Siembra

I've never really listened to salsa before, but holy fuck. Throw me a bag of tortilla chips because this was delicious.

9/10. I like salsa music, but not usually enough that I can sit through 42 minutes of listening to it fairly actively. This had a lot more variety of sound than I am used to hearing in salsa, which is no doubt biased by me listening more closely to this, but still a very enjoyable album.

Reino Unido - ¡presente!

Thanks for this. What a magnificent album.

There are many excellent things about this album. The musicianship and production are clean and tight and the vocal delivery is energetic. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about salsa, but I was struck by the complexity of the harmonies and arrangement. Some of the bass work in particular was incredible. Overall, a great album that makes me want to learn about the various styles of Latin American music

I love a good horn section, and the horns here are INCREDIBLE. The musicianship is off the charts all the way around, and the storytelling is rich and clever to boot. I enjoyed the sarcastic West Side Story reference. Best track: Pedro Navaja

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. Couldn't help but dance while listening. The songs flowed really nicely and the music itself was punchy yet not too in your face. Hasn't won my heart yet but definitely a good album

I was really surprised by liking this album as much as I did. I have never cared about Salsa in any sort of way, but this just sounded really good. It seems like it mus have been a blueprint for pretty much anything that was good about any Salsa album ever released after this one. It was a joy to listen to and sort of half-dance around in my chair while working (maybe this one is better for remote work than at the office though).

This shit slaps. I loved dancing to it. Didn't know salsa slapped this hard

First non-english speaking album, and man what a jam. Saw some comments saying all the songs sound the same and I couldn't disagree more, every song was a totally different song, just under one genre, and it was enjoyable throughout. Some songs went on a little long, but that's okay! It almost feels like something you'd hear in a game like Katamari.

I don't want to be that guy but literally all salsa sounds the same.

sooo good, stellar musicianship and the brass section is fantastic. Some of the songs are really long but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing given that it’s meant to be danced to. Lyrics were poetic and beautiful and even funny at times, and they’re sung with so much flair. 10/10, need to dance to this sometime

Siembra I found this very enjoyable, more so than I was expecting. Although I’m still slightly ambivalent about Salsa, I found the undeniable energy with added disco accents quite pleasing. The Sly Stone disco funk bass and string intro to Plastico is excellent, and although it shifts more into salsa it’s a great track. Maria Lionza also has some nice disco bass, both of these kind of highlight the NY latin influence on disco. Pedro Navaja must have been an influence on Escape by Rupert Holmes, the verses are very similar. I like the refrain of Buscando Guayaba, the change of tempo with Dime and the slightly sinister tone and strings in Siembra, but it’s easy to let this drift off a little, as to my unknowledgeable ear the songs do broadly sound quite similar. Nevertheless I do like the breezy charm and generally upbeat nature, despite, from what I gather, the socially conscious lyrics. I suppose this type of music always carries the tang of Salsa classes in village halls on Tuesday evenings, but the little bits of disco and the obvious quality of the playing make this a very listenable mid to high 3. 🕺🕺🕺 Playlist submission: Plastico

Well.......This sucks. We should start a site "1001 Albums You Should Pass On Before You Die"

Knew I was going to love it in the first 5 seconds when I heard the 70s disco violins. AND it’s Willie Colón = great trombone playing. I might have to buy this record. This is my first 5 to give to an album that I’ve never heard before!

Super fun! Never heard these before. Made me want a dirty cocktail

We've had a handful of Latin jazz-y albums by now, enough where it can be difficult to differentiate. But this one is probably my favorite so far. Very vibrant, very danceable. A good time start to finish. I guess that's to be expected from a salsa album; I can hear the difference, but I'm not very knowledgeable. Regardless, this was a great listen. Fantastic instrument work, especially the percussion. I can see why this was such a smash hit. Favorite tracks: Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja, Siembra, Plastico. Album art: The flowery border is cool, but the baby pictures just feel out of place. Doesn't seem '70s at all, let alone salsa music. Seems more like an Anne Geddes throwaway. Confusing, but I don't hate it. 4.5/5

In school, I teach kids about making connections. This was a weird connection. I've been recently watching Fear the Walking Dead in which Ruben Blades plays one of the main characters. I had no ideas he was also a world renowned singer and salsa performer. That being said, this was enjoyable enough. I have no way to really compare it to any other salsa albums, but I dig it for what it is. I'd give it a 3.5 if that were possible.

IT'S SUMMER

What a fun and wonderful album! I’m so glad to be back in the saddle and greeted with these sonic delights. This is my new go-to for when I get that itch to tap my feet.

Clasicos de la salsa que ya conocia casi todos pero nunca el album completo. Espectacular

Me encanta.

Je ne vous cache pas que je ne m'attendais pas, en lançant cet album, à accorder la note maximale, vous connaissez ma réputation. Trêves de plaisanteries, aujourd'hui je vous propose un petit quizz. Pour jouer c'est très simple, il vous suffit de répondre à la question suivante. Où ai-je rencontré le père de robpellemèle? Reponse A: Il est venu chercher rob à l'école après notre cours de Krautrock pour l'ammener à son cours de salsa. Reponse B: Nous nous sommes rencontrés lors d'un concert de Jethro Tull, après avoir apprécie ensemble le solo d'Aqualung. Réponse C: Le père de rob était en fait notre professeur de rock psychédèlique en classe de 4ème world. Pour jouer rien de plus simple, je vous invite à poster votre réponse sous la review de l'album de votre choix.

The album cover reminds me of a Pampers advert. That's just about the only constructive slant I can put towards this. Just light-years away from being anything I'd ever choose to listen to, although the international aspect is again appreciated.

129 Ay, y si pongo dos 5s seguidos? Es que no se puede contra esto. El primer track lo dio todo para mi, esa letra es chef's kiss, ese inicio tan inesperado para un disco así. Tiene al menos uno de los clásicos de siempre (Hola Pedro Navaja, tanto tiempo) pero igual es super variado, con una producción, cambios de tempo, no esperaba amarlo tanto como lo amé.

How to charm me? Have a horn section. That'll do it.

This was awesome. Never heard of either Willie or Ruben but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I kept expecting a Santana guitar solo to happen. Killer rhythms, killer horns, killer bass. Samba party.

Really taken aback by how much I loved this. Had to give it a second listen to confirm, still rocked my socks off. I had some understanding of what Salsa music sounds like but this is so sweeping, epic, and FUN that I couldn’t stop smiling through it. Musicianship is on point, the songs are long and fully formed but never feel like they’re lugging along, and (once I looked at translations) it’s awesome lyrically considering the seemingly light and fun arrangements. This is a true masterpiece to me, and makes me wonder if this is a unicorn or if I’ve just fucked up not exploring Salsa my whole life. Top tracks: All of them. Not even being funny, I revisited every song, it’s all great. Maybe I’d skip around on Ojos a little bit? This shit rocked my world, just the right sound at the right time in my life.

Really enjoyed this one. Right from the first track.

I love Hector Lavoe so this was right up my alley. That's mainly why I like it, not necessarily because of specific songs (though the first one is a banger), but because of the overall sound. It's the kind my mom will let me play out loud in the house lol.

I don’t know a lot about salsa music, but this is really good stuff. I found myself bobbing my head on every track. Some sick grooves on here- especially on “Buscando guayaba” and “Maria lionza.” The title track is - perfect. An extra star for that one. Good lord, guys. Saved the best for last! Another reminder I need to learn Spanish. FOUR STARS

Disco era salsa?! Yes, please!

I was worried that an entire album of salsa would bore me, but this was actually great. Funnily enough, it begins a disco inferno before the salsa simmers down. It may well be satirical, adding to the songs commentary of the shallow, materialistic, soulless upper class. My Spanish isn't the best, but I made effort to read the lyrics, partially in translation. Make no mistake, this is a very political album. It's about the emptiness of consumerism and the injustices of the world order as it stands. It's an ode to Latino beauty, the struggles Latinos face in both Latin America and the US, a call for unity among Latinos to preserve culture, and indeed, to preserve more than culture. When they're talking about throwing away the plastic, they're not just talking about the plastic of the soul. Look at the cover. This album's got energy, and it doesn't dwell on musical passages for too long. The horns sound great, and I love the vocal harmonies, too. Overall, I think this was a great introduction to a genre I'm not particularly familiar with. Fav tracks: Plastico, Pedro Navaja, Maria Lionza

I felt like I was on vacation on some island paradise, drinking a cocktail and listening to the local band. Good vibes.

