From the accordion master Valerio Longoria, this album is solid music that connects with the feet and the heart. Highlights include the thumping cumbia title track, on which he handles lead vocals, and "El Canonero," a bolero evergreen rearranged as a cumbia. Harrowing are the brooding ranchera "Me Vas a Olvidar," on knowing the end is near, and "Pa Que Me Sirve la Vida," a galloping polka ranchera that deals with the breakup with a stark fatefulness. Also compelling are the polka "Negro Destino" and the bolero "Estoy Perdido," two bluesy tunes in which the narrator remains cool and distant even while describing a crumbling relationship. This is the essence of the blues catharsis inherent in conjunto and bolero forms, that even in sad times, one can find salvation and even happiness. --Ramiro Burr