Tony Succar - Unity: The Latin Tribute To Michael Jackson (2015) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Peruvian musician Tony Succar has gathered great artists like La India, Tito Nieves, Michael Stuart and Obie Bermudez to pay tribute to the late King of Pop through a project of his dubbed “Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson.”

Fueled by his relentless commitment, quiet determination and passionate faith in the loving message behind much of Michael Jackson's music, producer, multi-instrumentalist and arranger Tony Succar has thoughtfully created Unity: The Latin Tribute To Michael Jackson. The result is Jackson's timeless pop and R&B tunes, such as 'Thriller,' 'Billie Jean,' and 'I Want You Back' married with glorious salsa and tropical rhythms, resulting in innovative, vibrant arrangements that snap to life with exhilarating energy.

The groundbreaking album embodies Jackson's spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music. 'The one thing that stood out in Michael's music was love. The reality was unity,' Succar says. He continues, 'I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture, and to help keep Michael's legacy alive.'

The birth of Unity came when Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of 'Thriller' for a Halloween party in Miami. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive that he recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted it online and gave away copies. DJs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin-flavored Jackson songs. 'That sparked it,' Succar says. 'I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something.'

Part of keeping Jackson's legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity. 'Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones' productions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,' Succar says. 'The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project.'

With Succar taking producer and arranger credits, Unity also features two tracks – 'Earth Song' and 'Smooth Criminal' – mixed by Michael Jackson's legendary engineer Bruce Swedien with Nick Valentin. Grammy winner Carlos Alvarez engineered the rest of the album achieving a sonically crisp sound.

'American funk, soul, jazz—all those styles that were influencing Michael— were inspired from African music,' Succar says. 'Same with Afro-Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms.'

Tracklist:
1. Tony Succar – I Want You Back (feat. Tito Nieves) (4:44)
2. Tony Succar & Jean Rodriguez – Billie Jean (5:03)
3. Tony Succar & Kevin Ceballo – Man In the Mirror (5:09)
4. Tony Succar & Michael Stuart – Será Que No Me Amas (4:43)
5. Tony Succar & India – Earth Song (6:26)
6. Tony Succar & Jon Secada – Human Nature (4:13)
7. Tony Succar, Obie Bermudez & Jennifer Peña – Todo Mi Amor Eres Tú (4:25)
8. Tony Succar & Kevin Ceballo – Black Or White (4:19)
9. Tony Succar & Jean Rodriguez – Smooth Criminal (4:40)
10. Tony Succar & Kevin Ceballo – They Don't Care About Us (5:06)
11. Tony Succar & Kevin Ceballo – Thriller (4:35)
12. Tony Succar, Tito Nieves & Tito Nieves Jr. – You Are Not Alone (5:05)