Shelly Lares Still Churning out Hits
“Rebirth” is the translation to Shelly Lares latest compact disc, “Renacer,” and boy is it good.
Sonny and Cher sang “And the Beat Goes On” and in Shelly case, this CD could have been easily titled “And the Hits Keep On.”
Starting out with “Maldito Corazón,” the first single off this CD, which Shelly describes is ‘get in your face vocals’ tune to the title track, it keeps you going and wanting more.
Cut number two, “Esto Es El Final,” is the only ranchera in this production.
“Elida’s husband, Lalo Reyna, brought ‘Que Dificil Sera’ to me, I liked it and I decided to record it,” Shelly said during an interview at her parent’s home in Northwest San Antonio.
“Me Robaste Mi Corazón,” which is very international and sounds like something Marc Anthony would record, was written by Shelly and J.J. Reyes, whom has been a part of her production and writing team since 1989. And if you can’t image the accordion in a pop tune, listen to the subtle little licks on this song. Reyes, by the way, is a full-time musician with the house band at Cowboys.
Then Shelly takes the Luis Enrique hit, “Yo No Se Mañana,” and in duet with Mario Flores, makes it all her own as a pop-cumbia. This standout tune is so hauntingly beautiful that a lot of Shelly’s fans are asking for the name of the voice behind the male vocals.
“Mario used to be a Tejano artist and now he’s doing real good singing country. I just love his voice and enjoy listening to him, so I asked him to join me on this tune, this is the result and I’m very happy with it,” the multi-Tejano Music Awards winner explained.
Shelly says that she recorded “Vanidoso,” the second single from this album with a club feel to attract the younger generation and sure enough, it does sound like a club hit because it has a beat and futuristic keyboard sound that gives anyone the urge to get up and dance.
Shelly then described “Baila,” another Reyna penned tune, as a very happy, very danceable progressive Tejano cumbia. “It sticks to you the rest of the day, so that’s good,” said the petite songbird with a dynamite voice.
Next she slows down the pace with “Mi Amor,” a moving ballad, which could easily translate to a powerful Christian tune.
“Pregunto Porque” started out as a possible filler and the cumbia wound up as a great addition to the CD.
Shelly had actually recorded the title track, a song originally recorded by Gloria Estefan, in 1994, but now that twelve years have elapsed and sees life through different eyes, the tune takes a new meaning and this is reflected in this version, which she re-recorded with the sole instrumentation of a piano and her voice. This version is so lush and silky smooth that can one can image violins and a full orchestra behind her.
“It only seemed appropriate that I re-record it and make it the title track because I feel like I have experienced a rebirth of sorts”
“I formed Shell Shock Records 3 in February of 2011 and I picked this name because I just like the way it sounded. I initially wanted that for the name of my studio, but this came first. As for the number ‘3,’ that’s my lucky number because it was the jersey number on my sports uniforms when I played softball, basketball and volleyball.”
RECAPPING HER CAREER
Shelly was ten when she became the lead female vocalist for Hot Tamales in and now that she is quarter-century year music veteran, she still looks like a little girl.
The truth is that she was on the front-line as a trail blazer spreading Tejano music all over the United States from Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, across to Florida and up to New York, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois as the youngest exponent of this genre.
During the late 1980s, Shelly and Selena ranked up there with Laura Canales, Elsa García, Patsy Torres and Janie C. Ramírez. That is one reason why this young pioneer was inducted in the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame at such a tender age.
Always learning from personal experience, after so many miles and so many stages, she expanded her knowledge of the radio industry by doing a stint as the 3-7 p.m. evening drive-time radio personality at KXTQ, Magic 93.7. This time frame allowed her to step back and take a closer look at the overall picture. This included having her own recording studio and the formation of her own record company.
Yes, Shelly has come a long way since she sang and played guitar in the St. Paul Catholic Church Choir.
The best part is that ‘Little Miss Dynamite’ has a new compact disc out, she’s better than ever and the CD is receiving rave reviews. Her fans can also look forward to performing the tunes off this CD during the Tejano Music Fan Fair in March.
To book Shelly call Fred Lares at (210) 434-8543 and for more information, to order or download “Renacer,” her new compact disc, go to iTunes, Amazon or Rhapsody, or visit her sites: