Thalia: Summer 08 Era!

[kinglouiexviii]

Jun 13, 2008 18:54:05 GMT -5 gimmethatFUNK said:

how is her new album her most controversial yet?

Perhaps controversial is not the appropraite word. Lunada is, however, her most buzzed about album since 2000's Arrasando. Considering it marks Thalia's return to the music scene since the birth of her daughter, her reunion with Emilio Estefan (who most fans still prefer him to Estefano), and all the fuss about the cover, the anticipation is at a peak.

[markreede]

Los frijoles have been spilled!!! The WHOLE ALBUM has been leaked in the 4 corners of the Internet world!! Whew, yes, hearing almost all the songs will not repel me to buy the album and I agree that she's really determined to get what she had lost before..

And another buzz, one song in the album entitled AVENTURERO has a MYSTERY FEATURED ARTIST in the said song. Thalia didn't confirm who is HE but I suspect that HE IS SEAN PAUL,the artist that Thalia collaborated with to do Aventurero.

The song: youtube.com/watch?v=ZdGoYhLu--I

(postscript: Are you thinking of her 2nd English album after hearing Aventurero?? Then think again.. She said in the album launch for the press that she is concentrating in this album.. But for me, don't do the next English album yet, Thalia should reinforce her hold in the Latin music first before doing another endeavour..)

[damaged]

I like the album but I'm afraid its gonna bomb hard, Ten Paciencia has made zero buzz

[Spoken Word]

Anyone know if its on sale its first week out at any place?

[gimmethatFUNK]

this album really is a dud. i d/l'ed it over the weekend and like 2 maybe 3 songs on the whole thing. it shows that she only spent 2-3 weeks recording the whole thing.

[Carlitoz]

I was really excited about the album and was actually planning to buy it. On Monday I heard pieces of all the songs and it made me change my mind. I'm not buying it anymore. I may get some songs separately here and there, but that's it. I actually kind of like Ten Paciencia. I didn't find any other songs that made me go wow! I will have to listen whole songs maybe on YouTube and maybe I change my mind. So far I'm not impressed. I'm not impressed either by Será Porque Te Amo and Isla Para Dos. Maybe for somebody who has never heard these songs, they're ok. Not for me. Those two songs are two classics from the early 80s (or maybe late 70s...I can't remember) and have a very special place in my childhood/teenage memories. I can't go for these Thalia remakes. To me nothing compares to the two originals. Anyway, hopefullly I end up liking a couple of more songs from her. Believe me, I want to.

[markreede]

Have you heard of Aventurero, Sangre Caliente, Con Este Amor and Desolvidandote's FULL VERSION?? So far, they are my top favorites off the album.. Based on the comments I'd seen so far, I could conclude that Thalia isn't that much dedicated in her music career.. In this album, she only wrote three songs out of the eleven, eight of them are remakes..

Even though she's blowing hard on her latest endeavor, I still love her and I have high hopes she'll make it again on the charts.. Ten Paciencia is currently on #49 today on the Billboard charts..

[kinglouiexviii]

Jun 26, 2008 9:11:32 GMT -5 Carlitoz said:

On Monday I heard pieces of all the songs and it made me change my mind. I'm not buying it anymore. I may get some songs separately here and there, but that's it.

Carlitoz:

You're not savoring the album at all. You have to listen to it in its entirety, let it simmer, absorb it! It has a lot more depth than its critics say. I for one will not post my official review until I have listened to it for a few days.

I bought it on iTunes as well as in a local retail store and have been listening to it from beginning to end. I will share my thoughts soon. I must say though, I just don't think music listeners care about albums anymore. They simply want catchy, disposible singles that can be replaced within a short period of time. Nobody has the patience to sit down, listen to an entire record, and enjoy it from beginning to end.

Remember: Lunada is a concept album. Those rarely come along anymore...

:'(

[damaged]

its 49 on the hot 100? wow

[markreede]

Yes, and every day the number of spins are increasing.. In Argentina, the album reached number 5 on its first day of release and on iTunes, the album is #5 and Ten Paciencia is #2.. Amazon listed her as the top 8 album in the Latin Pop category.. Thalia's magic is simply on the Latin side.. She didn't receive this impressive reaction from the public since Thalia 2003 and ESS, as far as I can remember..

Btw, kinglouie, is it true that Yandel for "Isla Para Dos" and Sean Paul for "Aventurero" that Thalia invited to sing with her with those songs?? Nobody confirms it on the official forums and I'm pretty sure you have the copy of the album and you can tell it to me if it's true??

[kinglouiexviii]

Jun 27, 2008 5:36:36 GMT -5 @markreede said:

Btw, kinglouie, is it true that Yandel for "Isla Para Dos" and Sean Paul for "Aventurero" that Thalia invited to sing with her with those songs?? Nobody confirms it on the official forums and I'm pretty sure you have the copy of the album and you can tell it to me if it's true??

I think that is an error. Thalia.com credits Noe Nieto as the singer on the chorus of "ten paciencia", Joselito as the rapper on "Isla Para Dos", and Nubawn as the rapper on "Aventurero". I have never heard of any of these artists.

