"Alma diferente"

I must admit this album took me by surprise because I was expecting something comparable to "Mi Tierra" which by far is one of the best tropical albums of all time. I think the title of this album is where the deception lies. "Alma caribeña" leads one to believe that the album is soulful, upbeat and possibly danceable. However, the album cannot be described as such. It is rather mellow, nostalgic and slow paced with a few tropical songs which definitely uplift the production. I found it hard to rate this album at first because I did not want my perception of what I expected to hear influence my assessment of what the album really has to offer. No question about it's definitely a tropical album but contains mostly boleros with four songs that can fit into the category of salsa more or less or "tropical music". The musical arrangements are creative and the cuban influence and elements can be heard. In a nutshell expect a a very mellow slow-paced album with balads/boleros in a tropical rhythm. This album is good for easy listening and background music. Instead of "Alma caribeña" maybe it should be called "Alma diferente". Overall it's a solid production.

Gloria's best album!

This is my favourite Gloria Estefan album. I prefer her Spanish language songs. I like her English language songs too, but her voice seems to have even more colour when she sings in Spanish. It has a quality which hits me right in the heart. The first song 'Por un Beso' is a great opener. It's a sad song, but it also conveys a sense of strength, a determination to cope with disappointment: the singer tells her lover that she's going to leave him because she has caught him kissing abother woman, and yet she wishes him well. 'Como Me Duele Perderte' has a sad melody, very evocative. I love the spirit of 'Te Tengo A Ti', which is one of the most danceable numbers on the album. But the sweetest tune is probably 'Tres Gotas De Agua Bendita'. All the other songs are great, but the final song (in its first version) rounds off the collection perfectly. It's not out of place. It's less of a story song than the others: it's a celebration which comes after all the heartache and emotion of the real life and romance featured already. 'No Me Dejes De Querer' has an infectious rhythm. This really proves that a caribbean soul is not an alma de roca! It's wonderful. The flores mix which comes after reduces the same song to a simple dancefloor number: but that has its place too. I think this album is flawless, but it has me floored!

me encanta!

This is definitely my favorite Gloria cd. I loved it so much, especially the lyrics, that I went out and bought Unwrapped, which I haven't been able to get into. I love her in Spanish, it's her native language and so much more beautiful. I especially loved the great translations in the cd jacket, as I don't have a big enough vocabulary as I would like in Spanish, and missed some of the meaning. I've grown up a Boricua who loves Salsa and especially Gloria Estefan. It was refreshing to see her return to her roots. I loved the Celia and Jose duets! Way to rep Latinos!