Celebrating five years as a solo recording artist,
Yahir Parra steps into a new realm with the release of
Recuerdos. Few reality TV stars-gone-recording artists last long enough to make a best-of record possible, let alone necessary. Since his 2002 appearance on La Academia,
Yahir has been particularly prosperous. From his self-titled platinum record in 2003, followed by his platinum sophomore effort
Otra Historia de Amor, to the double-platinum
No Te Apartes de Mi year later and his fourth platinum project Con el Alma Entre Las Manos,
Yahir has proven to be one of the reality TV genre's genuine success stories. That success is well represented by
Recuerdos, which features the artist's most notable radio hits like "La Locura," "No Te Apartes de Mi" and "Maldito Amor," not to mention duets with songstresses
Yuridia (on "Contigo Si") and
Nadia (on "Amiga"). For dedicated
Yahir fans
Recuerdos will provide a convenient place to find all your favorite tracks, without having to sift through those pesky play lists. To those unfamiliar with his work, it will serve to demonstrate the breadth of his range, including elements of Latin rock, norteño, R&B and more. To the critic, the record is a testament to the weirdness created by the celebrity-machine genre of television shows (Idol, La Academia, Operacion Triunfo, etc) which turns slightly sub-professional/proficient vocalists into quintuple-platinum recording artists overnight. However strange the singing competition industry is,
Yahir is certainly king of that hill. Few artists have reached such heights of success or sustainability, and
Recuerdos is a testament to that rare hit-making ability. [A U.S. edition of the CD was also released.] ~ Evan C. Gutierrez