Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan's first U.S. Spanish-language album, Mi Tierra is one of her most satisfying, and a step above her English-language pop albums. Her voice is extremely well suited for the material, and the result is a breezy, sunny album with moments of melancholy and longing -- in short, one of her most consistent albums to date. Additionally, some of the best-known and most well-respected Latin musicians were employed to further embellish the album. There are plenty of happy upbeat songs on this set, including "Montuno," the anthemic "Mi Tierra," "¡Sí Señor!...," "No Hay Mal Que por Bien No Venga," and "Hablemos el Mismo Idioma," which are all perfect for a summer cocktail pool party. The ballads are among her most compelling, among these "Con los Anos Que Me Quedan," with beautiful lyrics and guitars augmenting the lovely melodies. That song, incidentally, later resurfaced as the English-language "If We Were Lovers," which can be found on her Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 collection. Other ballad highlights include the longing "Mi Buen Amor" and "Volveras." The lyrics, which are included in their English translations, resonate much more in Spanish. This set easily ranks as one of Estefan's best albums, albeit least commercial. True fans of the artist will love this set, which showcases her as much more of an organic talent than her pop songs demonstrate. On "Hablemos el Mismo Idioma" she suggests, "Brother, give me your hand, let's speak the same language," and that language is music. An album such as this deserves to be listened to and appreciated by everyone, Spanish-speaking or not. A true pleasure. ℗ 1993 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.