Latin

Released this year, Russ Hewitt’s Latin American influenced album, Alma Vieja, or “old soul” in English, made my old soul want to crumble- and not in a good way.

As much as I appreciate culturally influenced works, this anything but bearable album that mixes the sounds of Rhumba with Flamenco and Jazz is not even close to becoming a hit. There are several things I would rather listen to: elevator music, my mother ranting about laundry to do, and a monkey giving birth.

I fell in love with Brazil’s Bosa Nova sound after listening to the recordings of artists such as Sergio Mendes and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

The Duda Lucena Quartet perfectly carries Bosa’s torch for a new generation of listeners with their live recording. Two gorgeous covers kick off the show with Joao Donatos’s “Lugar Comum” and Jobim’s “Corcovado.” The Brazilian born Lucena’s vocal style is similar to Jobim, but he one-ups Jobim when it comes to clarity and tone.

Enrique Iglesias began his career singing Latin love ballads in the 1990s, but transitioned to the American pop market because he didn’t have enough of a public image to be pidgeon-holed into his first genre. His most recent single, “Dirty Dancer,” is of his typical blandness. It’s a dance song that will sound good while it lasts on the charts, but offers nothing innovative and will be forgotten after it drops off.

The Latin artist known as Vayo is releasing his new album, "Tango." Vayo Raimondo is one of a few artists of tango music that happens to write his own music. "Tango" is a blend of different genres such as Latin, classical, and world.

Starting off the album, "La Cumparsita" is a melodramatic ballad with Vayo's dark and mysterious vocals. His deep vocals sound uncanny at first, but after awhile his voice grows on you. "La Cumparsita" is sung in Spanish like the rest of the tracks.