From Mexico to Spain to Argentina, rock en español is a huge market; Maná, Alejandra Guzman, and countless other Latino rockers have earned a great living performing alternative rock that just happens to be in Spanish. And similarly, the reggaeton phenomenon demonstrates that there is also a big market for Spanish-language rap (which is not to say that all Spanish-language rap is reggaeton). So is there any reason why RB should not be performed en español as well? There isn't, and Rigo Luna (formerly of the group Nu Flavor) shows listeners some of the possibilities of Spanish-language RB on his first solo album. Luna is from Compton, CA, the area of Los Angeles County that gave listeners the infamous N.W.A, but this self-titled release is not gangsta rap. Instead, Luna's specialty is hip-hop-minded RB along the lines of R. Kelly, Usher, and Bobby Brown. But there is a major difference between Luna and those urban contemporary stars: Luna usually performs in Spanish -- not always, but usually. Spanish is the language that serves him well on the main version of the neo-soul slow jam Nunca (a jewel of a single), and even though the bilingual Luna sometimes sings in English, Spanish is the album's main language. Nunca (Never) is, hands down, the best thing on this 2006 release, but the other songs are still enjoyable -- and they range from romantic slow jams like Si Tu Te Vas (If You Go) and Tonight to club grinders such as Mujeres, Hoteles (Women, Hotels), Keep It on the Low, Lento, and the salsa-tinged Juana Maria. Apart from Nunca, Luna's solo debut falls short of superb, but everything on the disc is likable and worthwhile -- and the Compton singer has done the music world a favor by demonstrating that RB doesn't have to be in English to be effective. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

1		Juana María
2		Entrégate
3		Are You Down
4		Nunca
5		Mujeres Hoteles
6		Si Tú Te Vas
7		Tonight
8		Keep It On the Low
9		Lento
10		All I Want
11		Rata
12		Nunca

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