Siembra

Sounded fantastic, enjoyed this listen all the way through.

This was my favorite one so far!

It's good. I enjoyed it. I probably won't listen to it ever again, unless I boot up Tropico or go to a coffee shop that isn't playing jazz. 4

That was a fun album!

Never listened to salsa before but this is fun. This is probably the best album I’ve never heard of that this generator has shown me. Highlights include: “Buscando Guayaba”, “Pedro Navaja” “Maria Lionza” and “Dime”.

Wow. That was too much fun. Couldn’t stop my hips from shaking. Needs another listen or six.

This was fun! Some of it has definitely been sampled in stuff I've heard before. Great bass lines.

I don't know anything about salsa but this sounds pretty good to me. I can't help but smile along to the backing vocals on Buscando Guayaba, while Plástico fondly brings to mind the 'vengeful Latin rhythm' of Tito Puente's ode to Mr. Burns.

Salsa music recorded in 1978 so with a bit of disco feel and a funky bass. Great brass.

I dug this one a lot. Really impassioned vocal delivery, good grooves, and a nice melding of a lot of disparate 70s dance sounds. Great slap bass!!

Salsa is not typically a genre that I listen to, for no other reason than I didn't grow up in a home that had cultural ties to the music. I've always appreciated it, but it means nothing to me. This is a good album. It sounds great, front to back, especially considering the age of it. I wouldn't be able to differentiate this album from any modern salsa album, which probably speaks volumes for the quality and stylism of Siembra.

Nice

Bumaye 4/5

Tämähän oli kova! Täytyy laittaa hankintalistalle keikkoja varten. Kunnon lattarikaahailua! 4/5

Ah mitkä lattarimenot. 4/5

Really nice actually

Holy shit I fucking love Willie Colón with all his effortlessly charismatic compositions that make it possible for Ruben to sound so cool. Blades’ lyrics complement both his own singing style as well as the rhythm and melodies laid down by Willie. This album is so much goddamn fun. Try not to enjoy it. I fucking dare you. No actually don’t. Let the whole thing take over and love it with no fucking thoughts whatsoever. I can’t understand most of what they’re saying and I believe that helps. Good shit, honestly. 4/5

Отличная латинская музыка, такого здесь мало, приятно, что попался такой альбом

super salsa-y. really dug the vibe on this one. don’t think it’ll go on my main rotation, but i liked this album.

A very enjoyable album Thanks to Duolingo I understood parts of it. Not only did this album entertain me, but it educated Muy bien 4 ⭐️

One of my more off-kilter takeaways from this project has been the realization that I really needed to learn more Spanish in high school and college. I can't understand much of what is being said here but I really, really want to be able to connect to the music through the lyrics. Quite a fun album that gets my butt shaking. If you have not heard salsa music before, I would recommend this as a starting point.

Maybe the most important Salsa record ever made. A cooperation between two of the most important figures in the genre: Rubén Blades and Willie Colón.

Highlights: Plastico, Buscando Guayaba, Ojos, Siembra. In a nutshell: I dare you to keep still. This album was fun! Willie and Rubén trick you with a disco/funk intro on track one then they change gear and launch into funk salsa. If I wasn't dancing in my kitchen, my booty was wriggling in time with the beat while seated (my friend calls this "chair dancing"). This is why I'm doing the project - to discover new-to-me music. I can't wait to learn more about this genre now. Overall: 8/10

Never heard of them, but kinda liked it

Whoa, awesome! This was so much fun, I'm very pleasantly surprised - what a great find. I've heard like 3 Salsa albums, so not like I have much to compare this with, but this is some good ass Salsa. My favorite part was when he started doing the Jack Black "fligugigu". Shit's fire. More stuff like this, please.

Quite a fun album

Hell yeah. I'm very grateful to not have been assigned some corny-ass british nonsense on my birthday. Thank you 1001 gods. This is a wonderful salsa album. The title track comes out absolutely swinging with calls for pan-Latin unity against the hegemonic capitalist influence of the US, a theme which they continue on throughout the album. I appreciate how clearly enunciated the lyrics are for those of us whose Spanish is mediocre at best. And the salsa itself is super tight and groovy. Very enjoyable listen 8/10

It always feels good to recognize one of the more out there albums on this list, and I knew two of these songs before listening! It's iconic and defining salsa. The instruments combined with the rhythmic political lyrics really encapsulate what I know as this genre of music, and has righteously inspired proceeding generations to keep with the variety of traditions

I’ve said many times that these Tropico-sounding albums are loads of fun. I’ve no doubt that 99% of the lyrics go right over my head, but from an entirely sonic point of view, I do really enjoy the sound of this. The album is 43 minutes long, which I’d say is pretty standard, but it felt shorter than it was, which says a lot about how much I enjoyed it. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this album really is just fun!

Actually, it's a pretty good album. Kinda enjoyed it!

I like latino pop music, but salsa not so much. Nevertheless, there is no denying the talent employed by this outfit, so I'll give it four stars.

I've never really listened to salsa, but this was enjoyable enough that I let it loop a couple of times through. I really like his voice and the horns and the vibes!

I didn't listen carefully, so it's difficult to understand. But seems to tell a story, simply with the way the songs are sung. Delicate and intricate salsa. 4.5

This was nice, but not 200% mine. Still cool to hear some Latin American sounds here.

i think this is nice and lovely and it gave me a nice boost to finish my stupid project meeting presentation. olé

I've never listened to a salsa album before but this was really wonderful, great variety and excellent musicianship on show. Some really, really tasty chord progressions in here, I liked it a lot.

Trombone-forward latin

A very enjoyable album, I liked the sounds Plastico and Ojos the most.

There is a joyousness in Latin beats. Present here, and through out

Solid 6 out of 7 tracks. And that last one wasn’t half bad.

Cool album. While I am not fluent enough in Spanish to understand much of the lyrics, I like the overall melodies and tone. I did translate a couple songs and a couple were very socio-political which was interesting since the music wasn’t very hard edged. I liked some of the more modern sounds added to the salsa music. Made it feel more edgy that way but overall it’s just a pleasant background album that I could groove to while doing something else.

Cool Spanish album. 4/5

Spanish upbeat music , I liked it while doing the jigsaw

Salsa. Pedro Navaja. Un 4.

Mmmmmm, sexy foreign music

Did not expect slap bass here.

Great album

Not sure how you'd go about disliking this. Granted, I don't have the greatest knowledge of the genre, but I know enough to know that this is fun. I like the funk bass thrown in occasionally, and really like the strings on the last song. Favorite tracks: "Plastic", "Maria Lionza"

fire

This was really fun. I enjoyed the West Side Story shout out. High 4.

7/10 - It was a vibe to say the least.

I don’t know anything about salsa and don’t understand much Spanish but the band is cooking

100% dispels all bad vibes in a 20-mile radius. Pure joy. Me hace feliz como whoa.

Whenever I've heard salsa music in a film or tv I've enjoyed it for 30-40 seconds it's on but the thought of 40+ minutes of it did not get me excited. Boy was I wrong this album is excellent the musicianship, the beats, the rhythms it almost makes me want to dance but thankfully for those who listened with me I didnt, but god I felt happy after listening to this.

I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about this type of music. It sounds really clean and well executed, but also at times sounds like very run of the mill 70s music with a latin flair.

Not a genre I was familiar with but I enjoyed this a lot.

thoroughly enjoyed

Couldn’t believe my Ojos when I saw this album come up.

Amazing musicianship, just a tad repetitive

Ez

Shocked at how much I enjoyed this. Ez 4.5

Buena Vista Social Club was my very first album on this list, fitting to find something similar right near the end as well! I liked this album, it was cheery and fun. Upbeat and I didn't get tired of listening through the 40 minute runtime.

tons of fun, especially the first track. even brought the sun with it!!

Not bad.

Gets you in the mood with its first bars even though those ared deliberately irritating because they use disco sounds. The rest is salsa - really good one written with social thematic intent too. The only negative would be that on the length of an album the music is just a bit too similar.

I want to like this more than I do. That being said, it is a pretty solid album.

4.25

Slaps.

Si, si.

Really, really great stuff - super vibrant and fun. Kinda shocked I had never listened to this before as I know Willie Colón to be kind of like the king of Salsa music!! Really happy to listen to this one!

Discazo, toda la onda toda

I never think of Rubén Blades as a singer because I first saw him on the screen in Predator 2 (I know, I know). Anyway, I enjoyed the performances. The latino groove was enjoyable, the only song I did no care for as uch was (interestingly) the only song Rubén Blades did not write: "Ojos". The rest was really good salsa. Definitely something I will come back to.

