Ricardo Montaner Revisits His Biggest Hits 40 Years Later on New Album

Ricardo Montaner - Credit: Andy Cherniavsky*
Ricardo Montaner - Credit: Andy Cherniavsky*

Ricardo Montaner is looking back at his storied career with a new perspective ā€” and giving his classic ballads an update. On Friday, the musician dropped Ricardo Montaner 2 (VersiĆ³n Montaner), on which he re-recorded and re-mastered some of his most notable songs, including ā€œTan Enamorados.ā€

ā€œTo be able to do my iconic songs with the original arrangements but with modern sounds was a one-of-a-kind experience,ā€ he tells Rolling Stone. ā€œRevisiting those tracks now was great because I recorded them with tranquility, knowing they were part of the foundations of my career.ā€

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ā€œIā€™m not sure if I sing them better, but Iā€™ve been performing them for 40 years so I feel calm recording them again,ā€ he adds.

About ā€œTan Emanorados,ā€ which continues to be his most-celebrated track to date, Montaner says he thinks the new version is ā€œso much more beautiful than the first time I recorded,ā€ since it features new musical elements. Along with ā€œTan Enamorados,ā€ Montaner re-recorded ā€œA Donde Va el Amor,ā€ ā€œSolo Con Un Beso,ā€ and ā€œHaciendo Camino.ā€

ā€œItā€™s so much more gorgeous. It makes me incredibly happy,ā€ he says. ā€œIā€™m fascinated by the fact that the kids of the kids who follow me will be able to listen to this and hear the quality of the new recording.ā€

Montaner says he approached Alejandro Lerner, who wrote songs ā€œTu Piano y Mi Guitarraā€ and ā€œLa Bella Duriente y Yo,ā€ about re-recording their work together a few months ago. Lernerā€™s response? ā€œHave you gone crazy?ā€

ā€œI said, ā€˜Maybe so,'ā€ Montaner joked.

The new collection of re-recorded tracks arrive a few months after he dropped the first edition of his VersiĆ³n Montaner tracks, which included new versions of ā€œOjos Negros,ā€ ā€œExtra?o Sentimiento,ā€ and ā€œEn Ti.ā€

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