Al Centro de la Ciudad
Encyclopedia
__FORCETOC__
Al Centro de la Ciudad is the third album released by Colombian
singer/composer Carlos Vives
, released on June 6, 1989.
Vives was better known as a star of television soap operas at the time of its release. It is his final album to feature synthesizer-romantic ballads, predating his Clásicos de la Provincia
breakthrough. Despite popularity with songs ("Aventurera", "Te Extrañare") on telenovelas, the album is largely ignored by the public and Vives himself, making this a collector's item for die-hard fans.
” and one of Colombia
’s hottest musical exports, he was a struggling young star in Latin television. With soap operas, or telenovelas, being a springboard for Latin Americans seeking fame, Vives was no exception. In his home country of Colombia, the Santa Marta
-born, and Bogotá
raised actor cut his teeth in a number of shows including "Pequeños Gigantes" (Little Giants - 1983) and "Tuyo es Mi Corazón (Yours is My Heart - 1985) before finding notoriety in the title role of "Gallito Ramírez (Ramírez the Rooster - 1986). That same year, he released his first album Por Fuera y Por Dentro
marking Vives’s foray into his true passion, music.
Despite Vives’s newfound fame as an actor to coincide with his musical aspirations, his recordings were no match to fellow established crooners in the same genre. His debut and his second release No Podrás Escapar de Mí
, were lost in the shuffle in a market that included superstars such as Julio Iglesias
and Juan Gabriel
. Although his acting overshadowed any album recordings, Vives would continue, undaunted, with his subsequent release in the summer of 1989, a year that would see further fame and exposure in Carlos’s rise to popularity.
On June 6, 1989, “Al Centro de la Ciudad” (To Downtown) was one of the busiest years in Vives’s acting. Along with success in two starring roles, "La Conciencia de Lucía" (The Conscience of Lucía) and “L.P. – Loca Pasión” (C.P. – Crazy Passion), Vives would find fame in Puerto Rico
, meeting his second wife (and mother to his two children) actress Hermelinda Gómez. Success outside Colombia would mark the first step Vives’s burgeoning music career.
Containing nine tracks, one of which "Me Estoy Muriendo de Amor" (I'm Dying of Love), was re-recorded from Por Fuera y Por Dentro
; the album was mostly written by producer Pablo Manavello and Vives himself. The album differed little from Vives’s prior releases, with a touch of rock influence. Like its predecessors, the songs are romantic ballads with a noticeable 80’s production; drum machines, overdubbed guitars, and plenty of synthesizer. Starting with the opening track, “Aventurera” (The Adventurer), the song, which shares the same name from the Puerto Rican
production Vives starred in, was given extensive play on both radio and television. Other songs receiving attention in their own right would include “Te Extrañare (Missing You), and “Casi Un Hechizo” (It was a Spell). The album closes with a Vives-penned acoustic guitar number “Cancion de Amor Eterno” (Song of Eternal Love), the only variation from the album's style and sound.
Though the album would contain no major hits, it would be his first international crossover record. What's more, Vives’s acting career outside Colombia would pay off; the title track off of his No Podrás Escapar de Mí
album would make a belated chart entry at #30 on the Billboard
Hot Latin Charts, marking Vives’s first hit single. Aside from early chart success, Al Centro de la Ciudad gave Vives his first recognition in music, the Coca-Cola
sponsored Aires
Premios.
Fans of Vives’s breakout success with La Provincia will find Carlos’s first three releases a complete departure from the dance-oriented vallento of later releases. In two years-time, Vives would reach the zenith of his acting career with Escalona, and would release his first vallenato-recordings with the show’s accompayning soundtracks. Though Vives’s earlier albums are now considered rare collector’s items, the breakthrough of Clásicos de la Provincia
brought a number of “early hits” compilations, with releases such as 20 De Colección
containing this entire album.
Al Centro de la Ciudad is the third album released by Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
singer/composer Carlos Vives
Carlos Vives
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo is a Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award winning-Colombian singer, composer and actor.-Biography:...
, released on June 6, 1989.
Vives was better known as a star of television soap operas at the time of its release. It is his final album to feature synthesizer-romantic ballads, predating his Clásicos de la Provincia
Clásicos de la Provincia
Clásicos de la Provincia is the breakthrough album by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released in late 1993, internationally on February 22, 1994, it contained three chart-topping hits that propelled Vives to fame in Latin America...
breakthrough. Despite popularity with songs ("Aventurera", "Te Extrañare") on telenovelas, the album is largely ignored by the public and Vives himself, making this a collector's item for die-hard fans.
Overview
Before Carlos Vives was the “King of VallenatoVallenato
Vallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...
” and one of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
’s hottest musical exports, he was a struggling young star in Latin television. With soap operas, or telenovelas, being a springboard for Latin Americans seeking fame, Vives was no exception. In his home country of Colombia, the Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
-born, and Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
raised actor cut his teeth in a number of shows including "Pequeños Gigantes" (Little Giants - 1983) and "Tuyo es Mi Corazón (Yours is My Heart - 1985) before finding notoriety in the title role of "Gallito Ramírez (Ramírez the Rooster - 1986). That same year, he released his first album Por Fuera y Por Dentro
Por Fuera y Por Dentro
__FORCETOC__Por Fuera y Por Dentro is the first album released by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released on June 6, 1986, Vives was better known as a television star of soap operas at the time of its release. The album contains romantic ballads laden with synthesizers, pre-dating Vives's...
marking Vives’s foray into his true passion, music.
Despite Vives’s newfound fame as an actor to coincide with his musical aspirations, his recordings were no match to fellow established crooners in the same genre. His debut and his second release No Podrás Escapar de Mí
No Podrás Escapar de Mí
__FORCETOC__No Podrás Escapar de Mí is the second album released by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released on June 6, 1987, Vives was better known as a television star of soap operas at the time of its release. The album contains romantic ballads laden with synthesizers, predating Vives's...
, were lost in the shuffle in a market that included superstars such as Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
and Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music....
. Although his acting overshadowed any album recordings, Vives would continue, undaunted, with his subsequent release in the summer of 1989, a year that would see further fame and exposure in Carlos’s rise to popularity.
On June 6, 1989, “Al Centro de la Ciudad” (To Downtown) was one of the busiest years in Vives’s acting. Along with success in two starring roles, "La Conciencia de Lucía" (The Conscience of Lucía) and “L.P. – Loca Pasión” (C.P. – Crazy Passion), Vives would find fame in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, meeting his second wife (and mother to his two children) actress Hermelinda Gómez. Success outside Colombia would mark the first step Vives’s burgeoning music career.
Containing nine tracks, one of which "Me Estoy Muriendo de Amor" (I'm Dying of Love), was re-recorded from Por Fuera y Por Dentro
Por Fuera y Por Dentro
__FORCETOC__Por Fuera y Por Dentro is the first album released by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released on June 6, 1986, Vives was better known as a television star of soap operas at the time of its release. The album contains romantic ballads laden with synthesizers, pre-dating Vives's...
; the album was mostly written by producer Pablo Manavello and Vives himself. The album differed little from Vives’s prior releases, with a touch of rock influence. Like its predecessors, the songs are romantic ballads with a noticeable 80’s production; drum machines, overdubbed guitars, and plenty of synthesizer. Starting with the opening track, “Aventurera” (The Adventurer), the song, which shares the same name from the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
production Vives starred in, was given extensive play on both radio and television. Other songs receiving attention in their own right would include “Te Extrañare (Missing You), and “Casi Un Hechizo” (It was a Spell). The album closes with a Vives-penned acoustic guitar number “Cancion de Amor Eterno” (Song of Eternal Love), the only variation from the album's style and sound.
Though the album would contain no major hits, it would be his first international crossover record. What's more, Vives’s acting career outside Colombia would pay off; the title track off of his No Podrás Escapar de Mí
No Podrás Escapar de Mí
__FORCETOC__No Podrás Escapar de Mí is the second album released by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released on June 6, 1987, Vives was better known as a television star of soap operas at the time of its release. The album contains romantic ballads laden with synthesizers, predating Vives's...
album would make a belated chart entry at #30 on the 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...
Hot Latin Charts, marking Vives’s first hit single. Aside from early chart success, Al Centro de la Ciudad gave Vives his first recognition in music, the Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
sponsored Aires
AIRES
Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A. is a low-cost airline headquartered in the AIRES Hangar in Bogotá, Colombia. It operates scheduled regional domestic and international services, as well as a domestic cargo service...
Premios.
Fans of Vives’s breakout success with La Provincia will find Carlos’s first three releases a complete departure from the dance-oriented vallento of later releases. In two years-time, Vives would reach the zenith of his acting career with Escalona, and would release his first vallenato-recordings with the show’s accompayning soundtracks. Though Vives’s earlier albums are now considered rare collector’s items, the breakthrough of Clásicos de la Provincia
Clásicos de la Provincia
Clásicos de la Provincia is the breakthrough album by Colombian singer/composer Carlos Vives.Released in late 1993, internationally on February 22, 1994, it contained three chart-topping hits that propelled Vives to fame in Latin America...
brought a number of “early hits” compilations, with releases such as 20 De Colección
20 De Colección
20 De Colección is a compilation album by Colombian singer/musician Carlos Vives released on June 21, 1994. The collection was released as part of the Sony International 20 De Colección series....
containing this entire album.
Track listing
- "Aventurera" (C. Vives) – 4:20
- "Te Extrañare" (P. Manavello) – 4:20
- "Por Ti Me Casare" (E. Ramazzotti) – 4:02
- "Me Estoy Muriendo de Amor" (F. Garavito) – 3:47
- "Casi un Hechizo" (R. Montaner, P. Manavello) – 3:18
- "Tonta Audaz" (P. Manavello) – 3:49
- "Simplemente un Corazon" (P. Manavello) – 4:02
- "Al Centro de la Ciudad" (C. Vives) – 3:55
- "Cancion de Amor Eterno" (C. Vives) – 1:51