I can't say this is my kind of music but I enjoyed listening to this album. Plastico started off a little like disco but quickly turned into more straight ahead salsa. Nice beats, solid vocals, great energy across the collection of songs. Maybe a little repetitive at times, or at least some songs went on a bit too long. Feels like a 3.5 overall but I'm going to round up for it being a major piece of salsa music history.

I could totally sexy dance to this

A nice change of pace for a hot summer day

I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4

Jovial and energetic flamenco and samba inspired album that borrows some elements from funk and african music as well. Really awesome stuff going on in here, plus Willie Colon the legend 👏

I could be misremembering but I think this is my first and likely only salsa album I’ve gotten on this list. It was fun enough to listen to alone but this really felt like it should only be played at a massive Hispanic social event like a quinceanera or something. Don’t get quite the same effect when listening to it on my couch as I play balatro at 1 in the morning.

This is a fun album, not the kind of stuff I usually listen to, but I couldn't help but tap my feet along to it. The musicianship is stellar, not a single note off or misplaced but definitely full of feeling. The style of the album is fairly uniform but the songs are catchy enough to really keep it interesting. I had to look up the story of "Pedro Navaja" after hearing "Smith and Wesson" in the lyrics and it's pretty brutal! Not the story I expected from the music. This was a great listen. Perfect timing for a Sunday of housework and taking it easy.

3,5

The best selling Salsa Record of all time! Enjoyable and foundational it seems. Hard to fully understand, but certainly enjoyable.

💃💃💃💃

Hard to keep my feet from moving - great dance music! That said. Definitely in the running for winner of "worst record cover" - looks like a diaper ad.

Absolutely perfect in the background hanging with friends. Great production, musicianship and energy.

Had a great time listening to this! Lots of great bass lines and rhythms to build out Colon’s trombone.

This was great.

I don't know much about salsa music, so I don't have much to say about this one. I liked the horns and piano parts, but I wasn't too fond of the back up singers. I enjoyed this enough while listening to it, but I doubt I will seek it out again. 3.5

Ég skemmti mér lúmskt mikið við að hlusta á salsa tónlist en ég hvorki dansa salsa né hef sökkt mér eitthvað sérstaklega ofan í tónlistarstefnuna. Þannig að ég þekki ekkert mikið til en mikið hressilega fannst mér þetta skemmtileg plata. Hún fer alveg pottþétt aftur í spilun og þá líklegast oft því mig langar bara í meira salsa.

Really rather liked this

I love this stuff but I‘m not sure I can tell the difference between a high quality salsa album and something less than. I enjoyed this, but I typically enjoy a lot of Latin sounds, so hard to feel good about my rating!

I'm not really familiar enough with Latin music to be able to distinguish whether this album stands out as good or not comparatively. But I did enjoy it. I don't think it's anything I'd rave about to a friend. But it had good vibes.

i love hearing different genres! and there was a lot to love in siembra. it was fun, it was smooth, it was chill, it had so many trombones!! the flow throughout the album was well done. nothing sounded out of place, and every song coasted into the next. absolutely no complaints. i understand why it's the best selling salsa album!

What a fantastic salsa album! The production here is so well done for the 1970s; you can hear the musicians and the vocalists crisply and cleanly. Speaking of both the musicians and the vocalists, salsa music requires that both of these sets of people be electrifying in their performance, and this album has that quality in abundance, without question. This album sets a high bar for salsa music and it's no wonder that it became the best selling salsa album of all time.

Great classic tejano

So this is salsa! Funky and delightful.

Definitely gonna put this in rotation, I liked the lyrics and I’m so surprised that it was recorded in the 70’s.

Very groovy, surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Not sure why there are babies on the cover? Love the trombones! I'm pretty new to this project, and is the second album (30-ish in) that has sampled West Side Story. I wonder how many more there will be. And whether that cast recording will be in here, given it's clearly had influence over albums included.

Makes me want to move my feet and shake my hips!!!

Nunca habia sido fan de la salsa. Sin embargo, con el tiempo ya no le tengo aversion y he aprendido a identificar su valor en el espectro musical; a distinguir la calidad e influencia de algunos grandes del genero. Entre ellos, Willie Colon destaca. Esa imagen de mafioso y misterio que forjo durante los 70 es magica. Su trabajo con Lavoe y Blades es legendario. Mi recomendacion es revisitarlo con atencion y pasion. Finalmente, Siembra puede que sea uno de los albumes mas socialmente conscientes y criticos de la salsa. Ruben trae sus letras, Willie su swing. Ambos hicieron historia.

upbeat salsa music. impossible to be in a bad mood after listening to this album. fun and lively.

Aina on näillä tåmän maailaisilla(etelämerik..) ongelma oma maa kultainen nähdään niin täydellisenä... ensimmäinen biisi ensimmäinen esimerkki WONKY ASS BEAT SOI. Ollaan ylpeitä wonky ass... Toinen esimerkki. Tuttuja kyseisestä paikasta ja perkele kun hienoa musiikkia aina.. esittää.. ruoka kulttuuri.. ruokatasku... eli ruokaa asian sisällä... deep fried... empanadas... ruan nimi..JA NÄITÄ RUOKA"KULTTUUREJA" SUOSITAAN NYKYPÄIVÄNÄ, VAIKKA VOIT OSTAA KAUPASTA MITÄ TAHANSA, HYVÄ JEE SYÖT SEN KULTTUURIN MUKAAN, JEE HYVÄ ETTÄ ON MAUKASTA RUOKAA, RUUAN MAUKKAUSHAN SE TÄRKEIN ASIA PERKELE 6 KK SITTEN VIIMEKSI SÖIN RUOKAA NAUTINTO MIELESSÄ.. Kolmas juttu..Geoguesseria ku pelaa... Ulkosalla mainokset ja advertit paperia heh köyhiä kavereite ei näyttöjä heh.. ja NÄISSÄ MAINOKSISSA MAAN LIPUN VÄRIT.. kuluttajat kyseisissä maissa.. buy buy heti kun keltainen sininen punainen... meikä poika ostaa kun yritys velkaongelmissa ja vuosittain 3 milliard dollar loss.. buy the dip.. Noh vika kappale lähtee soimaan ja laatuahan se on kuitenkin ollut koko albumi..

Great but not the vibe yesterday

As much as I love the Spanish language, I really don't listen to much salsa music. That being said, I have respect for Rubén Blades because how much I love his home country of Panamá. Additionally I didn't realize Willie Colón is a trombonist. Which is an instrument that I've enjoyed a lot recently. Especially after discovering the music of Rita Payés. This is a super pleasant listen and although I'm vaguely familiar with Blades and Colón's music... I feel that I should explore it a bit more.

It's great for what it is. Salsa with a hint of funk. I don't think I'd ever listen to it again, but I can't score it low because I dug it the entire time it was running.

The height of salsa that blends the perfect groove for the knowledgeable and rookie listener.

Very refreshing. I don't speak Spanish so the lyrics were a little lost on me, but I think I got the intended experience.

Immediately fooled from the first few seconds thinking this would be disco. This is salsa: one of the most famous and acclaimed salsa records. It's chill, groovy, and just a fun time. The singers are clear and forward, almost punk-like, but probably more like the funk craziness of James Brown. The jazz touches are poppy and accessible, reminds me of Chicago. I don't think the last 3 tracks lived up to the first 4. "Ojos" had nothing of value to add. "Dime" was boring and dragged on, but I liked the ending. "Siembra" sounded like a 70s cop show with the overproduced strings, but it sounded cool.

