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Abrazar la Vida (Embrace Life) (2003)

Where the lyrics of Abrazar la Vida (Embrace Life) take you, and where it was really made.

The album opens not with a dance track but with the plaintive torch song '¿Quién Te Dijo Eso?', even though its Latin horns are what most reviewers remember.

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Album story

Overview

• Abrazar la Vida (Embrace Life), released 28 October 2003 by Luis Fonsi
• Released by Universal Music Latino
• Studio album by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Luis Fonsi
• Twelve tracks in the track listing
• Singles and videos: '¿Quién Te Dijo Eso?', the title track 'Abrazar la Vida', and 'Por Ti Podría Morir'
• Described as Fonsi's most Caribbean album
• The Caribbean influence is strongest in two of the most rhythmic songs
• 'Yo Te Propongo' includes instruments from salsa and Cuban son over a pop base
• Fonsi called 'Eso Que Llaman Amor' a kind of 'cha cha cha pop'
• The 'cha cha cha pop' feel comes from arrangements by Cuco Peña on that song

Background

• Five songs on the album were written by Fonsi and Claudia Brant
• 'La Fuerza de Mi Corazón' is the official song of the animated film El Cid: La leyenda
• That song is sung as a duet with Christina Valemi
• The album is the work of a Puerto Rican artist releasing through a Latin label

Recording

• Producers credited include Luis Fonsi, Rudy Pérez, Cuco Peña, Jeeve, Mark Portmann, Kike Santander, Milton Salcedo, and José Gaviria
• Engineers credited include Boris Milan, Joel Numa, Juan José Virviescas, Bruce Weeden, and Manny López
• Felipe Tichauer is credited with engineering and mixing
• Mastering credit goes to José Blanco
• Arrangements include horn arrangements by Milton Salcedo
• Julio Estrada 'Fruko' Rincón is credited as arranger

Cover

• Cover photography credit goes to Tony Vera
• Art direction credit goes to Valerio do Carmo
• Graphic design credit goes to Judy Figueroa
• Creative direction and text credit go to Mario Patiño

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero on April 15, 1978, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Moved with his family to Orlando, Florida at age 10.
• Enrolled at Florida State University School of Music on a full scholarship in 1995 but dropped out to pursue music.
• Signed a recording contract with Universal Music Latin soon after.

Career

• Debut album Comenzaré (1998) peaked at number 11 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and became a hit in Puerto Rico and Latin America.
• Follow-up Eterno (2000) was more successful.
• Opened for Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour in the US and Mexico in 2002.
• "No Me Doy por Vencido" (2008) spent 21 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.
• Won a Latin Grammy for Song of the Year for "Aquí Estoy Yo" in 2009.
• "Despacito" (2017), featuring Daddy Yankee and later a remix with Justin Bieber, became his biggest success and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
• Released the album Vida in 2019, which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.
• Served as a coach on The Voice and La Voz in several countries.

Members

• Solo artist; no group members.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• AllMusic awarded the album 3.5 stars, written as '3+1⁄2 stars' in the source
• The review says Fonsi opens with a plaintive torch song, compared to Babyface's country turn on 'When Will I See You Again'
• The title song is more R&B-flavored but still torch-laden
• The dance floor is not ignored: the Latin horns on 'Yo Te Propongo' are called frenetic and almost dizzying
• The review says Fonsi is most comfortable in the modern crooner style
• The review says the album casts a satisfying pop shadow
• AllMusic's assessment sets the album as a mix of ballads and Latin dance numbers
• The review praises the balance between torch songs and rhythmic pop tracks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Fonsi's own words: the album is the most Caribbean record he made
• Five songs were written by Fonsi and Claudia Brant
• 'La Fuerza de Mi Corazón' was recorded as a duet with Christina Valemi and is tied to the animated film El Cid: La leyenda
• 'Eso Que Llaman Amor' was described by Fonsi as a 'cha cha cha pop' thanks to Cuco Peña's arrangement
• The album's singles and videos were 'Quién te dijo eso?', 'Abrazar la vida', and 'Por ti podría morir'

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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