On the heels of Tijuana’s Julieta Venegas’s alt-pop smash hit and her Latin Grammy-winner Sí comes yet another Mexican norteña that should make as much noise. Monterrey-born Ely Guerra’s fourth album is true to its name. It has a strong pop element during the “sweet and sour” segment (the first six songs); and the “hot and spicy” songs are as delicate, ethereal and sensual as you can get in a country as machista as Mexico. At 32, Guerra finally understands that beauty does not go against quality. Long enough time for her audience to understand it, too.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2004.