Ireland's pop-vocal quintet Celtic Thunder became a sensation in the U.S. through a much-viewed PBS concert special. Their second album, ACT TWO, broadens their appeal even further. Singing in various combinations of solos and ensembles, the five vocalists tackle both ...

Even though he racked up a lot of country hits during the mid- to late '70s, including a string of 14 consecutive Top Ten singles, Johnny Rodriguez was shortchanged by latter-day compilers. For instance, there were only a few paltry ...

Comprised of 18 tracks culled from the singer/composer's first three decades, The Very Best of Enya was pieced together by the artist herself, along with longtime collaborators Nicky and Roma Ryan. Luckily, the trio seems enamored by most of the ...

The Celtic show's third album focuses on old pop stand-bys. Personnel: Neil Byrne (guitars, dobro, mandolin, background vocals); Plunkett McGartland (fiddle); Barry Kerr (flute, whistle, pipes, bodhran); Phil Coulter (keyboards); Conor McCreanor (double bass, bass guitar); Declan O'Donoghue (drums, percussion); The ...

On their eighth studio effort, Guadalajara's Mana continue to evolve their hard rock sound, bringing in influences like the Foo Fighters and pop. The latter influences the lead-off single, "Lluvia al Corazón," a number that doesn't hit as hard as ...

With Inténtalo, the tribal guarachero style -- traditional Mexican genres meet electro beats -- received its first youthful and polished release, one that captures the excitement of this unique flavor of dance music that had previously been made available through ...

Photographers: Xavier Silva; Vale Cord. Personnel: N'Klabe (vocals); Daniel Antonetti, Marco Arguinzoni (percussion). Recording information: Allertone Studios; NY Grove Studios; Rhythmic Studio; Rolo Studios, Puerto Rico.

Recording information: Estudio 929, Caguas, PR; MAS Audio Studio, Sabana Seca, PR; Rolo Studio, Guaynabo, PR. Photographer: Francisco Rodriguez. Personnel: Carlos Orduz, Sonny Velez (baritone saxophone); Chris Sanchez , Jan Duclerc, Jesús Alonso (trumpet); Juan Carlos Cardona, Jorge Diaz, Pablo Santaella, Chris ...

After his stripped-down effort Poquita Ropa, Ricardo Arjona's 2011 release Independiente is a return to form for the Guatemalan singer, at least when it comes to instrumentation. Instead of going the "unplugged" route, highlight "Te Quiero" builds into a full-band ...

Pepe Aguilar has recorded a variety of albums. The Mexican singer has performed traditional rancheras with mariachi accompaniment; he has recorded albums with brassy banda instrumentation, and of course, he has recorded plenty of sleek Latin pop, which, stylistically, is ...

Released in 1995, Gloria Estefan's first holiday album, Christmas Through Your Eyes, has a few concessions to her Cuban heritage, particularly with "Arbolito de Navidad," but much of the album is devoted to adult contemporary arrangements of familiar songs, such ...

Photographer: Angela Almanzar. Personnel: Eddie Montalvo (quinto, congas); Domingo Quiñones, Issac Delgado, Héctor "Pichie" Pérez, Rico Walker, Rubén Blades, Tito Gonzalez, Wichy Camacho, Cheo Feliciano (vocals); Jan Duclerc, Piro Rodriguez, Jesús Alonso (trumpet); Reynaldo Jorge, Jorge Diaz, Antonio Vazquez (trombone); José ...

Recorded live at the Royal Dublin Society Main Hall, Dublin, Ireland. Following closely and confidently in the footsteps of the stupendously popular THREE TENORS release--on which Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras turned their classically trained talents to popular song--THE ...

Four years after her last studio offering, Mexican pop diva Thalía returns with the ambitious Habítame Siempre. Dedicated to her late mother, the album features a wide array of styles, and more than a few surprises. While the title track ...

For some unexplained reason, this three-CD package is issued from albums that are strangely unrelated to one another. All of them are excellent, showcasing Gilberto Santa Rosa's savvy and impeccable taste for commercial material, which granted immense success to the ...

Stepping away a bit from his signature rhumba flamenco guitar style on The Blue Guitar Sessions, his eighth studio album, new age guitarist Jesse Cook broadens his canvas with jazzy ballads, soft blues, and smooth, atmospheric instrumental pop to make ...

Celtic Woman's fourth holiday collection, which features the talents of Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt, and for the first time since 2007, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, arrives just a year after 2011's German-exclusive Celtic Family Christmas. Offering up the usual ...

Recording information: Karraproductions, Miami, FL; Nashville, TN; Polo Parra Studios, República Dominicana; The Hit Factory, Miami, FL. Personnel: Mártires de León (requinto); Misael Mañón, Rafael Ortega, José Carrasco, Isaias Leclerc (piano); Alexis Frias (tambora).

Adopting the old-fashioned route to success by playing a grueling 300 gigs in 2009 alone, Ed Sheeran's blend of singer/songwriter balladry and acoustic hip-hop has built up quite the fan base, ensuring his debut full-length album, simply titled Plus, is ...

Track Listing: First Noel, The; Snowflake; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Silent Night; Santa Claus Is Coming To Town; O Holy Night; [Untitled]; [Untitled]; [Untitled]; [Untitled]; [Untitled]; [Untitled]; [Untitled];

Fania has issued and reissued so many Héctor Lavoe compilations that it's difficult to keep track of them all-- especially when they change names. Ultimately, it mostly comes down to marketing. The two-disc Anthology contains 27 tracks, including all 14 ...

Recording information: Latinum Music Studios, Miami, FL; The Ideas Warehouse. Personnel: Julito "El Peregrino" Martínez (tres); Braily Ramos (trombone); Andres Padron, Merardo Fuentes (congas, bongos).

Available in both 14-track and 32-track versions, Exiliados en la Bahía: Lo Mejor de Maná fills a void, offering up the first major Maná "best-of" set since Esencials landed in 2003. Of course, that series was big and conceptual, dividing ...

Recording information: Castle Oaks Recording; Farias Productions, Van Nuys, CA; Steakhouse Recording.

Recording information: La Bodega, México DF. Photographer: Silvio Richetto. Personnel: Yanni (piano, synthesizer); José Manuel Jiménez (guitar, vihuela); David Rivera (guitar); Roberto Arballo (acoustic guitar); Cristobal Rodales, José Luis Aguilar (harp); Javier Carrillo, Javier Alfaro, Hugo Santiago, Hugo Colula, Juan Manuel Biurquis, ...