Siembra

Enjoyable enough. It has a nice vibe to it.

South American choons sung in Spanish, so I can interpret the lyrics. I particularly liked Empathic Cockatoo (at least that's what it sounded like). Uptempo, well played, if a little sterile.

It’s hard to hate this, just a good time

I don't have anything against salsa, like I genuinely think this album would be awesome to dance to if I knew how. It's times like these I wish I was fluent in spanish. Alas I'm not dancing and after a while of active listening, the tune becomes overstimulating.

Très sympa

I got zero enjoyment out of this one

So much fun 4.4/5

Day 423 Crazy how many songs on here I recognised without really knowing where from. Not sure I’ll listen again but it was pretty fun. Highlights Plastico Maria lionza

Приколдесно, хоть язык и не знаю, но послушать было приятно

Kul, dansvänligt, hur kan man inte tycka om detta??

Yeah, nah. I just don't vibe with this kinda music. I'll appreciate it for what it is, it's just doesn't connect with me.

Okay…if I could speak Spanish. Songs are too long.

Not my typa stuff again but its still sounds cool, just wouldnt really listen to it too much again

Fun and upbeat. I'd listen again.

Hip shaking grooves-great start. Some repetition?

I listened as ambient music while eating with a group of friends. Concensus, pleasant grooves with a sunny disposition becoming repetitive

Enjoyed it while it was playing but not sure I’d go out of my way to listen again. I prefer Mack the Knife.

Maybe it's asking too much given London's return to more typical autumn weather, but this really didn't transport me to Copacabana. And the cover's rubbish. 2*

Yeah yeah yeah YEAH

Listen, if you are in a rush to get to work and have to do all of the morning things you might be stressed out trying to cram a protein bar in your face while halfway shaving...or...you could listen to this album while it all comes together and come in smiling and ready to take on anything. It isn't my thing. It also isn't a thing I dislike. But, today, it was perfect so I'll give it a four. I think I'd be happy if I walked into a bar later and this was playing.

Que ondaaaa

yeah, this is pretty good! i guess i kinda tend to lump salsa in together with mambo as a genre i basically only know from hearing it in video games, so once again i don't really have much of a reference for like. if its good salsa, specifically. but i vibe with it at least. it's very lively. good music for working to for sure. it's definitely helping keep me sane while i attempt to interact with aws services.... its kinda hard to pick a favourite on this one, i guess i'm really just here for the sound as a whole. which now i've typed it out, i realise, doesn't really mean much. i guess i might like "maría lionza" the most but it's only by a very slim margin, and basically just comes down to the chorus mid-way through it hitting exactly right. i also really enjoyed the disco fakeout on "plástico", i went in without reading the genres first this time and honestly? they got me so fucking good dude. overall just generally a great vibe. not giving me the "i literally love music" reaction but it's definitely deserves a 4, imo.

Teki mieli lähtä salsatunneille. Tanssimusiikkina tämä siis menis, kuunteluun ei.

Olipa rento ja menevä levyllinen salsaa. Tuskin omaan kiertoon nappaan levyä, ku genre ei sinällään puhuttele, mutta viihdyttää kyllä oikein hyvin kun tulee vastaan muussa mediassa, tai näin kuunteluun painostettuna. Hyvä meno.

Funky funk plastico Bing bang bang bing💃🏽 Maria Lionza var stilig

Såg på charterfeber med Nathalie i går... nå drømme eg meg vekk te ein piñacolada og sololja. Plástico va kul, kul slapbase Resten va koselig uten tvil, men veldig stilreint, litt sånn der musikk som e gratis å bruka på imovie "Latina 1" Beste sang: Plástico

Good salsa music. It's not really something that I'd choose to play, but I enjoy listening to it when it comes up.

For the second time this week an album that I have no idea what is being said or going on but the vibe and music is just great.

i do not speak spanish and i am ashamed of this.

Oh que sera am I right

A vibe of an album that carries a deeper message that English listeners might miss.

I have not listened to much Latin and salsa but I found this quite enjoyable

It’s probably not a great sign for the Earth’s future that it’s still warm and sunny enough to go paddling in Scarborough in October, but with my toes in a rock pool and this album on my headphones, I had real happy holiday vibes.

Powerful socially conscious salsa

Some great salsa. Perfect for dancing

This is music that does not rest. It moves at all times, surrounding you and passing through you. The album as a whole is energetic and finely produced.

If you almost crash your car because you are swaying behind the wheel, does that mean the music is good? I never before realized the simple pleasure of three voices harmonizing alongside three horns harmonizing. Bad Bunny--I'm on to you.

Started out funky as hell. Loved that part. The rest was good but man… I was hoping for more funk. Too bad Rubén went on to be in Fear the Walking Dead. What a crap show.

For salsa music I found it pretty enjoyable and the Horns were amazing. Its perfect for dinner or cocktail party but not my prefered listening. Best tracks were Plastico and Siembra.

4/5

solido 4

Look, salsa music is for Latin restaurants or bars that are trying to flog Margaritas for £9. I am sure that this makes the Mount Rushmore of Salsa to fans of the genre but it’s just not something I would listen to by choice. 1.6

I feel like there is too much of this latino type of music on this list. It's not bad, but it's of no interest to me or the majority of listeners I would reckon.

Good album. Great background music.

This album and Os Mutantes a couple days ago made me realize I should listen to more latin music.

Fun stuff.

fun album. it was starting to get a bit too samey toward the end so im glad it ended when it did.

fun spanish salsa and other upbeat tunes

I only knew of Ruben because his acting career. And while I usually like my salsa extra hot, this was a nice medium spicy listen.

We have some friends visiting us from Mexico. I’m gonna put this on and then be surprised like “oh shit, you know Willie Colon and Ruben Blades? Tough for me to judge this. It was a good listen but I have no frame of reference for how this compares to other music in the genre. A generic 3.0

Solid tunes for mowing the lawn on Saturday afternoon. 3.5/5

It's alright. Hard to dislike the Latin albums when they're so few and far between, but not quite on the level of a few others in this list.

Första albumet som inte är på engelska om jag inte missminner mig. Ganska bra men inte bästa: 6/10.

¡La reseña de hoy está adaptada al español, ya que el álbum está en español! Siembra es una revelación para mí. ¡ME ENCANTA muchísimo este álbum! La producción es de clase mundial. La voz es increíble. Las vibras están fuera de este mundo. Poner la salsa en este contexto fue algo que nunca antes había escuchado, ¡y creo que este álbum es el ejemplo más claro de por qué me encanta este reto! Jamás habría encontrado este álbum si no fuera por esto. No entiendo nada de español, pero creo que es un happy accident, porque hace que te concentres en la increíble instrumentación de este álbum. Además, el hecho de que las letras sean realmente políticas y apparently de nivel mundial es solo un bonus. Ojalá entendiera español, porque creo que este álbum habría sido aún más increíble. Este es un disco al que volveré, y también algo que querré tener en vinilo para ponerlo un sábado por la noche mientras preparo la comida. ¡Eso fue todo por mi parte! Yo, grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioner, le doy a este álbum... un 9/10. Seguro que puede llegar a crecer hasta un 10/10.

enjoyed the musicianship and quality of the songs but it didn't ignite great feelings. Just thought it was good quality music.. Felt a bit like being in a Nandos.

meh

Really enjoyed this. Salsa! Makes you want to dance. It was a bit funky too

This was a fun album. Not something I could listen to all the time, but as one off - great. 7/10.

Really great album. Now I want an enchilada.

You just want to dance

This list has disappointingly few Puerto Rican artists.

No clue what they were singing about but in the right mood it was great

Fine Latin fusion music. I can see why you would want a sample from the world music genre, but I couldn’t discern why this one would be better or worse than the next.

I don't listen to enough salsa to rate this music but I do know quality when I hear it. This was quality.

Great record

Fun album overall. Didn’t honestly mean that much to me but that’s becoming a bit of a pattern…

they teased with the funky bass at the beginning. Where did it go?! could have been a 4

Yes. Belongs to the list. Nice and absolutely danceable.

It’s been a while since I’ve come across music from the South! A mambo album has already been featured; now it’s salsa’s turn. And not just any salsa — this is the first "platinum" album in the genre and, in fact, the best-selling one of all time. In a way, salsa is the Latin American equivalent of country music: stories about life set to a fairly repetitive musical backdrop. The difference lies in the temperament: while country tends to sound calm and measured, salsa — as you might guess — is incredibly high-energy. Brass instruments kick in periodically, causing the rhythm to shift and flirt with jazz, yet it never loses its danceability. And when you learn that Rubén Blades is the most successful Panamanian musician and Willie Colón is one of South America’s premier trombonists, the record's massive sales figures come as no surprise. It’s an enjoyable album; the only thing I didn't quite get was why it opens with a funk rhythm that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the music.

1 - TERRIBLE

I do not speak this language

- first track wow SO GOOD - this is genuinely so good liek to the point i might actually start my duolingo again - bassline in maria lionza OMGGGG - i will be listening to this again and i will be the gringa with spanish music - yeah this is just gas

Really lively sound. Great percussion and the brass sounds nice too.

just didn't connect much to it all

It was good salsa music. Kinda samey.

Dancing fun!

Just hardcore salsa vibes. Not bad but not quite what I was needing at 7 am on a Wednesday

These songs all blend together after a while, but it's probably an album I'll return to--very enjoyable!

Didn't think I'd like this as much as I did! Very pleasant to listen to, the horn section is fabulous! The singer's vocals can be a tiny bit jarring at times though. 4/5

one of the most enjoyable albums

this fire 8/10 best song - pedro navaja

Was ready for some disco funk then it salsad me for 40 mins

This is pretty cool, especially for 1978. It's pretty easy to hear the influence of salsa on future pop music, especially from Spanish-speaking artists. I like the percussion a lot, and some of it is surprisingly jazzy. Pedro Navaja was my favorite. Plástico was good too. Would put it on again to practice my Spanish.

dope latin groove. i might not be in enough to understand what's special about it. favorite song is María Lionza or Ojos. solid 3

Rating: 8/10 Salsa music so influential and popular that I'm pretty sure even if you don't know anything about the genre you might have heard some of its sounds. It's kinda great, and I might just be underrating it still cause I tired of the songs a little more on the back half, they didn't pull me in as much. The songs are a delight, the compositions and arrangements really keep you on your toes and fully interested and wanting to move. Plastico is amazing, but I really liked Buscando guayaba and Pedro Navaja too

Bad bunny inspo albums šis bija

Classico

This shit slaps.

I like the horns but music can use some Santa guitar!

Had this a few times now. The truth? I really think I am most interested in the weird disco intro that has nothing to do with the salsa that follows. I believe I up rated this to 4 the last time because of the musicianship. But honestly, it gives me a headache and I want it to stop long before it does. Not my jam. 3 Boolean: True

Babies!

Super fun listen - definitely put me in a good mood.

I think I already at one point or another mentioned that I don't have much of a cultural frame for this genre of music but it is completely fine to me. For some reason that cowbell-like tone really drills into my head after awhile. I don't think that was distinct to this mix it really just stands out in general to me.

Once again, I typed a whole discussion just to see it deleted. It has a depth of orchestration and instrumentation. Blade’s vocals float over it smoothly and rhythmically precise.

Not what I’d normally listen to but amazing

I don't have enough Latin in my soul to appreciate this, yes its played well and they sound professional but it's a bit boring

I can't dance, and life in Northern Finland doesn't exactly pulse to the beat of salsa. Even so, it's a pretty nice record that I'm sure will sound even better in a few days during my trip to Valencia.

Lots to like in this one. It's a real fusion of different styles, but overall delivering plenty of energy and upbeat good vibes. You know you're in for a pretty good time right off the bat when it kicks in with that funky as shit bass. I also really appreciate the big orchestral sweeps on display, and particularly that PHAT trombone. It's a happy time, and it's musically excellent, but isn't 100% my thing and gets a little bit much after a while. 3.5 rounded down.