Ik had nog nooit van Willie Dikke Dárm en Rubén Mesjes gehoord. Het album begint met pak 'm beet dertig seconden disco en sluit daardoor mooi aan bij de Sledezusjes waar ik net vanaf kom. Na die ongeveer dertig seconden volgt de switch naar salsa, een genre waar ik vrijwel niks mee heb. Dit is van die muziek waar horkerige, saaie Nederlandse wijven met zo'n platte mannenkont in hun C&A jurkje er zelf van vinden dat ze er heel goed op kunnen dansen omdat ze ooit 3 halve lessen hebben gevolgd bij señor Willem, die getrouwd is met de voor 1/16e deel Braziliaanse Manita. Van die wijven met kleurrijke, spuuglelijke bungelende oorbellen en niet-matchende maar wel even felle lippenstift op hun lippen, maar ook een beetje op hun lange voortanden, die dan op het typische feestje-in-een-zaal waar je bent opeens heel enthousiast worden omdat ze een conga horen die ze herinnert aan hun huwelijksreis op Cuba, waar de Bacardi echt veel beter smaakt dan hier in Nederland. Van die wijven die dan één wijntje drinken voor de gezelligheid, maar echt niet hoeven te zuipen om leuk mee te doen hoor. Die vervolgens wel naar je kijken alsof je een met parasieten bedekte straathond bent omdat jij nadat je een biertje hebt staan atten, in gezelschap een klein boertje laat. Het hoogtepunt is voor mij de Typhoon - Bumayé sample in het wild bij 'María Lionza', die internationaal dan weer bekend is van de Major Lazer versie. Eventjes word ik zo'n horkerige Nederlandse vrouw met platte mannenkont die wil laten merken dat ze dit kent van de huwelijksreis op Cuba. Leuk, leuk. Het is een prima album. Bijzonder goede productie, best aardige muziek, niet te lang gelukkig, de zanger niet té irritant (al snap ik nog steeds niet waarom die gasten altijd met een dichtgeknepen neus moeten zingen). Het is gewoon niet helemaal mijn genre, maar ik wil hier best eenmalig een 4 voor uitdelen. Zeker als we ook meteen afspreken dat dit het laatste salsa album is dat ik dit jaar hoef te luisteren.

First time I’d ever listened to salsa. Fun sounds, unlike anything I’ve heard in the English language. Really enjoyed it.

Willie Colón is the best of the best. Fun to have Rubén Blades with him on this.

Funky stuff

Latin funk. Loved it

Àlbum de salsa contando historias de la vida, y haciendo reflexiones de la sociedad. Bailable y agradable de escuchar. Uno de los mejores discos que he escuchado de salsa.

this album made me wish I was latino and also not depressed

The first track is really fun! Easy listening, but not knowing the language I didn't really connect with the rest of it.

A real mood lifter. Loved this.

If this were my airport, there would be more of this kind of thing. 4.5 🌟

Without knowing the finer points of salsa music, I can only say so much. Having an appreciation for big band music from having played in a jazz band, I can say that this is a very tight band. There is technical skill, but also a passion for the music that comes through even 45+ years after its recording. I really enjoyed this album and would listen to more. Standout tracks: Plastico, Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja, Ojos

I don’t think I’ve ever intentionally listened to Salsa before, but I think I should do it more often. This album was such a vibe.

Song: Pedro Navaja The generator has been on a roll these past few days with giving me some really interesting, international songs. Yesterday it was Fela Kuti & Afrobeats, today salsa. I thoroughly enjoyed this despite barely understanding a word. It made me want to dance, had a great rhythm and great flow. I don't think I've ever listened to a salsa song, but this was great.

Vraiment plus apprécié cet album que j'anticipais. Même si c'est un style que je n'écoute pas du tout, c'était très entrainant et très accrocheur sans devenir énervant ou redondant. Définitivement un album qui mérite d'être ici et certainement à revisiter. 8/10

A fun album that you can't help but tap your feet to. A true classic.

Stunning gorgeous what a way to start 2024

Solid album. I don’t have a ton to compare it to within its own genre but I know I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Loved it

I am definitely not much for salsa music... ...but I like this. So maybe I just don't even know myself. Good album for good vibes - like how can I be in a bad mood listening to this...great musicianship and sounds more modern than 1978 - and also is working as excellent study/work music. ...and if I keep giving 3s for albums that aren't necessarily up my alley am I really being honest with myself? Just because most days I'm not likely to put this on ahead of the genres i like better doesn't diminish the fact that this is catchy as hell. 7/10 4 stars

I haven’t listen to a lot of salsa/latin jazz, but I loved this record. Couldn’t help but dance to it

Fantastic rhythms full of flavour, great storytelling too. Great album

Fun ngl

I wasn't terribly excited to see that I got a salsa album today, but this shit is dope. Just solid grooves running throughout, with great production that makes it sound much more modern than I would have expected for 1978. There's greatly clarity for all of the minor percussion instruments that help establish the beat. The singing is great, though I have no early idea what they are saying 4/5

i know nothing about salsa but i quite enjoyed this! very pleasant. and i recognized that one song from oliver & company right away 😎

this was a cool album and i really enjoyed it. i like salsa as a genre well enough but i couldn't tell you a single song or artist name. it was cool to hear a lot of it all in one place and try to figure out the lyrics. cool west side story reference as well. the instrumentation and musicianship are just off the charts here. favorites: plastico, buscando guayaba, pedro navaja

What a warm, fun, delicious record. I haven't listened to really any salsa music, but this was lovely. The production sounds great (some amazing bass performances!), the vocals grab my attention even when I don't speak the language, and the album is cohesive without feeling repetitive. There are so many moments and flourishes throughout that would reward repeat listening. I particularly enjoyed the "America" (West Side Story) interpolation in "Pedro Navaja" and the backing vocals on "Ojos". And, as mentioned, the amazing bass work across this album.

