinas (The King of the Bars) is truly a rarity. Both CDs contain the same 11 songs in the same order, but while disc one is
mariachi-oriented, disc two offers
banda arrangements (some of which incorporate
norteño-style accordion -- although the brassiness of
banda isn't compromised a bit). It isn't surprising to hear
Rivera excelling as a
banda vocalist; he's well known for his
banda (and
norteño) contributions. But this 2005 release marks the first time the Jalisco-born, Los Angeles-based singer has recorded with a
mariachi band (
el Mariachi Internacional de Mexico), and his performances of familiar Mexican gems like
José Alfredo Jiménez's
"Que Suerte la Mia" and
Vicente Fernández's
"Las Llaves de Mi Alma" demonstrate that he is quite comfortable in a
mariachi setting. With the album's artwork,
Rivera seems to be stressing that exploring
mariachi doesn't mean he's giving up
banda or
norteño; some pictures show
Rivera wearing a giant sombrero (a look associated with
mariachi bands), while others show him in the
vaquero (Mexican cowboy) attire that is more typical of
banda and
norteño artists. One look is Mexican in a classic, old-school way; the other is Mexican in a more modern way.
Rivera has a lot of albums he can be proud of, but
El Rey de las Cantinas is easily one of his most essential releases and is recommended to anyone who has even a casual interest in his contributions to regional Mexican music.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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