It's refreshing to see a young salsero stick to his guns. Largely ignoring the route that most of his contemporaries have taken (well, excluding his brief cameo as Rubén Blades in 2007's El Cantante), Victor Manuelle continues to forge his identity as a pure sonero while still exploring within the myriad genres of Latin music without delving into pop excesses. He makes the type of music abuelita can gently bop her head along with and your freaky cousin can shake her ass to. And he's steadily becoming an on-demand alternative within the bloated Latin music market, especially since getting the nod from Univisión to co-host the 2010 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards here in Miami this past February. And his tour is getting "a little strong" like we say around here since the release of his thirteenth full-length last fall, Yo Mismo, which will surely be the base for his performance this Sunday at the James L. Knight Center, which is cool, but he's best in straight-up jams where he shows off improvisational skills some rappers might be jealous of. Check this operator out above, flamenco/reggaeton/salsa? Yup. And he's yet to screw up and record in inglés.
Victor Manuelle y Son de Tambora. Sunday, March 28th. The James L. Knight Center, 400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami. Doors open at 8:15 pm. Tickets cost $59 - $110. All ages. 305-577-6125. www.jlkc.com
