Rosado Jr was born in NY but raised in California with a deep musical background. At just age 10, Carmelo was already playing with established Latin artists such as: Daniel Santos, Vicentico Valdez & Rene Rene. Carmelo took some years off from the music scene to pursue a degree in business. He now runs a highly successful business in Visalia California and couldn’t be happier. Music is in this man’s blood though, so you know you couldn’t keep Rosado Jr out for long. This artist has come back with a touching to tribute to his father and best friend, Carmelo Rosado Sr (“Un Homenaje Para Mi Mejor Amigo, Mi Padre”).
The CD is in all Spanish, which made it very difficult to follow along with the lyrics. One thing that wasn’t hard to pick up on however was the fact that the music spoke for itself. I would say that the overall feel I got was that this is music to put your mind, body and soul at ease. The record offers pleasant-sounding sensations, which made me think Carmelo & company were performing Spanish lullabies for ALL to enjoy.
Latin delights at their finest here as the vocals and instrumentation add in a fine mix. I really loved the richness of all the instruments displayed on this disc. You hear an elegant touch of piano at times, phenomenal horn sections with the trumpet being my fav and then you get Rosado Jr playing a mean acoustic guitar throughout the recording. The standout performances for me, hands down, were the trumpet parts that added so much color & spice along with Carmelo’s stellar guitar moments. All of the players really added a wonderful dimension to the entire project by giving off that fiery Latin flare.
There are some terrific musicians on this album that helped bring this whole project to life. Carmelo breathed plenty of air into this work by taking on the roles of: vocalist (vocalista), producer (productor), guitarist (guitarra) and musical arranger. Rasado’s father had the proud honors of being the sole composer (compositor) of this record with the exception of two tracks.
What I loved about the song selections was how the tempos were evenly balanced throughout the 14 installments. You hear slow & smoothly steady numbers at times but you also pick up on quicker, more up-tempo measures. Song #13, “Mi Ultimo Adios”, stands out to me because all I could think about the whole time was yelling Ole! I seriously pictured in my head a bullfighter (torero) with the red flag and the mighty bull coming at him. This song really feeds into that imagery & moment by way of its musical approach.
My only drawback here was when Carmelo went deeper with his voice to hit a lower octave. To me, the deepness of his vocals during these lines seemed a bit awkward-sounding. This came in as being somewhat pushed and not all-the-way natural for me personally. I really seemed to enjoy Rosado’s medium to higher register that came across as more convincing and more enjoyable to hear. I would also like to hear an English version, so I can feel not just the music but the words also.
Overall, I really did enjoy the style here and the arrangements were top-notch. I can’t say enough about all of the musicians on this album that definitely came to play. This appears to be a wonderful tribute to the man that wrote the words to most of the songs on the record. The Rosados & los players really created something truly original & pure here. For more on Carmelo Rosado Jr. and his new release, SKOPE out www.carmelorosadojr.com.
Review By: Jimmy Rae
[Rating: 3/5]