It’s a samba party and everyone’s invited!

The first 2 minutes were amazing and then I got bored. It's interesting. I don't dislike the genre at all. This just doesn't stay very interesting.

I loved it at first… and then I found myself wanting to change the station. I guess I like my salsa like I like wasabi… just a touch. 2.7

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: ️👶🌼🌈 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎺🌶️💃 Rating: 🍼🍼(🍼)/5

I have to say that I don't feel qualified to rate this album as I have had minimal exposure to salsa music even having lived in Miami for several years. It has grown from and is an integral part of a culture that I am not part of. That said it was pleasant and is captivating and engaging in its rhythms and tonality. But I can't say it has moved me to explore more music of the genre.

Decent. *shuffles away playing maracas*

Reminds me of visiting my grandparents in the city of West New York, NJ in the 80’s. Chances are pretty good that I’ve heard some of this blaring from passing cars or in the communal park at their apartment building where residents would gather to chat or play dominos or chess on the concrete chess boards/tables that were installed in the park. The soundtrack to a hot summer day in the city.

given that I have my Spanish final exam in less than three hours this was very helpful. It was my only studying tactic, so thank you very much Siembra I do like Spanish music. I’ve never have anything against it and I really think it’s a nice thing. However, it’s not my favourite just because I can’t really relate to the actual singing about it because I’m not fluent however, I did enjoy this album.

All the songs sounded the same, not really a lot to say. Quite danceable.

zu aufgeregt, anstrengend

Fabulous and funky album. A discovery for me

Head was boppin through the entire album. 9/10

Feels like I'm on holiday

Awesome

ok desde ya sé que voy a terminar haciendo un goddamn essay de review para este disco, 6 estrellas a ciegas si pudiera. creo que todos tenemos al menos un disco que nos ha cambiado la vida, y estoy seguro que no soy el único que puede decir eso de siembra. pero mi historia con la salsa es curiosa. crecí con un papá contemporáneo con el rock, pero que no escuchaba rock, y cuando yo empece a escucharlo el hasta se extrañaba. yo no podía creer que mi papá había vivido durante la locura de los beatles, led zeppelin, y pink floyd, y que no le gustara esa música. resulta que mi papá es salsero. y como buen papá, trató desde muy pequeño de pasarme ese amor por la salsa, más aún porque estuve en clases de piano y todos sabemos lo bien que suena el piano en la salsa. la cosa es que eventualmente empiezo a crear una colección de vinilos, y un día mi papá me cuenta que se trajo vinilos que estaban en la casa en la que creció. yo nada más los agregue a la colección y no le di mucha pelota. un día estoy cocinando solo en la casa, y cuando eso pasaba yo solía poner algún disco mientras cocinaba (pero siempre algo de mi colección de rock). por alguna razón ese día decidí escuchar algo que nunca había escuchado. entonces puse siembra. cuando siembra empieza uno cree que va a ser un disco de disco (pun intended) más de los 70. boy was i wrong… empiezan esos ritmos latinos y de jazz de plástico y literal fue como si me inyectaran adrenalina. y lo mejor es la letra, me encanta que las letras de salsa dicen demasiado y musicalmente tienen ritmos y sabores riquísimos. el highlight de este disco es pedro navaja. creo que una de las canciones más importante de mi vida. literalmente yo abro los karaokes del trabajo con esa canción (pero solo si la gente baila, y por dicha la mayoría de las veces si lo hacen). storytelling: INCREÍBLE. ritmo: INCREÍBLE. trombones: INCREÍBLES. literalmente me metí a clases de trombón por esta canción. tristemente no seguÍ :( pero sí lo quiero retomar algún día. dime… dios que obra de arte… la letra la música, la parte del final cuando el ritmo baja la velocidad. obra maestra. este disco me hace sentir como me siento cuando veo a ronaldinho jugar futbol. yo no juego futbol, pero uno ve a ese mae jugar y le dan ganas de jugar futbol, por más malo que sea uno. yo no bailo salsa, no bailo nada bien, pero escuchar siembra hace que me den ganas de bailar. pensé que iba a escribir más, pero ya es tarde y tengo sueño. de verdad si pudiera le doy 10 estrellas a este disco. ahora soy tan salsero como mi papá.

Tiene Grandes éxitos del mundo Latino, con muchas vibras del Sr Nelson y Tio José, la única que no me gusta es la de Maria Lionsa y la brujería en Yaracuy (menciona a Venezuela, es lo único positivo de esa canción)

a very funky late '70s salsa record. according to sources, siembra is the highest selling salsa record of all time. again, with a lot of "best sellers", it's easy to see why people love this album, with topical lyrics all around and a sound that stands out from the other south-american dancefloor records, this album is very worth the listen, as an essential taste of the genre, and as an album you can listen to and groove along as you marvel at how creative the compositions are. muy fabuloso, two thumbs up.

groovy

Certified Hood Classif, who dosent love salsa, perfect to get in the mood for the coming summer!

This makes me want to go dancing in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

I've heard of Willie Colon, but never sat down to listen to his music. I suspect I'll enjoy this. This is great. It makes me feel like I'm getting things _done_. I'll add this to my list of albums to listen to again.

Bien.

Lo amo, qué dos grandes artistas se juntaron

Salsa!

This will be my most personal review so far. I can say I was one of those "Plástico" people. Latin folks who diminish Latin music and rather look at the North American and European trends and groups instead. This album changed my life. Objectively speaking, it truly belongs in the Latin Mount Rushmore (or, should I say, "Monte Rushmore") of albums recorded by Latin artists. Truly, a masterpiece. Salsa has never been as fun as in this record.

Perfect

Yeah I should probably listen to more Salsa....

Did I understand what was being said? No. Did that stop me from enjoying this record? Absolutely not! The horns, the keys, the drums, and the vocals all create this fun, engaging, and atmospheric listen. A really good example of music overcoming barriers. Likes: Plástico; Buscando Guayaba; Pedro Navaja; Maria Lionza; Siembra

La verdad que este disco es una genialidad de la salsa. Me encantó la energía que maneja; el ritmo y el ensamble de percusión son una locura. Si bien los temas son bastante extensos, el desarrollo instrumental y las progresiones te atrapan tanto que la duración está más que justificada y se disfruta muchísimo.

me encantó, muy alegre, movido y las letras estan volaaadas 5star

first samba album gotta be this one

Damn, this was great. If my body could move with any semblance of rhythm, then my hips would be movin' and a groovin' right now

Me encantó

Épico. La primera canción es excelente

Great salsa album. Only flaw is my inability to speak Spanish.

it's ok. i'm not a music expert. i know there's a reason it's on this list, but i'm not sure what makes it stand out. maybe this is the one that started the genre? it sounds like you're walking around in miami.

Normally when I get an album I've never heard of I'll do a quick read of the wiki to get a bit of context, but here I decided to go in blind. Within 30 seconds I knew I was hearing something truly great. No suprise then to read that this is considered an all time masterpiece of it's genre. The virtuosity, the scope, the production, the passion and the palpable energy are spectacular. An amazing listen.

Listen, if you've got ears and a pulse, and SOME taste for real music or, you know, wanna pretend you CAN dance—yeah, this salsa album's the ticket. Every damn song, it's like, BAM! Dance floor time!

This is a hard album to not like. Some of the lyrics are thought out well and go deeper than other music of the period did. Without being too familiar with salsa, I'm seeing some clear inspiration taken by Bad Bunny and other more modern Latin musicians from this album.

Slapping salsa. Maria Lionza - Major lazer sample: Watch Out for This (Bumaye) – Major Lazer (2013)

This is such a fun album, all the 1001 non-English albums are bangers, wish it was longer!!

I like salsa (and Latino music in general) even if I don't know a thing about it. This was solid from start to finish.

majestic asf

10/10 - So glad to see some salsa on here, and what salsa, arguably two of the greatest of all time along with Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz and Joe Arroyo. People still dance to this every weekend, so many good songs on this. I'm just sad I never got to see Willie Colon live, but Ruben Blades was incredible in concert

I only started to get into salsa recently but I absolutely loved this album. So much positive energy and not a dull moment.

