"Mi Mayor Venganza" (transl. "My Greatest Revenge")[1] is a song by Puerto Rican singer La India from her fifth studio album, Sobre el Fuego (1997). The song was written by Rodolfo Barreras and produced by Isidro Infante, and released as the album's second single in 1997 by RMM Records. It is a salsa song, in which La India tells the woman to keep the man who cheated on the artist out of revenge.
| "Mi Mayor Venganza" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by La India | ||||
| from the album Sobre el Fuego | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Studio | Skylight, Belleville, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | Salsa | |||
| Length | 5:14 | |||
| Label | RMM | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rodolfo Barreras | |||
| Producer(s) | Isidro Infante | |||
| La India singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
La India's vocals on "Mi Mayor Venganza" were praised by two music critics while another reviewer noted it has become an anthem with the salsa audience. It was a recipient of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Latin Award in 2000 in the salsa category. Commercially, the song peaked at numbers four and one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States, respectively. An accompanying music video features La India performing at an empty theater.
Background and composition
editIn 1994, La India released her third studio album Dicen Que Soy, which according to AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier was her "mainstream breakthrough" as a salsa artist.[2] The album topped the Billboard Tropical Albums chart and its five singles "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte", "Ese Hombre", the title track, "Que Ganas de Nunca Verte Más", and "O Ella o Yo" reached the top ten on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.[2][3] To capitalize on her success, RMM Records president Ralph Mercado had La India collaborate with American musician Tito Puente on the Latin jazz record Jazzin' (1996).[2] In the same year, Puerto Rican musician and arranger Isidro Infante signed with RMM Records. By the time of his signing, Infante was credited for over 2,500 arrangements and had produced for artists such as Puente, Celia Cruz, and Herb Alpert.[4] On August 9, 1997, Billboard's John Lannert reported that La India was set to launch a new disc the following month.[5]
La India revealed further details about the album including its name, Sobre el Fuego (1997), and that the record was being produced by Infante, whom she described as a "pleasure to work with".[6] Recording took place at the Skylight in Belleville, New Jersey.[7] Sobre el Fuego was eventually released on September 9, 1997,[7] and is La India's third solo salsa album.[1] One of the record's salsa tracks,[1] "Mi Mayor Venganza" was written by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Rodolfo Barreras, who has composed for other artists such as Ednita Nazario, José Feliciano, Elvis Crespo, Jerry Rivera, and Gilberto Santa Rosa.,[7][8] According to the Los Angeles Times editor Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, the song addresses the "cultural norm of fighting to keep your man when he cheats on you. Rather than fight the other woman, India sang, the best revenge would be to let the other woman keep the jerk."[1]
Promotion and reception
edit"Mi Mayor Venganza" was released as the second single from Sobre el Fuego by RMM Records in 1997.[9] A music video for the song was filmed and features La India performing in an empty theater.[10] Valdes noted that the track has become an "anthem in salsa circles".[1] The Newsday critic Richard Torres lauded La India's vocals, stating her "driven full-throttle assault simply energizes the track".[11] Similarly, K. Matthew Davis of the Press & Sun-Bulletin observed La India's vocal evolution on the song as it "demands less percussion, but much more power". He further opined that the artist "comes through like a champ, showing that she has learned how to summon strength from her diaphragm".[12]
It was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the ASCAP Latin Awards under the salsa category in 2000.[13] Commercially "Mi Mayor Venganza" reached number four on the |Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and topped the Tropical Airplay chart in the US; it spent two weeks at this spot on the latter chart.[14][3] On the year-end chart, the song ended 1998 ranked as number five on the Tropical Airplay chart.[15]
Charts
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Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa (April 9, 2000). "Commanding Respect". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c Birchmeier, Jason. "India – Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "India Chart History (Tropical Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ Jordan, Chris (August 29, 1997). "Prepárate para bailar". Home News Tribune. p. 83. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lannert, John (August 9, 1997). "Latin Notas". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 32. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Burr, Ramiro (August 13, 1997). "Salsa Singer Makes Swing into Texas". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Jenkins, Terry. "India Sobre el Fuego Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (July 14, 2000). "Nava's Solo Debut Album Is a Strong Start". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Mi Mayor Venganza (CD single) (CD single liner notes). La India. Spain: RMM. 197. BT 129 CD'S.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ La India (performer) (1997). Mi Mayor Venganza (Television). RMM Records. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Torres, Richard (October 19, 1997). "Latin Sounds". Newsday. p. D35. ProQuest 279086813. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Davis, K. Matthew (November 6, 1997). "Keep an Eye and an Ear on Singer India". Press & Sun-Bulletin. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "ASCAP Congratulates Our 2000 'El Premio' Winners". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 21. May 20, 2000. p. 16. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ a b "India Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c "1998: The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-70, 75. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2012.