El Cantante (English: The Singer) is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, the seventh Spanish-language album and ninth studio album by Puerto Rican–American singer-songwriter Marc Anthony. Sony BMG Norte released it on July 24, 2007 (see 2007 in music).

Background Marc Anthony plays the role of Héctor Lavoe in El Cantante, a film he had been wanting and waiting to make for many years.[ El Cantante – Album Review]. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Accessed November 2, 2007 Lavoe was known, and is still considered a hero to salsa fans, famed for the artistry of his vocals and the intensity of his rhythm, as well as his involvement with famous salsa musician Willie Colón during the early '70s were high points for salsa, and they paved the way for many vocalists to come (including one Marc Anthony). The album is not only a soundtrack, but a tribute album to the famous salsa singer. Anthony's cover versions of "Aguanile", "Che Che Colé", "Mi Gente" and "El Cantante", have become chart topping hits on the United States Latin Billboard. Anthony also worked with Rubén Blades during the production of the film, as well as the soundtrack. The tenth track finds Jennifer Lopez, Anthony's wife in the film, performing a pop ballad titled "Toma de Mí," composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. The album was awarded Best Salsa Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 and Tropical Album of the Year at the 2008 Latin Billboard Music Awards.

Commercial performance The soundtrack debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and number 31 on the Billboard 200. In its second week it still peaked at number 1 on the Top Latin Albums but felt back 2 places to end at number 33 on the Billboard 200. It still peaked the Top Latin Albums in the third, fourth and fifth week and went on number 32, number 44 and number 55 on the Billboard 200.[ Marc Anthony Discography]. Billboard. Accessed January 24, 2009

Track listing "El Cantante" (Rubén Blades) – 6:47 "Mi Gente" (Johnny Pacheco) – 3:52 "Escándalo" (Rafael Cárdenas Crespo; Rubén Fuentes) – 3:58 "Aguanilé" (Willie Colón; Héctor Lavoe) – 5:15 "Che Che Colé" (Willie Colón) – 3:26 "El Día de Mi Suerte" (Willie Colón; Héctor Lavoe) – 5:19 "Qué Lío" (Willie Colón; Joe Cuba; Héctor Lavoe) – 4:24 "Quítate Tú" (Johnny Pacheco; Bobby Valentín) – 4:24 "Todo Tiene Su Final" (Willie Colón) – 4:56 "Toma de Mí" (Performed by Jennifer Lopez) (Nelly Furtado; Julio Reyes Copello) — 4:2

Credits and personnel Performers

Yomo Toro – Cuatro Milton Cardona – Vocals, coro Tito Allen – Vocals, Coro Bobby Allende – Congas Reynaldo Jorge – Trombone Myung Hi Kim – Violin Ozzie Melendez – Trombone Suzanne Ornstein – Violin Ricardo Tiki Pasillas – Percussion Marc Quiñones – Timbales Laura Seaton – Violin Gene Moye – Cello Sergio George – Piano Ray Colon – Bongos, bells Raul Agraz – Trumpet Luis Quintero – Percussion, timbales William Castro – Arpa William Duval – Vocals Sarah Seiver – Cello José Tabares – Bass Peter Winograd – Violin Ramon B. Sanchez – Conductor Robert Rinehart – Viola Daniel Panner – Viola Elizabeth Dyson – Cello Jenny Strenger – Violin Wilson Cifuentes – Flute, gaita Katherine Fong – Violin Duoming Ba – Violin Minyoung Chang – Violin Sarah OBoyle – Violin Wen Qian – Violin Sein Ryu – Violin Mario Guini – Electric guitar Julio Reyes Copello – Piano Jose Mangual – Vocals, Coro Daniel Caro – Bandola Oriol Caro – Tiple Angélica Gámez – Violin Laura Ospina – Cello Urian Sarmiento – Percussion

Technical

Marc Anthony – Producer, executive producer Sergio George – Producer Héctor Ivan Rosa – Engineer Jim Caruana – Engineer Luisito Quintero – Percussion overdubs David Kutch – Mastering Vlado Meller – Mastering Peter Wade Keusch – Engineer Bigram Zayas – Producer Alysia Oakley – Assistant music supervisor Maria Paula Marulanda – Art direction Matt Havron – Assistant Music supervisor Julio Reyes Copello – Arranger, programming, producer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2007) Peakposition

Year-end charts Chart (2007) Position US Top Latin Albums (Billboard) 11 US Tropical Albums (Billboard) 2 Chart (2008) Position US Top Latin Albums (Billboard) 27 US Tropical Albums (Billboard) 3

See also List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2007 List of number-one Billboard Tropical Albums from the 2000s

References

External links Official El Cantante home page