Manos Arriba

Last updated

Manos Arriba
ManosArribaCoverArt.jpg
EP by
ReleasedMarch 2008
Studio
Genre Pop
Length16:17
LanguageSpanish
Label Patacon
Producer
  • Chana
  • Marthin Chan
Singles from Manos Arriba
  1. "No Me Mandes Flores"
    Released: 2008
  2. "La Duda"
    Released: 2008

Manos Arriba (English: Hands Up) is an extended play (EP) by American singer Rosanna Tavarez released by her own record label Patacon Productions in March 2008. Tavarez adopted the stage name Chana while pursuing a music career in Latin alternative music and used it for the EP. Chana rose to prominence in 2001 as a member of the girl group Eden's Crush. Following their disbandment, she worked as a host on music television shows and decided to record Spanish-language music after meeting producer Marthin Chan. She had previously rejected working with Latin music producers because she did not want to pursue a career in conventional Latin pop.

Contents

A pop EP, Manos Arriba includes influences from other genres such as reggae, ska, power pop, and disco. The lyrics were based on Chana's past relationships and break-ups. She wrote and produced all five songs with Chan, and recorded them in Los Angeles, including at his personal recording studio, over roughly two years. Chana was inspired by studying Afro-Dominican dance and music. Music journalists believed the EP was not directly rooted in specifically Latin genres or topics and contrasted the style with her work with Eden's Crush.

Reviews were generally positive from critics, who praised the EP's production. Manos Arriba had two singles: "No Me Mandes Flores" and "La Duda". For the beginning of March 2008, "No Me Mandes Flores" was the third most downloaded song on iTunes Latino, and "La Duda", along with the rest of Manos Arriba, were promoted by the iTunes Store's Latin music section. Chana released a music video for the track "Icaro", which reviewers described as inspired by her modern dance training. She promoted the EP through live performances in nightclubs across the United States, on Spanish-language networks, and at industry showcases.

Background

Rosanna Tavarez developed an early interest in music, initially being inspired by the musical Annie. She moved from New York City to Miami at age nine and attended the New World School of the Arts. Tavarez studied dance as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan and choreography at Ohio State University's graduate program. After trying to join a New York dance company, she returned to Miami where she was approached by Latin music producers who thought her appearance would make her an ideal Latin pop singer. Tavarez rejected their offers because she felt unprepared for a music career. At the time, she had only performed in karaoke and did not have any vocal training. In a 2008 interview with the Los Angeles Times , Tavarez recalled she did not want to be "just another girl doing Latin-y pop", instead preferring to develop "something distinctive, even if the crowd would be more niche". [1]

In 2001, the WB Television Network (the WB) aired an American version of the reality television franchise Popstars , and its first season focused on creating a girl group. [2] [3] After seeing an ad in the Miami New Times , Tavarez participated in the series, and along with four other finalists, became a member of the group Eden's Crush. The same year, they signed a record deal with London-Sire Records, which released their debut studio album Popstars and its lead single "Get Over Yourself". The album peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart and the single reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. [2]

Eden's Crush disbanded after London-Sire Records closed in 2001. [2] In 2008, Tavarez told the Houston Chronicle that Eden's Crush was not representative of her style or musical preferences. [4] After Eden's Crush ended, Tavarez worked as a host for programs such as the music television series On Air with Ryan Seacrest and the second season of Jammin'. [5] She credited her work on the TV Guide Channel with giving her the time and money to experiment with music and dance. [6] [7]

Recording

Tavarez moved to Los Angeles because of her husband Andres Baez's work with Univision, [6] [8] and she was introduced to musician Marthin Chan in 2005 through his mutual friends with Baez. [6] [9] Chan was known as a songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Volumen Cero, [4] [6] and he was putting together the group Popvert with MTV executive Jose Tillan. [10] [11] While auditioning singers for Popvert, he met Tavarez and they bonded over having grown up in New York City in the 1980s and their musical interests, specifically in the bands Depeche Mode, the Cure, and Velocity Girl. [1] As Tavarez focused on Latin alternative music, [12] she adopted the stage name Chana, a childhood nickname and a shortening of her first name Rosanna. [13]

Chana recorded music with Chan for over two years, at his recording studio in Echo Park, [6] as well as at Sonora Recorders in Los Angeles. [14] While recording, Chan produced the instrumental and Chana wrote melodies and lyrics to the track, [1] [4] although they helped one another if they struggled to find a certain sound or word. [4] In a 2008 Houston Chronicle interview, Chana said Chan was an integral part of the recording process, likening him to Timbaland and his collaborations with Justin Timberlake. [4] She based lyrics on past relationships and break-ups, and said recording these songs was difficult. [15] Although she found writing in Spanish to be more challenging, Chana thought the language was more poetic than English and that she could write better lyrics that way; [6] [15] she often consulted an English–Spanish dictionary to translate her ideas. [15]

Chana and Chan recorded eighteen songs, out of which five were chosen for the extended play (EP) Manos Arriba. [9] They initially created these songs to secure a recording contract, but later decided to release an EP as independent musicians. [6] Chana believed this decision had allowed her to maintain creative control over her music and image, [16] but said creating music without support from a record label was more challenging because it took more time. [15] She was the creative director for the EP, and Steve Joseph handled the art direction and design. [14]

Chan programmed the music on Manos Arriba and played the guitar and synthesizers. Additional instruments were played by Louis Tamblay and Eric J (bass guitar), Darrius Minnaee (drums), Stewart Cole (trumpet), Dan Osterman (trombone), and Fran Iturbe (guitar). Eric J mixed four of the EP's tracks at Sonora Recorders, with the assistance of Chris Constable and Richard Barron, while "Icaro" was done by Orlando "Don" Vitto at the Warehouse Recording Studios in Miami. All of the songs were mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. [14]

Music and lyrics

Sound

Chana described Manos Arriba as "trop-electro-hip-pop"; [1] [17] while studying Afro-Dominican dance and music in the Dominican Republic, she was inspired by how musicians combined elements of their folklore with electronic music. [4] When the New York Daily News 's Carolina González viewed the EP as pop with diverse influences, Chana explained: "The definition of pop has become looser, more inclusive. When you talk about pop, you're basically talking about a hook, a melody that catches your attention." Chana sought to keep the music accessible while also artistic, but emphasized she never tried to be as experimental as Björk. [18] In a 2008 Billboard interview, she said she did not focus on commercial appeal while recording the EP, such as attempting to go platinum or get radio airplay. [19]

In LA Weekly , Falling James wrote that although Chana performs "sunny melodies" throughout Manos Arriba, the songs have "a harder, funkier and more readily danceable ska backing". [17] Other critics pointed out the use of wind instruments and video game noises in its production. [15] [16] Some music journalists found the EP to be disconnected from Latin music. [20] González wrote that although Chana sings in Spanish, none of the lyrics are specifically about Latin topics; she likened the productions to reggae, power pop, and disco and felt certain songs had a "retro-futurist disco feel". [18] Billboard's Ayala Ben-Yehuda said the EP does not conform to conventional Spanish-language genres. [19] and Sergio Burstein of the Houston Chronicle did not hear any influences of merengue and salsa music, genres that Chana listened to as a child. [4] While discussing Tavarez's music as Chana, critics contrasted it with Eden's Crush, [21] including a Latina writer who said that she "imploded her girl-group roots". [22] Jordan Levin for PopMatters felt her "hip indie Latina persona" for Manos Arriba was more authentic than her image as "a prefab pop figurine" in Eden's Crush. [6]

Songs

The Los Angeles Times 's Agustin Gurza characterized Manos Arriba as "songs of personal passion delivered with cool detachment". The EP opens with "No Me Mandes Flores" ("Don't Send Me Flowers"), which Gurza referenced as a "cold kiss-off to a stubborn ex-lover". [1] In the Los Angeles Times, Tommy Calle wrote that the title was reminiscent of two 2006 singles—Fanny Lu's "No Te Pido Flores" ("I'm Not Asking You For Flowers") and Fonseca's "Te Mando Flores" ("I Send You Flowers"). [8] The second song "A Veces" ("At Times") is about jealousy and a man who does not pay attention to his girlfriend. [1] The track has tropical influences [15] and uses what Levin called "old-school salsa horns". [6] Burstein compared the production to big band music, [4] and James wrote that Chana's vocals on the song, as well as on "La Duda" ("The Doubt"), were similar to Julieta Venegas, specifically her "airy pop". [17]

Ben-Yehuda referred to the third track "La Duda" as a "flirtatious challenge to a guy giving mixed signals" built on an instrumental featuring synths. [19] Cory Bohon for Engadget said that the song had a dance-inspired opening before transitioning to "an electronic-tinged alt-pop tune with searing guitars and disco bass-lines". [23] For the following track "Icaro" ("Icarus"), Chana provides her own perspective on the Greek myth; [18] [6] rather than criticizing Icarus for his hubris, the lyrics praise his desire to follow his passions despite the risks. Chana identified with Icarus, explaining: "I would rather take the risk and fall on my butt. It's about that part of you that says just do it." Burstein compared Chana's vocals on "Icaro" to Andrea Echeverri. [4] The EP closes with "The Whistler", a song that mocks the practice of catcalling; [19] Levin and Gurza interpreted the track as a humorous take on the activity. [1] [6] Rapper Malverde adds guest vocals to "The Whistler" in which he assumes the role of a cat-caller. [1] The instrumental includes what James described as "bouncing dub echoes". [17]

Release and promotion

Release and singles

Manos Arriba was released in March 2008 by Chana's own record label Patacon Productions as an audio CD and a digital EP. [24] [note 1] Chana held a release party in Los Angeles, [1] [6] which she described as "this crazy multimedia thing" featuring a local promoter and disc jockey as well as dancers. [1] Following the release of Manos Arriba, Chana discussed wanting to release a full album, which would include songs from the EP, [16] and in a 2010 interview, she said she was working on it with Thom Russo. [7] She talked about expanding her sound to add a "more layered" production and sound, explaining: "We have better resources now, so I’m just excited to see what happens." [7] According to a 2021 Billboard article, Tavarez has transitioned from music to a career in dance; [2] she said in a separate interview that after turning 32, she decided to complete her Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography and fully focus on being a dancer. [26]

The iTunes Store featured Manos Arriba as the "Best of the Week" on iTunes Latino, the store's Latin music section. [18] Two singles – "No Me Mandes Flores" and "La Duda" – were released from the EP. [6] [9] "No Me Mandes Flores"' was the third most downloaded song in iTunes Latino for the beginning of March 2008. [6] "La Duda" was selected as a free download for iTunes Latino's Single of the Week, which Cory Boson described as a way to broaden exposure to up-and-coming artists. [23]

Chana promoted "Icaro" with a music video, in which she performs what Jordan Levin calls "full body twists and falls of modern dance". Levin thought Chana drew upon her experiences at the New World School of the Arts and the dance program at Ohio University. [6] Carolina González wrote that Chana "vindicates" Icarus with her choreography; González viewed her performance as indicative of her past dancing training in a magnet school and as part of the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company. [18]

Live performances

Chana promoted Manos Arriba through live performances at nightclubs across the United States. [20] According to Agustin Gurza, Chana and Chan focused on the "local party circuit" as well as a "hip series of happenings" done by the promoters Turn Off the Radio, Hang the Deejays, Remezcla, and Automatico. [6] For these performances, they used a band made up of local musicians; Chana said that she hired members of the ska band Upground to help make the songs sound fuller and more alive. [4] When discussing her eclectic performances with González, Chana said: "It’s how someone defined rock n' roll to me once. You rock, you get in a van, and then you roll." [18] She said Los Angeles was a major part of her promotion because of its large Latino population and the amount of opportunities available for up-and-coming Latin artists. [7] In addition to her U.S. performances, Chana did a show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. [27]

Chana performed songs from the EP on Spanish-language networks, like mun2 and Telemundo, [19] and at industry showcases. [28] [note 2] Her first showcase was in the fall of 2007 in Hollywood; [19] other events included the Latin Alternative Music Conference, the Los Angeles' Sunset Junction festival, [19] and the Billboard Latin Music Conference, where she performed alongside Aleks Syntek. [6] Chana was a performer at the 2006 Latin Billboard Music Awards, [9] and an opening act for Latin rock band Locos por Juana. [31] Reviews for Chana's performances were positive. [32] Ayala Ben-Yehuda praised her ability to "take audiences along for the ride with a convincing swagger and a dose of self-deprecating humor". [19] Levin and González wrote that the EP and live performances helped with building buzz for Chana. [18] [6]

Critical reception

Manos Arriba was generally well received by critics, such as a Latina writer who considered it some of "the best Latin music you don't know". [22] Ayala Ben-Yehuda commended the songs for having strong hooks and themes that are easily accessible to a large audience. [19] Jordan Levin and Falling James highlighted Chana's personality in their reviews. [6] [17] Levin attributed the EP's success to her "faith in her instincts, disregard for convention, and impish sense of fun". [6] James wrote that her dance and art school were apparent through the tracks, and appreciated her refusal to "dumb down" her music. [17]

