If countless Latin artists can earn a living performing rock or rap in Spanish, is there any reason why the Spanish language should not be used for R&B purposes as well? There isn't. R&B has been popular among Latinos in the United States for decades -- popular among Cuban-Americans in Miami, popular among Puerto Ricans in the Bronx, popular among Mexican-Americans in East Los Angeles (where
the Delfonics remained essential listening for low riders long after that Philly soul group reached its commercial peak). Bearing all those things in mind, it makes perfect sense for Mexican-American R&B/pop singer
Kuky to use the Spanish language to express herself on this promising self-titled debut album. Stylistically, Lucero Rodriguez, aka
Kuky, has a lot in common with hip-hop-minded R&B belters such as
Mary J. Blige,
Alicia Keys,
Lauryn Hill and Beyoncé Knowles, but except for "Let Me See," this early 2007 release (which was produced by rap duo
Akwid and mostly written by
Kuky herself) is totally en español. No one will accuse
Kuky's debut of being overly optimistic; many of the Los Angeles native's songs are as melancholy as they are introspective, and that approach serves her well on "Mentiras" ("Lies"), "Sufrí por Ti" ("I Suffered for You"), "Ya No" ("No Longer") and other memorable tracks. The brassy "Let Me See," however, is an unexpected departure from much of the album -- not only because most of its lyrics are in English, but also because it lacks the ultra-serious tone that
Kuky usually favors. A lighthearted, somewhat
Kelis-ish ode to casual sex, "Let Me See" is obviously meant to demonstrate that not everything
Kuky writes is somber and brooding. But most of the time, melancholia prevails on
Kuky's impressive debut. ~ Alex Henderson