Master en Parranda

Album Review

With their uniquely youthful, vital music, Colombia-based vallenato/rock band Sin Ánimo de Lucro create music that breaks down the barriers separating people. The band's vivacious, raw, and energetic sound goes far toward those ends. The band's 2006 debut record, Master en Parranda, features 11 of the group's original compositions performed with gutsy rock intensity, laced together with three-part harmony and rollicking accordion lines. The band's lineup includes Juna José Roesel Reniz (lead vocals/guitar), José Nicolas Urdinola Martínez (guitar/vocals), Santiago Restrepo Orozco (guitar/vocals), and Miguel Henao Henao (accordion). The four came to know one another while attending college, where they all honed unrelated professional skills while sharing their love of music and dreams of writing and performing with one another. The music presented on Master en Parranda reflects the band's hunger, passion, and liveliness, with compositions that are irresistibly poppy, pleasant, and catchy. The performances hold nothing back, as one might expect from four Colombian college boys having the time of their lives. The vocal performances lack the polish and strength typical of peer Latin pop and vallenato rock records. For some, that raw and innocent quality will add considerably to the record's charm. What Sin Ánimo de Lucro lack in musical prowess they make up for in enthusiasm. Master en Parranda is a fun, charismatic debut. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi