MIRAYDA - About LATIN LOVER album

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About LATIN LOVER album

The first things I remember from my childhood is being introduced to well dressed adults, with smiling faces and sweet compliments, being held in their arms and flashes of cameras being shot. As I grew up I noticed they were mostly males with makeup on their faces and shiny suits, who always came to greet my mother, my sister and me, because my father among all those famous singers, musicians and comedians was the most admired and virtuoso “Requinto” player. Being a little girl, with my family we used to go to reunions where my sister and I were asked to sing traditional peruvian songs accompanied by our Father. I loved it. Soon I knew that being on stage was in my blood because at four I had already won a dancing competition on a Panamericana Television show, and at school I had joined the folk dancing group where I was the lead dancer.

I moved to Venezuela when I was 10. In Caracas I trained and worked with the best acting and voice teachers, and the best theater companies. Ten years later I moved to the United States. I brought my guitar and my songs. On my first audition in San Francisco, I had to act and sing. I got the part. The show was a success. With two colleagues from the play I founded the trio “Las Chismosas”, which stands for the gossipers. We sang Mexican folk songs and became very popular in the Bay Area. I wrote a song called “Junto a tí” for the group and dedicated it to the Chicano community. Later on I left for Hollywood because I was cast for a lead part in a film. I went on to do some TV shows, commercials and other theater productions. It was 1992 when I was able to produce my show called Rhapsody in Mambo, later Rhapsody in Bolero in Los Angeles. At the end of 1992 I left the stage for a while, to take care of my personal and spiritual life. I lived in Israel for a couple of years. In 1996 I returned to America, to Florida, where I produced music shows for my children’s Jewish school. Sometimes I enjoyed watching Sábado Gigante and finally I went to sing for “El Chacal” contest and won, gaining confidence helps in the long run and I promised myself some day to be a special guest for Don Francisco.

I felt privileged to receive the millennium listening live to Tito Puente band. His energy and talent motivated me to write most of the songs of this Latin Lover album. During those years my songs began to take their own life and the lyrics just came to my brain. I could listen to the instruments and the melody wouldn't leave me for days.

After settling back in Los Angeles, looking for another music arranger I found Yalil Guerra, who is, until now, the only person that understands the mood and the intention of my songs and complements them with his brilliant musical creativity. After impressing me with his exquisite arrangements in “Esperandote”, “Yo quiero despertar contigo” and “Tan Claro el recuerdo”, he proposed me to produce a 10 song CD. He convinced me. Trusting in Yalil’s mastery and assured my songs have its own way, the production of Latin Lover, the album was initiated. Things got even better when the recording sessions began with notable, virtuosos, highly solicited musicians who have participated in Grammy winning productions accompanying the likes of Phil Collins, Madonna, Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Celia Cruz, Juan Gabriel, etc. I must mention that also Yalil Guerra is an accomplished Classical guitar player, a magnificent piano player. He also plays electric Bass, Tres, keyboard and did the programming, as well as sound engineering, mixing and mastering . Plus I have the honor of having the best Requinto player who ever existed in Latino music history, my very own father Rafael “Chato” Rios, playing the introduction in “Tun, Tun, asi”.

Just about the time when Yalil was finishing the sound mixing I heard on the radio that Mr. Melcochita was in town, immediately I contacted him and told him about my CD. The next day I took him to the studio, he liked my production. I asked him to add some choruses to “Tun, Tun, así”, he did it so nice. Then Yalil proposed us to sing a duet of a Cuban song “Lágrimas Negras”, a very powerful theme. We all got very excited about the idea, but Yalil had to make the arrangement and Melcochita had just one more extra day to stay, and it was already night time. The incredible Yalil said, that he could have the arrangement in hours. The next day Melcochita and I were already recording the voice tracks, chorus and improvisations for “Lágrimas Negras”. Mr. Melcochita has been the drop of water that spilled this project with flavor. He knows how to ferment a song, and he made us laugh a lot.

Yalil explained to Melcochita about Latin Lover, the album: “ We have created a new proposition of music, a fusion of rhythms, influenced by Caribbean, Brazilian, Andean, Mediterranean, American Jazz and Classical elements. We merge them, without losing the essence that attracts the listener and brings him back to his roots, this music has its own dynamic. It calls you to dance”. When the music flows the lyrics can take you to another place, you relax, you transcend. There is another dimension where we encounter our souls... and follow our own voices.


LATIN LOVER credits

Executive producer				Esther Levi
Musical Producer and Arrangements		Yalil Guerra

Flute						Elsa Maria Medina
Saxophone BaritOne				Fabrizio Gazzola
Trumpet						Francisco Cambeyro
Trumpet in ALagrimas Negras			Raymundo Somellao
Trombone					Francisco Torres
Congas, Bongo and Brazilian percussion		Luis Conte
Drums, Timbales, Cajon and minor percussion 	Jimmy Branly
Congas, Timbals and Bongo in ALagrimas Negras 	Conrad "Coky" Garcia
Piano, Keyboards and Programing			Yalil Guerra
Bass Acoustic and Baby bass			Carlos Del Puerto Jr.
Electric Bass					Yalil Guerra
Violin						Pablo Mendez
Requinto					Rafael AChato@ Rios
Guitar and Tres					Yalil Guerra
Chorus						Rosell and Cary, Melcochita, 
						Yamila and Yalil Guerra
            
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by : Yalil guerra at RYCY Productionos, 
					Inc. Burbank, California 2005
Photografer             		Karin Rios
Graphic design				Yalil Guerra
Translations				Esther Levi 


1.  AMOR  SOBRENATURAL
2.  LATIN  LOVER		
3.  ESPERANDOTE		
4.  MACHO  LATINO		
5.  ESTARAS  EN  MI  ALMA	
6.  QUIERO  VIVIR	
7.  TAN  CLARO  EL  RECUERDO
8.  TUN  TUN  ASI	
9.  YO  QUIERO  DESPERTAR  CONTIGO
10. ESTE  COQUETEO
11.  LAGRIMAS  NEGRAS
Tracks 1 to 10, music and lyrics by Mirayda Levi 
Track 11, music and lyrics by Miguel Matamoros

US COPYRIGHT 2005