Having some knowledge of Spanish is definitely helpful if one is a Latin music enthusiast, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Just as
Edith Piaf had fans outside of France and Quebec who spoke no French, there are salsa, cumbia, merengue, bachata, mariachi, and joropo lovers who speak little, if any, español. They might have no idea what
Olga Tañon and
Juan Gabriel are singing about, but they love their melodies. That said, there are two phrases that non-Spanish-speaking fans of Latin music should make a point of memorizing: en vivo and en concierto. Both phrases mean "live" or "in concert," and live albums are something that Latin music lovers should be on the lookout for. Unfortunately, the credits of this live album by
Los Acosta don't specify where or when it was recorded; regardless, the performances are consistently enjoyable, and the well-known grupero/Latin pop outfit is in good form on favorites like "Palabras," "Voy a Pintar un Corazon," "Ni Por Todo el Oro del Mundo," and "Mi Corazon Es un Vagabundo." There are plenty of audience singalongs on this 63-minute disc, which can be -- depending on one's point of view -- either a plus or a minus. Some listeners detest singalongs, while others adore them; consider yourself on the pro-singalong side if you enjoy hearing the artists bonding with their fans. This 2005 release falls short of ideal; given how long
Los Acosta have been around and how many hits they have had over the years, Fonovisa could have easily come up with another 15 minutes of live material. Nonetheless,
En Vivo has a lot going for it and offers a pleasing taste of
Los Acosta on-stage in the 2000s. ~ Alex Henderson