South and Central America music reviews

There's a comfortably familiar vibe on Para el Pueblo, the first CD on Houston super-group La Mafia's own Urbana Records label. Sprightly pop-cumbias ("Arrancame el Corazon," "Convencerte") populate the album, which is anchored by La Mafia's trademark keyboard-based sound. (The group's last few albums featured more accordion-based tracks.) Singer Oscar de la Rosa sounds as confident as ever, and his gentle vocal style is particularly enthralling on both the cambia and hushed ballad versions of "Tienes Razon." But before you file Para el Pueblo away as pure nostalgia, take another listen. Producer Armando Lichtenberger Jr.'s arrangements sound crisp and fresh, and there's even an urban remix of the title track featuring Houston rapper Juan Gotti. In case you want to sing along, three karaoke tracks have been tacked on at the end. Para el Pueblo strikes an impressive balance of sounds old and new, and it solidifies La Mafia's status as one of Spanish-music's true survivors. --Joey Guerra