In 1991 Miguel released his eighth studio album, Romance, a collection of classic boleros, the oldest of which originated in the 1940s. The album, which was produced by Armando Manzanero and arranged by Bebu Silvetti,[1] was a success in Latin America and sold over seven million copies worldwide.[2][3] It revived interest in the bolero genre and was the first record by a Spanish-speaking artist to be certified gold in Brazil, Taiwan, and the United States.[3] Luis Miguel promoted the album by launching the Romance Tour in 1992.[4][5] As part of the tour, Luis Miguel performed at a sold-out show on 26 June 1992 at the National Auditorium in Mexico City.[6][7]
A 27-second sample of "America, America", which features a verse sung English. Mario Taradell of the Miami Herald noted the English verse "coats the tune with a multicultural feel".[8]
América & En Vivo features the live versions of "Inolvidable", "No Sé Tú", and "Contigo en la Distancia" from Miguel's performance at the National Auditorium. The three songs were also promotional singles for Romance.[9] In addition, the EP features a new track "America, America" composed by José Luis Armenteros
and Pablo Herrero.[10] The song was originally performed by Spanish singer Nino Bravo on his album ...y volumen 5 (1973).[11] Miguel dedicated the song to the soldiers who participated in the Gulf War.[10]
Reception
América & En Vivo was released on 25 September 1992.[12] It sold 95,000 copies in Mexico on the first week of release.[13] The EP peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart.[14] It was certified platinum in Argentina by the CAPIF for sales of 60,000 copies.[15] "America, America" was released, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[16] The music video for "America, America" was filmed across several locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.[10] The music video won the award for MTV International at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards and received a nomination for Video of the Year at the 5th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in the same year.[17][18]
An editor for AllMusic rated the EP three stars out of five.[19] An editor writing for Billboard magazine complimented the EP stating that it "should add another trophy to the already impressive collection amassed by this 22 year-old Mexican crooner".[20] Mario Taradell of the Miami Herald gave the EP a positive review; he compared "America, America" to Neil Diamond's song "America" stating it is "filled with land-of-hope lyrics, heavily orchestrated production and a big, inspirational chorus". On the live tracks, he felt that Miguel is "in fine voice and a playful mood" and noted that "Inolvidable" was "more percussive and danceable than the album version" and commented that "Contigo en la Distancia" and "No Sé Tú" "showcase Miguel's romantic croon".[8]
^"Reconocimiento para Luis Miguel". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). Editora de la Laguna. 5 August 1992. p. 52. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
^ abc"Luismi, al frente en popularidad". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). Editora de la Laguna. 7 December 1992. p. 47. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
