SUENAN LOS SONIDEROS DA MIXTAPE Sonidero Nacional, México
SONES DEL MEXSIDE
If you listen to radio, go to clubs and reside in the southwest of the country (U.S.), you’ll probably heard a badass song with a badass beat that no one seems to know who sings it or how it got to be the pre-summer hit of the year. Sonidero Nacional is a collaborative group from Monterrey that acquired recognition for contributing to Celso Piña’s marvellous Cumbia Sobre El Rio. Sadly, the project was never ambitious enough to strive for fresh tropical Mexican sounds and faded away from our memories. After the split of Control Machete, probably Mexico’s best hip hop act ever, member Toy Hernandez broke through with an incredibly mastery becoming one of Mexico’s most demanded producers (from hip-hop diva La Mala Rodriguez, to Colombia’s alternative Cabas to pop star Paulina Rubio).
The group seems to be a fun collage of sounds, from Mexican soundscapes to the new wave of happy electro coming out from Monterrey. Why do I feel they are wasting their talent? Perhaps because most of the time I can’t stand remixes, especially when they are so obtrusive to the original sample. Overlapping beats conflict my hearing, caused by that constant struggle/aspiration of the DJ to become the protagonist. I’m not sure if we can consider this a mixtape; I truly wonder if Sonidero Nacional has been keeping original material and will eventually to propose a new sound, or if these remix are just what they have to offer. Just like Luny Tunes’ Kings of the Beats, this album suggests talented producers but not an actual sound worthy of my money or time.
The album contains remixes, skits and even live tracks of very recent hits by Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Jay Z, Juanes, The Black Eyed Peas and other must-hear songs at quinceañeras o bautizos. It may not come as a surprise that the best tracks are those we are not as familiar with such as Lorna’s La Popola, Fase’s Acapulco 78 or Notch’s Contigo. Back to the first single, the album’s best track is by far Grande de Caderas. Some club goers are relating it to Kumbia Kings or Kinky, but it sounds more like a Cabas meets Calle 13. The song was originally made popular by Bronco (the now totally-uninspired comeback El Gigante de America). It is the only song in the album fully credited to Sonidero Nacional, that is, because they are not only remixing it but also contains all original arrangements and vocals.
If you were a fan of those Tropi-Rollo series of albums that used to sell like crazy, you’ll probably enjoy the album a lot. If you don’t have a clue of what I’m talking about my suggestion is to find Grande de Caderas, download it and wait to see if Sonidero Nacional delivers a worthy album in the future.
Numeric Rating: 48/100
Key Track:
Grande de Caderas