One need not know of its best selling status to figure out it's an excellent album. Fun, thoughtful, top tier musicianship, I plan on listening to this on repeat!

Firme

Plástico // Buscando Guayaba // Pedro Navaja // María Lionza // Dime //

Rip Willie Colón

Holy shit that was electric!! Tightest horn section ever! More of this please!

Some long ass songs but this was lively and a perf album to drive home with

This was fantastic. Really nice guitar and bass at times. No clue really what was said bit singing and energy there.

Oh my god this is incredible. Need all the bad bunny baddies to listen to this as well. Appreciate our roots! Practically perfect

I'm sorry everyone, but this white boy got too zesty while listening to this.

this album fucking rules. start to finish, nothing but bouncing-off-the-wall energetic bangers. i WOULD insist on poorly dancing to this at a function, i'll have you know, and i'd be right for it! it's hard to pick a favourite because it's all exceptional, but the title track might be it for me. it's electric. i really love the vocals from rubén blades who has a fantastic voice for a genre like this and is complimented wonderfully by these trombones. i'm a big fan of the piano montuno rhythm too because even when it's de-emphasized in the background it carries the momentum so well. really catchy in a way that i find doesn't get stale. fantastic album.

Music originating from outside English-speaking cultures (even if they were largely from the United States like in this case) get a big boost from me for actually sounding different then most of this list, and that goes here too. From the, sorta scat-adjacent singing on Buscando Guayaba, to the stripped back start of Pedro Navaja, to the excellent Trombone work throughout this was a joy to listen to. Perhaps some of the songs were a little too long, but they're just dynamic enough that it works well and the album is short enough it doesn't get tiring.

The energy on this album is undeniable. I DARE YOU to listen to this album and not dance a little bit. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of songs on this album, and loved the playfulness shown in songs like Pedro Navaja. I would happily throw this album on and listen to it in it's entirety.

1001 Albums Generator 241 (3/5/2026) First of all, I found out that Willie Colon just recently passed away less than a month ago. RIP to a man who made an incredible salsa album. Secondly, this is an incredible salsa album. I have absolutely dabbled in salsa, but I haven't heard this one before, which is a damn shame. It's absolutely crazy that this album starts with a straight up disco song that morphs into a proper piece of salsa. I had no idea disco made its way down to Panama. This album just makes me want to move. It's so fun. Listen to those bing bang bongs in Buscando Guayaba. Compared to other salsa I've heard, Siembra is very diverse. Like I mentioned, there are hints of disco here, and there is also some funk on songs like Maria Lionza, as well as a jazzy sheen over the whole thing. Wide, busy orchestration characterizes the sound of this album, and it ends with the title track, which may well be my favorite song here. It's definitely the most jazzy, and it's got some amazing strings and horns. Honestly, Siembra is almost a perfect album. Ojos is weaker than the other songs, but it's still really good. 4.5/5, rounded up to 5! Favs: Plastico Buscando Guayaba Siembra Least Fav: Ojos

This was a great time did I know any of the words hell no but that’s a skill issue on my part but I enjoyed every song on this album. I was at work cleaning up a waterpark while I was listening to this and walking to it too just fit the vibe very well done we’ll definitely listen to it again.

I want to knock this down to a 4 for its godawful album art, but the music is too damn good!

In Spanish! Salsa

No question, a definitive salsa sound. I know the sound well from music school, but I am not fluent with Spanish, so I have no opinion on the lyrics. After hearing this album I could see listening to this music while relaxing before a night in with a home cooked meal. I would have preferred shorter tracks to concentrate the grooves, but I as I understand it, particularly in this time frame, that Salsa was intended for dance first and appreciation second, so it makes sense that the vast majority of the tracks are over five minutes each. A pleasant album of Música tropical. I'm not sure if it is required anymore, but back in the day, at music schools, drum set performers were once required to master Rock, Funk, Pop, Jazz, Bossa Nova, and Salsa rhythms if they hoped to pass their Bachelors of Music Performance degrees.

What an incredible introduction to salsa for me. This made my soul dance.

This was awesome! "Plastico" "Buscando Guayaba" and "Pedro Navaja" were great and I enjoyed "Dime" as well.

This is awesome. No notes.

Taking Salsa and Disco to the HNL* *(hole nother level)