Saturday, January 9, 2010

21. Santana feat. the Product G&B - Maria Maria (2000)

In 1999, Latin pop finally broke through the decades-old barrier, and started sending hits to the top of the global charts. And how good it was to see Carlos Santana, the biggest rock star to come out of Latin-American culture, getting back in business just in time to play father-figure to the scene. Santana found the way to connect his music to the hip-hop rhythm of the time, and make music that appealed to the young. Here, with the help of contemporary R'n'B singers, he addresses Maria, an archetype of a Latin-American girl who is on the crossroads between trying to make it in American society or giving up and becoming an outlaw street punk, and tries to give her a grownup's advice, while portraying her in a warm and loving way.

Good song, but an even better record. The successful blend of hip-hop beat and classic Spanish guitar, the Spanish chant that spices up the English lyrics, and the familiar sound of Santana's electric guitar coming in right on cue, turn it all into pure pleasure. Lovely.

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