Alejandro Sanz
MAS
WEA Latina

Alejandro Sanz is one of the best "undiscovered" secrets of Spain. OK, that is not exactly true. In Spain, his native country and throughout Mexico and much of Latin America, he is a superstar. With reason. His sultry voice and musical talents make that inevitable. Also inevitable is that the US audience awaken to the talents of this singer and composer. With MAS, Sanz' latest release on WEA Latina, he is poised to conquer America, as he has conquered all other countries who have taken the time to check out his music.

Alejandro Sanz is a rarity in the music world today. A gifted singer who also is a lyricist and composer. With equal success on all fronts. On MAS, as on much of his previous work Sanz wrote the lyrics and music for all of the tracks. First single Y, Si Fuera Ella (What If She Was The One) is already burning up the charts in the US, and around the world. Other standout tracks sure to be successful include Corazon Partio (Broken Heart) on which Sanz shows us his talents playing the Spanish guitar along with the renowned Vicente Amigo; Amiga Mia (My Friend) which is the beautiful story of friendship of love, La Margarita Dijo No (Daisy Says No) on which Sanz is joined by a children's choir, and Hoy Que No Estas (Today When You Are Not Here) which is a little more rock driven than most of Sanz' other tracks.

The album is impossible to catagorize by genre - the standard "pop", "rock" or "ballad" labels don't quite apply. Sanz fuses all of these and adds in more: flamenco, guitar-driven rhythms, uptempo ballads and more.

Viviendo Deprisa, which was certified seven times platinum was Sanz' first forray into the musical arena in 1993. Singles from this album such as Pisan do Fuerte (Stepping Hard) and Se Le Apago La Luz (The Light Went Out For Him) can still be heard as recurrents on radio today, 4 years later. Si Tu Me Miras (If You Look At Me), Sanz' sophomore effort was no less successful, spawning top 10 singles such as the title track, as well as Mi Primera Cancion (My First Song) and the beautiful ballad Tu Letra Podria Acariciar (I Will Caress Your Letters). Basico (an "unplugged" album which unfortunately was never released in the US) was the follow up and included acoustic versions of several songs from both albums. Alejandro Sanz III, released in 1995 also garnered rave reviews and gold and platinum albums worldwide, as well as produced singles such as La Fuerza Del Corazon (The Strength of the Heart), Lo Ves? (Do You See)(which appears on the album twice - performed once with only piano and voice, demonstrating Sanz' range as an artist), Quiero Morir En Tu Veneno (I Want To Die In Your Poison), and the vastly underrated and devestating Mi Soledad y Yo (My Loneliness and Me) which tells the gut-wrenching tale of a man waiting for his love to return.

MAS is the best of the best of Alejandro Sanz. The evolution of an artist is best seen by taking a composite of all his work. Although Sanz was destined to be an international superstar from the start, the maturity on this album and his growth as a lyricist can clearly be seen here. The lyrics are seductive, intellectual and interesting and show Sanz' growth over the years, from a young talented artist to an accomplished international superstar. If you aren't familiar with the work of Alejandro Sanz, start with MAS, and work backwards. All of his releases are worth a listen, and one listen should make a fan of anyone. People of the US - wake up and discover what millions of others around the world have already known to be true: this guy is really good! If you don't listen, it's your loss.

Copyright © 1997 Allison Winkler