Search - Crystal Sierra :: Morena

Latin with a twist

I. Seda | USA | 01/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think this cd has potential and sets a diferent kind of take to latin pop music.YOu can tell that this girl was influenced by many different other kinds of music just by listening to some of the tracks.Playa no more the first single is so catchy you'll find yourself singing it many times ,Thank you mi amor is another good song has a good rhythm,the standouts of this album have got to be To fit in which is a r&b salsa song that has a hard edge and great beat sampled from willie colon's "La murga" makes the song interesting with a great meaning and it has flavor its about fitting in and i love it,Damelo is the other standout which is grate to listen to with a like a clolumbian cumbia beat which is a great song.hold me down has a listenable vibe to it as well,Get up definetely wants to make you get up but the writing of the song is really bland and could have had a better production,Whats also great about this is that cyrstal wrote most of the album the only problemn is that you cant find the album anywhere and i very well recommend it because i heard it off her site which is discontinued now.Virgin shelfed her album and who know now i may never get to get the album.This is a great cd overall."

Crystal Sierra's "Morena"

Unika | NYC, NY | 07/07/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For a debut I'd say it was pretty good. Crystal Sierra is a Black/Colombian singer from the Baltimore area. With the recent so-called "Latin Explosion" (as the media has annoyingly put it), at first you can't help but wonder if this is just another mediocre singer jumping on the bandwagon. The opening song,"Playa No More" has a catchy mid-tempo Latin/Hip Hop beat with a rap. My only complaint about this number is that the chorus seems to go on forever and becomes monotnous. The second #,"Get Up" has more of a Hip Hop beat than a Latin one but makes up for it by it's Spanish chrous. Not especially great, but it's ok. #3,"Thank You Mi Amor" starts off with a high-pitched Alvin & the Chipmuunk's type voice that continues in the chorus. An ok piece at best. #4 is a more up-best number typical of early millenium R/n/B and Hip Hop. #5,"Come Over" is a slow number. #6("To Fit In") is probably the strongest track on the CD. It samples legendary salsero, Willie Colon's "La Murga" and for some reason, the lyrics remind me of something Lauryn Hill would sing. #7 has a Destiny's Child-style beat to it and is another radio friendly piece. #8 is a slower, sweet piece while #9 is a bit more up-tempo and has an Andean panpipe in the part in the chorus and talks about how Latin music has influenced Sierra's style. #10,"Damelo" definitely stands out. Instead of using the Enrique Iglesias Latin pop sound like so many other artists have copied or even the Salsa-type beat that it constantly used in Latin pop, this song is a mix of R/n/B and Colombia's native Cumbia rhythm. #11 is a Hip Hop piece featuring Terror Squad and will probably be a radio-hit. The last 2 songs are "Playa No More" (yes, again) but once in Spanish and once without the rap. I think 3 times is a little excessive and could have been used for another song or two. Crystal Sierra sounds vocally like a cross between Jennifer Lopez and Veronica("Release Me...Let Me Go"). While #6 is a Salsa-inspired song, the lyrics actually remind me of something Lauryn Hill would write. Think Jennifer Lopez, Veronica, Lauryn Hill, with a little Big Pun and Marc Anthony mixed all into one artist and you have got Crystal Sierra's sound."