Le Preguntaba a la Luna

Vocal heavyweight Victor Manuelle shows his mettle on the 2002 release Le Preguntaba a la Luna for Sony Discos. With every one of his albums since 1999 to the present hitting number one on Billboard's salsa and tropical charts, it seems that Manuelle can't miss. It's no mistake that Le Preguntaba bears the sonic shimmer and shine of an enormous budget. Perhaps it is Manuelle's unique brassy timbre that has won him the "sure thing" status that he enjoys. Perhaps it is his unwavering fidelity to straight-ahead salsa in an industry where all too many artists use their native audience as a "security prom date," hoping that the head cheerleader in the English-language market will say "yes." Whatever the reason, all parties seem to agree that Victor Manuelle is "our boy." Though Manuelle is and has been one of salsa's vocal powerhouses, he has never been an innovator. From the first horn break to the final coro, Le Preguntaba is untouched by any "out of the box" thinking. With the exception of some touches of timba, Manuelle is a salsero through and through, taking his place alongside Oscar D'León as a fellow defender of the one true faith. Le Preguntaba a la Luna features some of the most sophisticated writing, arranging, and production that the genre has to offer. Like D'León, Manuelle has built his house upon a rock that will stand beneath him for decades to come. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi