Haila Live
Haila Mompie (Bis Music)

Review by:

I was tracking down this release for months (it was released in Japan around January 2003) to no avail but my prayers have been answered now that Bis music has released it to the USA via Canada.

Haila posseses one of the strongest vocals in music today and in a live setting, it's even stronger. Things get going with "Hoy me inclino" from her work with "Azúcar negra" and it sounds amazing. The band and her vocals are in sync and just like that, it's over. And this is the problem I have with this release the songs are played almost at the same length of the album versions.

For the first half of the show, Haila seems a bit subdued just going thru the motions but things are different when she is joined by guest stars. Issac Delgado joins her on the bolero "Pensamiento" and Charanga Habanera on "En la vida real" and here's when the show picks up steam but the Mayito duet of "Me voy contigo" is what really takes this show to the next level. Two powerhouses exploding vocally, and you can feel the energy and electricity, just wanting to go but again the song is played note for note, soneo for soneo like the recorded version.

The sound of the recording is magnificent the band is tight with players from Azúcar Negra and Issac's band. Unfortunately even the band sound as if they were holding back.

Unlike Los Van Van's release of "Live en el Malecón" where you could tell the songs were faded out, here the songs seemed to be programmed that way and what a shame, because for those who have seen Haila live, know she can throw down just listen to her almost 8 minutes version of "Quimbara" on Deep Rumba's cd "Alto en la fiebre de la rumba" and you'll know what I'm talking about.

But overall this cd is worth just on Haila's voice, this woman can sing.

Songs:
Opening - Hoy me inclino y les doy las gracias
La rosa
Bemba colorá
La sopa en botella
Sobre una tumba una rumba
Drume negrita
Que te pedí
Suceso de amor
En la vida real
Pensamiento
Me voy contigo
Yo no me parezco a nadie
Hoy me inclino y les doy las gracias

Musicians:
Rolando Luna - Piano
Erenesto Reynaldo - Teclados
Alfredo Echevarría - Bass
Oliver Valdés
Adel González
Andrés Cuayo
Guillermo del Toro - Bongó
Alexander Abreu
Miguel Valdés
Amaury Pérez
Edwar Machado
Juan Manuel Ceruto
Liena Hernández
Katia Reyes
Alexander Díaz
Enrique Pérez Prieto
Invitados Especiales: Chucho Valdés, Issac Delgado, Mayito Rivera y David Calzado y La Charanga Habanera

This page was last updated on 27-Mar-2002