Featuring
Danna Paola and other cast members on vocals, the soundtrack album
Atrévete a Soñar includes a slight batch of pop songs associated with the Mexican telenovela of the same name, most notably the theme song, "Mundo de Caramelo." Broadcast on Televisa five nights a week from March 8, 2009, to March 7, 2010,
Atrévete a Soñar is a Mexican adaptation of the Brazilian telenovela Patito Feo, which debuted to great success in 2007 and was later adapted to numerous international markets. The Mexican adaptation stars
Danna Paola, a young singer and actress who plays the lead role of Patricia "Patito" Castro. No stranger to pop music,
Paola made her full-length debut with the children's music effort Mi Globo Azul in 2001 and put out additional albums in the years that followed. In fact, "Mundo de Caramelo" was originally recorded for release on her eponymous
Danna Paola EP in 2007. Given
Paola's pop music background and her popularity as Patito on Atrévete a Soñar, she's a natural fit for this
Hannah Montana-like soundtrack, which also includes fellow cast members Violeta Isfel (Antonella Rincón Peña) and Eleazar Gómez (Mateo Novoa). In general, the material on
Atrévete a Soñar is nothing special. "Mundo de Caramelo" is a fine showcase for
Paola, but unfortunately there are precious few other standouts. It's telling that two of the secondary highlights, "Es Mejor" and "Dame Corazón," were also originally released on
Paola's eponymous EP. Despite the lack of first-rate material on
Atrévete a Soñar, devoted fans of the show will likely find plenty to enjoy on this soundtrack album, especially the expanded CD/DVD edition, which adds seven tracks of music and a half-dozen videos. Anyone less than devoted to the show need not bother with what amounts to a musical souvenir. ~ Jason Birchmeier