Freddy Fender (Back Porch)
Unlike Ricky Martin, Freddy Fender ("Before the Next Teardrop Falls") has never shaken his bon-bon. But since the '50s he has been a major force in bringing the unique passion of Latin music to the American soundscape with his Tex-Mex stylings. This album lovingly revisits the traditional Mexican and South American songs that Fender—born Baldemar Huerta—first heard growing up in Texas's Rio Grande Valley. You don't have to understand the (mostly) Spanish lyrics to appreciate the beauty of the language, so graceful is Fender's melodic tenor. Having successfully undergone a kidney transplant from his daughter in January, Fender, 64, sounds reborn.
Bottom Line: A nostalgia trip worth taking
Your Reaction
