Reviews (page 4 of 10)
I liked it
No idea at all about this album. I assume Latin music, which can be good. It was recorded in 1978, and the 70s were a great decade, maybe the best, for music and art in general. But Ruebn Blades? I thought he was an actor. Let’s get to it. Oh, and siembra means sow, as in to plant, not a female pig. Track 1 is Plastico and holy cow. Is it disco? It’s funky, with horns and some background singers singing, Ooooooh, Ooooooh. Now it’s getting into those Latin beats. Oh, man, those horns are scratching me right where I itch. The singer is singing in Spanish, but that’s of no matter. I bet this was hot in the discotheques back in 1978 and 1979. Our good friends at Wikipedia put this solidly in the salsa genre. I need me a fiery mama cita to dance with right now. Do you remember that driving arcade game called Outrun? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Colon and Blades wrote the music for it. Though I’m sure Colon and Blades songs are about 50 times better than Outrun’s music composer. Track 2 is Buscando Guyaba, and thank the good Lord above, it’s more of the same. This is more of a piano-based song, though there are horns. This song puts me in a Latin club in Cuba, rather than driving a sports car along the beach. Latin Wikipedia tells me this is the best-selling salsa music album of all-time. I’ll buy that. It’s such fun music. The complete opposite of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain. Not saying it didn’t have songs that I liked, but it was a darker album both musically and thematically. This makes me think of Latin clubs from the 1950s. Just noticed the cowbell going hard in the background. Or, I guess it could be a wood block. Track 3 is Pedro Navaja, and this starts out with sirens ringing out. I wonder if Pedro is an outlaw. The song has started out slower than the last, with just vocals and percussion. About a minute in, we get that great Latin piano, followed by the horns. It’s like you know what you're going to get with every song, but each song is different. Okay, apparently navaja is a folding knife in Spanish, and the song is essentially a salsa version of Mack the Knife, a song written in 1928 that has been recorded about a million times throughout music history. Mack the Knife is based on a medieval murder ballad, so I guess Pedro is an outlaw. Ohh, near the end, they throw in a line from America from West Side Story. Great set of La la la la las at the end. I have confirmed the Ruben Blades singing is also the actor. What a talented dude. Track 4 is Maria Lionza, and it starts out ominously. Piano bangs and chanting, but then the horns come in, and it's like a song of praise, almost. Maria Lionza is a goddess in the Venezuelan religion that blends African and Catholic religions. In mythology, Maria rides a giant tapir. Look up tapir if you don’t know what one is. It’s like the offspring of a pig and an anteater. This song really reminds me of Steely Dan. Which is a good thing, by the way. Such a good album. This would be one to put on after a hard day, just to chill out. It gives off great summer vibes. Track 5 is Ojos, which in Spanish means bears. Nope, that's wrong. Osos are bears, Ojos are eyes. Duolingo for the win! Oro is gold. I’m not sure what I’m going to be able to add to this review, as I’m not an expert in salsa. I just know what sounds good to my ears, and this album sounds great to my ears. I can understand why it sold a ton of records. This album sold over 500,000 units in Venezuela alone. Everything about the album is perfect. This song will have people singing background vocals, and you don’t need to know Spanish. Just keep repeating Ojos! And you’ll be perfecto. Track 6 is Dime, and it’s not the coin. Dime in Spanish is Tell me. I assume Ruben is trying to get a hot mama to tell him something. Another banger. I hate writing because it makes my brain focus on something besides the music. Track 7 is Siembra, which was the first single off the album, followed by Pedro Nvaja and Plastico. I like this opening. It gives me a gritty cop movie vibe, then it gets peppier, but it still has an air of mystery. The song is apparently calling for Latin Americans to essentially sow the ways and culture of their ancestors into their children and their communities. If a history dies, it’s gone forever. This was almost a perfect album. It’s musically good, it makes you want to dance, it has great horns, and the production sounds fantastic. Plus, it’s around 42 minutes long. As I said, it’s almost perfect. The music tends to kind of all blend together after a certain point, though I’m sure that future listenings would help with that. I can’t argue it’s not the greatest salsa album ever made, and I think that alone makes it a must-listen album. If you like dancing, you should immediately turn it on, but I still think 99.9% of the population will dig it too.
pretty excellent
Opening bars gave me Saturday Night Fever vibe but gladly moved on quickly from that. Musical style and sound similar to The Cat Empire, fun, lively and entertaining even given I did not undetstand a word of lyrics.
High 3. Suspect it would be higher if I was more into salsa. It feels like this has inspired lots that we hear in TV and film today.
Just what the list should be doing, introducing people to great news music. Really enjoyed it today.
