For non-Spanish speakers too lazy to translate the phrase at babelfish, the title of this 2005 Latin American box-office smash means "My Brother's Woman." Knowing that might help provide some context for the songs presented here, but it's really not necessary, nor is seeing the film (you'll have to Netflix it, the US run was very brief). Having said that, it's no surprise that there's more than a hint of romance that binds this collection of songs together, starting with the short & sweet cabaret groove of upright bass and piano to open things up, "Despues De Almuerzo Parte 1" from the Argentinian production duo of Bitman and Roban. Up next is the unlikely but compelling rework of New Order's "Blue Monday" by Tanghetto, again featuring piano but more noticeably solo accordion driving the melody. It's faithful to the original (certainly more so that the film's female lead), but brings the freshness that is the hallmark of a well-executed remix.
Novalima Regressa are next with a more traditional offering, also featuring accordion, but this time with guitar, vocals, congas, and lots of busy castanets. Barcelona's wunderkinds The Pinker Tones contribute the Grande Finale, closer to their The Million Colour Revolution album, one of the quieter tracks from that record and nicely placed here. Pacha drops some English vocals (never fear, there's a bit of Spanglish in the chorus) and over hip-pop (that's not a typo) beats and some electric guitar next, followed by Tijuana's Nortec Collective and their unique blend of norteño and techno on Olvidela Compa - like The Pinker Tones tune, taken from their Nacional full-length. If the next song from Sara Valenzuela were in English, it would fall into the "singer/songwriter" category and that's probably where it belongs in any case.
Mexico City is represented by the abstract electronica of The Mexican Institute Of Sound (aka Camilo Lara) - given the movie's subject matter, perhaps his saucy "Mirando A Las Muchachas" would have been a better choice from his Nacional debut, but this selection definitely adds yet another bit of diversity to the styles represented here. Leading off the second half of the album's sixteen tracks is the theme for the film, performed by Angelo Milli, using mainly electronic textures to create a poignant blend of lushness and melancholy. Andrea Echeverri picks up the pace with "Baby Blues," but only slightly, and the downtempo beats provide a good backdrop for the single female vocal in the verses and the additional backing voices in the chorus. A pair of narrators in English, one male, one female, open and close Monareta's "Mantanza Funk" bridged by a rap in Spanish, all over a spare arrange of electric bass, guitar licks, and a funky backbeat. Novalima check in with jazzy trumpet, vocals, and trumpet on "Malato," yet another track that wouldn't be out of place on one of Om's Lounge comps. Next up are the intriguingly named Intoxicados and their funky bit of hip-hop, "Transan."
If you can't tell from his name, Kemo The Blaxican has a wicked sense of humor and his "I Drink She Smokes" is a salty little rap about his love for booze and his love's love for the sticky stuff. Closing out the record is the picked acoustic guitar and whispered vocals of Mentira from Beto Cuevas, fittingly layered over strong electro beats. If this record suffers from anything, it's perhaps a bit too much diversity, but that is, after all, what the movie is about in the first place.
