Each child begins with naive faith (a letter to a president, a hidden truck ride, a violin melody) but ends confronting a harsh truth: the other side is not a paradise.
Al Otro Lado remains a hidden gem in Santaolalla’s discography. It lacks the bombast of Brokeback Mountain or the visceral punk energy of his band Bajofondo, but it possesses a quiet dignity that outlasts them both. It is an album about borders—geographic, musical, and spiritual—and the beauty that can be found when you dare to cross them. Nearly two decades later, standing on this side of his illustrious career, Al Otro Lado sounds more vital than ever. al otro lado (2004)