Contra La Corriente (Marc Anthony album)
Encyclopedia
Contra la corriente is the third studio album
released by American singer Marc Anthony
on October 21, 1997 by RMM Records
. The album was produced by Puerto Rican musician Angel "Cucco" Peña, with most of the songs written by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno. The album was well-received by critics who praised the vocals of Anthony as well as the songs. The album produced six singles, four of which peaked on the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Promoted by a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden
, Contra la corriente became the first salsa album reach number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and to chart on the Billboard 200
.
Contra la corriente received a Grammy Award
and a Latin Billboard Award
, and was named the eighth best album of 1997 by Time
magazine. The album received a gold certification
for shipping of 500,000 copies in the United States. This was the last album that Marc Anthony recorded under RMM Records before switching over to Columbia Records
to record his first self-titled English album
.
, was certified gold in the United States and received a Grammy Award nomination. Record producer Sergio George
, who was credited for the success Anthony's earlier albums, left RMM Records in 1996. Angel "Cucco" Peña, who has worked with salsa veterans such as Gilberto Santa Rosa
and Willie Colón
, took up the position as producer for the album. Contra la corriente, the third studio album by Anthony, was released in October 1997. The album was distributed by MCA Records
and was promoted at a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden
days before the release of the album.
's musical play The Capeman
and had to record the album in three weeks. Anthony chose nine songs out of 1,300 samples. He sent tapes to co-producer Peña at the Altamar Music Studios in San Juan, Puerto Rico to get feedback. He made routine flights between New York and Puerto Rico to record the album hours and to rehearse for the play. Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno, who wrote three songs on the last album, had composed five songs for the album. Fernando Arias composed the bolero
s "No me conoces" and "Suceden". "Si te vas" is a cover of the Pedro Fernández
song. Manny Benito wrote the last track, "Un mal sueño".
presented an award to Anthony for selling over 350,000 copies just before release. Contra la corriente was the released on October 21, 1997 in the United States. The album debuted at number-one on the Top Latin Albums chart on the week of November 22, 1997, and stayed at number-one for three consecutive weeks. The album debuted at number-one on the Tropical Albums
chart and remained on top for ten non-consecutive weeks. Contra La Corriente was the first album Anthony to chart on the Billboard 200
, peaking at number seventy-four. The album was the fourth best selling Latin album of 1998 and was the second best selling tropical album after Buena Vista Social Club
. The album was certified gold in the United States for shipping of 500,000 units. A remaster
ed edition of the album was released on September 9, 2003 by Universal Music Latino
.
charts. Two songs from the album were made into music videos. The first music video was the lead single "Y hubo alguien" which was filmed in New York City
. The second music video was "No me conoces" which was directed by Bennny Coral. Filming took place in México
and featured Jennifer Lopez
as the supporting actress.
of the Chicago Tribune
names Contra La Corriente as Anthony's best album and felt that the influence of Cuban music
was prominent "in the rhythms and harmonies" in comparison to Los Van Van
. Ernesto Lechner of the Los Angeles Times
, who was more critical of the album, gave it two-out-of-four stars criticizing the arrangements as "unbearably soapy" and called the album a "flawed masterpiece in the saccharine genre of salsa romantica
." Nestor Louis of Palo Salsero was initially skeptic after finding out that Peña was involved in the production of the album instead of George. He expressed a surprised reaction to the album and referred to it as Anthony's best and named it the sixth best salsa album of 1997. Contra la corriente was named the eighth best album of 1997 by Time
magazine stating that "...whether you habla espanol or not, Anthony's talent comes through, no translation needed".
At the 41st Grammy Awards, Contra la corriente was given a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album. Billboard
awarded the album "Tropical Album of the Year by a Male Artist", citing that the album became the highest selling salsa album when it charted the Billboard 200. The single "Y hubo alguien" received a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Lo Nuestro
award for "Tropical Song of the Year".
This would be the last time that Anthony worked with the RMM label. After disputes with Ralph Mercado over business practices, he left the record label and later signed on with Columbia Records
to record his first self titled English album
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
released by American singer Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
on October 21, 1997 by RMM Records
RMM Records & Video
RMM Records, also known as RMM Records & Video Corp, was an independent Latin music record label based in New York City, The record label was formed originally as RMM Management by one of Fania Records promoter Ralph Mercado, but in 1987 it started operating as a record label, with Angelito...
. The album was produced by Puerto Rican musician Angel "Cucco" Peña, with most of the songs written by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno. The album was well-received by critics who praised the vocals of Anthony as well as the songs. The album produced six singles, four of which peaked on the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Promoted by a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, Contra la corriente became the first salsa album reach number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and to chart on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Contra la corriente received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and a Latin Billboard Award
Billboard Latin Music Awards
The Billboard Latin Music Awards grew out of the Billboard Music Awards program from Billboard Magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The awards began in 1990...
