Sentimiento Latino

This is Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez's first non-classical CD. He brings to the popular music of Latin America and Spain the same scrupulous musicianship, bright tone, and charm with which he approaches Donizetti and Rossini. Some of these songs are accompanied by full orchestra and some (such as "Ella" and "Mexico lindo y querido," for example) are with a shiny mariachi band, while a couple ("Fina stampa," "Bello Durmiente") have solo guitar as their backup. Florez has plenty of opportunity to show off his high notes--there are brilliant high Cs here and there--and his perfect vocal placement and portamento are most welcome. "Jurame," a sensual tango, is a fine example. While he can sing softly at times, Florez doesn't do quite enough with dynamics. A bit more variation would have been welcome, but he's very much in the spirit of this music. His "Granada" is stunning, and he gets the idiom of the "lounge music" numbers as well. His fans, and fans of music with this Latino tinge, will not be disappointed. --Robert Levine