Lisa C. (cider) from DELRAY BEACH, FL Reviewed on 4/29/2007...
Every song is great! Pop-ish Mexican Rock.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
Mana "The Latin Beatles" re-incarnated, there is no doubt!
10/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My Family is Mana crazy! We were blown away from the very first concert we attended way back when they played at San Jose State University! That was an incredible show! No one sat thru 2.5 hrs of frenzy! The only other concert to compare was a U2 concert I attended back in the 80's! "Donde Jugaran Los Ninos" is my favorite CD, but the others are great albums also! We've now seen them 9 times in concert! Recently with Santana and they closed the show with the tune they wrote for Carlos "Corazon Espinado"...can't say enough. I can only compare them to the Beatles in that they are so diverse in their music...you can't label them into one category...such as was the case with the Beatles. And like the Beatles they write great tunes, with great melodies, awesome lyrics(some catchy, some sad, some political, most with a message). Anyone who puts them down...is either a non-musician, never played an instrument, or hates good music, the language should not be a barrier...great music is universal!"
Great on so many levels......
Timothy B. Fling | York, PA United States | 08/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, I should admit that I am not a fan of most Latin music. I feel that I am not educated enough to give an accurate review of any Latin CD other than this one. Perhaps I should explain.....
It's 1999 and my wife and I are vacationing in Mexico. While dancing and getting hammered in an outdoor after hours club, this song comes on. The drunk Americans all clear the floor and several local couples slide gracefully into the subtle rhythms of what is clearly one of their favorite well-known songs. There was definitely some romance in the air, and my wife and I joined the couples already dancing under the stars to the strains of what I learned later was the popular Mana hit "Vivir sin Aire". Over the next several nights we heard the song several times until we commented on the romantic and memorable nature of the melody, and how we should purchase the CD as a memento of our trip. My attempt to describe the song in a local mall is another exercise in comedy (as I speak almost no Spanish), but after humming it, the salesgirl recognized Mana instantly and sold me "Donde Jugaran Los Ninos".
After opening it, I was pleasantly surprised. The classical guitars, the percussion, the harmonicas and flutes....it really is a musically diverse album. The songs are tightly crafted and buoyant, with a large emphasis on the individual artistry of the musicians. I can't even think of who they sound like, there isn't much to compare it with here in the States. In any event, we are now die-hard Mana fans. You will be too!"
Donde jugaran los ninos
mik30 | Milano Italy | 06/26/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Latin rock explosion - . The first time I heard them I was driving through Peru coastal desert on a pick up and that surely contributed to create the atmosphere. But the same listening at home did not change my opinion that I was discovering a terrific group. Mana put togheter the appealing line up of a proper rock band, the sound and rhythm of latin american music, the skills of excellent musicians. 'De pies a cabeza' and 'como te deseo' the best to me, just an inch ahead of entire enjoyable album. Maybe lyrics sometimes even too obvious...but still a great album"
Great Songs - Lyrics Accompany CD
Samuel F. Saunders | Central Virginia | 01/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was a little hesitant to try this CD at first (being it was my first CD from a hispanic band). Talk about striking it rich with the first album! Wow! These songs are awesome. If you know a little spanish, you will find really fast that these songs are both romantic and very well written. If your spanish is bad, read the lyrics and, with a little help from a spanish-english dictionary, you will be rocking to a band that is on fire. Trust me, you will like this one. Especially songs 3 & 4 from this track!"
Some good listening
Christian Farias | RWC | 05/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I started listening to Mana about 4 years ago. The first song that I heard from them was "como dueles en los labios". After findnig out who the band was, I searched for that song and ran into "Donde Jugaran Los Ninos." The album was excellent and I have bought every album since. I have not tired of any of their songs. I highly recommend this and any of their albums. As for the person who posted from Peru, I think it's a little unfair to call their music garbage(basura). If you know about Mana, then you know Peru was big in Mana's rise. Thanks for that. Aside from that, what band has come out of Peru that has been a hit in the U.S.? As for the music being just for (gringos), I'm a chicano and most of the people I know that listen to them are Mexican, or chicano. It's nice to know there are American's that do listen to it. Good for our white friends for expanding their taste in music. Unfortunately our friend from Peru is shallow."