A full 40 years after the late
Nino Bravo commenced his short-lived commercial recording career, Universal Music Spain unveiled
40 Años con Nino, a tribute album featuring 13 of Spain's most popular singers. There's a lot of superstar talent assembled here, and they sing many of
Bravo's greatest hits. However, the performances are rather bland, particularly from a musical standpoint, and the end result is not unlike an album's worth of all-star karaoke. Still,
Bravo fans with an affection for contemporary Spanish pop might find
40 Años con Nino worthwhile. "Libre" is sung by
Marta Sánchez, "América, América" by
David Bisbal, "Un Beso y una Flor" by
Paulina Rubio, "Noelia" by
Luis Fonsi, "Cartas Amarillas" by
Amaia Montero, "Amanecer" by Raquel del Rosario and
Álex Ubago in duet, "Tú Cambiarás" by
David Summers, "Mi Gran Amor" by
Merche, "Como Todos" by Cristian Castro, "Sin Darte Cuenta" by
Tamara, "Te Quiero, Te Quiero" by Rosario Flores, and "Mi Tierra" by
Seguridad Social. Some of these performances are better than others, in particular "Libre" by
Sánchez and "Te Quiero, Te Quiero" by Flores. It's a shame that
40 Años con Nino didn't turn out better. There are some truly talented singers here, and the material is certainly strong. A creative approach to the musical arrangements and production is where the album falls short. ~ Jason Birchmeier