Arguably, the type of sleek Mexican pop sound that
los Angeles de Charly brings to
Te Voy a Enamorar is to Mexican audiences what salsa romantica is to Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Salsa romantica is basically a combination of Afro-Cuban rhythms and romantic Latin pop -- it isn't hardcore salsa, but it's appealing from a pop standpoint. Similarly, this 2001 release isn't hardcore ranchero or mariachi;
Te Voy a Enamorar (or, in English, I'm Going to Love You) blends Mexican and Latin pop elements in an ultra-romantic way. And from a pop perspective,
los Angeles de Charly is quite rewarding. In Mexican pop -- and a lot of other Latin pop, for that matter -- artists frequently wear their hearts on their sleeves. They aren't afraid to be sentimental, and
los Angeles de Charly is exactly that on sleek, polished tracks like "La Princesita Sueña," "Mi Llamada," and "El Primer Beso de Amor." The closest that lead singer/founder Charly Becies and his colleagues come to a tropical sound on this CD is "Está Muy Sola la Niña," which mixes Cumbia Mexicana with Latin pop. In the U.S. and Mexico, Mexicans have had their own way of playing the Colombian Cumbia rhythm -- they adopted Cumbia and did their own thing with it, just as norteño/ranchero is a Mexican interpretation of the polka beat that German immigrants brought with them to Texas. So what
los Angeles de Charly does on "Está Muy Sola la Niña" isn't the same as what a Colombian pop artist would do with Cumbia in Bogota, although both are pleasing in their own ways. Those who like their romantic Latin pop with a strong Mexican slant will find a lot to admire about
Te Voy a Enamorar. ~ Alex Henderson