A joyous and carefree listening experience that would work for pretty much any social gathering (maybe not a funeral?) It feels like music put together with express purpose of spreading joy and being shared with live audiences. I do not dance but this album really makes me wish I could!
Siembra gets a solid 4 for me, the biggest highlight of my v brief salsa phase and a record i dig out occasionally and always enjoy
Timeless salsa music that puts me in a good mood, like a younger, fresh version of Buena Vista Social Club. Love the bass and brass. I will return to this!
i thought i was gonna love it but then it was just ok
J'ai besoin de vacances. Trop clean. J'aime mieux quand les horns font sauter les preamps.
This made me jive at my standing desk
I wanna shake some ass to this
Mind if a white boy dance to a little español?
Found this very tough to review since this style of music is something I would never listen to and I therefore have very little to benchmark this against. A 2 seems harsh, but I'd only be giving it higher based on other people's reviews. For me, it wasn't rubbish, it was entertaining, but due to my own ignorance of the genre, I can't rate it particularly highly. Also the cover art is weird.
Nice
Now THIS I like. Horn arrangements are brilliant. Brimming with energy. Rhythmically perfect.
This makes me want to go dancing in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
윌리 콜론 & 루벤 블레이즈 - 시엠브라 (1978) 총 7곡 수록, 42분. 흠 분위기가 취향이 아닌듯 코멘트가 성의없는 이유: 열심히 듣지 않았습니다 건질만한 노래는 시엠브라정도 한줄평: 뭐랄까 멕시코 감성 잘 안맞아!! 그치만 활기찼네요 취향:★★☆☆☆ 재방문:★☆☆☆☆
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.
I liked the scat singing at the end of the second song, but mostly this sets a good vibe, but becomes boring toward the end of listening
Bien.
For music I have no history with and really no understanding of, it's pretty good. Little bit of disco mixed in with the salsa. And then there's my standard complaint of most songs sounds very similar, but I'm sure that comes from my lack of understanding of the style.
Like an ice-cold drink on a hot day. After a bunch of BritPop and psych-folk-rock albums, this is a real palate cleanser. Absolute must-listen. Getting some music with this rhythm into your rotation if you're a fan of rock music is essential: you ought to start recognizing how this kind of thing has been at the rhythmic heart of rock (via Blues guys like Bo Diddley) since the very beginning. All I want to do is make my wife breakfast in a sunny kitchen when I listen to this. 4/5 it's a bop
Lo amo, qué dos grandes artistas se juntaron
Cara, mto bom, me lembra bad bunny na luta pela visibilidade latina, mas com uma mistura de música lantina mais velha, tem bastante recurso de trompetes e outros instrumentos metálicos. Curti bastante.
I'm sure we've had a bit of a boogie at Jane's at the end of a party to something like this - probably needs some sunshine, vino and company to really appreciate it . Quentin Tarantino may have used bits in films - or even Breaking Bad. Background music . !
42 minutes of salsa. I'm sure it's good if you like salsa but it's 40 minutes too much for me.
Funky, but not for me.
I don't speak a word of Spanish, but this is pretty good :D
First spanish playlist and I can understand how this inspired
Really fun and colorful sounding, until you read some of the lyrics. Great use of lyrical dissonance, and a great listen overall.
I have no point of reference really but I enjoyed this all the way through.
That was a nice listen. Incidentally the singing style is slow and clear enough that it was a nice exercise in seeing how much of the Spanish I recognized
Comfy, but like a lot of these albums doesn't stand out to me. It's almost too standard, even though it essentially set it.
Very refreshing
(4/7) definitely a change of pace, but still too weird for easy listening, and not a lot of variety
Ritmo tropical muy guapachoso
I wish my DuoLingo lessons had these words! I enjoyed the Latin music styles, even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics.
This was brilliant
Salsa!
I enjoyed this. If you like afro-cuban music check out Orchestra Aragon. This album is a little more modern and doesn’t include flute. Nice to have on in the background.
Its fine. Nothing I would personally listen to but it’s good. 6.6/10
Un album que se seinte, transmite mucho
Wish it leaned more into the funky disco vibes that appear here and there, but I really really enjoyed listening to this and will absolutely be revisiting it!
Funky latin beat.
I didn’t understand it because I don’t speak Spanish. However I could tell bey the music that it’s conveying a fun and sly tone. Loved the mix, could pick an instrument and hear it clearly.
