Corazon is
Carlos Santana's first album for a major label since 2002's
Shaman. It marks his reunion with executive producer
Clive Davis, who masterminded 1999's multi-platinum
Supernatural. Billed by
RCA as his "first Latin album,"
Corazon is the studio counterpart to the guitarist's HBO Latino concert special that featured his band performing with a host of Latin music superstars in his native Mexico. The singing was (as it is here) mostly in Spanish. For the most part,
Santana actually sounds hungry again. His studio band is filled with killers, including drummer
Dennis Chambers, timbalero
Karl Perazza, and conguero
Raul Rekow. Opener "Saideira" features his trademark tone in a passionate, stinging, gritty exchange with vocalist
Samuel Rosa, from the Brazilian rock and reggae band
Skank. Jittering, insistent horns and layers of percussion push both men to escalate the battle.
Juanes lends his soulful croon to first single "La Flaca." It's got an anthemic hook with layers of backing vocals framing
Santana's tight and tasty solos.
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs back the guitarist on "Mal Bicho," an aggressive, careening cumbia. "Oye 2014" is a Latin hip-hop reprise of "Oye Como Va" with the now ubiquitous
Pitbull. Though interesting, it falls flat.
Bob Marley's "Iron Lion Zion" features
Ziggy Marley and Colombian rappers
ChocQuibTown in a fusion that works, melding cumbia, reggae, and hip-hop. In "Una Noche en Napoles" -- a cover of
Pink Martini's "Una Notte a Napoli" -- Mexican-American singer
Lila Downs, Spanish cantaora
Nina Pastori, and Argentine folksinger
Soledad meet
Santana's nylon-string guitar in a steamy buleria that weaves their voices yet retains their distinctive individual styles.
Gloria Estefan appears on the lilting pop son "Besos de Lejos" and gives
Santana a chance to showcase his rumba chops.
Romeo Santos turns in a non-bachata performance on "Margarita." His bilingual lyrics and lilting high tenor are wed to airy soulful Caribbean R&B.
Santana ties it to the earth with taut phrasing through a biting solo.
Miguel's "Indy" is babymaker pop-soul with a spiritual lyric. The composer sings and plays guitar accompanied only by
Santana and
Perazza. The jazzy salsa of "Yo Soy la Luz" was composed by
Santana and features not only wife
Cindy Blackman on drums, but also saxophonist
Wayne Shorter playing sweltering fills and a gorgeous solo. While it's true that this is another attempt to repackage
Santana for a new audience, to dismiss
Corazon for that reason would discount the creativity and innovation currently at work in the diverse world of Latin popular music. In addition,
Santana himself shows renewed vitality as a musician. While some cuts are forgettable, the guitarist's engagement with Latin pop is quite satisfying. ~ Thom Jurek
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