The EP's production was the subject of praise. [33] James appreciated the music's levity, writing: "Who says music has to be full of doom and gloom all the time?" [17] Describing Manos Arriba as representative of the Echo Park music scene, Agustin Gurza characterized the compositions as "infectious fusion of Caribbean rhythms, cool electronic vibes and sharp, satirical lyrics". [1] Levin referred to the EP as "infectious [and] genre-straddling", [6] and People en Español 's Laura Kusnyer and a writer for Univision thought the uptempo songs inspired people to dance. [15] [16] In the Los Angeles Times, Reed Johnson praised as a "hot house hybrid", and looked forward to a full album by Chana and Chan. [31]

Track listing

All tracks were written and produced by Chana and Marthin Chan. [14]

No.TitleLength
1."No Me Mandes Flores"3:23
2."A Veces"3:09
3."La Duda"3:04
4."Icaro"2:42
5."The Whistler" (featuring Malverde)3:01
Total length:16:17

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Manos Arriba: [14]

Notes

  1. Apple Music lists Manos Arriba's release date as January 1, 2008, [25] while Billboard reports it was issued in March 2008. [19] A Diario Libre article further specifies the date as March 25, 2008. [9]
  2. An industry showcase is a private event in which up-and-coming singers perform for people within the music industry, such as disc jockeys, radio station managers, radio programmers, and music executives. [29] [30] These events are done to build interest in an artist. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Gabriel</span> Mexican singer and songwriter

María Guadalupe Araujo Yong, better known as Ana Gabriel, is a Mexican singer and songwriter. During her long career, she has performed different genres of music and has received several accolades. As a result, she has been called La Diva de América and La Luna de América.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Drexler</span> Uruguayan musician

Jorge Abner Drexler Prada is a Uruguayan musician, actor and doctor specializing in otolaryngology.

Eden's Crush was an American girl group who were created on the American television series Popstars which aired on the now defunct WB. The group was formed in late 2000 and released the hit song "Get Over Yourself" in 2001, following the finale of the show. The group consisted of Ana Maria Lombo, Ivette Sosa, Maile Misajon, Nicole Scherzinger and Rosanna Tavarez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debi Nova</span> Musical artist

Deborah Nowalski Kader, better known by her stage name Debi Nova born 6 August 1980, is a Costa Rican singer-songwriter who resides in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastilina Mosh</span>

Plastilina Mosh are a Mexican electronic and alternative rock band formed in 1997. They are part of the musical movement known as Avanzada Regia. Jonás González is the lead singer and guitar player. Alejandro Rosso is more involved with the creative process, providing most of the instrumentation and occasional background vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosario Flores</span> Musical artist

Rosario del Carmen González Flores better known as Rosario Flores is a two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Spanish singer.

<i>Irreemplazable</i> 2007 EP by Beyoncé

Irreemplazable is the first extended play (EP) by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on August 27, 2007, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. Comprising Spanish re-recordings and remixes of songs from her second studio album B'Day (2006), it was initially featured as a bonus disc for the North American deluxe edition of B'Day in April 2007. The EP was produced by Cuban-American musician Rudy Pérez, who also helped with writing the songs in Spanish.

Rosanna Tavarez is an American singer, television host, dancer, and teacher. She rose to prominence in 2001 as a contestant on the American version of the reality television franchise Popstars. As one of the show's five finalists, she became a member of the girl group Eden's Crush. In the same year, they released their debut studio album and its lead single "Get Over Yourself", but disbanded after their record label London-Sire Records closed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amor Gitano</span> 2007 single by Beyoncé and Alejandro Fernández

"Amor Gitano" is a Latin pop duet by Mexican recording artist Alejandro Fernández and American recording artist Beyoncé. The song contains a mixture of cultures, mostly influenced by the language of Fernández, that is Spanish, and Beyoncé's pop and R&B influences. Along with Jaime Flores and Reyli Barba, Beyoncé wrote the song, while Rudy Pérez and Beyoncé herself produced the song. "Amor Gitano" serves as the theme song of the telenovela El Zorro and it was released on February 12, 2007 during the premiere of the episode of the telenovela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden xo</span> American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1989)

Eden Wilson, best known as Eden xo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. Described by the BBC as a "colourful, ambitious, out-and-out pop princess," she has been compared to Gwen Stefani and early Madonna.

Jorge Moreno is a Cuban-American musician and entrepreneur whose career has ranged from winner of the 2002 Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist, 2003 Grammy Nominee for Best Latin Pop Album to television executive producer, restaurateur and boutique hotelier.]

<i>Mi Plan</i> 2009 studio album by Nelly Furtado

Mi Plan is the fourth studio album and the first Spanish-language album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released independently on September 11, 2009 by Furtado’s own record label Nelstar Entertainment with distribution by Universal Music Latino. This marks Furtado’s first independently released album. Recording sessions for the album took place from 2008 to 2009. The album was produced primarily by Furtado with other contributions made by James Bryan, Lester Mendez, Salaam Remi, The Demolition Crew, Julieta Venegas and Brian West. Furtado described the songs on the album to be "simple love songs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tu Recuerdo (Ricky Martin song)</span> 2006 single by Ricky Martin

"Tu Recuerdo" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring guest appearances from Spanish singer La Mari and Puerto Rican record producer Tommy Torres for Martin's first live album, MTV Unplugged (2006). The song was written and produced by Torres. It was released to radio stations by Sony BMG Norte as the lead single from the album on September 25, 2006. A Spanish language acoustic ballad and folk-pop song, it is about a person who is grasping on to the memory of someone. It received widely positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the singers' paced voices and emotional lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Vida Bohème</span> Venezuelan rock band

La Vida Bohème is a rock band from Caracas, Venezuela, formed by Rafael Perez, Daniel De Sousa, Sebastian Ayala, and Henry D'Arthenay in late 2006 and mid-2007. The band takes influence from late '80s punk, disco, funk, electronic music, jazz, salsa, reggae and dance music. Their first recording is a self-titled EP that includes three songs

"Echa Pa'lla (Manos Pa'rriba)" [Shortening of Echa Para Allá (Manos Para Arriba)] (English version known as "Go Away (Hands Up)") is a Latin Grammy award-winning song by American recording artist Pitbull for his seventh studio album Global Warming. The song features guest vocals from Papayo. It was released on Jul 16, 2012. It was produced by Gregor Salto, Todorov and Urales "DJ Buddha" Vargas. The song has achieved moderate chart success and has found its way in Billboard Top Latin Songs. It also peaked number 5 on the Billboard Tropical Songs Chart. It was also the official Miss Teen USA 2012 theme song. "Echa Pa'lla" won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Performance. At the 2014 Lo Nuestro Awards, it won the award for Urban Song of the Year at the 26th Lo Nuestro Awards.

Yehuda Solomon is an Israeli-American singer, songwriter, and hazzan. He is the lead singer and co-founder of the band Moshav, which heavily influenced Jewish rock in the late '90s. He is the son of Diaspora Yeshiva Band member Ben Zion Solomon, while his siblings include Noah Solomon of Soulfarm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ríe y Llora</span> 2003 single by Celia Cruz

"Ríe y Llora" (English: "Laugh and Cry") is a song performed by Cuban recording artist Celia Cruz. The song was written by Sergio George and Fernando Osorio, produced by George and released as the lead single from Cruz's final studio album Regalo del Alma (2003) on 12 July 2003. It was the final song recorded by Cruz, following being sidelined by a brain tumor and before her death on 16 July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminal (Natti Natasha and Ozuna song)</span> 2017 single by Natti Natasha and Ozuna

"Criminal" is a song by Dominican singer Natti Natasha and Puerto Rican singer Ozuna, released by Pina Records on 18 August 2017. Written by the two singers, Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina, Vicente Saavedra and its producer Haze, it is a reggaeton song with drum programming and forceful bass patterns indebted to the dancehall genre. The accompanying music video was directed by Nuno Gómes at an abandoned women's prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, and portrays Ozuna as a prison director falling in love with a prisoner played by Natasha. It received over 1 billion views on YouTube within five months of its release and was the most watched music video by a female singer in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JC Gonzalez</span> Colombian actor and singer-songwriter (born 1990)

Juan Camilo Gonzalez is a Colombian actor and singer-songwriter. His career began in 2009, when he participated in television commercials and advertisements in Texas. Gonzalez was also a candidate on Making Menudo, an MTV reality show for which they selected twenty-five bilingual male singers. Gonzalez has also made appearances in film and television, such as Parks and Recreation, the webseries Blue, and Los Americans.

Icaro is a South American indigenous colloquialism for magic song.

References

Footnotes

Citations