Juanes

Colombia's Juanes' star continues its spectacular ascent through the world of Latin music as he becomes -- as Bono and Bruce Springsteen in the English-speaking world -- the crossroads where pop music and social conscience meet. The guy is a hopeless romantic and idealist. He connects not only with Spanish-speaking countries, but with Europeans as well, and he has built a large and growing following in the United States -- he's sold out Madison Square Garden and four nights in L.A. on his Mi Sangre tour, and has played huge gigs in Detroit and Chicago, as well. The reason? His sincerity, songwriting craft (whether writing love songs, power ballads or anthems), commitment to social justice, and his ability to seamlessly combine hard rock, pop, and Latin rhythms is simply unequaled. He is an original, an artist of the first degree, and a media-savvy man who understands it and the record-company game inside out; he refuses to be swallowed by its machinations. Time Magazine listed him as one of the most 100 influential people in the world, but white pop culture has taken little notice. This specially packaged re-release of Mi Sangre (My Blood) is an individually numbered, limited edition of 150,000 copies, and it's handsome. It has a completely different cover so there's no mistaking it for Mi Sangre (though the original album cover is displayed within the set). Within its triple gatefold are two booklets -- the CD's lyric book, a fold-out booklet with full credits of the current version, and a slew of press quotes. The CD contains the album's 12 tracks, live versions of "A Dios le Pido," "La Camisa Negra," "Fotografia," and "Nada Valgo sin Tu Amor." There's also "La Paga" with Taboo and Black Eyed Peas, a remix of "La Camisa Negra," and the unreleased track "Lo Que Importa" that showcases not only Juanes' but producer Gustavo Santaolalla's magic. The second disc is a DVD featuring all four videos shot for the album. While fans will be snapping these up as fast as they can, there's also incentive for Anglos: this is a fantastic introduction to the work of an artist who falls below the standard Yankee pop radar. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide