El Regalo (DVD, 2005)

A Great Place to Begin the Lesson!

It is not always a simple task to explain my interest and devotion to the music and art of Tatiana - especially to gringos who are not familiar with her work. Usually I end up just referencing the lowest common denominator and presenting her photograph and allowing her physical attractiveness to speak for itself - even the most boorish person understands that kind of beauty. Now Tatiana has released a great new DVD, El Regalo, which is not only highly entertaining, but could prove to be the best single source for explaining the full measure of her appeal and her career. Cleverly, she has taken advantage of the relatively new format to offer a potpourri of visual treats that, while of course entertaining, lend insight into her talents as a singer and artists, and as the unique phenomenon as La Reina de Los Ninos. Like everything she has done, it is highly professional but completely genuine. Also like everything she has done since becoming a "children's entertainer" in 1995, it is readily accessible to kids, while subtle enough to engross adults.

At the heart of the DVD is her concert before an audience of 12,000 at the National Theatre in Mexico City upon the occasion of the celebration of her twentieth year in show business. Seven songs from that event are included: "El Patio de Mi Casa" (from Brinca), "Mis Abuelos Mitotaros" (from El Regalo), "Los Marcianos" (from El Regalo), "El Baile de la Ranita" (from El Regalo), "Vamos A Jugar" (from Vamos a Jugar) , "Sonrie" (from El Regalo), and "Tradidance II" (from El Regalo). The music, dancing, and pageantry are classic Tatiana, which means a great time for all. Moreover, it is always impressive to watch how well she works a crowd, keeping them involved and interested - no easy task when your audience is largely made up of children, who often have attention spans that are challenged. We are also treated to some reflection by her about her career and its meaning. Overall, a characteristically great show.

Also included are some of her most recent videos: "Chango Marango," "Los Marcianos," "El Baile de La Reina," and "La Thriller Cumbia." From the beginning of her reign, Tatiana has made very effective use of videos to translate the ideas and fantasy implied in her music and pose as La Reina into powerful visual imagery; her first from back in 1995 for "El Patio de Mi Casa" stands even today as a classic of its type. There will be no disappointment here as each is unique in its themes and production values with "La Thriller Cumbia" being entirely animated, and "Chango Marango" being especially dynamic.

The real treat, however, on the DVD are a series of "surprise packages." One of these features an entirely different, complete, and much more Latino presentation of "Los Marcianos," (that I actually like better than the CD versions) that plays over various scenes of Tatiana's shows and interactions with her fans. Another begins with a unbelievably cute two-year old (who looks very much as Tatiana did at that age) singing a pretty credible rendition of "Sonrie" followed by La Reina singing the same song over news footage of her visits to hospitals and children with special needs. No one could watch this and not understand that for Tatiana being La Reina is about far more than just acting a show business role. It is instead very much a part of who she is. This video just reiterates the point (that has always been clear to those of us who have followed her career) that her heart is genuinely as large as her talent. I will leave the rest of the packages a surprise, but they will please as well.

Another thing that is striking about this DVD is how much of Tatiana's work is Mexican in character. Although she has consistently sought songs outside of Mexican traditions, and she, moreover, has very cosmopolitan personal tastes that range from the Beatles to American rap (and there is probably no one alive who is more of a popular musicologist), her art whether overtly Latino or not echoes the most positive aspect of the culture of her native country. The broad use of primary color and motion, the upbeat and positive outlook, the extremely strong family values, and an uncomplicated faith in the ultimate power of good are all omnipresent in everything she presents, and all speak to the soul of Mexican life, its geist. As pretentious as this may sound, it is undeniable that much of her success as La Reina resides in her ability to distill these very elements and give them a visual and audio context. Tatiana has and always will be more than just an entertainer; she is a conduit to a vision of life as it ought to be, and as we all (or most of us anyway) actually hope it might be. She has much to teach us all, and in a world tormented by religious and ideological fanaticism and hatred this DVD is a great place to begin the lesson.

This page was first created 09 Apr 2006, and last modified 09 Apr 2006.
This page is not an official site of Tatiana or her management, producers, TV networks, or record companies; it is an independent fan site. Tatiana's official site is at www.tatiana.tv. All contents copyrighted by their respective creators or contributors or © 2000-2018 Daniel R. Tobias. The "Tatiana" logo and other trademarks used in this site are property of their respective owners.