Rayando El Sol

Personnel: Manny Manuel (background vocals); Mártires de León (guitar); Crispin Fernández (saxophone); Gershon Suero (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); José Luis Mateo (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rodhen Santos (trumpet); Manuel Tejada (piano, keyboards, percussion); Janina Rosado (piano); Johnny Chocolate (congas, bongos, maracas, tambora); Rafael Carrasco (percussion); Ivelisse Gel (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: José Antonio Hernández; Marcos Feliz; Janina Rosado.
Recording information: Chocolab Midi Estudio, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republi; Midilab Studios, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Photographer: Omar Cruz .
Arrangers: Manuel Tejada; Janina Rosado.
A singer who is always up for a challenge, Manny Manuel tackles the Maná songbook on Rayando El Sol and re-imagines the Mexican rockers' output as highly danceable meringue. If you don't find the whole idea sacrilegious in itself, the album works, and in the case of the opening "De Pies a Cabeza," it works extremely well with the singer sounding effervescent as ever, delivering the song's call for a "rastaman!" with extra enthusiasm. Check the title track for one of the album's most clever adaptations or jump right to the album's closing, elegant heartbreaker "Si No Te Hubieras Ido," a Marco Antonio Solís song which appears here thanks to its inclusion on Maná's live album Arde el Cielo. Clever idea, well executed, and all delivered with enough of passion that Manny's "King of Hearts" status remains intact. ~ David Jeffries