Latin pop is every bit as diverse as English-language pop, and the Latin pop world has given us everything from bubblegum teen idols (
Menudo) to alluring dance-floor divas (Azucar Morena) to adult contemporary ballad singers (
Jose Jose,
Julio Iglesias). Offering Spanish-language versions of hit songs from Broadway plays, Un Sueno Alguna Vez Sone is an above-average example of the latter.
Rocio Banquells (not to be confused with
Rocio Durcal, another talented female Latin pop artist) shows how emotional and passionate a vocalist she is on translations of tunes from Evita ("Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"), Funny Girl ("People," made famous by
Barbra Streisand), Cats ("Memory") and A Little Night Music ("Send In the Clowns"). Despite the CD's obvious slickness, it doesn't sound like it came from a musical assembly line, often a problem with commercial adult contemporary artists.
Banquells knows how to go that extra mile, and she does exactly that on this rewarding collection.