Search - Willie Colon :: El Malo II: Prisioneros Del Mambo

A musical journey with a trusted old friend you can kick bac

Erick Dominguez | Panama | 12/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"EL MALO Vol II: Prisioneros del Mambo



IF I COULD GIVE IT 6 STARS, I WOULD!



This is the only album released by Willie Colón in over ten years. It's a studio production with spicy, thoughtful and dramatic songs. Complimented by an impeccable musical execution on the par of his work with Hector LaVoe, Ruben Blades and Celia Cruz.



The launching coincides with the anniversary of the Discovery of Puerto Rico,

in a week where diverse sectors celebrate Puerto Rican culture. It is no coincidence that aside from the social commentary in "Narcomula" (Narco Mule) and the "Suite Magia Blanca" (White Magic Suite), he reaffirms with songs like "El Brujo", "Bongo" and "Mucha Leña pa'l Fuego" the thesis that Colón ascribes to for more than four decades: bomba and plena are the Salsa of Borinquen (Puerto Rico).



With an all star cast, El Malo Volumen II: Prisioneros Del Mambo is an audacious yet coherent Project. In this days of Salsa-ized ballads Willie Colón has captured the essence of hard core Salsa and maintained the dynamics and finesse. With suites and jams that are up to thirteen minutes long and a rich variety of sounds, rhythms and stories, El Malo Volumen II: Prisioneros Del Mambo is an unusual concept in today's corporate Salsa,



This is not just any CD; it is a musical treasure that you won't be able to stop listening to. Don't miss El Malo Volumen II: Prisioneros Del Mambo, it's a musical journey with a trusted old friend you can kick back with."

Great CD

Cutia | 02/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is terrific. This is classic Salsa fusion music at its best and who better than Willin Colon to lead the helm.



Must buy for any latin music fan or just anyone looking for some good music to dance to."

4½ Stars

sergiobklyn | 02/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really like this CD, although it took me a while to digest all the 70+ minutes of music. Willie is back composing, arranging, and even mixing some of the songs. This disc is full of his distinctive urban brand of wit, humor, and social criticism and is complemented with clever arrangements. For the most part the band really swings.



The tunes that first grabbed me were the Plena-based "El brujo", the Bomba-influenced "Mucha leña pa'l fuego", and "Bongó". These three tunes were co-written by Willie and Francisco Slinger and are incredibly catchy. The lengthy Suite Magia Blanca, with Guaguancó and Reggaetón sections, smartly deals with the pitfalls of drug use without sounding preachy. There are also three compositions by long-time collaborator Amilcar Boscán with his trademark story-telling and social commentary. I really enjoyed the majority of the tracks.



It seems to me that Willie tries to stay up to date with the addition of Reggaetón but I think that it doesn't quite cut it as it lacks the edge of current Reggaetón artists. Some songs have campy sections and cheesy synth strings and I could do without the Héctor Lavoe medley as I prefer to listen to Héctor's versions. These shortcomings are minor as there's plenty of music that will have you dancing to urban tales of love, drugs, and death, and even to a soap opera theme.



I recommend that you get this CD and also download the lyrics and liner notes from Willie's site (www.williecolon.com). These extensive English and Spanish documents have great artwork and helped me figure out some of the lyrics.



"