Disco de Chayanne: “Provocame”

Chayanne sings beautifully on this CD - some slow, romantic songs, and some faster fun songs. The nice thing is that the CD label has the words printed in Spanish so you can sing along or just learn the words.

The title song, Provocame, is upbeat and catchy. It is difficult to stop singing once it has entered the mind. My other favorite on the CD is Exxtasis, the last song. It is alluring, sexy, and soothing - just like Chayanne's voice.

This CD hits the floor running with the upbeat and hard hitting first song, Provocame, but really ignites with some of the ballads. El Centro De Mi Corazon and El Arte De Amar are both absolute showcases for Chayanne's vocal talents. And, Isla Desnuda is the sexiest song ever recorded. A fantastic CD from start to finish!

Provocame is a nice compact disk of contemporary Latin music at best. I had purchased this music at the same time I purchased the disk "Tiempo de vals." When reviewing Latin music, I generally stick to Argentine tango. My first reaction to the name Chayanne was: " ¿Chayanne? No se quién es. Pero conozco a Carlos Gardel." I later learned that Chayanne was a popular Latin actor and singer from Puerto Rico, who has recorded 14 albums with the group "Los Chicos" and about 9 solo albums. He won the Ritmo Latino Music awards "Artist of the Year" for 2000. Yes, a gringo milonguero can develop an appreciation for other Latin music. There is a good mix of R&B-inspired ballads, club music (with a good disco beat), and the popular Puerto Rican/Cuban-American music style.

An aspiring milonguero should not limit himself just to Argentine tango. The whole idea of the music and the dance is intimacy with one's dance partner. This is the kind of music that does it. A big bonus with this disk is that it has the lyrics with the liner notes. If you have had even high school Spanish, you will be impressed with the passion and sensitivity of the lyrics. The singing and orchestration is delightful. It seems to run the range from salsa ("Mimi," and "Todo el mundo necesita un beso" ), meringue ("Socca Dance" ),fox trot/tango [in close embrace] ("Mi primer amor," "El centro de mi corazon," "Exxtasis (a version of the 1970's 'Je t'aime')),and rumba ("Isla desnuda"). You may disagree with my assessment of what dances are appropriate for the music. Please remember that I dance with people who have been known to dance Argentine tango to Frank Sinatra and to West Coast Swing.

Pieces range from 3:30 minutes to 5:20 minutes. I consider this to be rather extraordinary considering the fact that the average tango is about 3:30 minutes. This is quite a benefit in that each dance lasts longer. I would use this disk in selecting music for my next milonga to provide additional variety. My only regret is that he does not sing the same kind of music as Carlos Gardel and Alberto Podesta (tango singers of the "guardia vieja").