One day short of a year after
Tego Calderon released
The Underdog/El Subestimado (2006), a sprawling album that defiantly distanced him from the
reggaeton bandwagon -- thereby alienating a significant segment of his audience and commercial prospects in the process -- he returned with
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca, a remarkably refined effort that is a sequel to his classic debut,
El Abayarde (2003), in name only. If anything,
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca (i.e., The Abayarde Strikes Back) is a sequel to
The Underdog, in terms of musical approach if not name. Some fans might understandably wish otherwise.
El Abayarde was the album that established
Calderon as one of the leading lights of the
reggaeton uprising circa 2003-2004. It was practically genre-defining, in the sense that it was one of the first
reggaeton full-lengths to stand alone as a true album rather than a compilation of disparate tracks. Plus, it, along with
Don Omar's
The Last Don (2003), also introduced to the masses the production duo
Luny Tunes, who would quickly become
reggaeton's go-to hitmakers.
The Underdog, on the other hand, was genre-defying. Over the course of 23 tracks,
Calderon pushed the boundaries, frequently delving into
rap as well as "salsaton," and he used the album as a platform to air out his world view. For every run-of-the-mill
reggaeton exercise like
"Cuando Baila Reggaeton," a rote would-be hit featuring
Yandel that found
Calderon sounding uninspired, if not downright bored, there were songs like
"A Mi Papa" and
"Llora, Llora" -- the former an emotional ode to his recently deceased father, the latter a
salsa-cum-
reggaeton mash-up graced with a chorus by the great
Oscar d'Leon. On
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca,
Calderon refines the aspects of
The Underdog that worked (the stylistic mash-ups, the rapping, the Caribbean-isms) and ditches those that didn't work so well (the run-of-the-mill
reggaeton). In addition, he presents a considerably more joyful mood lyrically and limits himself to 14 tracks in 52 minutes. Consequently, this album is much easier to enjoy than its predecessor, which, for as curious as it was at the time of its release, was admittedly difficult, especially when taken as a whole. It helps, too, that
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca is laden with highlights. The opening run of
"Tradicional a Lo Bravo" (a fun-filled tropical dance song),
"Ni Fu Ni Fa" (a chaotic production that includes
techno bleeps as well as chanting children), and
"Cual Es el Plan y Eso" (boasting a show-stopping
rap courtesy of
Calle 13 vocalist
Residente) is fantastic, while further highlights such as
"Quitarte To'" (featuring hot up-and-comer
Randy on the hook),
"TTTTego Remix" (hard-hitting), and
"No Era por Ahi" (absolutely crazed production) pop up every couple songs. Overall,
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca is a reassuring release by
Calderon. His previous album was alienating in many ways, and though some championed it for its defiance and experimentation, in retrospect it's evident it was a transitional effort in need of further development and eventual refinement.
El Abayarde Contra-Ataca is also a reassuring release for
reggaeton. The recently stagnant style really needs to be challenged creatively by more albums like this and
Calle 13's
Residente o Visitante (2007), for the potential for greatness is there, as proven by this pair of albums. ~ Jason Birchmeier
![Ray [Original Motion Picture Score]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0081227848026_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Ray [Original Motion Picture Score]")
