There was a reason that the internet crashed and most of the world plunged into mourning on June 25th, 2009-----on that day, we lost Michael Jackson. The reason why his passing affected so many is because he was one of the last great superstars of our time, a man who commanded the love and admiration generations by the sheer force of his charisma and talent. Given those facts, it should surprise no one that musicians of different cultures and genres also drew inspiration from him, including Tony Succar, Marcus Niemeyer and Tito Nieves dedicated their skills to provide a fresh Latin flavor to creating an entire album paying tribute to the King Of Pop, encapsulated by their spicy and syncopated version of his forever-classic hit single, "Billie Jean."
There was a reason that the internet crashed and most of the world plunged into mourning on June 25th, 2009-----on that day, we lost Michael Jackson. The reason why his passing affected so many is because he was one of the last great superstars of our time, a man who commanded the love and admiration generations by the sheer force of his charisma and talent. Given those facts, it should surprise no one that musicians of different cultures and genres also drew inspiration from him, including Tony Succar, Marcus Niemeyer and Tito Nieves dedicated their skills to provide a fresh Latin flavor to creating an entire album paying tribute to the King Of Pop, encapsulated by their spicy and syncopated version of his forever-classic hit single, "Billie Jean."
Replacing the original sparse and heavy beat with congas and creating tension with a guiro and air-tight horn section, the vocals are rendered in English and are a smooth compliment to this inventive version of the well-known jam. One listen should demonstrate that this collection promises artistic ingenuity and should happily surprise anyone expecting to hear a rote Latin-by-numbers regurgitation of the late entertainer's most-recognized crossover grooves.
By Melody Charles