Rating:
Genre:
Latin
Release Date: 09/13/2005
Some English speakers might think of
adult contemporary as strictly an English-language phenomenon, but in fact,
adult contemporary is equally prominent in the Spanish-language market. Romantic singers like
Julio Iglesias,
José José,
Juan Gabriel,
Marco Antonio Solís, and
Joan Sebastían are masters of what is essentially
Latin adult contemporary, and so is
Laura Pausini (an Italian star who can sing in perfect Spanish when she wants to).
Latin adult contemporary is exactly what you'll find on
Mucho Más por Vivir, the debut album by Puerto Rican singer
Sheila Romero (who only goes by
Sheila professionally). Sentimental
pop ballads are a major priority on this 2005 release, and even the more uptempo tracks are very middle of the road. As far as this type of album goes,
Mucho Más por Vivir isn't in a class with
Pausini or
Rocio Dúrcal's best recordings. But it's a pleasant, likable debut from
Romero, whose work doesn't have the strong
salsa flavor one often expects from Puerto Rican vocalists.
Romero does not cater to the
tropical market, and
Mucho Más por Vivir favors what people in the Spanish-language media would consider a neutral use of the Spanish language -- in other words,
Romero doesn't use a lot of regional expressions that one associates with Caribbean
criollo Spanish.
Mucho Más por Vivir is the type of
Latin pop album that is meant to have an across-the-board appeal in the Spanish-speaking world, and other than a brief
reggaeton section on the closing track,
"A Tu Lado" (
"By Your Side"), this CD steers clear of Caribbean-isms.
Mucho Más por Vivir isn't exceptional or mind-blowing, but it's a decent effort and indicates that
Romero is worth keeping an eye on.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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