The Mexican ranchera singer Vicente Fernandez was already a cultural icon by the late 1960s. By the early 2000s, a time that saw ranchera reaching untold levels of popularity in both Mexico and the United States, Fernandez had become a towering legend. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the man's moving, romantic vocals showed no signs of losing their power, as 2007's PARA SIEMPRE VICENTE FERNANDEZ proved. A collaboration with acclaimed Norteno songwriter Joan Sebastian, PARA SIEMPRE is a winning collection, showcasing both Fernandez's inimitable style and Sebastian's fine songs.

Four decades and dozens of albums into his career, Vicente Fernández remains one of Mexico's finest ranchera artists, arguably the best ever. It's as if he gets better with age, for Para Siempre is a near-perfect album. The singing, the songwriting, the instrumentation -- it's all stellar. The songwriting is particularly notable. All of the songs on Para Siempre were written by Joan Sebastían, who, like Fernández, is a legend of Mexican music. Standout performances here include "La Derrota," "A Quién Vas a Amar Más Que a Mi," "Para Siempre," and "Estos Celos," though because there are so many great songs here, it's difficult to single out particular highlights. [A karaoke edition was also released.] ~ Jason Birchmeier

Four decades and dozens of albums into his career, Vicente Fernández remains one of Mexico's finest ranchera artists, arguably the best ever. It's as if he gets better with age, for Para Siempre is a near-perfect album. The singing, the songwriting, the instrumentation -- it's all stellar. The songwriting is particularly notable. All of the songs on Para Siempre were written by Joan Sebastían, who, like Fernández, is a legend of Mexican music. Standout performances here include "La Derrota," "A Quién Vas a Amar Más Que a Mi," "Para Siempre," and "Estos Celos," though because there are so many great songs here, it's difficult to single out particular highlights. ~ Jason Birchmeier