(noticia) Javier Garcia is on a stealth mission to conquer Latin pop

Undercover Brother

Salsa, ska, reggae, flamenco -- Javier Garcia filters it all

By JULIENNE GAGE


There's a lot riding on singer-songwriter Javier Garcia. Super-producer Gustavo Santaolalla, who has worked with Café Tacuba and Molotov, produced the 30-year-old's highly anticipated sophomore album, 13, and released it on his Surco imprint last month. 13 is also being distributed through major label powerhouse Universal Latino, which hopes to capitalize on Garcia's exotic Cuban-Irish heritage and make him the next big thing in Latin alternative pop.

But Garcia gets more excited talking about ethnomusicology and his appreciation of old-school salseros than about his potential for reaching the big time.

That's healthy. There are a lot more fusion-style artists to compete against than seven years ago, when Garcia recorded his self-titled debut for Fonavisa Records. Still 13 is musically solid, and the arrangements on each track reflect a creative yet retro Latino who has spent years turning kitsch into cool.

(leer +) [vía miami new times.com]