Sin Bandera Album: “Pasado”

Sin Bandera has become one of the most influential duo in Latin music with classics such as "Sirena," "Que Lloro," and "Suelta Mi Mano," just to name a few. Now they are paying respect to the classics that have influenced their great musical career by reinterpreting artists such as Ricardo Montaner, Franco de Vita, Luis Miguel, Miguel Bose and even Tom Jones. And to be honest, there are some hits and some near misses, but never trying to outshine the original. Their first single "Si tu no estas" from the Spanish singer Rosana, is one of those gems that enhances the original but does not make you forget it. Sin Bandera does such a sublime job that it is marked with their style, yet they pay tribute. My favorite of the whole bunch is their hopeful approach to Ricardo Montaner's "Sera." Stylistically, it is completely different from the original; however, the power still remains as Sin Bandera increases the tempo and reworks the background music. Most importantly the duo of Leonel and Noel have the vocal capability to match Ricardo Montaner's. It is just as great as the original. The one I was a little disappointed by is their rendition of Miguel Bose's "Si tu no vuelves." This one is definitely outdone by the original for Noel and Leonel cannot match Bose's crystal clear tenor-like voice. Moreover, Sin Bandera's modernization of the background music is a bit distracting. This one seems to be the least of Sin Bandera's style. In spite of this, it is still a great song to listen to but the original is clearly better. Overall I found the cd to be moving, as I come to expect from any Sin Bandera album. Sin Bandera certainly does an outstanding job at reimagining the past into the present.

I have to say that this CD is total delight and of great performance by Sin Banderas. I love it!

Sin Bandera offered us a nice CD and I was surprised when I heard the songs "Será", "Un Buen Perdedor" and "Si Tú No Estás aquí" that I heard the original versions and These new ones are as good as those but Sin Bandera conserves its unique style.

Nice... I recommend it!

After experimenting with their sound on the aptly titled Mañana, Sin Bandera decided to pay tribute to those who came before them. Though the idea is nothing new (particularly in Latin music), the result is surprisingly fresh and innovative. Pasado, or "past", completes a two part series titled Pasado Manaña, meaning "after tomorrow." Having worked with Franco De Vita on his 2004 hit single "Si la ves," Sin Bandera opens this album with his song "Un buen perdedor." The original, a power ballad reminiscent of Billy Joel, is retuned with a crisp, more polished sound. While the piano from De Vita's version is retained, Sin Bandera adds their signature layered sound with a bigger hook perfect for radio play. In Luís Miguel's "Hoy el aire huele a ti," Sin Bandera turns a sappy ballad that emphasizes the crooner's voice into a fresh song with a more textured beat. The horns at the beginning of the original are replaced by whistling, but are still present throughout. A funky yet subtle guitar riff complements the beat well, and as self-proclaimed hip hop fans, a rap is added, a genre Sin Bandera has incorporated into their music since De viaje. The group's eclectic taste in music is best displayed by their version of Jovanotti's "Serenata Rap." Though the lyrics are translated from Italian to Spanish, the song stays true to the "rap" portion of its title. Jovanotti appears at the end of the song to rap a verse in the song's original language. John Paul Young's disco hit "Love is in the Air," on the other hand, is sung in English. Though some may find this strange, SB fans will remember that they've used English in their songs since their debut. The greatest disparity between the original and Pasado's version is Aleks Syntek's "Mis impulsos sobre ti." The original comes in three versions (original, acoustic and "trip hop"), none of which sound like this one. The song has a catchy, laid back beat that sounds so much like Neptunes you expect Snoop to drop a verse at any moment. In a clever twist, Syntek sings a verse from Sin Bandera's single "Sirena" from their debut album. With Mario Domm (Camila) contributing to production, Sin Bandera is able to remake classic songs while maintaining a growth and sophistication present in all Sin Bandera releases. With Pasado, this talented duo leaves us with an attractive glimpse of the future.