Tradicional
At this point in her nearly 30-year career, Mexican diva Ana Gabriel could croon her grocery list and still wring ample emotion out of it, thanks to her unaffected, passionate vocal delivery. Instead, she keeps delivering timeless classics likeTradicional, the latest in a long line of albums honoring classic Mexican music. Whereas Gabriel's last disc,Dulce y Salado, melded old and new sounds,Tradicionalis steeped in, well, tradition. Gabriel tackles Vicente Fernandez's "Volver, Volver" with fiery confidence, and she's equally vibrant during the oompah banda beats of "Tu y Las Nubes," the corrido strains of "Simon Blanco" and the bittersweet Christmas ranchera "Amarga Navidad." This is high-caliber stuff. Gabriel even contributes "Con Las Alas Atadas," a self-penned huapango that opens the album and fits in perfectly withTradicional's overall sound.--Joey Guerra