Diana Navarro - No Te Olvides de Mi (Edicion Especial) (2005/2009)

Seldom do vocalists grace an international audience with music that soothes, inspires, and enchants as much as Diana Navarro's work. Her debut record to reach U.S. markets, No Te Olvides de Mí (recorded for the WEA Latina label) contains music so rare and precious that as the title suggests, anyone who hears it will not soon forget. The vocal style she favors hails from the place where North African and Spanish traditions cross, called Andalusia, the birthplace of flamenco. The result is a strong Muslim musical influence, evident in the delicate ornamentation that Navarro so masterfully executes, like swirls and curls of smoke. Though an unlikely combination, Navarro's flamenco vocal stylings and the high-gloss pop polish of the record's production style work well together. For her fidelity to the style, impressive vocal prowess, and the palatable flavor of the record, Navarro sounds like a Gypsy Celine Dion. There's a great variety in pace and timbre from track to track. Every tune reveals a new deep corner of Navarro's artistry. Navarro has been described as "a siren," and for her otherworldly vocal presence and the evocative melancholy of her repertoire, it is more true than one might think. It will be difficult to turn off No Te Olvides de Mí, and the album indicates that Diana Navarro is an artist to watch.~No Te Olvides de Mi Review by Evan C. Gutierrez