By Dr. Yalil Guerra, Special to the Van Nuys News Press
In a recent performance in the Los Angeles area, Bruno Mars filled SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a venue with a capacity of more than 70,000. The concert was a resounding success with audiences and another demonstration of the drawing power of an artist who has built a remarkable musical career.
Mars’s voice and command of the stage are unquestionable. It is also exciting to hear him explore sounds associated with the Hispanic world on his new album, The Romantic. After listening to the record, I would like to share a few impressions from my perspective as a musician.
The album opens with “Risk It All,” a song that brings us closer to Mexico through its mariachi accompaniment: guitarrón, vihuela, trumpets, and violins, while Mars sings in English. The song introduces a sound that may be unfamiliar to part of the English-speaking audience on a global stage. After a few seconds, it transforms into a bolero, a genre born in Cuba and embraced by Mexico, where it developed its own identity. The bolero was inscribed by Cuba and Mexico on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
After that musical delight comes “Cha Cha Cha.” Although its title points to the Cuban genre that emerged in the 1950s, associated with Enrique Jorrín and popularized by Orquesta Aragón, to my ears the song does not fully develop the genre’s characteristic rhythm. It has a retro sound, with polished horn arrangements that at times remind me of Herb Alpert. The title and an occasional timbale fill seem to be its most evident connections to the cha-cha-chá.
The third track, “I Just Might,” continues the sonic tradition Mars has cultivated in earlier productions, helping establish him as a leading figure in contemporary popular music. We hear elements of disco and funk, along with congas that add texture to the song.
“God Was Showing Off” begins with a countdown in Spanish, but the rest of the song stays within Mars’s familiar style. It unfolds smoothly: the electric-guitar riffs, the drum pattern, and the horn arrangement support the vocals without competing with them. It is a very well-balanced production.
“Why You Wanna Fight?” offers a sensuality perfectly suited to a romantic evening. The instrumentation serves the song and moves in parallel with the harmonic sequences. The snare-drum hits close the sections beautifully, blending with the harmonized backing vocals to give them a distinctive character.
“On My Soul” raises the energy and quickens the tempo while retaining the sonic signature that runs through the album. In the higher notes, Mars’s voice takes on a raspy edge that gives it an almost plaintive quality, without losing its impeccable pitch.
“Something Serious” takes us back to a sound that reminds me of Bubalú, with an irresistible flavor, although its overall character remains predominantly Anglo-American and its Latin presence is more understated. The timbale fills the spaces beautifully; the horn arrangement is exquisite, and the call-and-response between the singer and the chorus is handled with precision. Before the climax, the harmony brings dissonance and consonance together naturally, without losing its commercial appeal.
In “Nothing Left,” Mars’s voice is accompanied by an electric guitar, taking us into a different atmosphere. The song departs from the form we might expect; its melody may be less immediately memorable, but its melismas and sustained notes make it one of my favorites. The gospel-style organ and saxophone add a distinctive color. The sus4 chord before the electric-guitar solo also sets up a truly brilliant moment.
The album closes with “Dance with Me,” another retro-tinged song that brings the sound of the past into the present through Mars’s voice and style.
Overall, it is encouraging to see established artists in the English-speaking world approach Hispanic music with curiosity and skill. The Romantic opens that door, although only a few moments venture clearly into these sounds. It would be interesting to see Bruno Mars follow the path Nat King Cole took when he recorded three albums featuring songs in Spanish. Such a gesture could bring him even closer to Spanish-speaking listeners, many of whom already enjoy his music and might love it even more if they heard him sing in their language. Hispanic culture has extraordinary strength, especially when it is whispered to the heart in Spanish.
(To contact Dr. Guerra, Email: info@yalilguerra.com)