There’s a lot to love on HOLA HELLO, the latest release from New York-based songwriter/bassist MARIANA IRANZI. The Argentina native has assembled a multi-national crew of co-conspirators and guest musicians for her 13-song, family-friendly set. Players and collaborators from the USA, Uruguay, Panama, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Belgium, and Israel are all represented alongside Iranzi, who carries the flag for Argentina (and for rock).
The bilingual collection seamlessly flows between English and Spanish on the lyrical front, while Iranzi includes a diverse array of musical styles in her songwriting toolkit, with elements of Rock, Pop, Reggae, and Blues taking on a cheerful, Latin flavor. The title track is a fitting greeting to welcome listeners into Mariana’s world…
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“El Tren” (The Train) is a favorite on the album, and a song bound to grab the ears of little train enthusiasts, while “I Go” is another choice cut that also grooves to a transportation-based theme. Particularly impressive on the self-produced effort is the production itself – the album just sounds great, and the mix is fantastic. If there’s one negative, it’s the inclusion of “Five Little Monkeys,” one of the most over-covered children’s songs, and one I’ve probably heard a dozen artists do in the past year alone.
As I’ve noted here on The Rock Father in the past, I do not speak Spanish (sans a bit I’ve picked up largely from the music of BRUJERIA – I’ve said that before, and I’m serious) but that never matters when it comes to music, which truly is a “universal language.” Through albums like this one, I hope that my children will take an active interest in learning to speak other languages and explore other cultures.
HOLA HELLO is available now on iTunes, or at Mariana’s Official Site.
The Rock Father Rating: 4/5 Stars
FTC Disclosure: This album was provided to The Rock Father for the purpose of review consideration.. just as music reviews have been handled for 50+ years. All opinions are that of James Zahn with input from his children. Why are you actually reading this disclosure? It’s government-mandated common sense, right?