If it was Sean Paul, I'm sure it would have been credited on the album booklet. Sure does sound like him though...

[markreede]

I was bit disappointed hearing that. Before I was 100% sure that it was Sean Paul because MTV Tres Blogamole posted an article that Thalia is turning the urban route and she had a surprise for her song "Aventurero".. And everybody that assumed that it is Sean Paul was totally convinced that she really collaborated with the artist.. I think it would be fun if Thalia re-recorded the song again but this time with Sean Paul. He fits in with the song and if Thalia wants to send "feelers" to the English audience on her "future endeavors" then she is much welcome...

[gimmethatFUNK]

album debuted at #10 on the latin chart. didn't make the Billboard top 200 at all.

[markreede]

Yeah, you're right. But it can be attributed to the album's early leakage in the internet. 2 weeks prior to its release almost all the people in Univision, whether Thalia fans or anti-Thalia fans (Shakira, Paulina Rubio fans) got the WHOLE copy of the album, and posted it somewhere in Rapidshare, Yousendit, Youtube, imeem, among others.. And they didn't wait for the album's release.. It's also Thalia's fault because of her 1-week hiatus from her album launch in New York, now she's gearing up anew with an upcoming album tour and her Ten Paciencia's steering up HTV, Ritmoson, MTV and Muchmusic charts..

[djtrini]

the only reseason early leak of an album can be a factor is people or fans can decide if they will buy the album there have been a lot of artists whose albums are leaked before hand and they still debut in the number 1 spot so that is really no excuse.. the album is just plain and simple bad .... only her true fans are the ones buying one or more copies... I didn't like lunada and I still bought 30 copies 25 to give away at the club for the cd release party we are gonna have for her and 5 for friends who are fans of her... the album might do good it's first weeks after release but it's gonna go downhill pretty quickly... I have not heard the song here in the radio stations yet in chicago...

[markreede]

Have you ever wondered why Julieta Venegas' MTV Unplugged {an album which I think you'll classify not as NACO as Thalia's, and considering the fact millions of people watched MTV Tres around the southern hemisphere and her El Presente's a hit..} plunged to the bottom 20 of Hot Latin Albums?? Even Marco Antonio Solis' album sales wasn't tremendous as his albums before.. His sales were plunging low even though he's number one.. Two or three top Latin albums were able to enter the first 100 of Billboard Hot 200, unlike before that almost all in the Hot Latin Albums enter the Billboard Hot 200, and now dragging Thalia to the background and her album sales for Lunada will tell you that the songs in the album is bad?? Does this only contribute to her album sales?? Haven't you think about she's getting lame in promoting her latest endeavor?? How about Julieta's?? How can you explain her sudden drop in album sales (from #9 to #11 this week) even though the high volume of airplays for her El Presente is included for the tabulation of this week's Hot Latin Albums??

The album IS really intended for her true fans and for the LATIN AUDIENCE.. If you are avid watcher of Latin American online radio sites, Ten Paciencia is a hit.. A Mexican radio station simultaneously plays Sera Porque Te Amo with Thalia's current single. And yeah, she is nearly admitting that she loses her hold in the LATIN genre and focused herself more of mainstream USA pop (anti-fans tease here FRACASADA because of that and a million dumb reasons more) that leads you to a very logical reason why LUNADA was born. I didn't find the album trashy or NACO, as a Paulina Rubio fan always reiterates, as a resemblance of her first hit in EMI, En Extasis (Sangre Caliente sounds Piel Morena-Tu Y Yo style ) but not as great as that endeavor.

I respect your opinion about that album but Latinos really love this type of album, (the cover alone speaks that it is intended for the Latino audience) like the reception I've been getting to Latin interactive forums.. But to those people who are itchy in spitting their scrutiny about something, kindly be aware of the facts first...

[kinglouiexviii]

I don't think it matters where you start, but where you end up. What good does it do to debut at No. 1 if the album then plummets.

Cough.Ananda.Cough.

[djtrini]

I don't think thalia's album is "naco" i think it is a bad album not a "naco" album, julieta's el
presente is a hit because it is something kinda unique in the latin market, thalia's ten paciencia
has been done and redone a dozen times by los kumbia kings, super reyes, k1, los kumbia
allstarz, la conquista just to name a few.. so no i am not surprised julieta's song is a hit.
I am not going by album sales or by critics or by anything else I am going by what I heard when
I played the album to listen to it, for being thalia and who she is the album is bad.
you guys can talk and criticize all these other artists but only time will tell which artist will make an impact on the dance floors and on the charts...
only her true fans will like it, it has more of a tropical feel not a latin feel (jamaican)
which is not for a latin audience. I am latino and I know a lot of latinos and they do not like this kind of album, because this is not latin music, it's latin only in the sense tha she is singing in spanish, but like I said before the album has a more tropical feel (like reggae feel which is not latin).
it's funny how when you guys talk about other artists you are so easy to attack them and talk about how bad they started off on the charts but now that it's thalia you find all these excuses to excuse how bad her album is.. if you like it it's fine but don't come up with every other excuse to
try to make it seem better..
bottom line for being thalia more was expected of her seemed liked she rushed the album
that is why there are so many covers.

[kinglouiexviii]

Jul 8, 2008 19:44:11 GMT -5 djtrini said:

I don't think thalia's album is "naco" i think it is a bad album not a "naco" album, julieta's el
presente is a hit because it is something kinda unique in the latin market, thalia's ten paciencia
has been done and redone a dozen times by los kumbia kings, super reyes, k1, los kumbia
allstarz, la conquista just to name a few.. so no i am not surprised julieta's song is a hit.
I am not going by album sales or by critics or by anything else I am going by what I heard when
I played the album to listen to it, for being thalia and who she is the album is bad.
you guys can talk and criticize all these other artists but only time will tell which artist will make an impact on the dance floors and on the charts...
only her true fans will like it, it has more of a tropical feel not a latin feel (jamaican)
which is not for a latin audience. I am latino and I know a lot of latinos and they do not like this kind of album, because this is not latin music, it's latin only in the sense tha she is singing in spanish, but like I said before the album has a more tropical feel (like reggae feel which is not latin).
it's funny how when you guys talk about other artists you are so easy to attack them and talk about how bad they started off on the charts but now that it's thalia you find all these excuses to excuse how bad her album is.. if you like it it's fine but don't come up with every other excuse to
try to make it seem better..
bottom line for being thalia more was expected of her seemed liked she rushed the album
that is why there are so many covers.

Ooooh please!

This convinces me that:
a) You don't know anything about Latin music.
or
b) You have not listened to Lunada.

Yes, the album is heavy on reggae, which, yes! it does come from Jamaica and the caribbean. However, the album has plenty of cumbia, bossa nova, vallenato, and accordion arrangements which do come from Latin America.

I'm not making any excuses. So the album had a weak debut. I don't really care. My favorite artists like Ely Guerra, Damien Rice, Pete Yorn, Chetes, Fiona Apple barely make a beep on the charts. That doesn't mean I wont continue to buy and enjoy their music, and it certainly wont change with Thalia either.

You don't like the album, Trini. Okay, you don't like it. But simply because you don't care for it, it doesn't mean it's bad. I suggest you read my review to get a better understanding of what a true criticism is.

[djtrini]

I haven't listened to the album?? I have listened to it more times than I have to because of the cd release party we are doing for her.. and I don't know about music well that's your opinion, i could tell you know a lot about music especially when you say this album has plenty of cumbia when the only 2 songs that may be considered cumbia are insensible & ten paciencia and I don't know where else it's heavy on acordian & vallenato.. the only ones other than the 2 songs I mentioned that start like cumbias like amor a la mexicana just have the intro like that but right away turn into reggae are like 1 or 2 songs ... and all your reviews about thalia are one demensional even if it's the worst song album etc etc, you always praise her and right away you have to mention paulina rubio and talk bad about her... if you think I don't know about music it's ok, ain't gonna be mad or upset about that you got your opinion and it's ok... but really listen to the album and tell me what other songs have cumbia vallenato & acordion like you say...
this is how I lisetend to the album and what styles of music I think influece each song

1.Ten Paciencia - Kumbia kings style cumbia (not actually cumbia but elements of cumbia with reggaeton)
2.Sangre Caliente - intro cumbia like amora a la mexicana (pop reggae)
3.Sera Porque Te Amo - Pop
4.Con Este Amor - Pop
5.Bendita - Reggae Influenced with Pop
6.Desolvidandote - Balad
7.Isla Para Dos - Reggae Influenced
8.Insensible - Cumbia Norteña with Reggae
9.Aventurero - Reggae Dancehall Influenced
10.Ya No Se Vivir - Reggae Influenced
11.Solo Se Vive IUna Vez - Pop Influenced

Jul 9, 2008 14:14:13 GMT -5 kinglouiexviii said:

Jul 8, 2008 19:44:11 GMT -5 djtrini said:

I don't think thalia's album is "naco" i think it is a bad album not a "naco" album, julieta's el
presente is a hit because it is something kinda unique in the latin market, thalia's ten paciencia
has been done and redone a dozen times by los kumbia kings, super reyes, k1, los kumbia
allstarz, la conquista just to name a few.. so no i am not surprised julieta's song is a hit.
I am not going by album sales or by critics or by anything else I am going by what I heard when
I played the album to listen to it, for being thalia and who she is the album is bad.
you guys can talk and criticize all these other artists but only time will tell which artist will make an impact on the dance floors and on the charts...
only her true fans will like it, it has more of a tropical feel not a latin feel (jamaican)
which is not for a latin audience. I am latino and I know a lot of latinos and they do not like this kind of album, because this is not latin music, it's latin only in the sense tha she is singing in spanish, but like I said before the album has a more tropical feel (like reggae feel which is not latin).
it's funny how when you guys talk about other artists you are so easy to attack them and talk about how bad they started off on the charts but now that it's thalia you find all these excuses to excuse how bad her album is.. if you like it it's fine but don't come up with every other excuse to
try to make it seem better..
bottom line for being thalia more was expected of her seemed liked she rushed the album
that is why there are so many covers.

