Tego Calderón - Tba (CD)

All Music Guide

It took a little while to catch fire, but Tego Calderón's debut album, El Abayarde, helped elevate him atop the urban regional music scene. Calderón appealed to both the reggaeton and the Latin rap crowds, as his music incorporated the best elements of both, and a great many fans waited impatiently to see how he'd follow up his impressive debut album. When he finally did so with El Enemy de los Guasíbiri in 2004, it wasn't exactly the album all those fans had hoped for. Sure, it's Tego through and through and there are numerous highlights here, but put frankly, El Enemy de los Guasíbiri is a hodgepodge. The 17track, 52minute album mainly recycles previously released recordings, a couple of which had appeared on El Abayarde in alternate form (the standout Luny Tunes productions "Güasa, Güasa" and "El Natural"). Granted, El Enemy isn't a straight compilation. At least the folks at White Lion Records took the time to remix the songs into what sounds like a new album, but dedicated fans of... Tego will see through the facade and see the album for what it is that is, not a new album. That initial disappointment aside, there are an abundance of highlights on El Enemy de los Guasíbiri, among them the aforementioned Luny Tunes productions (as well as another excellent Luny effort, "Baílalo Como Tu Quieras," which had originally appeared on their Trayectoria album), "Cosa Buena," the title track, "Sopa de Letra," and the Eddie Dee collabo "En Peligro de Extinción." So there's still plenty of good music here on El Enemy de los Guasíbiri even if a fair share is mediocre and previously released (some of it even predating El Abayarde). If you like Tego and don't already have many or, better yet, any of these songs already in your collection, El Enemy should please you. After all, Tego is one of the best Latino rappers ever, no doubt, and he has some quality productions here to work with. But if you're new to Tego, you're highly advised to pick up El Abayarde first and foremost. It's a solid album and a much stronger statement of character than this cutandpaste, timetraveling stopgap release. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less