Enamorarse en la Playa

Blasting off with his smash hit ‘Tirando Duro’, a crazy-catchy merengue that will have you kicking up sand on your imaginary playa (beach), this is an album for any Latin music lover fond of busting a move or three. It's the good-natured debut by Raphael, a Montréal-based singer-songwriter, bandleader, producer and proud Dominicano. Cushioned by a big band featuring everything from guitars, bass and piano to timbales, horns and the ever-scraping güira, Rafael has sprung fully formed onto the international scene. The album's 13 self-penned songs all seem to be celebrating accordingly. What upbeat, well-crafted songs they are: the title-track tells of falling in love at the beach in ways so joyful and balmy you can feel the sun glinting off the brass section. ‘Báilame’, another radio hit, is an accordion-driven urban merengue with a real kick to it, while the equally infectious ‘Hasta Que Salga el Sol’ features both Latin music producer and singer Papa AP and the most compelling use of vocoder this side of the Caribbean. Closing track ‘Sembrando Amor’, a melodramatic ballad, is to be listened to as waves crash and the sun comes up, the party complete.