Artist Update:
As a wave of critical acclaim continues for Javier Garcia's album 13
(new reviews this week saying: "13 spearheads the new Miami sound....
a groundbreaker of a new Latino style... points the way to a
refreshingly different kind of Latin pop-rock star" and "one of the
best Latin albums in years... It really is that good...There's just
so much to go on and on glowing about here on 13), Javier is
preparing to tape a special concert appearance for MTV Espanol's "A
Todo Volumen". If you are in Miami on July 21, please join us for
this special concert taping:


STATE - 320 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach - Showtime 8PM


If you have not yet heard Javier Garcia's 13, take a look at this
week's new album reviews from Newsday and Barnes & Noble/All Music
Guide (and full album reviews below), and let us know if you need a
copy



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"About 20 years after the emergence of Gloria and Emilio Estefan's
Miami Sound Machine.. a new, progressive Latin-pop sound is coming
out of South Florida's big town. Javier Garcia has put out a new
album titled 13 that spearheads the new Miami sound. Following an
eclectic tropical path that includes Cuban son, rock, and Jamaican
reggae and ska, Garcia's album is more than just alternative salsa.
Garcia, who wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album, comes off
like an alternative troubadour in the mold of Juanes, but his tunes
are peppered with Caribbean rhythms. A song like 'Dinamita' explodes
with a typical Afro-Cuban piano figure but is layered with electric
guitars and horns, and is embellished with Jamaican dub rhythms...
[Garcia's] strategy for re-entry into the Latin pop-rock game was
impeccable... [shows Gustavo] Santaolalla's exquisite touch in the
studio. With his unusual torn t-shirt and horned rimmed glasses look,
Garcia is somewhat of an enigma, a groundbreaker of a new Latino
style... Garcia has created an album that not only keeps Miami on the
map, but points the way to a refreshingly different kind of Latin pop-
rock star." - Ed Morales, Newsday - Sunday, 07/03/05
"[Javier Garcia] returned to the Latin music arena in 2005 with 13, a
clear critical favorite before it even went on sale... when the label
went about promoting 13, it skipped the usual marketing hyperbole and
simply sent out press releases that compiled glowing review after
glowing review. Judging from these press releases, you'd think every
critic out there thought 13 was one of the best Latin albums in
years -- and after giving the album a listen, you might agree. It
really is that good...García offers an impressive array of musical
styles, most of them Latin (or most specifically, tropical) but not
limited to that (traces of rap and funk show up, for instance -- even
turntablism!). But this isn't just a multicultural exercise; 13 has a
lot else going for it. In particular, García has at his helm the best
producer Latin music has to offer, Gustavo Santaolalla... García said
that he sent his demos to only one person, Santaolalla, because the
man with the Midas touch has "good sounds" and "not overpolished
stuff." And that's certainly the case here, as this relatively dense
music absolutely shines with crystal clarity. It's not overwhelmingly
bombastic like a good majority of big-budget tropical music, nor is
it overwrought with needless layers of overdubs. It sounds natural,
like you were in the studio watching García and company cut the songs
right in front of you. Which brings up what else 13 has going for it,
a batch of amazing songs that are as diverse as the musical
accompaniment...the 13 here are all strong. There's not any filler
here, for instance -- not even a single one of the obligatory fluffy
ballads that are a staple of most Latin pop albums. In particular,
the first four songs are all excellent -- "Bajo y Piano," "La
Rumba," "Me Gustaría," and "Como Bailan" -- and the album is capped
off with the similarly excellent "Sol." There's just so much to go on
and on glowing about here on 13 -- the multicultural musical mixture,
Santaolalla's trademark flawless production, the first-rate song
lineup, García himself. Talk about a comeback." - Jason Birchmeier,
All Music Guide (Appearing on Barnes & Noble's bn.com)
---------------------------------------------
JAVIER GARCIA's 13 - Press Reaction
"5 STARS... makes me feel really excited about the future of Latin
music. Javier García has put together the bounciest, most
exhilarating album I've heard in the past few years"
"4 Stars...[a revolution] in the way Latin music is created and
listened to...
a level of sophistication very seldom heard in Latin pop."
"Grade: A. ...represents the future of Latin's tropical style...
polish up the dance floor."
"4 Stars... a formidible accomplishment... never a false moment...
[deserves] a large audience"
"a new, progressive Latin-pop sound... a groundbreaker of a new
Latino style... an album that not only keeps Miami on the map, but
points the way to a refreshingly different kind of Latin pop-rock
star."
"displays a sophistication and appeal that can transcend barriers of
both language and age...
one of the freshest and most fun discs of the year."
"It really is that good... There's just so much to go on and on
glowing about here on 13"
"a musical narrative for Miami as sweet as kissing your honey on the
beach to a swaying reggae beat,
as danceable as a 3 a.m. Cuban jam session... a dizzying mix of
music"






"García absolutely shines... highly danceable... rhythms that are
timeless"
"a heroic secret agent on a mission to save his audience from
monotony. His songs are like movie scenes full of adrenaline rush,
romance, poolside conga lines, and groovy lounge parties"
"There might as well have been puffs of white smoke in the air
hovering over this show of support"
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"The Miami-based protégé of producer Gustavo Santaolalla (Juanes,
Café Tacuba, Molotov) debuts with a bilingual rock/hip-hop/ska/salsa
fusion album that's as eclectic as his Cuban and Irish background" -
VIBE
"5 stars. In the piles and piles of recently-released CDs on my desk,
every year or so I seem to find one that makes me feel really excited
about my job and about the future of Latin music. So far this year 13
is that CD. Javier García (along with Gustavo Santaolalla) has put
together the bounciest, most exhilarating album I've heard in the
past few years (probably since Manú Chao's Proxima Estación:
Esperanza.) You can tell García had a blast playing around with
almost every Latin rhythm there is, fusing son, rock, bolero, ska,
calipso, rap, flamenco, etc. En fin, this is a well-rooted Caribbean-
flavored album with a modern twist that also features Cuban trumpet
player Arturo Sandoval and Paul McCartney's drummer Abe Laboriel
Jr. - Batanga
"Already a lock for my Top-10 albums of the year" ... "Grade: A. ...
Mr. Garcia, born in Spain to a Cuban father and Irish mother, takes
his salsa-and-son core then piles on reggae, ska, hip-hop, rock and
funk. On 'Dinamita' he merges a sizzling, percussive salsa rhythm
with reggae undertones that slide right into the syncopated beat. 'La
Musica de Ayer' rides on a frenetic ska base that gets embellished by
brassy horns and even an accordion. 'Me Vuelve Loco' works a jazzy
hip-hop groove into its psychedelic salsa mélange. He can also take
it slow, as on the lovely bolero 'Algo Especial.' His command of
organic instruments, melodies and hooks give the disc a vibrant
flow. If Mr. Garcia represents the future of Latin's tropical style,
which had fallen into a one-note rut, then polish up the dance
floor." - Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News - Sunday, 05/15/05
"...the current fascination with reggaeton obscures something equally
important, if not yet as popular: a new generation of Latin singer-
songwriters that's opting for a more complex, mature sound that
deserves a broad audience. [Javier Garcia] displays a sophistication
and appeal that can transcend barriers of both language and age.
Put on this Miami performer's sizzling new album, 13
(Universal/Surco), and it's impossible not to want to throw a party.
But what's most striking about 13 is not its danceability but its
scope -- from the reggae of Como Bailan and Afro-pop of Llego Chango,
to the tropical drive of Dinamita and the funk of Sol. But Garcia
never gets lost amid all the musical adventurism. No doubt part of
that is due to the performer's background. With a Cuban father, Irish
mother, and a childhood spent in Ireland, Spain and South Florida,
Garcia grew up in a cosmopolitan world where the riot of languages,
accents and rhythms provided the springboard for his careening
culture clash... 13 is as much Tito Puente Latin classicism as cross-
continental cool. The result is one of the freshest and most fun
discs of the year."- Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star Telegram, 05/09/05
"**** (4 Stars) For decades, Miami has served as a musical incubator,
with Latin, Caribbean, African and other influences blending together
to create hybrids unimaginable elsewhere. Now, [Javier Garcia]
reaffirms the vitality of the south Florida scene...[13 is] a
formidible accomplishment, distinguished by his inventive fusion of
styles. Boogaloo and funk power "Bajo y Piano"; soca, calypso and
other tropical Latin sounds comingle on "La Rumba"; "Me Gustaria"
blends Cuban son, guajira and charanga, accented with a hip-hop
interlude and even a little Esquivel instrumental flourish; "La
Musica de Ayer" whirls deliriously on the rhythms of ska, trip-hop
and Argentinian cuarteto. And so forth for eight more essential
songs. Thanks to the skilled production, it all sounds organic;
there's never a false moment. Let's hope this disc finds the large
audience it deserves.- Laura Emerick, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/26/05
