Tish Hinojosa

A Heart Wide Open (Valley Entertainment)

The summery reggae beat on A Heart Wide Open‘s “Never Say Never Love Again” is good news for Tish Hinojosa fans. After all, they’ve waited five long years between releases, a length of time that often finds even hardcore fanatics drifting away. That’s not likely to happen given A Heart Wide Open. Hinojosa, accompanied by collaborators Marvin Dykhuis (guitarist) and Glenn Kawamoto (bassist), produced 12 new songs that unfold like a lacy fan – flirtatious, Latino pop as pretty as it is substantial. That’s the San Antonio-born singer-songwriter’s neat little trick: making a song like “Derechos de el Corazón” provocative while also turning out the wistful “Something More Than This.” The longtime Austinite’s bell-like vox rings throughout the songs – “Would You Love Me Back Again” opens with a “Starry Eyes”-like intro – yet the bilingual lyrics aren’t always breezy. Hinojosa’s commitment to social activism remains front and center on “Blue Eyed Billy,” and “Whatever Happened to Everyone Wanting to Care.” Always thoughtful and beautifully crafted, A Heart Wide Open is Tish Hinojosa’s wish for a world not expecting such a rare present.

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This article appears in April 29 • 2005.

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