Great album. I love Latin music and this is really enjoyable and extremely well executed example. Interesting variety of moods. Too bad I don’t speak Spanish 🇲🇽😌

Great instrumentation and album did not feel repetitive despite strong cohesion between all tracks

Never listened to this before. . . Oh hell yes. Groovy, funk-infused latin beats from Blades. The best selling Salsa record of all time. I dig it. . . Not gonna make the regular playlist, but it is great music!

Vibed with this alot, put me in a cracking mood and couldn't help but dance a little through the streets. Strong 3.5/5

Fun, upbeat music! Great for reading and doing chores to.

Fun album! Really jazzy and funky, made for good background music today.

B+ Plástico 4 Buscando Guayaba 4 Pedro Navaja 4 María Lionza 4 Ojos 3 Dime 3 Siembra 4 If you've never eaten at Casa Corona in Swampscott, MA, it's pretty much just like this.

Interesting! Made me think about a hot summer night in a city. I had NO idea what they were saying but I really liked it

Great sound, all songs fed well and great variety of instruments in each song. Dancy dance for sure

Very fun listen, I almost always love these albums! Just makes me which I could properly dance to it lol. I also had at least on Dicaprio moment of a passage I heard that's been sampled a ton. And the album sounds just like a solid unit, they're having a blast, enjoying the vibes, noit outplaying each other. More of this please! 8 out of 10

I enjoyed everything I heard. It was really smooth and funky - probably the best I've heard of this type of music, but I wouldn't want to hear it all the time. Salsa is something I have to be in the mood for, I think.

Nice one. Been aware of Ruben Blades but never dove into his music. They say in NYC in the 70s there were three separate musical explosions... hip hop, punk, and salsa. I've never had an opportunity to check out the salsa movement nor did I know where to start. I can understand why Ruben is such an icon in the Latino community.

I loved this album a lot. Fun to listen and move around to. Very cool

This is why i'm doing this. Would i ever have listened to this otherwise? no. Am i glad i did? yes something about salsa piano gives me the heebie jeebies, but, the brass section and vocals on this are a delight.

Primo cooking tunes

I wish I was smart enough as one of the other reviewers to come up with a tortilla chip joke.

Salsa! Good salsa. Why does the cover make it look like one of those Salsa for Babies CDs? Radiohead for Babies etc. Best tracks: Buscando Guayaba, Ojos.

Qué sorpresa encontrar este disco aquí. Además, es bien político y eso me gustó.

Now this is more my speed! Great little salsa record we've got here! A great introduction to salsa music, I really enjoy this from start to finish

Conozco a los autores pero nunca los tomé en serio. Mis disculpas. Empieza con tres cañonazos y luego se aplaca pero es un disco completamente imprescindible.

Nice catchy music, unfortunately makes you feel like you're in a theme restaurant.

This album deserves all the love for not being Scum by Napalm Death as well as having such a fire trombone section HL: title track, "Buscando Guayaba", "Pedro Navaja" June 30, 2023 (later)

Something about Latin music that just makes you want to move! Enjoyable under certain environments

I used to listen to a lot more Spanish-lanaguage music (back when I was learning the language in middle + high school and early university) so this felt kind of comforting.

Plastico came right out and slapped the coffee out of my hand with that opening bass line. Song abruptly drops all the funk in favor of a straightforward salsa jam. I'm not mad... I'm just disappointed. Like I still think this is fantastically enjoyable, but I love me some funky bass. Pedro Navaja pulls that funky bass back into the mainstream and I truly appreciate it. Song is a jam that interpolates some West Side Story along the way. Maria Lionza has a chant feature in it (at the end 5:05) that reminds me of a Kendrick Lamar song off of Section 80 (Poe Mans Dreams around 2:22). Unsure if it is actually what was sampled there, but it fits too perfectly. Someone please check this out and tell me if I'm crazy. Well this was an interesting one. I'm not one for salsa per se, but I also don't mind it in general. The funky bass elements definitely were a nice addition that made their presence known in a number of songs. I'd say for what it is, it was better than expected. So between a high 3 and low 4. Nudging because even without favorable biases I found this more engaging than not.

