Alejandro Sanz
III
WEA

La Fuerza Del Corazon (Strength Of The Heart), the first of a string of hit singles by WEA's Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz is also the lead track on his third album, Alejandro Sanz III. An instant smash around the world, it's follow up, Mi Soledad Y Yo (My Loneliness And Me), was also a huge hit and Quiero Morir en Tu Veneno (I Want To Die In Your Poison) also enjoyed much success at radio. Those are pretty heavy titles for an artist who has not yet had his 30th birthday and still maintains his boyish looks and charm. Alejandro Sanz is unique in that not only is he a master at his craft (singing and songwriting, piano and guitar) but that in the fact that whether or not you can understand the language he is singing in, his voice and intonation lead you to understand the passion behind the words, on every single track of this, his fourth incredible album.

A sample of lyrics from Mi Soledad y Yo (a tender and sometimes painful track about waiting for a love to return), will illustrate this point - please keep in mind that Spanish is about 50x more romantic than an English translation, but the idea is the same: "I will kiss you, like noone in the world has kissed you-I will love you with the body, the mind, the skin and the heart. Come back quickly, we wait for you, my loneliness and me." Alejandro's silky and husky voice sounds like he is dying on this track, of pain, of loneliness, of love. Anyone who has ever suffered a broken heart will relate to this.

Lo Ves, which appears twice, first with full instrumentation, and later as the last track, performed acoustically, is another standout as is the emotional Eres Mia. Alejandro wrote all of the tracks on the album, with the exception of Quiero Morir En Tu Veneno, which he co-wrote with Adolfo Rubio, D'Romy Ledo. He is an accomplished lyricist and composer, and it has never been more evident than right here, where he combines sultry ballads with uptempo sing a long tunes, love with laughter.

Alejandro is the first major Spanish music revelation of the 1990's - breaking first in his native Spain (one of the world's most difficult markets to crack) in 1991 with his debut album Viviendo DePrisa (Living Fast.) This album quickly went platinum - SEVEN times!! His follow up in 1993 was Si Tu Me Miras, which took his maturity and his music to the next level. No longer a novice, already a superstar with a huge following, Alejandro continued on the path he was born to lead. After embarking on a lengthy international tour, in 1994 he released Basico, an acoustic album, which showcased hit singles from his first two albums, including Viviendo DePrisa, Que No Te Daria Yo, Si Tu Me Miras and Como Te Echo De Menos, among others. This album was another international success for Alejandro, although it is very difficult to find here in the US.

His latest album is the work of a talented and established artist, who has found a way to combine his life with his work, and make it one and the same. He is a gifted musician, who is not afraid to confront his fears, conquer them, and let them go. He is an example of sincerity and magic, talent, passion, dedication, strength and love all rolled into one. His songs reveal his competence, his confidence and his intensity. Energetic, tender and sweet, Alejandro Sanz III is a continuation of the journey this passionate artist began in 1990, and shows no sign of stopping. If you are not yet familiar with his work, give the album a listen. One listen is all it will take to convince any music aficionado. He's that good.

Copyright © 1997 Allison Winkler