Resucitar

Don't be fooled by all the beefcake and cascading water on the cover and in the liner notes of Resucitar: Gian Marco is more than just another slickly packaged face. Nominated for four other Latin Grammys before he took home the statute for Best Singer-Songwriter Album in 2005, Marco first gained recognition outside of his native Peru as a composer. After penning songs for well-connected artists like Jaci Velasquez, Marc Anthony, Jon Secada, and Gloria Estefan, he was picked up by legendary producer Emilio Estefan and introduced to international audiences with the release of A Tiempo in 2002. Being queued up for major crossover stardom hardly counts as a near-death experience, but in interviews about Resucitar, Marco tends to make comparisons between the two albums and stress the significance of this latest title. With serene vocals, lyrics free of irony or disaffection, and music limited to what can be coaxed from elemental strings and drums, Resucitar does have the feel of a deep and cleansing breath. You relax into it, your appreciation deepening with each subsequent repetition. Marco writes pretty melodies and intelligent ballads. What is remarkable about this album is how authentically he fuses musical styles, how simultaneously original and rooted in tradition these songs feel. All kinds of traditions: "Lejos de Tí" is an obvious hit single that replaces rhythm guitar with the folkloric pulse of a charango, a kind of Peruvian mandolin. Andean flutes trade solos with Hammond organ effects. The melodies of "Gota de Lluvia" and "Flor de Arena" owe simultaneous debts to Ricardo Arjona and the Beatles, while the energy of "Soy" will remind you of Carlos Vives and Hanson in the best of ways. Over and through it all is Marco's pleasing tenor, his optimistic vision, and his fresh poetic phrasings. Resucitar is an excellent, accessible effort by a rising star to watch.