I will not include the additional versions of tracks on the special edition in this review. For those who don't know, Willie Colón was an American trombonist, producer, arranger, and musical director, while Rubén Blades is a Panamanian singer, musician, and composer. Both artists are considered integral to salsa music, a staple of Hispanic American culture. Both artists also collaborated over multiple records, with Siembra being their second outing together, and nearly every song becoming a hit across Latin American communities. As someone who is admittedly not very familiar with salsa, I dug this record. There is a quite danceable polyrhythmic groove to these songs, as the chorus ensemble harmonized well under Rubén's delightfully jovial vocal delivery alongside the booming trombones. It's a formula that works its magic, with a few swerves like that commanding bassline that opens "Plástico" and the ominous march that leads into "María Lionza". I wouldn't say it's the most enticing dance music to me personally, but that doesn't stop the lower half of my body from moving to those clave rhythms. As for the lyrical content, I certainly commend Rubén for bookending this record with some genuinely charged political commentary. "Plástico" serves as a backhanded compliment to those who take advantage in a capitalist society, and the title track as a rally call for Latin American identity, in particular shouting out Ramón Emeterio Betances, who strove for Puerto Rico's independence and greater political integration in the Caribbean and Latin America. I also appreciated the cautionary tale of "Pedro Navaja," which certainly took inspiration from the classic "Mack the Knife". Otherwise, the rest of the album can be chalked up to songs of romantic affection and yearning with a distinct Latin flavor. They're not bad, but I wouldn't say they stand out compared to the songs I've already highlighted. Overall, I enjoyed Siembra for what it is, a collaborative album between two artists that helped bring salsa music to greater global significance.
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.
Pretty enjoyable. Something very different with a good rhythm
I appreciated the energy of the music. The roll call of the Latin American countries and territories reminded me of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.
Perfect
Don't mind me, just dancing at my desk. I will say, it's easier to have a classic album when it's only 9 songs. I can appreciate the musicianship, but I'm a songwriting guy, so not speaking Spanish puts a limit on my appreciation. Hard for me to place into context.
First album I am unfamiliar with! Obvs I can't judge this genre but am thankful for being sent this album and feeling blessed to experience it. Am very happy to add this to my rotation, it sounds great and makes me happy.
Divertidooooooooo, puse el álbum mientras limpiaba para vivir la real experiencia 10/10
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
Tremendo álbum de salsa. No me gusta el genero musical pero este álbum lo sentí
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.
If you do not feel like dancing while listening to this iconic salsa masterpiece, you might actually be a very boring robot with a broken heart and a seriously malfunctioning internal rhythm chip inside your soul.
Often, when I get an album in a style I'm not well-versed in, or in a language I don't speak, I don't feel like I can rate it fairly. But I thought this was great! So much energy, and excellent work from the brass section. Funky and fun salsa!
me encantó, muy alegre, movido y las letras estan volaaadas 5star
I really enjoyed this. For someone who listens to a lot of electronic or synth music, I don't really listen to a lot of non-english music. I should do that more. this was really great, amazing singers, lovely salsa guitar. I really appreciated this and was surprised by it in a positive way.
3.5⭐️/5 [04.10.2026] 06.08.2026
That's some hot Salsa!
I liked this
Out of my comfort zone, but I welcome detour. Fun and incredible rhythms and melodies for days.
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
Latin music. Was enjoyable even though I spoke no Spanish
Solid 2.5. ‘Plastic’ and ‘Buscando Guayaba’ were catchy but overall, not really my genre.
primeiro album de salsa da minha vida
A solid 7/10. I know this is a classic, and I really respect the genre and the musicianship… but it’s just not my style. You can tell how good they are, everything is well done, and there’s a lot of personality in it. It just doesn’t fully click with me. I get the impact, I respect it… just wouldn’t come back to it that often.
This was fun. That opening track definitely influenced Bad Bunny’s Superbowl show.
Good funky vibes with plastico… didn’t really listen to the rest of it but I will!
Me encantó
Épico. La primera canción es excelente
Great salsa album. Only flaw is my inability to speak Spanish.
I was not prepared for any of this and I have zero complaints. I think I hit peak enjoyment when he started scatting in the middle of Buscando Guayaba. Way more variety than I expected as a Salsa outsider. Musicianship and listenability off the charts.
Joya
This thing is fun as hell.
Really infectious Latin salsa album, had me moving around in my office chair. Great example of the music style. Would absolutely listen to this again, I'm sure it would improve my mood again as it did today. 4/5
7/10
Not for me.
Not really my thing, I liked the disco opening track
So lovely and fun
Salsa rhythms. I liked it. I felt like I was on vacation.
I love a good salsa
I have no idea what they're saying, but the tunes are delightful.
Meh. Not for me. I dunno how to rate this, so I'm just going to give it the benefit of the doubt and say 4.
Nice to listen to a salsa album. RIP Willie Colón, but guy's brain was eaten out by some worms the last decade with those tweets. This is really all Ruben Blades' work and its crazy how this guy was also on the Walking Dead.
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.
This one is a banger.
fun album. funky, upbeat. wasn't sure what to expect. surprised to learn i had seen ruben blades in some of his acting roles before.
Very cool, enjoyable listen. However, not nearly as memorable as what I have heard listening to Tito Puente. Furthermore, I would just like to add that I hate this silly label 'salsa', reminds me of 'world' music, why don't we call irish folk music 'potato' music, how idiotic is that. Probably 3 stars
Just dull
"I guess I like my salsa like I like wasabi… just a touch." This comment sums up my feelings on this album, though admittedly I love salsa much more than wasabi. At best, I can only give it 2 stars as after about a minute I was thinking, no more please...and really the rest of the album had me staring out the window, dreaming of better listening days ahead. Yep, 2 "bored to tears" stars. (And don't get me started on the album cover...wtf?)
Their second album. Latin / Salsa / Cha Cha. It was kind of a fun albim. It was good. This genre of music is outside my usual tastes. Glad to have heard it though.
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.
But you see it’s too late- I’ve already listened to the Chad Ruben “Vibe Master” Blades while you’re still listening to the Virgin Bad Bunny
Like water in a drought. So few albums on this list are so innately infectious, so few are non-English. I loved the South American country roll call at the end of the opening “Plastico”. I loved even more the adlibbing and audible noises the singer made on the following “Buscando Guayaba”. My favorite song was probably “Maria Lionza”, especially for the way they go “En Venezuelaaaaaa” at 2 minutes in. But I also really liked how the title track “Siembra” heightened the mood with a more suspenseful, quick energy. Impossible to not enjoy in a list that contains something like 9 Neil Young albums and 1000000 niche 80’s british acts. A beautiful 4 besos
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!
One of the best and most influential salsa artist of all time. Plastica and pedro navaja are my favorites. Love the story telling throughou
this is super fun!! i don't have a lot of thoughts because i feel like i don't know enough about the genre to appreciate certain nuances, but i really enjoyed it.
I'm surprised how much I liked it!
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.
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.
All the songs sounded the same, not really a lot to say. Quite danceable.
Surprisingly good for an album entirely in spanish
loved!
This was great. Gonna be my jumping off point whenever I want to hear some salsa in the future.
zu aufgeregt, anstrengend
Cool album, but I really have no standard of salsa music so not sure how to rate it.
"They were dancing, drinking wine, making love!” - Charles Xavier
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
Fun! Salsa can sound pretty samey after awhile, but this stayed decently fresh. I’ll keep this in mind when my wife and I eventually make good on our plans to learn to dance, but until then, I don’t see myself putting this on just to listen to. 7/10 Quite Likeable
Lovely vibrant music - on the basis I’m not a dancer it makes pleasant background music
Vibesssss
Not the kind of music I am used to listen to, but I gotta say some parts are fun and they get stuck in your head. I recognize the quality although it's not what I am looking for. 3,4/5.
Pretend this is a 4.5, as it was on repeat for a few hours. Puts you in a good headspace, easy listen or background music. It’ll have you swaying that’s for sure.
Good numbers, new genre
Couple tunes were a vibe - instrumentally really good but not something I’d come back to
Upbeat and easy to nod along to.
Sounds great, but not a genre I’ve developed an appreciation for.
this was really fun! Some songs were better than others (I didn’t love the middle one) but a nice vibe. I wouldn’t think of returning to it but I’m not mad at it.
A lot of salsa sounds the same to me and this was pretty good but didn’t strike me as next level.
Made me feel like I’m back in Punta Cana sitting at the swim up bar drinking a Presidente!
Modelo/Salsa/Beaches
This was surprisingly fun to listen to while mowing the lawn. 3.5
Fun album. Easy to put on a dance to. Playing is really good. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
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!!
Not something I would have listened to otherwise, but I didn’t hate it.
Good example of a well produced Latin album.
Never listened to salsa music. I had no idea what salsa music would've been (except kinda latin). I don't think I'll listen to any more, but this was really enjoyable. Upbeat and fun.
Groovy, strong 4.5, could be upgraded as only got the chance to listen through once fully.
very relaxing and such a fun listen i have nothing bad to say about this ep favorite: Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja
- cool funky sound - looking up translations of the lyrics so i can understand what they're singing about but i would listen to this just for the sound of it tbh - from what i can glean from the translations i like the lyrics - cool west side story interpolation in pedro navaja - favorite tracks: pedro navaja, plástico - rating: 4/5
really love the vibe of this album! ended up looping it for a while at work today. can definitely see why it's considered a classic in its respective genre. 4/5
one of the most important albums in the salsa genre, must listen also just incredible instrumentation and writing in general highlights: plástico, pedro navaja 4/5
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.
Сальса, чорт забирай)))
majestic asf
Very nice. Easy listening. Great Latin vibes
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 love latin music. Bias put to the side at least a little bit, this is still a great album. It feels like a celebration of the genre. It's full of well-composed, layered tracks, and an unmistakable energy that you can usually attribute to salsa music. Though, it never quite reaches the highs or diversity of Buena Vista Social Club. Still, if this album doesn't make you want to move at least a little bit, then I feel truly sorry for you. Give me 100 more of these please. Highlights: Buscando Guayaba Pedro Nevaja Ojos
I’ve never heard of this, and the cover makes me think I’m going to hate it. … Okay, didn’t hate it, it was very summer-y or something. I lack the skills to understand why this particular example of the sound was chosen, but I trust there was a good reason. But seriously, I hate the album art. (ntm.)
This was fun and not just for novelty value, there really is lots to enjoy. Great vocals and nicely arranged songs where everything weaves together so nicely and smoothly. The brass especially was really notable and I like the piano playing and singing too. I like all of it really
I only started to get into salsa recently but I absolutely loved this album. So much positive energy and not a dull moment.
Sabrrroosssoo!
Even being very novice in the Latin music space, I could instantly pick up influences and references I recognized from across the musical landscape. I didn't need to check Wikipedia to understand the pivotal role this album has played, although some research on the album was helpful. I clearly need to expose myself more deeply to Latin music, but this was a very enjoyable listen.
Really enjoyed this and would absolutely listen to it again, but not seek it out. Listened to it on a train trip back from a long day of work and it hit the right spot. 3.5 stars
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!
More funk (now with samba)
Firme
Not my normal listen, but it was fun
Plástico // Buscando Guayaba // Pedro Navaja // María Lionza // Dime //
Not typically my kind of music, but I really enjoyed this
スペイン語の歌詞が分からない限りはどうしようもないのかもしれないけど魅力を理解しきれなかったような気がする。このジャンルの代表作なんだと思うけど、10点満点とは感じなかった。 1978年の作品ということもあってシンプル過ぎずディスコなど他のジャンルを匂わせる曲もありそこはよかった。
Good latin jazz!
sympa, pas boring pr de la salsa pendant 42 minutes : 3.5+/5
Rip Willie Colón
First impressions. This is EXACTLY the music that plays in a spanish themed restaurant and I would not be able to distinguish what the difference to a generic spanish sounding music would be. I don't dislike it but I don't have enough knowledge of music of this type to be able to separate it from generic "spanish sounding music". I don't hate it though.
Pretty enjoyable! Great instrumentation and good vocals. Language barrier means I can't appreciate the lyrics but that's a limitation from my side :D Highlight was "Buscando Guayaba" for me. Going to go with a high 3 purely because I don't think I'll be seeking out listening to this album again.
I've never listened to salsa music before this and this was a damn good intro. The beats never got boring and the instrumentation in the background of each track was super varied. Enjoyable but I won't be coming back 3
Yeah this slaps
Holy shit that was electric!! Tightest horn section ever! More of this please!
I’ve heard a lot of criticism about this list about it being too eurocentric but I don’t really find that to be much of an issue because it’s mainly consumed in the west.. idk. I like that there is variety but that doesn’t need me to like everything that deviates from the norm of this list.. not sure why I feel the need to justify myself
I apologise for hating on salsa because this was pretty fun 🕺💃
SALSA!!!!
somewhere between samba and funk. Spanish. not sure, feels like it should be playing in a tapas bar
一曲の合間が分からん アルバムでひとまとまりになっている
Suits a sunny summer day, fun
Some long ass songs but this was lively and a perf album to drive home with
Didn't care for this one
Similar to a number of albums, I enjoyed it but don't know enough about the genre to properly rate it
Very cool, not my jam but I enjoyed it
Really great. I know nothing about Salsa but found this very enjoyable. Bass lines were so good I looked up who played on it. RIP Sal Cuevas.
This was fantastic. Really nice guitar and bass at times. No clue really what was said bit singing and energy there.
Ich wörd 3.5 gä wenni chönnt
Fire
Didn't understand a word - loved it
Trying really hard to be objective here despite my inclination to try to find and focus on positive aspects of the music, but I have to admit that I frankly do not care for or about this album. I'm sure it's good if you're into the genre since it's on this list (and the musicians were talented), but listening to it for me was such a slog that I finally broke my rule about listening to everything all the way through. The energy and overall tone was consistent to a fault, which made the long track times feel like a chore. A few minutes into Maria Lionza I decided I'd give each song an honest attempt for 60+ seconds, but it was obvious based on the rest of the album that if I didn't care for the first minute I wouldn't care for the rest of the track so I gave myself permission to skip at that point. I ended up skipping each of the remaining songs after that attempt. And honestly I typically like this sort of thing, but I just wasn't getting hooked by any of it. Unfortunately it's gonna be a one-star for me.
Fun listen, stylistically different. Will come back to relook.
No Standouts
Made me stand up in my room to dance. This should be textbook. Took me straight to a beach in Puerto Rico.
LOVED this.
Very iconic album in latin music. Most of the songs are hits that permeate through culture. This is the sort of album that I expected to watch in this list. 8/10 [KEEP]
I liked it a lot!
Like this, but 2 hrs 33 min is a lot to ask. Sounds all the same.
En 1978, alors que le monde entier succombait aux fièvres du samedi soir et que le punk commençait déjà à se mordre la queue, Willie Colón et Rubén Blades sortaient Siembra. Siembra, c’est le disque qui a tout changé pour le label Fania. C’est l’album de salsa le plus vendu de l’histoire, rien que ça. Rubén Blades, le cerveau littéraire, et Willie Colón, le tromboniste prodige et producteur visionnaire, ont décidé d'injecter du cerveau dans les hanches. Ils ont transformé la musique de danse en une tribune sociale, politique et poétique. Sur le papier, c’est fascinant, c’est la « salsa consciente ». Mais dans mes enceintes, c’est une autre paire de manches. J'ai commencé l'écoute avec une réelle curiosité. On ne peut pas avoir travaillé en radio indépendante et dans un shop de disques pendant l'âge d'or des années 90 sans avoir une certaine ouverture d'esprit. Mais voilà, il y a une limite physiologique à mon endurance au trombone et aux percussions ensoleillées. Les trois premiers titres passent plutôt bien. On sent la maîtrise, le groove est impeccable, et la voix de Blades a cette élégance naturelle qui impose le respect. On est loin de la soupe commerciale ; il y a une vraie profondeur, une orchestration riche, presque cinématographique par moments. C'est l'album qui contient "Pedro Navaja", une épopée de sept minutes qui revisite l'histoire de "Mack the Knife" dans les rues de New York. C'est du grand art narratif. Mais arrivé au quatrième morceau, le syndrome de la saturation commence à pointer son nez. Trop de salsa tue la salsa. C’est une musique qui demande une énergie constante, une sorte d’euphorie rythmique qui finit par m’épuiser. L’album est brillant, techniquement irréprochable et historiquement capital. Colón et Blades ont réussi à faire de la salsa une musique de réflexion sans perdre le rythme. Mais pour mes oreilles de post-punk désabusé, c’est un marathon dans une fête foraine. C’est très bon, mais trois titres, c’est ma dose maximale. Au-delà, je cherche désespérément le bouton « stop » pour retourner à mes ambiances industrielles et à mes guitares saturées. Note : 3 sur 5. Un chef-d'œuvre du genre, sans aucun doute, mais un genre qui, à haute dose, finit par me donner des envies de silence monacal.
💃🕺🏻
One of the all time great Latin albums and the tropical samba would seem perfectly aligned to my first day of holiday. Unfortunately it’s gale force winds and chucking it down outside, but at least the album is helping to keep spirits up
Nice.
one of my favorite favorites so far!! 1.plastico 2. pedro navaja
The lyrics were fun, but the style of music gets a bit too samey-samey after a bit for my taste.
I love Ruben Blades so this was a treat for me. Good listen.
The final and title track was easily my favorite. Awesome sound.
I dig it! Not necessarily something I'd think to reach for, so I'm glad it was curated via this list. Good vibes, talented musicians.
Salsa!
Estaba en un viaje misionero en Panamá cuando conseguí este álbum y era mucho más probable que lo escuchara; ¡y me alegro de haberlo hecho! ¡Fue divertido!
This was awesome. Never heard of either Willie or Ruben but I thoroughly enjoyed this album (even though my Spanish is pretty rusty….). I can see why this is considered a classic and best selling album of the genre! As an aside, can’t help but wonder if Biggie’s Ready to Die album cover is an homage to this one? 4.5⭐️
"During its time, it was the best-selling salsa record in history (..) Siembra" remains one of the most original and influential works in that genre." - ayyy, jeg hyggede og dansede lidt
enjoyed more than expected
From reading the wiki this is an extremely important album that due to my native language and family ethnicity, I currently cannot even begin to understand the significance of. Some bangers in here though even without any translations. Favorite Songs: Pedro Navaja, Siembra
So so so bad
💃
Good but not my bag
Nice. I think I lined track 2 the most
3.5
I don't feel I know enough about samba to say anything meaningful here, but this was groovy + fun + i like it :)
The Good: We get to be farmers! The Bad: We will reap what we sow… The Ugly: The damn album cover… so sorry, but that’s ugly! My very first thought, upon seeing the artist name and album cover, was “SHIT, not more post 2000 EDM shit…” Pleasantly surprised with the sounds that came out. This is what the list is for; listening to albums which, most likely, I never would have listened to in my life. I am not a fan of salsa music, probably because I have 2 left feet and am able to hold a rhythm about as good as a epileptic going through an episode. This album showed me that this does’t matter, as long as you just kinda try and sway to the music, while appreciating the fact that the musicians seem to be having a good time. Not much more to say about this album, except that I will want to listen to this again in the future some time, so 4* it is!!!
Citou todo mundo menos o Brasil na primeira música 😭🤣 Pelo visto eles também não nos acham latinos…
A fine dollop of NY salsa that seems tuned into the disco scene of '78. Just a bit too repetitive for my tastes but an album I had never heard before and probably never would without this project. Worth a listen.
Pleasant
This was actually enjoyable. I don’t know if it’s a 4 star album for me but close.
Do you know why salsa is so popular? Because people like to say "salsa".
Don't know a lot about salsa but this was pretty fun
I liked it and get why it was on the list. Disco-y
Oh my god this is incredible. Need all the bad bunny baddies to listen to this as well. Appreciate our roots! Practically perfect
Echt guter Latino-Sound
Really enjoyed this album, hope to come back to it again
it was fine, it went a little long
Some astounding Salsa. Fantastic record.
Fine samba music, but I am either not that into this or like jazz, I lack the skillset to properly appreciate this type of music. Title track was my favourite though. Highlights: Siembra
Before today, I had never listened to a salsa album all the way through, but this was pretty great. As I struggle today with the DST time change, I pictured myself sipping a mojito in a cool latin club with music like this being played live. Exposure to new stuff like this is why I started listening to these 1001 albums. Fun.
I'm sorry everyone, but this white boy got too zesty while listening to this.
Pretty good! Fun
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.
Soul, Disco, Latin, 1978 -> 2
I like the sound overall but nothing did it for me in particular.
Really excellent I'd never heard of this or the genre Salsa Dura before. Shout out to the Major Lazer sample on the track "Maria Lonza". Such a sick sample and crazy how it's used in the original track vs how they flipped it.
I’ve been away from 1001 albums for a few months, and with a bit of a backlog of albums was struggling to get back into it. This is the perfect example of why I love doing this - totally wouldn’t have found this on my own accord but it is absolutely brilliant. Has brightened up my rainy Wednesday.
Nice!
Too grey in Wales for salsa.
Siembra é um ótimo álbum!!!! Eu estava sentindo falta de música latina aparecendo nessa sequência de álbuns e fiquei muito feliz de ver um álbum de salsa que é tão histórico!!! 3,5/5.
Sensacional. Adorei ter conhecido esse album e ouvirei mais vezes. Careço de referências latinoamericanas ou de referencias musicais não inglesas ou br. Nora: 4/5
très cool
JAJAJAJAJJA esta enorme !
Bad Bunny avant Bad Bunny, Amérique du Sud représente. J'écouterais pas ça dans la vie de tous les jours mais en fond pour bosser c'est un bonheur.
Chulada!
i misjudged it at first but it’s very danceable and the rhythm is nice !!
Lively, interesting. Made me smile. 3.5 on the 3 side
STANDOUTS: Plástico, Pedro Navaja, Siembra One major flaw about me and the music I have listened to is that I haven't really delved into Latin American music (outside of Reggaeton and MPB). Salsa has never really been on my radar, until now that is. My introduction to Willie Colón is unfortunately a little tragic, because his death (which was actually a few weeks ago at the time of writing this) was my introduction to him. While I didn't have much of a reaction at the time, I can say now that we have lost one of the greats, because this album is nothing short of fantastic. Siembra functions as both a wonderfully catchy record, with some of the most colorful instrumentation I've ever heard, but also as a powerful political statement, with songs like Plástico being critical of the worship of American celebrities and the title track Siembra, which uses the act of planting seeds as a metaphor for creating positive change in the world. The title track hits even harder now, knowing Colón kept true to his and Blades' words, planting seeds that not only brought positive impact to not only music, but the world in general. May he rest in peace and may the seeds he sown grow into the most beautiful flowers. 9/10
It was ok. Reminded me of eating at Chi-Chi’s in the early 90’s.
Interesting. Enjoyable. there's better latin music. 3 *
I went into this album totally blind with no context for what I was about to hear. Apparently it's the #1 salsa album ever and somehow I have never heard of it, which is why I'm doing this list in the first place. I find it really hard to rate albums from genres I'm totally unfamiliar with, and even harder to rate albums that aren't in English since I'm missing a huge part of the album's appeal, so take my rating with a grain of salt. I enjoyed listening to this album on a purely sonic level but feel like I'd enjoy it more if I was fluent in Spanish. That's my fault and not any fault of the album though.
Not for me but the music was good
Leider kann ich kein spanische, dann hätte es noch eine 5 werden können
Fav: plastico 3:5
1. Plastico - Very nice opening track. Reminds me of the music I heard growing up. Has a traditional and 70s feel. The beginning doesn't match the rest of the song, but it still works well together - 10/10 2. Buscando Guayaba - A different tempo and style, but it is still traditional Latin music. Considering the fact that I am Mexican-American, I may be biased, but Latin music as a whole is truly, truly beautiful. Do I understand the words? No... I'm a no sabo, but do I love it? YES. 9.7/10 3. Pedro Navaja - I never realized how much I was going to like salsa. Same notes as the other tracks. Beautiful - I may not like it as much as the previous 2 tracks, but it is still a beautiful song nonetheless. 9.45/10 4. Maria Lionza - Like all the other tracks, I love it. The backing vocals/harmonies, the horn section, and percussion bring it all together. 9.5/10 5. Ojos - The instrumental is more upbeat than the last song. A much happier sound overall. 9.68/10 6. Dime - N/A - Recommend skipping - 0/10 - lyrical reasons 7. Siembra - Very nice closing track. Upbeat. Not too much to add. 8.7/10 Overall: 8.1/10 - Great songs on a great album. Only one song is not up to par with the rest.
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
Nice bit of Panamanian music
Reuben Blades? Ah good reeeeeeeeeeeal good.
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’ve never listened to a Spanish album before, I’m impressed! Had no idea what was said but I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
One of my favorite finds on this list, bring on the salsa disco.
I'd totally missed WC died 10 days ago. RIP. Thanks for this and the rest.
Overraskende bra! Fine grooves og bra blåserekke
Tror snøen smeltet litt fortere av dette. Sterk 3'er
Herlig salsa
Hørte på det mens æ jobba. Hørte det to ganger uten at det plagde mæ. Fin samling låter.
Jææævlig hyggelig. 10/10 rødvin og matlagings-plate.
Ikke ofte jeg hører på musikk fra Panama og Puerto Rico. Ikke ofte jeg hører på samba heller. Og det kommer ikke til å forandre seg.
Plastico- 8/10 Buscando guayaba- 6/10 Pedro navaja- 9/10 Maria lionza- 9/10 Ojos- 7/10 Dime- 8/10 Siembra- 8/10
So goddamn groovy. Couldn't really get into it without busting out a jig or two.
Listenable in moderation but I found a whole album too much.
A pretty cool vibe!!
I want to knock this down to a 4 for its godawful album art, but the music is too damn good!
Mediocre latino music. Seems like I've heard it all before and it never stirred me. 2/5
Next.
Quite fun
this isn't where i parked my car, but good classic "salsa"
In Spanish! Salsa
Thank god, finally a change of scene from all the annoying samey-sounding overrated as shit boring rock music on here. That "i like to live in America" caught me off guard XD. Song I liked: maria lionza
Lots of fun. Had me boogying in the kitchen.
Latin ia gewoon niet helemaal mijn ding
..
A funky little album here, packs a punch - enjoyed it
I mean...yeah. Fine.
Each track is a journey, with shifts in rhythm and melody. Super fun.
Love the vibe
Disco salsa! Solid listen, definitely enjoyed it.
This was excellent!!
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.
Very lush album, great instrumentals, good vibes!
Day 3 — Willie Colón & Rubén Blades — Siembra (1978) Listened: Feb 25, 2026 Genre: Salsa / Latin Soul Vibe: Fun, Latin dancing, energetic Highlights: • Plástico • Pedro Navaja • María Lionza Impression: I enjoyed it for not having listened to Salsa music much. Rating: 2.8/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Probably
Made me feel like Rita Moreno
Stressful
Not really a fan of salsa. It's not terrible and they're talented, I'm just not into listening to an hour straight of it
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.
First track was giving me Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime vibes
Too similar sounding throughout.
I know that I enjoyed listening to it and appreciated it - but it didn't stick with me after it was over. Will revisit and see if the feeling stays.
This was fun!
I liked it, but it won't make it into the rotation.
Willie Colón died today. I'm going to interpret this selection as a purposeful tribute, not a coincidence.