El Amor De Mi Tierra

This is an incredible album. Carlos Vives has really matured through the last couple of years. A different rythm from Tengo Fe, which was more classical, I believe with this two albums Carlos Vives has finally found his path. This album is a mix of Vallenato, Cumbia, and inland beats, that rock you. I recommend El Amor de mi Tierra, Fruta Fresca and 19 de Noviembre. As an excellent and innovative performance of one of Colombia's most beatiful songs, La Piragua was masterfully performed.

This album is absolutely fantastic! I heard Fruta Fresca on the radio and spent the next 4 months trying to find out the title and artist. Finally I found out and ordered the album, slightly wary that maybe Fruta Fresca was a one-hit wonder... I couldn't be happier to be wrong. Carlos Vives is a brilliant artist. Each song makes your hips start moving without you realizing it and the energy in the music is utterly contagious. There is not a single bad song on the entire album! I'm as excited as when I first heard of Shakira and Marc Anthony.

I first heard Carlos Vives when a friend gave me "La Gota Fria". That is a great CD with musica tipica flavor from Colombia. It was something new for me because Vives brought a fresh interpretation with a great beat to the songs, but remained faithful to the traditional instruments and sounds. "El amor de mi Tierra" takes the concept a step further. I can hear more of the artist's own style yet the folk influence is there. I loved it, it's a fresh and different sound and I hope the Spanish radio stations will give it a lot of airtime. Music is so diverse from one Spanish speaking country to another, this CD is a great addition to any collection. Vives has great love and respect for his country's musical traditions yet I think his style can appeal to an international audience.