Maps of Music

Otra Nota (1993)

Where the lyrics of Otra Nota take you, and where it was really made.

Anthony first turned down a salsa album, and a song heard on a taxi radio changed his mind.

Key places

Recorded in New York City (1993)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Otra Nota was recorded at Active Recordings in New York City in 1992. The point marks the city centre, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Debut studio album by American singer Marc Anthony
• Released January 26, 1993 by RMM Records
• Produced by Sergio George
• First album by Anthony recorded in salsa, after a career as a freestyle musician
• Title means 'Another Note' in English
• Three singles, all of which charted on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart

Background

• Anthony began as a freestyle musician in the 1980s and sang backup for boy bands such as Menudo and the Latin Rascals
• He wrote songs for his school friend Sa-Fire, including a song that became a hit on the Billboard Hot 100
• He got his start as a lead vocalist with Little Louie Vega on the album When the Night Is Over
• RMM president Ralph Mercado invited him to record a salsa album, but Anthony declined because he had little interest in recording in Spanish
• The next day, in a taxi, he heard Juan Gabriel's song on the radio and decided to record it in salsa
• He told Mercado about the change of mind, and Mercado introduced him to Sergio George as producer

Recording

• Recording began after Anthony asked Mercado to record Juan Gabriel's song in salsa
• The album was recorded on a low budget
• George called the album a total experiment: one musician at a time, with no band
• The full production was done on computers, and George played the keyboards himself
• Otra Nota was recorded at Active Recordings in New York City in 1992

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

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born Marco Antonio Muñiz on September 16, 1968 in Manhattan, New York City, to Puerto Rican parents.
• Raised in East Harlem (Spanish Harlem); youngest of eight children; raised Catholic.
• Learned to sing in Spanish and English under his father Felipe, a professional guitarist.
• Influenced by José Feliciano, Air Supply, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Rubén Blades, and Tito Puente.

Career

• Started as a session vocalist for freestyle and New York house acts, then wrote and sang backing for Menudo and the Latin Rascals.
• Shifted from freestyle to salsa after 1992, blending in R&B and urban influences.
• Signed with Ralph Mercado's RMM Records; the Spanish-language debut Otra Nota (1993) launched his salsa career.
• Released English-language self-titled album (1999) with the US Top 5 single "I Need to Know"; it was certified triple platinum.
• Known as the top-selling salsa artist of all time; has won four Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, and 29 Lo Nuestro Awards.
• Has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide as of 2014.
• Acted in films including Carlito's Way, Man on Fire, and El Cantante (2007).

Reception

At release

• Critics received the album well and praised George's production and Anthony's youthful voice
• AllMusic reviewer Evan Gutierrez praised Anthony's voice as developed, unique and individual
• Gutierrez said the debut brought quality and passion to listeners from the beginning
• Gutierrez enjoyed the salsa songs and praised George's arrangements as outstanding, though he found the production outdated in places
• A Billboard editor called it a smashing salsa premiere and praised George's customary fine arrangements
• Los Angeles Times critic Enrique Lopetegui gave it 3 out of 4 stars and called Anthony's vocals excellent
• Lopetegui called the album a noble effort but criticized the cover of Make It With You as unnecessary

Records

• Billboard Tropical Albums: peaked at No. 2 and stayed there for eight weeks
• Billboard Top Latin Albums: peaked at No. 30 and spent nineteen weeks on the chart
• Singles: Hasta Que Te Conoci peaked at No. 13, Palabras del Alma at No. 15, Si Tu No Te Fueras at No. 31 on Hot Latin Songs
• Sales: more than 300,000 copies as of 2002
• In 1994 Anthony received a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Lo Nuestro Award as new artist

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

Trivia

• The lead track Palabras del Alma is a cover of a song originally performed and written by Ilan Chester
• The album includes five compositions and three covers, including Bread's Make It With You
• The following day, while in a taxi, Anthony was listening to Juan Gabriel's song
• According to George, the album was a total experiment, recorded on a low budget with one musician at a time
• Anthony's father Felipe Muniz composed El Ultimo Beso, one of the album's songs

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

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