Ooooh please!

This convinces me that:
a) You don't know anything about Latin music.
or
b) You have not listened to Lunada.

Yes, the album is heavy on reggae, which, yes! it does come from Jamaica and the caribbean. However, the album has plenty of cumbia, bossa nova, vallenato, and accordion arrangements which do come from Latin America.

I'm not making any excuses. So the album had a weak debut. I don't really care. My favorite artists like Ely Guerra, Damien Rice, Pete Yorn, Chetes, Fiona Apple barely make a beep on the charts. That doesn't mean I wont continue to buy and enjoy their music, and it certainly wont change with Thalia either.

You don't like the album, Trini. Okay, you don't like it. But simply because you don't care for it, it doesn't mean it's bad. I suggest you read my review to get a better understanding of what a true criticism is.

[markreede]

Please stop arguing this thread is looking more like Univision than before!!! But trini, it's good to hear that the album that you scrutinize the most is the one you throw party with!! That's cool, and strange at the same time!!! One thing is for sure, According to your viewpoints, you have high hopes for Thalia that she'll never do the styles of any other Latin artist ever existed but she disappointed you with LUNADA. But at least, you bought the album, threw a party for her and somehow liked in a few ways Thalia's latest album. And rest assured, for the critics, she will really promote the album.. Watch out for PJ in Univision.. No lipsynching please. (But I doubt it, the song's fast..)

[markreede]

DJ Trini, is this your official website?? dj-trini.com/topten.html

[kinglouiexviii]

Guitar Riffs, Reggea, & a Dose of Carpe Diem
by L.A.G

A concept album is a rarity these days; more than a collection of disposable singles, the concept album is a concrete vision. Expressed through music, it is a vivid realization of the powers of the imagination. In Lunada, Thalia effortlessly transmits the experience of living a fleeting day by the ocean.

The album kicks off with “ten paciencia”: a fiery concoction of cumbia, vallenato, and Thalia’s carefree interpretation. Critics have trashed it and failed to recognize its interesting details. The electric guitar intro is infectious and the fire-rapid accordion arrangement is sensational. Like a pina colada on a hot, summer day, it is delicious if somewhat superficial. The hypnotic drums and guitar riffs of the smoldering “sangre caliente” follow. This reggae-infused track is perhaps the most successful of the covers on the album as Thalia exudes the same sultry and hypnotic quality that made “piel morena” and “amor a la Mexicana” international hits. By the climax of the song, an explosion of calypso drums and electric guitars, one cannot help but sweat. Lunada avoids being overtly caribbean with a pair of straight-forward pop tunes such as the flirty and catchy, “con este amor”. With its unapologetic fun vibe, terrific hooks, and Thalia’s dedicated interpretation, this explicitly pop song instantly marks one of the best moments in her discography.

Halfway through Lunada, Thalia takes a breather with two slower tracks: “bendita” and “desolvidandote”. The former is an up-tempo lullaby dedicated to her newborn daughter. The latter represents the only true ballad of the album. Minimalist in its production, the sweeping “desolvidandote” is a perfect union between Thalia’s voice and a simple piano. Polished with angst and stripped of over-produced, special effects, this is easily her best ballad since 2002’s “no me ensenaste”. Though this is an emotional punch, fortunately Thalia does not mope for long and promptly returns to party mode. “Isla para dos” mixes acoustic guitars with reggae, horns, and rap in order to embody the musical equivalent of surf, sand, and sun. Thalia takes her first explict stab at reggaeton with “aventurero”, and the results are better than expected. Hell has no fury like a scorned woman, and Thalia conveys her feminist side as in “amar sin ser amada” in what becomes the album’s sole, bump & grind track.

Perhaps the most representative cut is the extraordinary “yo no se vivir”. Thalia’s voice is majestic, and one can sense the cool waves of the ocean breeze as if she had recorded this song lying on some remote Brazilian beach. With its eclectic sound of guitars, bossa nova, and reggae, plus Thalia’s soulful singing, “yo no se vivir” projects the heart and sould of Lunada.

Unfortuantely, not all the songs are hits. For the second time in her career, Thalia channels her inner “Juan-ga” by covering his famous hit, “insensible”. However, unlike 1995’s “gracias a Dios”, “insensible” falls flat. Thalia sounds bored, and consequently, the song itself is boring and forgettable.

Barely 30 minutes into the album, “solo se vive una vez” arrives to close it. Adorned with new-wave elements and a heavy dose of carpe diem, this song penned by Thalia is a cool, modern touch to the distinctly tropical theme of Lunada. “Solo se vive una vez/solo se es joven una vez,” Thalia tells us urgently as the album ends. She pushes us out onto the seaside dance floor as Lunada comes to a close: yet, its spirit lingers on.

Projecting the momentary, transient nature of youth, summer, and life itself, Lunada becomes Thalia’s least commercial album, but perhaps her best since Amor a la Mexicana.

