A singer who is always up for a challenge,
Manny Manuel tackles the
Maná songbook on
Rayando El Sol and re-imagines the Mexican rockers’ output as highly danceable meringue. If you don’t find the whole idea sacrilegious in itself, the album works, and in the case of the opening “De Pies a Cabeza,” it works extremely well with the singer sounding effervescent as ever, delivering the song’s call for a “rastaman!” with extra enthusiasm. Check the title track for one of the album’s most clever adaptations or jump right to the album’s closing, elegant heartbreaker “Si No Te Hubieras Ido,” a
Marco Antonio Solís song which appears here thanks to its inclusion on
Maná’s live album
Arde el Cielo. Clever idea, well executed, and all delivered with enough of passion that
Manny’s “King of Hearts” status remains intact. ~ David Jeffries