Hasta el Fin by Monchy & Alexandra

Monchy & Alexandra: Monchy, Alexandra (vocals). Additional personnel: Martires D' Leon (guitar, mandolin, programming); Jose Jaquez, Isaias Leclerc (bass instrument); Jose F. Diaz (guiro); Juan Manuel Martinez, Juan De La Cruz (percussion); Grupo Coral Romana. Monchy & Alexandra combine salsa & merengue music with American pop on HASTA EL FIN. Largely consisting of passionate love songs, this 2004 release features stunning vocal performances, tight musicianship, and resplendent production. As with many Latin albums, the percussion is the backbone of the ensemble and the driving force behind the music. For example, on "Esperando Estar Juntos" and "No Te Prometo Que Si (Tratare de Olvidar)," the congas, bongos, and guiro lay down a taut groove, while Monchy & Alexandra's legato voices soliloquize overtop. On HASTA EL FIN, Monchy & Alexandra do not offer up any of the wilder, more celebratory, forms of merengue and salsa (a la Tito Puente); instead, this is scaled-down romantic music in the bachata vein. Be...