[markreede]

Thalia's record label's a mess.. Right now, they are letting Sera Porque Te Amo, a cut from Lunada, to be simultaneously played with Ten Paciencia in some USA and Latin Radio stations this week. And to think that Sera Porque Te Amo is an UNOFFICIAL SINGLE, it outshone Ten Paciencia in Los 40 Principales in Mexico and Ecuador (TP didn't manage to enter those charts, SPTA did debut there 2 weeks ago and still rising) and one radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah (TP was out of the charts, SPTA debuted at #24 yesterday).. And how about playing Sangre Caliente in MTV Tr3s commercials?? Whew, EMI!!!!

Vote for TP or SPTA here:

thalia.emilaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=191724

[markreede]

Thalía reunited with superproducer Emilio Estefan, Jr., for Lunada, a beach-themed album that was released a year after she took some time off to have her first child. Thalía had worked with Estefan from the mid-'90s through the early 2000s, and the collaboration proved consistently fruitful, resulting in the best albums of her career. While Lunada unfortunately isn't a return to the glory days of Amor a la Mexicana (1997), it's an entertaining album with a few great songs. Lunada is entertaining from a stylistic standpoint above all. Every song but one (the mid-album ballad "Desolvidándote") is upbeat, driven by hard-hitting beats, tropical rhythms, and an energized performance by Thalía, who sounds happy to be back in the studio after her sabbatical. The lead single, "Ten Paciencia," gets the album off a great start, propelled by a jumpy cumbia rhythm tailormade for the dancefloor. The next two songs, "Sangre Caliente" and "Será Porque Te Amo," are also highlights, but the remainder of the album is less impressive. Among the more noteworthy remainging songs are "Bendita," a reggae song with motherly lyrics written by Thalía; "Insensible," a song by Juan Gabriel; and "Aventurero," a reggaeton-lite collaboration with reggae-pop star Sean Paul. Some of these latter songs work well, others not so well for one reason or another, but either way, they're entertaining from a stylistic standpoint. In the end, Lunada is helped by the frontloaded highlights and the short running time (less than 40 minutes). Longtime fans of Thalía who expect Lunada to rival her late-'90s output are sure to be disappointed. A closer comparison would be to Thalía's last album with Estfan (Thalía, 2002) or her 2005 album with songwriter/producer Estéfano, El Sexto Sentido. Like Lunada, both of these albums were highly produced sessions that yielded a few great songs amid overall mixed results.

-Jason Birchmeier, Allmusic.com

[worldwide]

how is this album performing?

[kinglouiexviii]

Aug 20, 2008 11:32:59 GMT -5 worldwide said:

how is this album performing?

I'm Thalia's biggest fan, but I can deny that the album has been performing very poorly. However, I don't think that reflects on the album, which is great, but on Thalia who has done next to nothing to promote it.

She should at least take a page from Luis Miguel's book who does zero promotion but tours his a** off across the US, Mexico, and Latin America. Thalia swears that she'll tour next year, but I highly doubt it.

[markreede]

Despite of zero promotion of Thalia's Lunada, I have read an article posted on her official forums, the best article ever done to Thalia. It was posted on Time Magazine, after the Sodi-Mottola nuptials.. The writer used to be one of Thalia's avid admirer, but he literally gave up waiting for Thalia to do the next big step for her career, like so many fans do.. (*Yes, I'm almost there...*)

Maybe you've seen this, but I want to share this again with you..

The Mrs. Mottola Nobody Knows
By Ed Grant
Monday, Jan. 08, 2001

Sure, Madonna got married. So what? Hard-core media junkies like myself have grown weary of her constant struggle to devise new identities, and her highly publicized wedding to filmmaker Guy Ritchie was such a tired fait accompli — "the Material Girl finally goes domestic!" — that it'd be fair to say it produced no broken hearts among male pop fans. On December 2, 2000, however, I'm a proud enough fanboy to admit that I felt a slight twinge of envy when Latin music megastar Thalía, 28, tied the knot with music mogul and Mariah-molder Tommy Mottola, 52, in a $3 million wedding ceremony at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Though a superstar in her native Mexico and many other countries from Greece to the Philippines, Thalía is only known in the U.S. to one large section of the populace, namely those who follow Latin pop music (you know, the kind MTV refuses to air at any time — the kind in Spanish) and regularly watch the telenovelas seen on the three Spanish-language networks. Thalía's fans as a whole have been politely avoiding the somewhat Faustian aspect of her romantic merger with Mottola, but the tabloids, both in English and Spanish, haven't been quite so kind. She's been portrayed in English publications as a young Latin soap star positioning herself to be "Mariah II," while Spanish publications have printed as many pictures as they could obtain of her publicly nuzzling her older beau — elaborating how much money and influence Mottola has. The conclusions were implicit: Mottola chose another gorgeous younger woman, but this time he picked a foreign one to avoid the sort of problems he had with Carey (who conducted bitter public arguments with her "starmaking" hubby); Thalía, having already noted in many interviews that she was "too busy" to sustain a relationship at this stage of her career, suddenly found her "twin" in a man whose wiseguy-wannabe wardrobe earmarks him as a conspicuous consumer (he constructed a $10 million mansion for Carey, in which he installed a fully functional recording studio). It's enough to make a fan like myself shrug, sigh, and simply try to forget it all by remembering the intial thrill of discovery....


DIEHARD CHANNEL SURFERS RENDERED CATATONIC by the pabulum served up by the networks and basic cable channels have always known that the most vibrant, unpredictable entertainment can be found on the foreign-language channels, particularly the three Spanish networks. Those of us who studied the language in school but get lost when people begin to hablar rapidamente (talk quickly) can still follow and become absorbed by Spanish-language telenovelas, variety shows and music programs. Fans of vintage movies and TV shows will find formulas they recognize, but the passion and spontaneity with which they are carried out makes one thing certain: The most routine program on Univision is a thousand times more compelling than the sad fare being offered up on Nick at Night these days (when "Facts of Life" becomes "classic TV," it's time to fold up your tents, fellas).

I first encountered Thalía (pronounced Tah-LEE-ah) on "La Movida," a late-evening talk/variety program. About 20 at the time (1992), Thalía was already a showbiz veteran (she started in her first prefab band at the tender age of nine). Her look was what struck home first — a lithe, energetic brunette with a white streak running through the front of her manelike hair, clad in a series of outlandish, eye-catching outfits. Her songs were the next aspect to register — an assortment of well-crafted pop tunes with clearly salacious overtones. The coup de grace was the interview segment, in which the sexpot singer talked quietly and sweetly about her career, her fans and her then controversial image. The show's apparently minimal budget, erratic choreography and abysmal sound quality made the experience all the more charming. Thalía's one number in English was a heavily accented version of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," done in full Marilyn regalia. Here, it seemed, was a young woman truly unafraid of comparisons with the then-still-vital Madonna.

After this appearance, I began keeping an eye out for Thalía on Spanish television. The discovery of her music videos quickly converted me into a camp follower. A little background: Ms. Sodi (Thalía was born Thalía Ariadna Sodi Miranda on August 26, 1972) first achieved fame in a prefab teen band called Timbiriche, a Menudo-esque combo. I have not been blown away by their performances, but they did make a noteworthy guest appearance on a rather startling 1987 Halloween special that has run over and over again on Galavision. "Noche de Brujas y Terror" ("Night of Witches and Terror") is an eye-popping, no-budget Mexican TV reworking of "The Rocky Horror Show" (which features Spanish versions of "Over at the Frankenstein Place" and "Hot Patootie").

Within three years, Thalía had left the band, but she wisely maintained — thanks to her manager mother, Yolanda — her connection with the Televisa organization, which conveniently owned the Timbiriche concept, a record label and several radio and TV channels in Latin America and the U.S. The result was the making of a star — and some of the '90s' flashiest, most memorable music videos, never seen (natch) on MTV.

The videos that promoted Thalía's first three early-'90s solo albums, along with a dazzlingly outlandish TV special called "Love," set up Thalía's musical persona: a "good girl" who became a sex kitten on stage, singing songs with titles like "Sangre," "Sudor" and "Saliva" ("Blood," "Sweat" and "Saliva"). Her costumes were outrageous and provocative, and her production numbers brought to mind (for those of us who keep track of excesses from all eras) the best moments of Ann-Margret and Nancy Sinatra — although even Ann and Nancy never came on variety shows decked out as an Aztec goddess, a female boxer or a geisha girl.


After she became hugely popular, Thalía leapt from the Fonovisa label to EMI Latin, which funded two of her most outrageous, unforgettable videos. The sublimely tongue-in-cheek "Gracias a Dios" finds Thalía singing her thanks to God for giving her a good man — as she proceeds to playfully torture a captive shirtless male in an abandoned warehouse. The beefcake hero is straddled and shaved with a straight razor, drenched with a hose, and suspended upside down as Thalía, wearing a Louise Brooks wig, draws a sweet lil' heart on his chest with her lipstick. Fitting neatly into the "most memorable image" category is the sight of our heroine offering this dunce a "last cigarette" — and then lighting it with her candelabra brassiere!

"Gracias" never fails to delight more broad-minded viewers, but it is more than equaled by another of Thalía's wonderful acts of provocation, "Amor a la Mexicana." As this charming tune about loving "in the Mexican style" proceeds, one is put in mind of actor Ricardo Montalban's famous criticism of the stereotypes that Mexican people have been saddled with for decades: "the lazy Mexican, the bandito and the Latin lover." In the "Amor" video, Thalía and director Benny Corral revel in these stereotypes right from the opening shot, in which the lovely Ms. Sodi lies in a hammock, waiting for her Latin lover boyfriend to arrive (the gent is decked out — you guessed it — in the familiar bandido/"Cisco Kid" style) After a cockfight, some fireworks, a Frida Kahlo reference and the classic train-going-into-a-tunnel shot, the video reaches a sort of crescendo when Thalía is nearly grazed by her boyfriend's flying machete... but then she and her "macho" settle down to devour a nice juicy watermelon (one can almost hear Corral chuckling as the Freudian symbols fly by). Though none of her videos have topped the two described above, it should be noted that our gal elegantly sports a Salvador Dalí–like shower-faucet brassiere in "Piel Morena"; tells us about the strength of women of Hispanic heritage while lookin' good in green hair (!) in "Mujer Latina"; and is chased through the jungle by cannibal tribesmen in one of her earliest videos, "Un Pacto Entre Los Dos."

Thalía's more recent videos haven't been as adventurous visually, but her latest album, "Arrasando" does contain two incredibly catchy singles — one of which, "Entre El Mar y Una Estrella" had a stay in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot Latin tracks — and two excellently chosen cover tunes, Perez Prado's "Menta y Canela" and Miriam Makeba's chronically hooky 1967 hit "Pata Pata" (both of which could have been rendered in English now that Thalía is comfortable with the language — but more on that below). I have to emphasize, though, that even if she never recorded a single song, her work in various telenovelas would still qualify her as a major Latin American star. To provide a point of comparison, the shows that established her reputation as an actress are less like American soaps than they are the quintessence of what old movie buffs refer to as "the woman's picture."


THANKS TO THE RERUN MILL AT BOTH GALAVISION and Univision, there hasn't been a month in the past few years when one of Thalía's last four soaps hasn't been on the air in America. In fact, Thalía's official web site notes that "close to a billion people around the world" have seen them. She hit her stride in 1992 with the wonderfully melodramatic "Maria Mercedes" and achieved superstardom with her next series, "Marimar" (1994) and "Maria la del Barrio" (1996). The shows are collectively referred to as the "Maria trilogy" by fans, and all three shows were produced by the husband-and-wife team of Valentin and Veronica Pimstein. Accordingly, Thalía's break with the Pimsteins, a novela called "Rosalinda" (1998) was much less popular with the viewing public, lacking as it did the flagrant emotionalism and near-frenzied edge of the earlier shows. The "Maria" novelas are all Cinderella stories: Thalía is a dirt-poor girl who meets a handsome man who, with his love, transforms her into a confident, dignified beauty. As she rises in society, she goes from wearing a shabby wardrobe (an Elly Mae rope belt, a Jughead-style cap) to sporty designer dresses that have the sort of big-shoulder action made famous by Linda Evans on "Dynasty." (Thalía, it should be noted, is a good deal smaller and slimmer than Ms. Evans.) Lurking on the sidelines, waiting to ruin Thalía's life, is a scheming villainess related to Our Heroine. With her boyfriend/husband's help, Thalía is able to overcome the gruesome plans of the evil relative — usually involving Our Heroine's being confined to a prison or a mental institution — and live happily ever after.

The second series, "Marimar," is generally agreed to be the best of the Pimstein shows. This may be due to the fact that male viewers enjoyed Thalía's appearances in a tattered shift (the only piece of clothing her character wears for the show's first few weeks) and a mermaid costume. But the show's general appeal clearly lay in the fact that it is the ultimate new-fangled-yet-old-fashioned take on Cinderella, with the villainess in this instance being a megabitch sister-in-law, who not only has her henchman kill Thalía's grandparents by setting fire to their flimsy beachfront shack, but then takes pleasure in giving our woeful heroine the bad news!

The extreme mix of suffering and redemption that characterized the "Maria" trilogy may well be the element that made the shows so incredibly popular. The same cannot be said for her one feature film, the U.S.-produced, English-language comedy "Mambo Cafe." An affable urban comedy about a failing eatery in Spanish Harlem, the movie stars Thalía as a New York–raised Puerto Rican who has developed airs since being enrolled at Boston College. Her performance is endearing, but the film wound up going straight to video.

Thalía's legion of fans have delighted in the versatility shown by their princesa: Throughout the '90s she maintained a demure image in her novelas and interviews, and was a fiery sex symbol in photo shoots, on stage and in music videos. The latter persona is complemented by the often campy nature of her costumes and production numbers, which has gained her a loyal following among Latin American drag queens, who dub themselves "Thalíos."


What does it all mean? That she, like any great star, is a blank slate on which any member of the public can write his or her own particular fantasy. Her response to the question of whether she, privately, is more like her "Marias" or the flashily dressed, seductive chanteuse, is a carefully measured one: "The public can choose how they want to see me. Some like the image of a tender girl, the poor girl of the soap operas. Others see me [as] more aggressive, strong, the way, I am sometimes on stage... I let my fans decide..."

During the late 1990s, I and many other devotees were irritated by the fact that Thalía, and a host of other extremely talented and charismatic performers, barely rated a mention in the hype that surrounded the so-called "Latin invasion" of American pop. For MTV and VH1, the "invasion" boiled down to two people: Ricky Martin and Bronx-bred actress Jennifer Lopez (with Marc Anthony running a distant third). This grated because Thalía and another talented performer, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, were both being groomed at the time for an "imminent" crossover to the English-speaking market by producer Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria and Mottola's best man at the St. Pat's ceremony. Estefan has produced enormously popular albums for both women, and has continued to tout the fact that both will cantar en ingles very soon, but there have been unavoidable "delays" in getting their crossover started. In the meantime, however, fans of both younger performers have noticed that elements of their wardrobe and hairstyles, the visual styles of their music videos and other key components of their images have shown up in the MTV-friendly, English-language videos of Gloria Estefan. Curiouser and curiouser...


SO WE WIND UP BACK AT ST. PAT'S WITH Tommy and our heroine (two individuals who don't practice Catholicism, incidentally), the latter wearing a 150-pound gown with a 52-foot train (Mariah's had trailed only 26 feet), as they get married in a church filled with celebrities for whom one name only is sufficient (De Niro, Michael, Brooce, Ricky, Julio and — Danny De Vito?). In the meantime, though, the throng that stood for hours in freezing weather outside the church, blocking Fifth Avenue traffic for two full blocks, weren't there to catch a glimpse of the aforementioned superstars. Nor were they really interested in the billionaire businessman who happened to be the groom. Mottola's achievements in the music industry are, to be fair, quite impressive, but they can basically be boiled down to three key events: 1) Gifting the two music video channels with the leggy Ms. Mariah; 2) signing Michael Jackson to Sony Records for an obscene amount of money (since which time, due to various factors, Jackson's sales have declined steadily); 3) being mentioned in the first line of the wonderfully tacky disco hit "Cherchez la Femme" (1976) by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band.

No, the fans weren't clamoring for Tommy. They were there to see their "Maria" wearing a wedding gown once more (the Pimstein novelas usually ending with Dickensian, tie-up-all-the-loose-ends wedding sequences). Their heroine has openly addressed the notion that she had became involved with Mottola to further her career: "I don't need anyone to make me," she was quoted as saying in Latina magazine. "I've already made it."

Some of the fans on the Internet discussion boards that appear on the many lavishly designed and picture-filled web sites consecrated to Ms. Sodi offered another possibility: Thalía's interest in "Don Tommy" could be better understood as a father fixation, since Ernesto Sodi's death when daughter Thalía was five years old is often cited as the formative experience of her youth. Whatever the case may be, Mottola's acrimonious split with his last wife gives many followers a feeling of unease: This time Tommy may actually succeed in caging his songbird wife, as Carey had publicly accused him of attempting to do with her.

There's a big difference this time around, though, Tommy, old boy. Last time you made your wife a star; the woman you're married to now already is one, and a pretty major one at that. Do her fans a favor, will ya, and give her career a nice nudge into crossover territory — why not let the rest of the U.S. see what's it been missing for the last decade? There are too few "Marias" in the world — and far too many achingly dull "divas" like Whitney and Gloria. We need to continue to be surprised and entertained by the young woman who once said, in a moment of joyful outrageousness, "Soy la mejor terapia contra la depresion" ("I am the best therapy for depression").

www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,94188-1,00.html

[kinglouiexviii]

Mark:

Yes, I had read this article before. Nevertheless, thank you! I have read on a couple of Thalia message boards that apparently she is sick but will not reveal the specifics of her illness. Have you heard anything about this? Do you think it's true?

At first I thought it was stupid, internet gossip, but Thalia has been MIA for months now. The only events she used to promote Lunada was Premios Juventud and Cristina. She didn't even visit Mexico. I'm kinda starting to believe it though I sincerely hope she is perfectly fine.

[markreede]

Kinglouie!! Long time no chat!!
I don't know personally because I haven't been online for weeks but my buddy said that Thalia didn't attend the ILKA awards because her dear baby was sick. But now, she's making public appearances again yesterday and she will go to Mexico again for an event.

But take a look at this:


( Casita Maria, October 14,2008 )


( Petra Cuts, April 08,2008 )

Once I thought she has anorexia, that's why she's not been in the news lately..

And she might go to Mexico for the Matta fashion event:

Al parecer la cantante Thalía podría volver a México para estar en un desfile de modas del diseñador Gustavo Matta, quien presentará su nueva colección primavera-verano 09, inspirada en la música rock de los años 80, en figuras como Tina Turner y Cindy Lauper.

Reconocido por sus sensuales y profundos escotes, Matta, quien ha vestido a estrellas como Gloria Trevi, la cantante y actriz Ninel Conde, adelantó a la agencia AP que la presentación de su nueva línea "más que pasarela va a ser un concierto", pues además de pirotecnia y música en vivo, tendrá otras "sorpresitas".

Una de ellas sería la presencia de Thalía en el desfile. "Está encantadísima de venir, sólo habría que arreglar unas cosas de logística, su seguridad y muchas cosas más", señaló el creativo dando lugar a especular sobre la presencia de una de sus clientas preferidas.

Matta, cuyos diseños han engalanado las alfombras rojas de los Latin Grammy y Premios Lo Nuestro, contó que recientemente confeccionó un puñado de "vestiditos" como obsequio para el primer cumpleaños de Sabrina Sakäe, hija de la intérprete.

Thalía "estaba que brincaba de gusto por las cosas que le mandé. Estaba emocionadísima, muy contenta de cómo se veía (la niña), porque eran algunas replicas de cosas que Thalía ya había usado", relató. "Le pareció un detalle muy padre que hubiera hecho lo mismo pero en pequeñito".

Según el creativo, en primera fila de su presentación estarán la actriz Susana González, y las cantantes Gloria Trevi y la ex-Kabah María José.