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Latin house re-mixes of Santana’s classic “Oye Como Va” are hardly a new thing, but I guess Carlos got tired of hearing others do it and decided to cut his own version, “Oye 2014“. No doubt, mixing the well known opening organ montuno riff from the original “Oye” with a driving four on the floor house beat is an irresistible dance floor combination, after that, you don’t want to do too much that distracts from this simple, but very effective combination. Santana and his production crew do well on here, breaking the groove down into a stuttering 808 hip-hop beat for variation and bringing on Pitbull for some gratuitous rhyming. Pit’s rhymes are okay, mostly your standard braggadocio, but his delivery is sharp and right on time, it all adds up. Carlos also recorded some new guitar riffs and short solos, but in some ways, they may be hardly noticed. A lot of the original song’s old counter melodies are left off, some are missed, while others not so much.
I know people who feel very strongly about early Santana and roots Latin rock in general, and I would imagine to some, this sort of trendy modernization probably comes across as almost sacrilegious, but the bottom line is, whether in good taste or bad, this “Oye 2014” rocks like a mofo. These kind of gimmick songs can wear out quickly, so enjoy it while it lasts.
