Universal Classics @UMC · 13. Jan.
Watch the premiere of the 1st single from Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson. “Smooth Criminal” on @Vevo: http://vevo.ly/xi3htD
http://www.billboard.com/articles/c...kson-smooth-criminal-video?utm_source=twitter
Here's the first single from the upcoming tropical tribute to the King of Pop.
An album of Latin music versions of Michael Jackson's hits? Could be really bad, like MJ "Bad." Or it could just be really bad.
Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson started in 2011 as a (successful) $10,000 Kickstarter campaign by Tony Succar, a young Peruvian-American percussionist (and major Jackson fan) from Miami. He had the idea for the album after recording a salsa arrangement of "Thriller" for a Halloween party, and getting an encouraging reaction after putting it on iTunes.
But actually getting the recording done was not as easy or economical as Succar had originally predicted -- and Kickstarter backers have been waiting for quite a while. (Succar, who had never produced an album before, admits, "I had no idea what I was getting into.") But the album is now set for release on Universal Music Classics in April.
Tracks include hits from throughout the King of Pop's career, with "Billie Jean," "I Want You Back" and "Man in the Mirror" among them. Well-known tropical artists including Tito Nieves, Obie Bermudez, India and Michael Stuart perform on Unity, supported by an old-school Latin big band.
"Smooth Criminal," the first single from the project, is now out with Puerto Rican singer Jean Rodriguez in Jackson's shoes. The song seems set for Latin dance floors and radio from the first minute, thanks to the congas and horns punctuating the framework of the original song -- plus, Rodriguez brings some urban Latino love to the English vocals.
It gets really good about half way through when the band breaks out and Rodriguez turns up the heat when he starts singing -- and soneando -- in Spanish, improvising and playing off a group of backup singers. What started as a pretty cool Michael Jackson cover ends as a hard salsa celebration. We're looking forward to hearing more.
The groundbreaking album embodies Jackson’s spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music. “The one thing that stood out in Michael’s music was love. The reality was unity,” Succar says. He continues, “I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture, and to help keep Michael’s legacy alive.”
The birth of Unity came when Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of “Thriller” for a Halloween party in Miami. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive that he recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted it online and gave away copies. DJs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin-flavored Jackson songs. “That sparked it,” Succar says. “I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something.”
Part of keeping Jackson’s legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity.“Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones’ productions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,” Succar says. “The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project.”
With Succar taking producer and arranger credits, Unity also features two tracks – “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal” — mixed byMichael Jackson’s legendary engineer Bruce Swedien with Nick Valentin. Grammy winner Carlos Alvarez engineered the rest of the album achieving a sonically crisp sound.
“American funk, soul, jazz—all those styles that were influencing Michael— were inspired from African music,” Succar says. “Same with Afro-Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms.”
Tracklisting:
01: I Want You Back (featuring Tito Nieves)
02: Billie Jean (featuring Jean Rodriguez)
03: Man in the Mirror (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
04: Sera Que No Me Amas (featuring Michael Stuart)
05: Earth Song (featuring India)
06: Human Nature (featuring Jon Secada)
07: Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu (featuring Obie Bermudez & Jennifer Pena)
08: Black or White (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
09: Smooth Criminal (featuring Jean Rodriguez)
10: They Don’t Care About Us (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
11: Thriller (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
12: You Are Not Alone (featuring Tito Nieves and Tito Nieves Jr.)
Produced and Arranged by Tony Succar
Mixed by: Carlos Alvarez, Bruce Swedien* & Nick Valentin*
*track 5 and 9
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unity-the-latin-tribute-to-michael-jackson-300020894.html
Watch the premiere of the 1st single from Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson. “Smooth Criminal” on @Vevo: http://vevo.ly/xi3htD
http://www.billboard.com/articles/c...kson-smooth-criminal-video?utm_source=twitter
Here's the first single from the upcoming tropical tribute to the King of Pop.
An album of Latin music versions of Michael Jackson's hits? Could be really bad, like MJ "Bad." Or it could just be really bad.
Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson started in 2011 as a (successful) $10,000 Kickstarter campaign by Tony Succar, a young Peruvian-American percussionist (and major Jackson fan) from Miami. He had the idea for the album after recording a salsa arrangement of "Thriller" for a Halloween party, and getting an encouraging reaction after putting it on iTunes.
But actually getting the recording done was not as easy or economical as Succar had originally predicted -- and Kickstarter backers have been waiting for quite a while. (Succar, who had never produced an album before, admits, "I had no idea what I was getting into.") But the album is now set for release on Universal Music Classics in April.
Tracks include hits from throughout the King of Pop's career, with "Billie Jean," "I Want You Back" and "Man in the Mirror" among them. Well-known tropical artists including Tito Nieves, Obie Bermudez, India and Michael Stuart perform on Unity, supported by an old-school Latin big band.
"Smooth Criminal," the first single from the project, is now out with Puerto Rican singer Jean Rodriguez in Jackson's shoes. The song seems set for Latin dance floors and radio from the first minute, thanks to the congas and horns punctuating the framework of the original song -- plus, Rodriguez brings some urban Latino love to the English vocals.
It gets really good about half way through when the band breaks out and Rodriguez turns up the heat when he starts singing -- and soneando -- in Spanish, improvising and playing off a group of backup singers. What started as a pretty cool Michael Jackson cover ends as a hard salsa celebration. We're looking forward to hearing more.
The groundbreaking album embodies Jackson’s spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music. “The one thing that stood out in Michael’s music was love. The reality was unity,” Succar says. He continues, “I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture, and to help keep Michael’s legacy alive.”
The birth of Unity came when Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of “Thriller” for a Halloween party in Miami. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive that he recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted it online and gave away copies. DJs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin-flavored Jackson songs. “That sparked it,” Succar says. “I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something.”
Part of keeping Jackson’s legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity.“Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones’ productions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,” Succar says. “The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project.”
With Succar taking producer and arranger credits, Unity also features two tracks – “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal” — mixed byMichael Jackson’s legendary engineer Bruce Swedien with Nick Valentin. Grammy winner Carlos Alvarez engineered the rest of the album achieving a sonically crisp sound.
“American funk, soul, jazz—all those styles that were influencing Michael— were inspired from African music,” Succar says. “Same with Afro-Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms.”
Tracklisting:
01: I Want You Back (featuring Tito Nieves)
02: Billie Jean (featuring Jean Rodriguez)
03: Man in the Mirror (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
04: Sera Que No Me Amas (featuring Michael Stuart)
05: Earth Song (featuring India)
06: Human Nature (featuring Jon Secada)
07: Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu (featuring Obie Bermudez & Jennifer Pena)
08: Black or White (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
09: Smooth Criminal (featuring Jean Rodriguez)
10: They Don’t Care About Us (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
11: Thriller (featuring Kevin Ceballo)
12: You Are Not Alone (featuring Tito Nieves and Tito Nieves Jr.)
Produced and Arranged by Tony Succar
Mixed by: Carlos Alvarez, Bruce Swedien* & Nick Valentin*
*track 5 and 9
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unity-the-latin-tribute-to-michael-jackson-300020894.html