Rosco

The Latin market caters to a broad range of tastes. Mexicans in East L.A. aren't known for buying a lot of merengue, just as Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia aren't huge supporters of Tejano or ranchero. But when it comes to Latin pop, a wide range of Latinos seem to come together and share some common musical ground. One Latin pop/pop-rock artist who uses a variety of Latin (as well as non-Latin) music to his creative advantage is Rosco, whose excellent Bendita La Fe finds Desmond Child (known for his work with Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper) serving as executive producer. A Cuban-American from Miami, Rosco brings a strong salsa influence to "El Pegaito," "Cosas De la Mujer," and "Dejare." But salsa is hardly his only inspiration; for Rosco, elements of Brazilian samba (especially Bahia's tropicalismo school), Spanish nuevo flamenco, and Colombian vallenato are also fair game. Carlos Santana is a definite influence on Rosco, and the singer certainly hasn't escaped Sting's influence either. Rosco swings hard on uptempo numbers, yet he's equally convincing on romantic ballads like "Senorita" and the title song. Those who prefer Latin pop that takes chances instead of sounding like the product of a musical assembly line will find that Bendita La Fe a CD to savor. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi