After a three-year hiatus, the much anticipated recording return of A.B. Quintanilla, La Vida de un Genio (Life of a Genius), will be released on Tuesday, July 27th.
The new record is a true musical adventure and will not be just another regular step in the career of the renowned Mexican-American artist, who, following Carlos Santana’s concept in “Supernatural,” features performances by some of the most acclaimed artists in the Latin music universe.
The album, which will be presented as the creation of A.B. Quintanilla’s All Starz, features true star power in each of its tracks: Marciano Cantero (from los Enanitos Verdes), Julio Voltio & DJ Kane in “Hipnótika” (which was selected as the first single); Los Dinos & José Feliciano in “Nací para Sufrir” (Born to Suffer); Reyli in “Nunca te Voy a Olvidar” (I Will Never Forget You); Luis Enrique in “Invisible”; Shaila Dúrcal in “Muero por ti” (I’m Crazy for You); Gilberto Santa Rosa in “Me Equivoqué” (I Was Wrong); Yeyo & T López in “Mentirosa” (Liar); Ana Isabel (winner of the TV show “¡Viva el Sueño!”), Ender Thomas & Albita in “Me Fascinas” (I Really Like You); Alex Lora, Jorge Celedón & Jimmy Zambrano in “El Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) & Jon Secada in La Vida de un Genio (Life of a Genius).
“When we decided to make the record, we wrote a list of all the singers that we wanted to invite, imagining that it would be a dream impossible to accomplish,” says A.B., born Abraham Quintanilla lll. “But we were very surprised when all of them started to accept.”
Even though each one of the songs have a special place in A.B.’s heart, it is necessary to point out that the album’s title track is dedicated to his father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. “He is the main reason behind my decision to become a musician,” says A.B. “When I was really young, a producer that had offered me some songs ended up giving them to someone else. When my father saw me crying over it he told me: ‘Instead of crying you should be writing your own songs. Don’t leave your room until you have one.’”
A.B. used the time off between his last record and the new one to reconnect with his family; this is something that you undoubtedly notice in the album, which is full of personal themes and a deeper style than his previous releases.
“It’s not a fairy tale but the reflection of things that have been happening recently,” confesses the artist. “It’s an album made from the heart, because music is more than a job for me, it’s also my biggest passion.”
One of the biggest surprises of the record is the performance by Los Dinos (the band that accompanied the always memorable Selena), who had not performed under that name since 1995. Everybody knows that A.B. rose to fame as a songwriter and member of this group, but it is his 14-year career as the leader of his own band that has showcased his talent all over the world.
“Amandote,” the song that A.B. recorded with the famous singer, Thalia, marked the beginning of his career as a solo artist, which continued with songs made side by side with prominent figures like David Lee Garza, Cristian Castro, and Olga Tañón.
With all these hits behind him, A.B. designed a musical concept that would end up giving him a unique spot in the market, the Kumbia Kings: an eight-piece multicultural group that mixed Cumbia, Hip-Hop and R&B in a very original way. They had a spectacular debut in 1999 with their acclaimed record Amor, Familia y Respeto (Love, Family and Respect)
After various recordings and awards, A.B. decided to start a new phase and founded Kumbia All Starz, another successful group with which he has released two albums to date: Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy es Kumbia All Starz (2006) (Yesterday was Kumbia Kings, Today is Kumbia All Starz) and Planeta Kumbia (2008) (Kumbia Planet).
This July 27th, the saga not only continues but reaches bigger heights. The release of La Vida de un Genio (Life of a Genius) will be available in physical and digital formats.
Credit: Capitol Latin