"[Javier Garcia] has invented a musical narrative for Miami on 13, as
sweet as kissing your honey on the beach to a swaying reggae beat, as
danceable as a 3 a.m. Cuban jam session... Like Miami, García's 13
gets more infectious and interesting the more time you spend with it.
There's a dizzying mix of music here: Cuban son and bolero, reggae,
ska, rock, funk, rap, cuarteto, a bit of Haitian, and more. But it's
so seamless and natural, with such fresh energy, that all you feel is
groove. García doesn't just find the musical and rhythmic connections
between all these styles -- he finds the common spirit that animates
them. Arturo Sandoval's trumpet sails perfectly off a rock guitar
solo in Bajo y Piano. Lyrics that on first listen seem simple grow in
depth and sly humor the more you listen... a pledge to leave his own
legacy of love and music - Jordan Levin, Miami Herald- Sunday Arts
COVER- 4/24/05
"The opening track of Javier Garcia's new album 13 (Universal/Surco)
gives notice that the Spanish composer and rocker's latest is far
from the typical pop fare. "Bajo y Piano" is a snazzy pop mambo with
guest Arturo Sandoval blowing hot trumpet licks. He keeps the energy
level and rhythmic intensity at full throttle throughout, decorating
such works as "La Rumba" and "La Musica de Ayer" with a variety of
super-charged pan-Caribbean styles, from bachata to reggae. 13 is a
lucky number for those seeing a blast of bracing, summery Latin pop."-
Mark Holston, HISPANIC Magazine -July/August '05
"Javier Garcia is on a stealth mission to conquer Latin pop...a
creative yet retro Latino who has spent years turning kitsch into
cool... When you listen to 13, you get the feeling that this reserved
man, with his black-rimmed glasses and polo shirts, has transformed
himself into a heroic secret agent on a mission to save his audience
from monotony. His songs are like movie scenes full of adrenaline
rush, romance, poolside conga lines, and groovy lounge parties... [a]
sophisticated mixture of salsa, reggae, ska, calypso, and even
flamenco..." - Julienne Gage, Miami New Times - 04/21/05
"4 Stars...behind the dancing, there is a singer/songwriter who is
one of the first to revolutionize the way Latin music is created and
listened to... Javier's music is to a certain level tricky. On one
hand is the Latin Pachanga (party vibe). But if you listen more
closely you will discover a level of sophistication very seldom heard
in Latin pop." -Enrique Lopetegui Rumbo - San Antonio, TX (translated)
"[a] substantial and adventurous palette, courtesy of producer
Gustavo Santaolalla. As a result, García absolutely shines. A rocker
at heart, but also very aware of his mixed-up roots (he was born in
Spain to an Irish mother and a Cuban father), ...heavy-duty
percussion, provocative polyrhythms, aggressive pop-rock hooks and a
strong dose of Latin grandeur. García's voice also demands added
attention, while behind him a fury of highly danceable Afro-Caribbean
rhythms churn away. Songs like the tight funk-rock of "Dinamita" and
the aggressive album opener "Bajo y Piano" are defiantly modern in
tone, but rooted in rhythms that are timeless, making 13 an adventure
worth the wait." - Jason Ferguson, Orlando Weekly - 06/02/05
"WHITE SMOKE OVER DOWNTOWN MIAMI: Meanwhile across the causeway last
Thursday, Javier Garcia, played not one but two showcases downtown to
show off his recently released album, 13. Enthusiastic Universal
Music Group execs - including Latin American/Iberian Peninsula
chairman Jesus Lopez - shuttled a few blocks from the Romance 106.7-
FM party at the Pawn Shop Lounge to the BOOM Magazine fifth
anniversary party at I/O. There might as well have been puffs of
white smoke in the air hovering over this show of support for the
singer-songwriter apparently elected successor to the infallible
Juanes. Like the Colombian star, Garcia fuses rock, pop and reggae
with folkloric rhythms for songs with infectious hooks. He's also on
Universal's Surco imprint, produced by Gustavo Santaolalla - the
golden touch behind Juanes, Molotov, Café Tacuba and so many other
Latin alternative success stories." - Celeste Fraser Delgado, SUN-
POST, 05/13/05
"The new album from Javier Garcia is like one of his
rumbas, 'something new, something old,(with) fresh air'. The kid has
flavor and sings with happiness and energy... he demonstrates his
showmanship with thirteen happy and super danceable songs" - Cosmo en
Espanol (translated)

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