Vicente Fernández - Hoy (2013)

Vincente Fernandez's studio album Hoy appears smack in the middle of his long farewell tour. At age 73, "Chente," the undisputed El Rey de la Canción Ranchera, is leaving the stage after a series of health problems. Given the length of the tour and the energy he displays on-stage during it, his millions of fans apparently needn't worry about his powers of endurance. Fernandez will continue to record at his Rancho Viejo studio in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Hoy features 12 songs by the great Martin Urieta, and a bonus track, "Un Hombre con Suerte" ("A Lucky Man"), by composer José Eduardo Piña. The set is beautifully orchestrated and arranged with warm, intimate production. Fernandez's voice, after 40 years, is still rich, passionate, and mellifluous.