, and was named the eighth best album of 1997 by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine. The album received a gold certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
for shipping of 500,000 copies in the United States. This was the last album that Marc Anthony recorded under RMM Records before switching over to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
to record his first self-titled English album
Marc Anthony (album)
Marc Anthony is the self-titled Latin/pop album by Marc Anthony. It is Marc Anthony's first solo album in English, and fourth overall. The album debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and has since gone Platinum in the US. This was Anthony's first English album since his 1991 effort, "When the...
.
Background
Since Anthony's signing on with RMM Records, his first-two albums had been successful, selling over 600,000 copies combined. His second album, Todo a su tiempoTodo A Su Tiempo (Marc Anthony album)
Todo a su tiempo is the second studio album by American recording artist Marc Anthony, released by RMM Records on May 30, 1995. The album was produced by Sergio George, who was also involved with production of Anthony's debut studio album, Otra Nota. The album comprises of five new...
, was certified gold in the United States and received a Grammy Award nomination. Record producer Sergio George
Sergio George
Sergio George is a pianist and record producer, known for working with many famous performers of salsa music, although he has worked in other genres as well...
, who was credited for the success Anthony's earlier albums, left RMM Records in 1996. Angel "Cucco" Peña, who has worked with salsa veterans such as Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" , is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero.-Early years:...
and Willie Colón
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.-Early years:...
, took up the position as producer for the album. Contra la corriente, the third studio album by Anthony, was released in October 1997. The album was distributed by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and was promoted at a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
days before the release of the album.
Recording and production
For the album, Anthony built a studio near his home. Around that time, he was involved in the production of Paul SimonPaul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
's musical play The Capeman
The Capeman
The Capeman is a musical play written by Paul Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and had an initial run of only 68 performances....
and had to record the album in three weeks. Anthony chose nine songs out of 1,300 samples. He sent tapes to co-producer Peña at the Altamar Music Studios in San Juan, Puerto Rico to get feedback. He made routine flights between New York and Puerto Rico to record the album hours and to rehearse for the play. Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno, who wrote three songs on the last album, had composed five songs for the album. Fernando Arias composed the bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
s "No me conoces" and "Suceden". "Si te vas" is a cover of the Pedro Fernández
Pedro Fernández
José Martín Cuevas Cobos , known professionally as Pedro Fernández, is a Mexican recording artist and actor.-Discography:*1979: La De La Mochila Azul*1989: Vicio*1990: Por Un Amigo Más*1991: Muñecos De Papel...
song. Manny Benito wrote the last track, "Un mal sueño".
Album
During the Madison Square Garden concert, RMM executive producer Ralph MercadoRalph Mercado
Ralph Mercado Jr. was a promoter of Latin American music — Latin Jazz, Latin rock, merengue and salsa — who established a network of businesses that included promoting concerts, managing artists, Radio Mundo Musical a record label the most important in the Latin industry during 1980-1990, film...
presented an award to Anthony for selling over 350,000 copies just before release. Contra la corriente was the released on October 21, 1997 in the United States. The album debuted at number-one on the Top Latin Albums chart on the week of November 22, 1997, and stayed at number-one for three consecutive weeks. The album debuted at number-one on the Tropical Albums
Tropical Albums
Tropical Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and vallenato, which are frequently considered tropical music...
chart and remained on top for ten non-consecutive weeks. Contra La Corriente was the first album Anthony to chart on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, peaking at number seventy-four. The album was the fourth best selling Latin album of 1998 and was the second best selling tropical album after Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club (album)
- Music :"Chan Chan", the first song on the album, is a Cuban song composition by Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, Juanita and Chan Chan. The song was one of Segundo's last compositions and was written in 1987, already having been recorded by Segundo himself various...
. The album was certified gold in the United States for shipping of 500,000 units. A remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed edition of the album was released on September 9, 2003 by Universal Music Latino
Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Universal Music Latin Entertainment is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. The music label was created with the acquisition of Univision Music Group and combining it with Universal's top Latin artists, along with much of the Latin back catalog of UMG.UMLE includes famous Latin music...
.
Singles
"Y hubo alguien" (And There Was Somebody) was the lead single from the album. Released in the same month as the album, the single reached number-one on the Hot Latin Tracks. It was his first number one single on the chart and the first single by a salsa musician to reach number one. "Me voy a regalar" (I Am Going to Give Myself) followed later in the year. "Si te vas" (If You Go) was the third single from the album, released in 1998; it reached number-eight on Hot Latin Tracks. "Contra la corriente" (Against the Current) and "No me conoces" (You Do Not Know Me) both reached number-two on Hot Latin Tracks., "No sabes como duele" (You Do Not Know How It Hurts) was the last single to be released from the album in 1999 and reached number-eighteen on the Hot Latin Tracks. Three of the six singles, "Y Hubo Alguien", "Si Te Vas", and "Contra La Corriente", reached number-one on the Latin Tropical AirplayLatin Tropical Airplay
The Tropical Songs is a record chart published on Billboard magazine established in 1994 with the first number-one song to be published was "En Las Nubes" by Edgar Joel. It features Latin music information from tropical music such as salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and vallenato...
charts. Two songs from the album were made into music videos. The first music video was the lead single "Y hubo alguien" which was filmed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The second music video was "No me conoces" which was directed by Bennny Coral. Filming took place in México
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and featured Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
as the supporting actress.
Critical reception
Contra la corriente received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Marc Anthony's singing. Terry Jenkins of Allmusic gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 and praised Anthony's vocals as being "sexy" and "near-flawless" though he felt that it "doesn't quite match the dizzying heights of his breakthrough Todo a Su Tiempo". David Wilson of Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews called the tunes "solid" and praised Anthony's voice but criticized Peña's production as being "slavishly" similar to the previous album. Achy ObejasAchy Obejas
Achy Obejas is a Cuban American writer and journalist focused on personal and national identity issues, living in Chicago, Illinois.-Life and career:Obejas was born June 28, 1956 in Havana, Cuba...
of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
names Contra La Corriente as Anthony's best album and felt that the influence of Cuban music
Music of Cuba
The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles, based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa. Since the 19th century its music has been hugely popular and influential throughout the world...
was prominent "in the rhythms and harmonies" in comparison to Los Van Van
Los Van Van
Los Van Van is a Cuban band led by bassist Juan Formell, it is one of the most recognized post-revolution Cuban bands, while Juan Formell has arguably become the most important figure in contemporary Cuban music....
. Ernesto Lechner of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, who was more critical of the album, gave it two-out-of-four stars criticizing the arrangements as "unbearably soapy" and called the album a "flawed masterpiece in the saccharine genre of salsa romantica
Salsa romantica
Salsa Romántica, also known as Salsa Erotica, is a soft form of salsa music that emerged between the mid 1980s and early 1990s in New York City and Puerto Rico...
." Nestor Louis of Palo Salsero was initially skeptic after finding out that Peña was involved in the production of the album instead of George. He expressed a surprised reaction to the album and referred to it as Anthony's best and named it the sixth best salsa album of 1997. Contra la corriente was named the eighth best album of 1997 by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine stating that "...whether you habla espanol or not, Anthony's talent comes through, no translation needed".
At the 41st Grammy Awards, Contra la corriente was given a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
awarded the album "Tropical Album of the Year by a Male Artist", citing that the album became the highest selling salsa album when it charted the Billboard 200. The single "Y hubo alguien" received a Billboard Latin Music Award and a Lo Nuestro
Lo Nuestro Awards
Lo Nuestro is an awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by television network Univision. The awards began in 1989. Notable recipients include Selena, Gloria Estefan, Juan Gabriel, Olga Tañón, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Laura Pausini, Luis Miguel, Maná, Juan Luis Guerra, ...
award for "Tropical Song of the Year".
This would be the last time that Anthony worked with the RMM label. After disputes with Ralph Mercado over business practices, he left the record label and later signed on with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
to record his first self titled English album
Marc Anthony (album)
Marc Anthony is the self-titled Latin/pop album by Marc Anthony. It is Marc Anthony's first solo album in English, and fourth overall. The album debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and has since gone Platinum in the US. This was Anthony's first English album since his 1991 effort, "When the...
.
Track listing
Performance credits
- Tito Allen – vocals, coro
- William Amparo – vocals, coro
- Luis Aquino – trumpet
- Wichy Camacho – vocals, coro
- Jose Gazmei – bass
- Gilda Gonzalez – vocals, coro
- Angel "Angie" Machado – trumpet
- Fernando Muscolo – arranger, keyboards, programming
- Moisés Nogueras – trombone
- Miguel Rivera – trombone
- Antonio Gomez Salcedo – string contractor
- Ito Serrano – guitar
- Charlie Sierra – percussion, bongos, timbales
- William Thompson – conga
- Maximo Torres – guitar, requinto
- Raffi Torres – trombone
- Yanira Torres – vocals, coro
Technical credits
- Ricky Gonzalez – arranger
- Luis Berrios – engineer, assistant engineer, recording
- Joe Caldas – engineer, mixing, recording
- Juan G. "Pericles" Covas – engineer, recording
- Pericles Covas – engineer, assistant engineer
- Daniel Hastings – photography
- Marta Ibarra – editing, editorial coordinator, publishing coordinator
- Amaury Lopez – arranger
- José Lugo – arranger
- Damaris Mercado – producer, art direction, artistic director
- Ralph Mercado – executive producer
- Carlo Moralishvili – producer, artwork, art direction
- Angel "Cucco" Peña – arranger, director, producer, musical director, musical direction, general director
- Humberto Ramírez – arranger
- Héctor Ivan Rosa – engineer, recording
- Ronnie Torres – mixing engineer
- Liliane Van Balberghe – graphic design
Chart performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
74 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Tropical Albums Tropical Albums Tropical Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and vallenato, which are frequently considered tropical music... |
1 |
Certifications
See also
- Music of Puerto RicoMusic of Puerto RicoThe music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Taíno Indians, France, and the United States, and has become very popular across the Caribbean and across the globe...
- List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums from the 1990s