Happiness is contagious. I write these words sitting with a housebound child getting over a cold. Hence, he too is contagious. But he'll get better soon (I hope I hope I hope) while Lucky Diaz will never, never stop being contagious. His music, I mean. Such is BUENOS DIAZ, the latest release from the newly-rebranded The Lucky Band.
Latin Grammy (and Emmy) winner Diaz, wife Alisha Gaddis, and a space-age flock of contributors (including Andrew & Polly and Nathalia) have produced a new collection of bilingual ballads and danceable ditties for children of many ages. BUENOS DIAZ opens with (naturally) "Buenos Dias," to greet newcomers and returning fans alike. "Wake Up" follows, ironically not the (eye) opening track on the CD. "Nacho Song" tells the totally true comic story of Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, the man who created serving nacho cheese over chips.
"Taco Tuesday" is bound to be a perennial favorite on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live and even ends with a riff from "Funkytown." The xylophonic "Zapatitos" delights in shoes, don't you know. "Como Se Dice?" is full of call-and-respond translations of basic English-Spanish words and phrases, such as "good morning" and "taco" (no big surprise there).
Xenophobic parents who are put off by song titles such as "El Corazon" and "El Sol Te Siga" (a cover of a Pianosaurus song) don't know what they're missing. Luckily, that's what audio samples are good for on streaming sites. For those of us who've met Lucky (in person or through his previous releases), these 11 songs generate multi-culture good will and good times. What else should you expect from über-producer Dean Jones (Dog On Fleas and dozens of other CDs)?
The world has finally got wise to The Lucky Band. Last year, the group added China to their touring checklist and they're headed to Tokyo and Shanghai in April. If they're not coming to your city any time soon, you can still say BUENOS DIAZ in two languages and enjoy their distinctive, upbeat música.
BUENOS DIAZ is available April 5 from the Lucky Band's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.
Here is the video for their song, "Taco Tuesday":
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