Enjoyed the musicianship, but unfortunately this just isn't my style of music.

Tämä oli paljon parempi kuin mitä ennakko-oletukseni antoi odottaa. Pisti jopa vähän jorailemaan ruoanlaiton lomassa. Hyviä rullaavia biisejä ja pirun taitavia muusikoita. Ei todellakaan sitä ominta musiikkia mutta ehdottomasti hyvä ellei jopa erinomainen albumi. 4/5

Really fun. Beautifully jazzy, fun grooves. I want to come back to this. Salsa obviously has great grooves, but the ebb and flow, the interesting harmonic left turns - I feel like it needs a few more listens to really dig into. It's right on the 4/5 border, but it didn't quite do enough to go over

Not really my style one really good song. Prob great if you're into samba!

Album intro threw me a bit, but it's a pretty good salsa album.

Good, but not my jam

Not really my thing this one. There was nothing I found interesting and just wanted it to end after the first 2 songs. Good musianship but that's the only praise I can give

Really hard not to start dancing when hearing this. And the craftsmanship is really outstanding.

вообще приколтно

The music is very enjoyable, however I have no idea what the song is about since they are singing in Spanish. The melody sets the mood while the lyrics tell the story. Not knowing the story detracts from the overall experience.

Not really my jam, but nothing bad here.

This was good but didn't blow me away. The music was pretty fun and sounds like it would be great for dancing, but just as an album on its own it doesn't feel super unique. I don't know if I personally would put it on this list, but I don't have any issues with it being here. Favorite track: "Siembra"

4/5. This is some tasty salsa. I am not a dancer, but if I was this album would absolutely have me moving, everything here just works extremely well from the vocal delivery to the percussion and horns and everything else. Once you hear that bass line on opener “Plástico” you’ll know you’re in good hands.

A very good album with since unique salsa

The best selling salsa album in the history of salsa music??? ok let's see

Absolute love Latino music

Ikke lige mig

Fed, selvom det ellers ikke så meget er min genre!

Highly enjoyable energy

Love it

4.3

If you like Salsa you'll probably like this. It wasn't to my taste.

268. nice 3.5

A bass slide in right off the bat? I'm here for it.

Very FUN!

Why is it that I like this less than Mambo? Is there a difference between this and Mambo? Because, it sounds a little different but I'm having difficulty expressing how. In both styles (Salsa v. Mambo) there's a heavy emphasis on the horns, a driving percussion section, and the sort of Latin upbeat style I'm also failing to put words to. Mambo feels more 'danceable' and is in general more pleasant to my ears. Salsa, here -- and this appears to be one of the only examples on the list (i.e. 'quota') -- is more appropriate to the background. I fully expect to hear this in an upscale Cuban restaurant or something. It's ok, but I'm not familiar enough with the forms of the style to see much difference from track to track.. (3/5) because it's good enough of an example, I guess, and I did come here for some exposure.

I may not know the difference between a samba and a salsa, but I know I dug this. Energetic and fun, it made me want to drop everything and head back to El Tarasco for a bottomless backet of chips and a tall Dos Equis. The horns are definitely the highlight here for me, and the musicianship is very solid. My primary complaint is that it does become incredibly repetitious, with not enough tempo change and variety to keep one interested over the entirety of its runtime, but even then it creates a great atmosphere from the background and earns a 3.5/5 that I might not be able to distinguish from other artists of the style and hesitate to round up.

189. Siembra - Willie Colón & Rubén Blades (1978) 8.30.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 4 = 3.2 rounded down to a 3 "I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance." - attributed to Ruben Blades So when were ya'll gonna tell me that all round badass actor and activist, and dude who I most recently watched ( and was by far the best part of - though only just after Colman Domingo) in the otherwise lacklustre, but watchable, Fear the Walking Dead ALSO had a music career? It seems crazy that I was not at least tangentialy aware of this. And the fact that it's considered "the best selling salsa album in the history of salsa music is even crazier. It's like if Joe Pantoliano of Goonies and Matrix fame had released a highly acclaimed jazz standards album or something. Salsa legend Willie Colon is onboard handling production duties, and I think all of the arrangements, as well as playing. Zero knowledge or experience with this, which is often the most exciting part of going through this list. THE TRACKS "Plástico" - Damn. Ok, I did not expect some funky bass heavy disco sounds to star with. That settles down pretty quickly though, and something more skin to what I was thinking takes over. Blades doesn't have the most expressive voice I've ever heard, but he's more than capable here and suits the chill vibes being thrown down very well. I don't speak a lick of Spanish outside of some very basic basics, but it sounds pretty enough. Looking at the credits this seems to have been most, if not all traditional instrumentation, which was nice given when it came out. The song really kicks into high gear when the background vocals come in and Blades seems to be doing some call and response. Very jazzy, and pleasant enough, but not sure it's anything I'll be writing home about anytime soon. "Buscando Guayaba" - This one had a much better start, no disco fake out, and we're right into some very charming and laid back vibes. I'm no salsa expert by any means, having heard very little outside of movies and tv ( this was used in the Disney movie Oliver and Company apparently, so I have technically heard it once before having seen it in theaters - I remember next to nothing about it other than a Billy Joel song), but this has a very plaintive, romantic feel to it, which seems to be a common mode. It also feels very lighthearted, and Blades leans into this with his scatting around the middle section. This is bright and uplifting, and Blades ups the emotion by about 1000%. Great track, with the drums being my favorite bit. "Pedro Navaja" - We get a murder ballad, complete with street noise and sirens, wrapped up in a bouncy little number that is apparently inspired by "Mack the Knife". Decent stuff, but pales in comparison with the sheer joy and life that saturated the last track. "María Lionza" - This ones starts HARD, with some chanting and discordant piano stings. Then the horns come in all dour and downbeat. Blades does a great job here getting across what must be a sorrowful tale, with momentary bits of lightness that seem to break through occasionally. At some point it turns and seems like there might be some happiness at the end of this one? This is me just going on tone. Loved the piano on this. "Ojos" - Not sure why, but this one seemed much lighter and generic than anything so far. Maybe it was the romantic feel of the vocals and the more upbeat playing, but it felt a bit more schmaltzy and measured, which left me a bit bored about halfway through. This was despite the great playing. Maybe I'm just getting salsa'd out at this point. "Dime" - This was a welcome change of pace. Slow, and funky and a bit sparser of an arrangement to start with. This was super chill throughout and had some great vocal gymnastics on display. Again that piano is where it's at, but everyone was on point for this. "Siembra" - This one starts like the soundtrack to a dramatic crime film, and then the stings come in and, while the cinematic vibes don't go away, it becomes more of an epic. This was fine, but I much preferred the less-sting heavy stuff on this. HIGHLIGHTS - "Buscando Guayaba" - "María Lionza" - "Dime" MIDLIGHTS - "Plástico" - "Pedro Navaja" - "Siembra" LOWLIGHTS - "Ojos" FINAL THOUGHTS A little bit of a mixed bag, but some awesome stops along the way, with some great playing, a very full and lushly produced sound, and a very solid vocal performance from Blades. This was enjoyable while it was on, and I'm glad we got some variety in the list as I always like to see a bit of world music pop up. I certainly would give another album by wither of these guys a listen if it came up, and "Buscando Guayaba" is going right into the 5-star playlist, but I can't see myself actively searching it out. We already had Tito Puente's Dance Mania on here which is full of classics, and which had more shorter songs in it, so gave a bit more variety. Between the 4 I gave that and the respectable 3 this one gets, I could see myself getting more into the genre. Just not anytime soon. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Ojos" being lost would not hurt my feelings FURTHER LISTENING - Indestructible by Ray Barretto - Celia & Johnny by Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco - Metiendo Mano! by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades - Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades - Comedia by Héctor Lavoe - Lo Mato! by Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe - Buscando América by Rubén Blades y Seis del Solar

Pleasant sounds, salsa music is alright in my book. A little gets lost in translation though. My main familiarity with salsa is the nearly two years of ballroom dancing my wife and I took. Like any foreign language I forgotten most of the steps and I wasn't that adapt to begin with. Have I mentioned how little rhythm or musical timing I have? Anyway, the album is fine if that is your thing. It doesn’t do all that much for me. Then a member of our group informs me this was made by a guy, Ruben Blades, I've seen in like a half-dozen movies and TV shows. Mind blown. Does anyone think he and Bruce Willis compared music careers on the set of Color of Night? Anyway, 3/5

that album was good i mean i didnt understand what they were talking about because its spanish so i had to look up the lyrics on genius so i know what the album is about but overall the album was good 7.2/10

4.5

I have do Idea what they are saying but , boy does la musica pop!

Great energy- it definitely made me want to stand up and dance.

This is not for me but wasn’t terrible. 2.5

How can you be upset while listening to this music

Un retrato de la sociedad. Historias, vivencias, una intención casi bohemia desde el relato. Suena bien, queda sonando en la cabeza. Pero no hay experimentación, las letras a veces hacen un poco de ruido, pero demás todo correcto. Un buen disco 4/5

7/10 Primer album en español que me aparece. Esta bueno, pero tampoco tampoco. Tiene una instrumental movida y divertida, pero no es algo que me termine de encantar

Had rhythm in spades

I speaking “Mexican restaurant” Spanish, which is to say I spent a decent amount of time working at a Mexican restaurant and learned food words and swear words, with a smattering of basic conversation. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. I recognized Rubén Blades’ name as an actor and had no familiarity with him as a singer or musician. This record is a legitimate butt shaker. It’s infectious, great horns, grooves and melodies. Pleasant surprise.

Not as bad as I expected. Not something I'd listen to either.

7/10

Great records. Really like all the songs !

Infectious, albums like this make the list worthwhile. RYM: Y (#736) Saved a song: N

Listenable album, I might even say somewhat enjoyable for a while. The songs all sounded the same to my barely cultured ears. Fine, but nothing I would ever put on again.

Enjoyed it lots, neighbour probably not so much. Singing along and wiggling bum and hips. Good time but I probably wont listen again

Brilliantly produced. Very cool. Infectious energy. Ra-ta-ta-ta doot doot doot. Mi gato es muy bonito la-la-la siempre no estupido do-do-doot-doot es agradable ba-ba cuando es mi cumpleanos... ...I dont know what they're singing, so I improvised. Mucho fun-o! I enjoyed this as something different. ¡Cinco!

GPT's description sound entriguing. "This is salsa dura with street-cinema storytelling. I’d frame it as: Siembra is what happens when a killer salsa band meets a novelist’s eye for city life. Danceable as fuck, but with teeth." lol. Right out the gate this screams 70s porn/disco music, but then it changes into unmistakably salsa vibe. Love it!! Yeah this is definitely hitting my latin roots. Great dance music. I love the lively energy it's almost Caribbean. This album was fantastic for a Monday! 5 stars.

Clever arrangements, high energy, and playfulness. Presumably an exemplar of a genre that I know nothing about and will have no future recourse to listen to. 3 Willie makes a good try in his singing of convincing a listener that anything spontaneous is happening in this music. It is conspicuously precise for music that is ostensibly laid back though. I’d be sweating the slightest mistake if I was in his band. It is very pleasant stuff, even when you are listening alone in the car, but it lacks something. The clink of wine glasses and laughter probably. 2/5

this is like that one video of lebron salsa dancing

Was fun but didn't listen to the whole thing

I’ve never listened to a Salsa album in full, so I’m not quite sure what differentiates good Salsa from bad. That said, I found myself enjoying the music, even if I don’t speak the language. 4/5.

This was fine, I’ve just heard much better from this genre before. I think it was nice to hear something like this on the list tho. I felt it got a bit long at the end and I was ready for it to end.

Enjoyed this, nice and easy listening. Just not aware enough to know why this warrants an inclusion on this list really.

Finally getting around to listening to this and...it’s fine. I can’t understand a word of it of course and I think it would be much better live in a club, but it’s fine for what it is as a recording.

I can get down but not in the mood today.

fühlt sich nach Kuba an. Nicht wirklich meine Musik, aber nicht schlecht. Kommt vielleicht ziemlich gut wenn man high ist. 2.41 Sterne

Very lighthearted, and accordingly pretty light in terms of texture. None of this material is "heavy" at all. Which does work somewhat to its detriment: a monotone feel, even if the tone is positive and upbeat, doesn't do an album any favours. I also would've liked more varied percussion and piano parts. The delicate, peppy bongos get old pretty fast. Great descending bass line, played using a great bass tone, in Plástico. I also love Blades's lead vocal: super impressive, expressive, making use of plenty of meandering melodies and syncopation that will provide a lot of replay value for those wishing to sing along. The call-and-response is a bit harder to follow – how crowds would sing along at a live venue, I have no idea – but still cool regardless. Buscando Guayaba continues the great vocals (something this list lacks for the most part) and also incorporates some nice half-salsa-half-jazz brass lines. Pedro Navaja is the main standout on side 1: the transitions between song sections are pretty good, and Colón & Blades use some cool chords that make the earlier songs look like child's play. María Lionza... pure smooth excellence. The wind section really is something else here. At around 3:20 we get a fantastic bass tone, though it's slightly depreciated by the 200 seconds you have to sit through before reaching it. The highlight of Ojos is the chorus, with the group vocals that are very easy to pick up and still don't get too annoying. I think. Dime seems to get more experimental than its predecessors: I can never quite seem to follow the music or predict what comes next. It's either a sign of badly written music or a well-sequenced album. Or, more likely, a bit of both. I do like the multiple sections, returning to the original theme in the final minute. Excellent basswork in the final song, Siembra – essentially playing the entire main melody underneath the other instruments. 4/5 Key tracks: Pedro Navaja, María Lionza

Great vibes cool to hear some samples in the original

This was fun, definitely a vibe!

Incredibly likeable. Cool and vibey.

I always forget that Ruben was/is a musician. Anyway, this was cool

#445/1001. Somehow they managed to add at least one Latin classic on this list. For me the next project most likely is to listen to the 600 greatest Latin albums mentioned in the wiki article. Brilliant Salsa, and nice nuyorican-style grooves. I had a tape back in the day with just the title Latin Jazz Fusion greatest or something like that. Much later I dag out info about it and it turned out to be a Fania (all stars?) collection. So in a way I've fixed this for 30 years, on and off, not really remembering or knowing what it was.

Yeah, that guy from Fear The Walking Dead is a latin jazz musician. This album is better than any and every epsiode of Fear The Walking Dead.

No understanding, 100% vibe though. Great during the long walk i had

Muy buenooo, es como salsa(? Pero estuvo bueno, me gustó mi primera inmersión en este estilo de música

Eh didn’t really listen bc it’s not my fav genre, but really enjoyed Pedro navaja and enjoyed the beat. Did make me shake my hips a bit which is exactly what I wanted from it!

2.5. Enjoyable background music

Enjoyed this, made my Monday morning a bit brighter (3.5)

This was a bop, good music for cleaning the gaff to

Los Estandos Unidos…PRESENTE!

A nice little bit of Latin music. Not really suited for non-spanish speakers or people listening to these albums while working, this is best enjoyed outside while dancing or something.

Totally not my jam. Latino big band style music. Sounded good for what it was but not something i would choose to listen to

You can tell it’s quality but just not my personal taste. I’d enjoy it for maybe three mins then slightly bored, potentially a bit coz I couldn’t understand the lyrics

와 진짜 존나좋네 거의 5점

Probably my favourite discovery so far. Sensational.

Not bad, not remarkable. They snuck in some slap bass and got funky for a minute.

Couldn’t possibly be in a worse mood to listen to this. I’m sure it’s probably good for what it is, but the Latin/samba beats and Spanish lyrics are not for me today. Can’t stop thinking about how it sounds like Ricky Martin’s voice. And what the heck with this album cover? DNF (3)

This was easily a body shaker. Favourite Track(s): Buscando guayaba, Ojos, Plastico Least Favourite Track(s): Pedro Navaja

Really enjoyable, but unfortunately I don't think this is something I'd listen to voluntarily. Still, I do think this is worthy of being on this list and I'm glad that I listened to it.

Manages the neat trick of being on fire at the same time as it's smooth as Velvet. Forget the ecconomy, LET'S DANCE!

This is such a good record. I feel like if I was more discerning I might have more things to say about it but I just enjoyed it front to back. 4.5/5

I just...I just...I just really love salsa music

I love this. im so glad this is in this playlist

I’ve never really listened to salsa music beyond just hearing it in the background of places, but this was pretty fun. The cover with the babies is a little disturbing and unnecessary though

Happy music

Whole lot of nope

Sounds like Miami.

Nice, but not my kind of style for every day. I have a feeling hte lyrics could be interesting if ony my spanish was a little better.

First listen

This was a great album. I've always enjoyed Rubén Blades.

Another one of those albums I've never heard of. This seems to be a bit funky salsa. Digging it so far. Pretty good album even itf it's not my usual type of music.

6.5

This is objectively very good, it's just also very much not for me.

Siembra: 7/10 This is the second of five albums that Willie Colón and Ruben Blades released together during their careers and is widely considered to be one of the greatest Salsa and Latin music albums of all time. While I can't pretend to be an expert on music of this style, it's probably fair to say that it can be considered a shining example of what the genre can deliver. The first thing to note is that this record starts out in a completely different genre. For 45-50 seconds, we get a cool disco-funk groove that eased me in, before BAM. Salsa. It's a pretty weird way to start, but I actually quite liked it. They did dip back now and again into occasional flashes of 70s funk and soul throughout the record, but those moments were typically more subtle elements that formed part of the sound than was suggested in the intro. In terms of the more standard sound that the duo and their band produce here, what stood out to me most of all was the freedom and charisma of the vocal work from Ruben Blades. The rest of the band hold things tight and well structured for much of the record, but Blades is able to work with a roaming, open style around that stable centre that feels both organic and, at its best, joyful. While there are moments when things do become a little looser, it's not often long before a well positioned backing vocal or piano line drops back in to tighten things back up again. Rhythmically this is, as you would probably expect from Latin music, incredibly danceable and snappy stuff. It's the kind of music that has you tapping your toes along with it as it skips its way through a range of tempos and intensities, while always remaining stylistically consistent. There's an edge of jazzy quality to some of the musicianship too, which adds a nice layer of flair to those performances that offered some cool moments that perked up the ear. All in all, this was a lovely, summery listen that largely succeeded in conveying an air of fun alongside it's range of grooves. It's not a style of music that I'm likely to dig much deeper into, if I'm completely honest, but I still think this was a great record that well worth giving a few spins. Plástico - Having listened through to this record a few times now, this is a very bizarre start. I mean, it’s very good, but there’s ~50 seconds of disco funk, and then we kick into some pure samba goodness. It’s weird. Anyway, when we get stuck into samba, it’s hip rolling stuff, which is pretty unsurprising. The lead vocal is quite roaming, but it’s given a more defined centre by the backing vocals, which is cool. I don’t know enough about this kind of music to know if this particularly stand-out, but I am enjoying it. The vibe and flow is great , and it’s super easy to groove to, summery stuff. Buscando Guayaba - More good stuff. Some lovely piano grooves that bounce nicely against the percussion. The middle section reminds me a bit of the kind of thing that Bobby McFerrin would do: Fun vocals, just playing with vocal sounds in a cool, melodic way. Ruben Blades clearly has chops, but he’s also incredibly free and fluid with his performances, which just makes it a joy to listen to. The accompanying music is of high quality, but it’s definitely pushed to the next level by the vocal work. Pedro Navaja - We finally tip the hat a little bit back to the funk that the album opened with in the intro. After that, we gat a slow build into the track, during which Blades sticks more closely to the melody, until the rest of the band comes in and he starts to free himself up. The roaming around with little key changes and breaks through different sections is pretty delightful and, again, this is a great deal of fun. It does get a bit dragged out and repetitive in the second half and there’s a slightly weird dip into West Side Story. It’s not bad, but it does feel like they took the idea on for a bit too long. María Lionza - This one feels less focused than the earlier tracks and a bit melodically meandering, while the backing track also doesn’t seem as pinned down. As a result, the track ends up feeling a bit musically loose and lacking in direction. There’s some fun bits of playing in there, especially when they dip into a more funk focused bit and the bass gets a bit more exciting. It’s not bad, just a bit free-form for my tastes, particularly in a genre I’m less familiar with. Ojos - Things are more focused again now. The horn arrangement here against that jazz samba piano gives this a great, rolling groove. The pace and rhythmic changeups in this are good fun and, while it’s not quite as consistent for me as the opening three tracks, it’s on a pretty even keel. It’s bouncy, fun stuff delivered with charisma, a great rhythmic feel and some top notch musicianship. Dime - The pace drops now and the interplay between the horns and lead vocal is great. It’s another one with a great vibe, and it does have a bit of a pace switch up through the middle, but seven minutes is a pretty long time for this track. The build is quite subtle though, because when they drop back out to the chilled opening style, it feels like a big vibe switch. There’s lots of great percussion here, in particular, and again, the groove and tightness of the performances are great, but it could probably have done with being trimmed down a little. Siembra - The pace picks up again, and we get more of that subtle funk groove that recalls Curtis Mayfield’s use of strings and percussion on Superfly. It’s still undoubtedly samba though, but with an interesting dramatic, orchestral layer built in to it. The rolling groove from the piano works nicely against the percussion and, again, the freedom and charisma from Blade’s vocal is great. The band provide the centre and focus, while he riffs and plays around on top in a free way, without ever drifting to far, and remaining anchored by the backing vocals. It was nice to get that extra textural range on this closer and it puts a brilliant final note to a very enjoyable record.

Very solid salsa album. I don't understand Spanish, but thought the beats were good.

I’m sorry I didn’t have time upon this listening to read through the lyrics in English. Still I enjoyed the music.

Overall - 93 I really liked this album despite not being able to understand a word of it 1. Plástico - 91 2. Buscando guayaba - 92 3. Pedro Navaja - 4. María Lionza - 93 5. Ojos - 96 6. Dime - 94 7. Siembra - 93

Hvis noen hadde spurt meg om jeg likte salsa før 1001 generator, så hadde jeg glist og sagt ikke faen, jeg liker ikke latino-musikk. Idag er jeg tydeligvis salsacurious. Det her er funk, det er jazz, det er loungable af. Entusiasmen min blir litt temperert ila. spor 3, men tar seg opp igjen på siste sporet.

Liker salsa bedre som tacosaus enn som musikksjanger.

come back and listen to this one

Fun, peppy, and a joy to listen to. Not a lot stuck in my brain (with the non-English lyrics). Despite that, I'd happily return to this in the future.

no skips

What a joyous alum! There are some funKAY basslines on this album. the end of Maria Lionza has got to be one of the best basslines Ive ever heard.

Buenas música

Love the music from the latino countries! Is such a happy melody with a lot of intruments combined and creates some awesome sounds!

Siis tosi mahtavaa salsaa, tuo kyllä paljon iloa ja aurinkoa tänne pimeyteen. Hienostunutta ja hyväntuulista. Maria Lionza kappaleesta on otettu Major Lazer sample. Parhaat: Ojos, Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja

Okay

If you weren't up and dancing while this was playing, you weren't listening. :)

First song (Plastico) starts out sounding like pretty good disco. Then transitions into salsa/son. Very nice! Subsequent is all high quality salsa/son. Reminded me of Los Van Van.

I enjoyed this album. Great beats and not too long.

Pleasant and on the shorter end of an album

Good, helped me practice my español un poco. Sounded great. Upbeat and fun.

