Fonseca

This Colombian's second release broke him internationally, thanks to the success of the Vallenato-lite (and very enjoyable) single "Te Mando Flores." The album's a fairly cohesive affair, with a meter set to swing somewhere between Carlos Vives at his most folkloric and Juanes at his poppiest. Still, for all the obvious influences, Fonseca carves out his own identity, exploring a sort of jazzy international balladry on songs like "Hace Tiempo" and "Sigo Aqui Cantando." But his most folkloric songs, "Mercedes" among them, stand out for their sheer, unadulterated joy.