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 Carolina González - NYDailyNews.com
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Mexican hearthrob Alejandro Fernández has long dipped into ballads and other international styles, but his new CD, "Viento a Favor," goes further afield from his regional Mexican roots.
Genres as disparate as flamenco and vallenato can be heard in some of the songs. And he even tries out a country-pop sound in "Cuando Estamos Juntos."
"This is an opportunity to make a crossover without having to sing in another language," said Fernández, 36, by phone from Guadalajara, his hometown.
The CD, to be released Tuesday, includes a duet with Beyoncé Knowles, "Amor Gitano," which could already be heard on the pop diva's Spanish-loaded reissue of "B'Day," released in April.
Fernández said he was impressed by Beyoncé's skill, given that she does not speak Spanish. "It's really quite impressive how she did it phonetically," he said.
Fernández's nickname, "El Potrillo (The Colt)," is a play on the moniker of his famous mariachi and ranchera-singing father, Vicente Fernández, who is called "El Gran Garañón (The Stallion)."
The younger Fernández, one of People en Español's 50 Most Beautiful People of 2007, started his singing career performing in the same traditional styles for which his father is known.
But with over a dozen records and 15 years of performing under his belt, "El Potrillo" has developed a sizable following of his own and is now ready to test new waters.
"I'm happy that in this new record, I'm trying out musical styles I know well and love," said Fernández.
He said he is not worried that he might confound his fans' expectations. "You can't win if you don't risk anything," he said. "I'm thinking a lot about the live concerts - I wanted to give them more movement and life."
The record is his fi rst in three years with new material. "That's the longest time in my career I've gone without new studio material," he said.
Several of the new songs, like the single "Te Voy a Perder," are slow, romantic ballads that take advantage of Fernández's weepy tenor.
Others have a more uptempo, even tropical feeling, such as "A Manos Llenas" and "Eres," composed by Colombian singer/songwriter Fonseca.
But no matter what genre he sings in, Fernández insisted that he is not leaving his traditional regional Mexican roots behind.
"You might miss the [mariachi] trumpets, but a lot of the songs still have the vihuela, the guitarrón," he said. |
Vallarta Weddings
Entertainment | June 2007 
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