Manuel Lafontaine, the man.
Anyone who listens to the soft notes produced by Lafontaine can enjoy elegant, dreamy sunsets on the luxurious terraces of 20-star hotels overlooking the sea, sipping stylish cocktails with even more stylish movie stars or Netflix prima donnas – living what is, by definition, “the winner’s life.” But the person enjoying this music could never imagine all the adventures behind each of his songs. I mean it: they could never imagine it.
These adventures aren’t necessarily captured in the lyrics themselves; they lie within the life of the brilliant creative mind that gave them life and form. Stories so fantastic that they have become part of the collective imagination of anyone lucky enough to experience Manuel “Meño” Lafontaine live and in full color – the beloved son of the sandy city of Hermosillo, Sonora.
Meño, the demigod.
Meño, a man forever a child, blessed with good fortune and a talent so overwhelming it might just leave him exhausted, is without a doubt a character worth knowing and recognizing – but above all, worth retelling every chance you get: “Did you hear what Meño did this time?” The only thing that matches his legend among the pseudo-hipsters of Anáhuac is, without question, his music.
Meño, the legend.
Clear, well-defined compositions with just the right chords, ensuring that no note is merely an ornamental whim. This undoubtedly shows that we’re listening to someone who studied music and knows exactly what he’s doing.
The atmospheres he creates, almost by accident, evoke the best of an era or age long gone – one that, perhaps, we’re enjoying now more than ever without even realizing it. Lafontaine’s sound today is much more mature and presents a more complex proposal than his previous works, like Fulgor. His lyrics, reminiscent of the philosopher of Güemes’ common sense, never fall into the cliché of common sense.
At the end of the day, Lafontaine isn’t just a recommendation – he’s a satisfaction. And it’s true: no one will ever regret discovering Meño, even if it’s only through his music.
Few people notice it, but the video is filmed 100% in reverse, and getting the vocalization right was incredibly difficult.
