Amor Y Suerte: Exitos Romanticos (Bonus Dvd)

Spanish greatest hits with limited edition PAL DVD. Sony. 2004.

Gloria Estefan may have fallen out of commercial favor with English-speaking audiences over the past several years, but her musical output has hardly reflected a change. It's particularly true of her Spanish-language recordings, on which she has continually evolved and explored new, diverse sounds. Amor y Suerte--Exitos Romanticos chronicles that impressive path, culling some of Estefan's best work from the past decade. Notable are a trio of duets that find the Cuban diva holding her own against the formidable voices of Alejandro Fernandez ("En el Jardin"), Jon Secada ("Por Amor") and Jose Feliciano ("Tengo Que Decirte Algo"). The compilation also features "Hoy" and "Tu Fotografia," two stellar singles from Estefan's unjustly overlooked Unwrapped album. Lush production values and Estefan's plaintive-yet-longing delivery unify the entire project. It ends with "Ay, Ay, Ay Amor," a new track that pulses to a rousing salsa-dance beat and signifies another exciting direction for Latin-pop's premiere songstress. --Joey Guerra