In regional Mexican music, a group's name can give you at least some idea what the group sounds like. If a group's name includes the words "del Norte," chances are the group is norteño (los Tigres del Norte, los Huracanes del Norte, etc.). And if a group's name includes the words "de Durango," it probably means the group is providing some type of duranguense. But here's the thing: a name doesn't tell you specifically what type of duranguense is being provided. Duranguense is diverse, ranging from very tradition-minded ...
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In regional Mexican music, a group's name can give you at least some idea what the group sounds like. If a group's name includes the words "del Norte," chances are the group is norteño (los Tigres del Norte, los Huracanes del Norte, etc.). And if a group's name includes the words "de Durango," it probably means the group is providing some type of duranguense. But here's the thing: a name doesn't tell you specifically what type of duranguense is being provided. Duranguense is diverse, ranging from very tradition-minded albums that concentrate on rancheras and corridos to albums that are very pop-minded -- and los Primos de Durango's Con Fuego en Tu Piel: 100% Duranguense Light (With Fire in Your Skin: 100% Duranguense Light) clearly falls into the latter category. You won't find any corridos on this late 2008 release, nor any ranchera standards by José Alfredo Jiménez. Rhythmically, this is very much a duranguense album, but los Primos de Durango combine that bouncy duranguense sound with a big dose of Latin pop -- and Latin pop is obviously a prominent ingredient on sleek, commercial offerings such as "Regresa Conmigo" ("Come Back to Me"), "Siempre Te Amaré" ("I'll Always Love You"), "Tendrás Que Llorar" ("You Will Have to Cry") and "El Silencio de Mi Amor" ("The Silence of My Love"). When los Primos de Durango call their approach "duranguense light," they are speaking the truth; one could argue that this type of CD is to duranguense what salsa romantica is to salsa. And while Con Fuego en Tu Piel: 100% Duranguense Light isn't a five-star masterpiece, it is a good example of duranguense and Latin pop coming together with likable, worthwhile results. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
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