Enjoyed this. Only reason it’s not a 5 was wish it had more variety-kinda all blended together.

Some salsa every now and then is fine, but a whole album is too much. It does not help I don't have a clue what they are singing (about)

2/5

Not at all a style I would choose to listen to, but extremely listenable and enjoyable for me nonetheless

The start was promising: latindisco. After that it’s more like standard salsa music. Not bad, but nothing special either.

🙂

Forty minutes of samba was better than I was expecting, but some of it did feel a bit samey after a while.

As salsa music, this is probably as good as it gets, but it's still salsa. Perfect for a dinner in Cuba and sipping a daiquiri, but not the kind of music I usually put in my ears.

¡Me gusta! Excelente música para un día caluroso de verano.

I have spent literally no time seriously listening to salsa music, so this was almost an entirely new experience for me and I really enjoyed it. I have spent a bit of time with music influenced by salsa, specifically Geordie Greep's the New Sound, and I really appreciate the insight into some of the influences that lead to his Latin infused jazz rock. Honestly, this album is only a step or two away from being the New Sound; it just needs Geordie singing about some of the most depraved and desperate men he can imagine and a couple ripping guitar solos.

I don't mind this music but not sure why it appears on this list. The iconic Buena Vista Social Club better be on It too then.

Bop after bop after bop, and that message of South American unity? Are you kidding me? This one's a winner

Great dancing music with interesting compositions. I particularly liked pedro navaja.

Boppy dancy salsa

Gonna throw this one into my “On Island Time” playlist and never look back, it’s good but you really need to be in the mood for this one.

groovy enough, not really anything that stuck with me but love the salsa vibe though

I'm not Spanish mate

Great songs.

Excellent. Absolute funk bomb to start it off which was a present surprise, and then it turns into an absolute masterpiece of a salsa album.

Good to make a playlist off of

ya know, it's good. i can't really compare it to other salsa because i don't know any other salsa. love the intro.

2.5 stars

Heerlijke. Een salsaplaatje op een broeierig warme dag eind juli. Dit gooit de temperatuur nog wat omhoog en doet me terugdenken aan lange taxiritten en traditionele eettentjes in Zuid Amerika. Altijd goed voor een oneindige stroom van salsamuziek uit de krakerige radiotjes. Als kleine surprise ook nog de Bumaye sample in Mario Lonza. Lovely. 8/10

The music was nice

That was fun, always up for some Latin rhythms.

I really liked the first song, which felt a bit jazzier / more disco-heavy than the rest, which I like but am just less familiar with these styles so would need more listens to open it up I'm sure. But it would be worth doing because I liked it.

Second time for this. It goes down better the second time. The thing is, I really wish it were the disco fusion it appears to be for about two minutes in the beginning. THAT album could have had so much more potential. The one that follows really is… competent, but totally uninspiring.

This slaps. Horns are awesome

- 3.8/ 4 - I like thisss - Too short, wish the album was longer - West side story Inspo?

Pre Listen: The name Willie Colon sounds crazy familiar to me. I come from a Latino family, so who knows if I've heard him at some point growing up. Silly album cover, will this baby music? Slightly lower expectations than usual going in, but only *very* slight. Notable Tracks: Plastico - !!!! This isn't what I was expecting at all, this shit goes hard what the hell. The bass and brass are incredible. Unfortunately he DIDN'T mention Chile when taking roll call at the end of the song, and DID mention Argentina, so that's gonna have to be 1 full point off. I don't make the rules. Siembra - My favorite track on here. It sounds like something out of Lupin the 3rd. Will be adding to my playlist! Post Listen: Out of respect for the music, the rest of this review will be in Spanish. Thank you for your understanding. ¡Qué placer escucharlo! Todo estaba muy bien logrado: los metales, las voces, la fluidez, la percusión... todo fue fantástico. Me encantó especialmente el trabajo de piano y violín. No odié ni una sola canción, ni siquiera un poco. Lamentablemente, lo que dije en mi primera canción destacada sigue vigente. Cuatro de cinco. 4/5

All Latin music sounds the same to me. If I listened to 10 Latin albums 100 times each I still wouldn’t be able to tell you which songs belong to which. This has the same problem. It’s very well-crafted music but it feels like nothing to me.

Favorite Track: Ojos

I have no real point of reference for samba but I thought this was really good

Nice easy listening

I didn’t mind this at all for an international record. Proper play time and actually somewhat familiar.

This goes hard. Not my typical style, but it was a very fun listen. It’s a pretty hard album to dislike. I just wish I knew enough Spanish to understand the lyrics! The songs do tend to run a bit long (the shortest track runs 4:50), but I didn’t find myself getting bored really. It’s too easy to listen to to get tired of any given song

Too much salsa, though I feel like having nachos now

Dancing music! Love the big band feel and the pace of this music. Outside of my usual genre but that's what's so great about this!

HaHaHa…YES.jpg

mwoah, veel van dezelfde sambadeuntjes

Willie Colón always brings the good stuff. This’ll brighten up any day for you, easy.

Again, one of those things I'm not really qualified to rate.

Cool. Salsa sure is wordy.

good

Tuneful but mostly meh

Fine. Samey but fine.

One track in and I was already checking the album length. Musically it isn't terrible, but nothing foreign language is going to get more than a 2.

<shrugs>

Spicy

I liked it :) I’ve seen Willie Colon in the vinyl library of the jazz radio station I work at and never listened. I’m so glad I listened to this - I’m inspired to listen to more.

good album easy listening; for waking up, starting the day, getting ready

Makes you wanna dance

I love this era of Samba and Salsa music. It’s very lively and creative. No idea what they sing about, but you don’t even really need to know in order to enjoy this album. Both performers are legends within their scene and rightfully so. I just really like all the little touches throughout, such as the police sirens and references to other classic songs. Good to see Latin music get some proper representation here, even though this is one of the only examples featured.

As far as samba goes, it's good on a sunny day

viva Mexico!

Nice to have some variety. I enjoyed it

Nunca tinha ouvido falar do álbum

Not really my style Standouts - 2/5

Fun!

Only in for two minutes but this is already way better than half of the "just another basic pop/rock" albums on the list. Would I have listened to this record without this list? – No. Should it be a record to listen to? – Definitely yes! Will you like it? – Maybe yes, maybe no. However, it will enrich your musical understanding in contrast to many other entries on this list.

Todo bien

Not as beautiful and rich as a lot of the MPB stuff we've had so far. Has a more commercial sound than those albums even though those are also ostensibly pop albums...but this swings. The horns are so so so good. Took me about two songs before I was totally into its vibe.

I salsa danced while driving.

Mis pantalones es un fuego. Quien es tu papa? Donde esta la biblioteca?

This was a delight to listen to. No idea about the cannon of music it exists in but am now curious. Lovely

I really enjoyed this, totally outside my normal listening but would absolutely return to this

Boooring

When an album isn't in English I always feel like I'm missing so much, and it makes me feel bad. This is still pretty enjoyable as background music, but without knowing Spanish, I just feel like I'm not getting the full experience.

That one was actually new to me. Certainly great musicians, but I can't judge why this album should be particularly outstanding.

Litt rart, litt hektisk, ganske gøy.

Increíble! Gran album para iniciarse en la salsa.

Yeah was nice - enjoyed the sound as much as you can despite not understanding the lyrics. Not a top choice for me.

Never heard of it, but after a quick read I'm looking forward to engaging with what was the biggest selling salsa record of all time. I'm right into it, from the first song - strong shift to salsa after disco intro, loving the clear production, jazzy arrangement, bright clear singing with heaps of lyrics, which I can see are not overly repetitive (I line up a translation, and they're actually good lyrics). Getting into second song, I'm thinking the music is richer than some other salsa (or salsa-style) that I've heard, the lead singing is really very nice, the harmonies solid. As the album goes on, I appreciate the arrangements and the chorus ensemble more and more. I also read a bit about the lifes and political trajectories of Colón and Blades, an interesting story. Overall, it's very well done, musically interesting, mostly catchy, but the lyrics are opaque to me, and general associations of intent are not quite enough to hold my interest. I value it as a definition of classic salsa, and respect that, but for my future listening it will be 'only' Good, 7/10.

It’s not for me

Super glad this was recommended; the feel good nature of the tunes are infectious. Will get some butts and hips moving during any social function

Really really enjoyed this, more than I thought I would. I really like samba music but just never really dived in at length, it was really nice to do so. perfect music for stifling heat!!!

Rally awesome peak salsa

So yeah I have zero idea what is being said. My boy Zachary would definitely be dancing his ass off to this salsa. It’s cool, I guess I’m not very familiar with salsa, it sounds basic for the most part but there’s some cool shit thrown into the band that makes it different.

This may be the best salsa I have ever heard I danced the whole way through the song and wow wowowowowow the grooves the bass on this is nuts. The lyrics are so sentimental too it’s a lot of being sad about in love and you dance to it. The band is playing so tightly they all know their role and it doesn’t really sound the same because the drums y güiro basically talking to each other the whole song and it just makes a great song to dance to. I love this and it just feels like life is so simple when you put this on. I am back into salsa now because of this. After hearing this all weekend salsa Zach is coming back Si se puede

That intro is amazing, you wouldn’t expect with that funky rhythm that it comes the amazing salsa songs after

Big fan of this very groovy actually

Painfully generic. At one point I’m pretty sure bro just starts listing South American countries

With many foreign albums, I am clueless about the lyrics’ meanings. I can simple enjoy the voices as another instrument. My smattering of Spanish knowledge leaves me frustrated as I can make out bits of the lyrics, but cannot fully comprehend them. With the emphasis on Ruben Blades’ vocals, I am reviewing this record with one hand behind my back. Siembra was one of the first records I purchased when I first began exploring salsa. I can’t say I have listened to salsa enough to qualify as an expert, but I have developed likes and dislikes. There is enough in my head to discern a few qualities that make this collaboration a strong record. Blades’ vocals never demand attention in the percussive or trumpet-like yowls of some singers. He complements the music rather than seeking to shine above it. Knowing Blades’ political activism I can sense some wisdom being imparted in lesson-like fashion. In a song like “Pedro Navaja” he sensually walks alongside the music. It sounds both friendly and seductive. The music matches his measured mannerism as it keeps pace with him without ever looking to blast away. The opening bars of the album on “Plastico” had me worried. It’s 1978, let’s have a disco song. While some disco traits remain throughout the song, “Plastico” finds an original groove rather than mining a certain soundtrack for possible nuggets of crossover success. That is what makes this album appealing. These guys had created a new musical genre and become major stars in an overlooked market. Seeking bigger success with more accessible music and English lyrics would have made sense, but Colon and Blades stick to their guns. The material offered the chance for a bigger audience. One of Blades’ best performances is on the mid-tempo ballad “Marie Lionza” sounds like prime material for a dance hit if English lyrics were used. The title track would have made an electrifying cut to use in a film as a pulsing bass adds both groove and darkness to the songs while strings give it a soundtrack touch. Willie Colon showed similar restraint in this more mature version of salsa. Still eminently danceable, Colon (and I assume it is his band) never mug for the camera as the brass and percussion sections accent the music rather than dominate. This album would not be the first selection to give to someone new to salsa, but it deserves the high marks given here.

Listened to on my Apple EarPods. Just a solid work of Salsa--didn't really blow me away and could sound very much like what I expected at times, but there was enough variety (I particularly like the mood of the spacey intro of Pedro Navaja) and the smooth voice of Rubén Blades to keep the album enjoyable throughout. I don't have a lot of strong thoughts on it right now, but is an album I could see myself revisiting.

Nothing crazy

I want more albums like thisss

Didn't expect the disco to transition to salsa or to blend as well as it does, but I love this now.

Very upbeat & fun. The lyrics I translated were all straightforward & positive. Great horns

Time to go to Wanna Iguana!

This is really nice, I dont know that I needed to hear it before I die but its really nice.