Abigail Mi Estrella CD

Not to be confused with the Abigail who launched in the '90s with dance covers of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and k.d. lang's "Constant Craving," this Abigail has a smooth Latin sound under the guidance of arrangers Diego Magallanes, Miguel Blanco, Miguel Angel Collado, and Walter Tesoriere. There's a bevy of backing musicians who create moods that range from simple to elaborate, as on "Amor de Locos" (loosely translated, "Love of Crazy People"). This is pure pop, a pleasant voice that may get compared to Gloria Estefan, though the music is not as uptempo as Miami Sound Machine except for a bit of the opening track, "Desde el Acantilado." It's a very contemporary sound, not as hardcore as the Latin/country vibe of Los Horoscopes de Durango with their album, Locos de Amor (which doesn't include the composition Abigail puts a voice to; their similarly titled track is "Dos Locos"), creating further conflict for those who like these sounds yet are not immersed in the genre. There are two takes of Marcet's "Di Que Sí," the album closing with a very pleasant "Versión Salsa." "Mi Vida Es Mía" has passages that could be taken from '70s group Atlanta Rhythm Section's work and, like the rest of the disc, breaks no new ground. But this Abigail has an appealing look and a very commercial presentation, making for crossover potential. To add to the confusion, Sony International also released a Mi Estrella CD by well-known Latin artist Jay Perez in 2000. He sings his own co-write, "Mi Estrella," while Abigail has no "title track" on her excellent disc. ~ Joe Viglione

Arrangers: Miguel Angel Collado; Diego Magallanes; Miguel Blanco; Walter Tesoriere.

Personnel: Ludovico Vagnone (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Javier Pedreira (acoustic guitar, electronics); José Losada (flamenco guitar); Paco Bastante (bajo sexto, electric bass); José Agustín Guereñu (bajo sexto); David Moreira (violin); Jaime Muela (flute); Diego Magallanes (accordion, piano, keyboards, programming, palmas); Raul Gil (trumpet); Miguel Angel Collado, Miguel Blanco, Walter Tesoriere (keyboards, programming); Yelsy Heredia, Victor Merlo (double bass); Jesús Catalá, Juan Carlos Ruiz, Tino Di Geraldo (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Alvaro Mata.