Clásicos de la Provincia

Carlos Vives didn’t just mix rock and vallenato on *Clásicos de la Provincia*—he made the sound of Colombia’s Caribbean coast rock ‘n’ *roll*. He sped up these standards’ tempos, added guitars, and covered them in a shiny pop lacquer. The surest sign of his accomplishment is how much the album offended vallenato’s purists—and how popular it became. Scandal notwithstanding, what comes across on the album’s bright, danceable songs like “La Gota Fría” is a heartfelt love for the traditional music that animates them.