Wisin Y Yandel Presentan: Los Vaqueros

by Jason BirchmeierThe success of Pa'l Mundo (2005) elevated Wisin & Yandel to the top bracket of reggaeton performers, especially in terms of hitmaking, and in the wake of this success, the two vocalists used their clout to launch their own sublabel, WY Records, and present an affiliate group, Los Vaqueros. Comprised of Tony Dize, Franco "El Gorila," Gadiel, and El Tío, in addition to Wisin and Yandel, the group made its debut on Los Vaqueros, which essentially is a Wisin & Yandel album with a lot of guest features. The guest list is enhanced by established reggaeton stars Don Omar and Hector el Father, who are featured on the standout songs "Nadie Como Tú" and "El Teléfono," respectively. Granted, several of the songs lacking the presence of either Wisin or Yandel suffer for it, but in most instances, the affiliate members are well capable of carrying songs alone, especially Tony Dize, who is the most promising of the bunch. Album highlights include "Pegao" (Wisin & Yandel), "Dame un Kiss" (Dize), "Nadie Como Tú" (Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel), "Quizás" (Dize), and "Yo Te Quiero" (Wisin & Yandel), though there are many other standout songs as well. Contributing producers are Nesty, El Nasi, Urba, and Monserrate. Los Vaqueros overall doesn't measure up to the heights of Pa'l Mundo, which was laden with massive hit singles, but it's still an impressive album -- one of year's best reggaeton releases, in fact -- and offers plenty of hit-worthy material. Plus, the revolving lineup of vocalists helps ensure variety over the course of this long, 18-track album; consequently, Los Vaqueros plays more like a professionally assembled mixtape rather than a standard major-label full-length.