In all sense of the word, the group’s previous album was a success. While they may have only had one music video and limited radio play on the singles after the original release, EMI thought that the girls still had potential for another success but what do you do when two of the five girls left the group.
During the final promotion of Hola, Que Tal. Alexa left the group. Shortly after that, Evalinda decided to leave too. Sandra joined the group in place of Alexa and Janett took the place for Evalinda. Both additions to the group were great choices. Sandra added a little sexiness to the group’s image and Janett vocals were very regal.
Again, Miguel Blasco, Loris Ceroni, and J.R. Florez took the reigns of the album. I don’t know at what point did EMI decided that they no longer cared about the group but musically, this album lacked everything that made the previous album great. I talked about listening to an album and base my decisions on how many times I wanted to fast forward or skip to the next song. With Sueños Magicos, that happened quite a bit.
Before the release of Sueños Magicos, fans never really saw the individualities of the members. On all of the broadcast performances, the girls sang all together and were just one of five on stage. It wasn’t until the release of this album did anyone truly shine. When the girls debuted the album on television, my jaw dropped when Rocio took center stage and sang the first solo track ever to be promoted. “Dos Corazones En La Obscuridad,” which was written by Pablo Pinella is hands down, the best track of the album and I am not just saying that because of my love for Rocio. Over the years when I have discussed this album with other music snobs, we all agree on this one track. There is a hint of rock, with a lot of pop, and Rocio provided the right vocals at the right time.
Among the other songs that the producers got right were “Todos Quieren Bailar Conmigo,” “Chicos De La Calle,” and “El Ritmo Del Amor.” Another track I have to mention is the wonderful ballad led by Janett, “La Otra Historia de Romeo Y Julieta.” Not only do we get another solo but Janett’s vocals can make anyone feel like she is singing just for them.
When the album is ten tracks long and the highlights are half, we have to look at where the producers went wrong. Luckily, we don’t have to blame the girls for crappy music. They didn’t write the music or produce it. Sometimes, that is the hazard of the music industry for studio-made pop groups.
A few years ago, Sandra and I talked about Fandango’s music and how they had to sing a lot of the bad songs while the musically superior tracks were overlooked so often. Songs like “Telenovela” and “Deja De Volar” feel like they were rejected by other artists and given to the girls to fill this album. The title track, “Sueños Magicos” falls somewhere in the middle of good and bad. The solos by Moña, Liliana, and Sandra within the song are great and their voices are nothing but fantastic. It’s the chorus that pushes this music lover over the edge.
Sueños Magicos is beloved by the fans and often mentioned as a favorite from the die-hard fans but I think that love is mistaken for the rarity of the album. The release of the album fell around the time that CDs were making a start in Mexico but only the biggest names were getting released in that format. It is debated on if a true version of this album was originally released on CD or not. When EMI reissued many albums from the past, Autos, Moda Y Rock and Roll, and Hola, Que Tal made the grade, but Sueños Magicos did not. Even to this day, the album is having a hard time finding a place in a digital world.
Since that day, I have been study Latin pop and rock music and have become a Latin pop music historian through the publishing of articles, fanzine, and websites. My goal is to teach people about Latin pop music and the history behind it with my website, Siempre En Domingo.
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