Loved it!

Started a little disco-y, but settled down into some excellent Latin music

Pretty good album.

Nice Latin grooves. Extremely listenable!

day 2 and we get salsa. so far 2/2 in genres I never listen to! this is a vibe though, listened to this while in traffic and felt totally at ease. I know it’s meant to be danced to, but I just want to chill on a beach with a margarita and listen to this. musically, lyrics are pretty big for me so it’s hard for me to connect with a song when I can’t understand it (I don’t speak Spanish). But there are a lot of elements of this I love. Cool instrumentation, unexpected elements, some funky/disco vibes at times that I enjoy. It feels really refreshing listening to it, has an impromptu feel like the band is just jamming. Compared to a lot of over produced stuff today it just felt nice. I do think it started to lose steam a little bit toward the end though Faves - Pedro Navaja, Plástico 3.5/5 rounded up to 4

Nice music. Force you shaking body.

Muy caliente

I find myself returning to this record multiple times over - it’s a very good one.

"Plástico" que buena critica y sátira a la gente clasista, lastima que haya sido compuesta desde 1978, y aún se siente tan moderna. "Buscando Guayaba" De los más disfrutables, ya que me dieron ganas de bailar, el ritmo es genial, y divertido, me gustó mucho. "Pedro Navaja" Un clásico eterno, y de mis favoritas de salsa, no tengo mucho que decir de está. La vida te da sorpresas, sorpresas te da la vida. "María Lionza" Gran tema, habla sobre una diosa o algo así, igual es disfrutable de escuchar. "Ojos" un enorme poema que admira notablemente los ojos de una determinada persona, tiene un ritmo bien sabroso, me encanta. "Dime" Probablemente la balada del disco, ya que es mucho más suave y el piano más melódico. Y la letra es bastante triste a pesar de contar con un ritmo bailable típico de la salsa, "Dime como me arranco del alma esta pena de amor". "Siembra" Una gran metáfora de la vida, y creo que le da el sentido al disco, de lejos la mejor letra del disco. El ritmo de la voz es lento, pero la música es considerablemente rápida.

Love the vibe

For the first few seconds I thought this was going to be shitty, latin disco. But turned out to be a really great album.

Cool beats, fantastic rhythms. Great music to dive into or just have on while you clean the house.

I really enjoyed this album. I enjoy salsa as a whole, but don't listen to it often. This album is very easy going and flows incredibly well. Pedro Navaja was probably my favorite song. This album definitely makes me want to listen to some more salsa.

Good Latin music

4 stars. I love salsa apparently

Beautiful horn line, honestly not knowledgeable enough about the genre to say much more but I found this album delightful and it has made me want to find more salsa music to listen to.

I have definitely heard many of these songs before without even realizing it. I guess it's the "standard" for which salsa music is held to. I liked it!

Salsa is not my jam, but I can understand why this album is the best selling record in the history of salsa and latino music. The opening song, "Plastico" sets up the mood, puts the pedal to the metal and keeps it there for 40 minutes. It's very unlikely that I will listen to this album again anytime soon just for pleasure, but whenever I will end up on a salsa course, or on a party with latino themes, then this will be the first record to put on. It's a very fun album, and a very positive surprise!

Salsa. Pedro Navaja. Un 4.

This made me want to stand up from my desk and start doing the salsa. What a fun album!

I’m not great lover of Latin music, but I really enjoyed this, and inexplicably I recognised a couple of the tracks.

Awesome Samba! Great stuff, makes me want to dance. Very groovy!

This was unexpectedly awesome, never judge an album by its cover.

A lot of fun! Beach vibes!

Tasty

Colon & Blades sounds like the name of a terrible gastrointestinal surgeon clinic in English, but in Spanish, it's the recipe for some amazing music. I award this album 4 dancing babies.

Classic.i like it

Está bueno osi

Great album

I haven’t listened to a lot of salsa. This was funkier and more lavish than I expected. I thought maybe it’d sound more rootsy. Enjoyable throughout

I guess the best-selling salsa album of all time should find its place in such a list, although I admit I know absolutely nothing about this genre. That said, I can still say two things about *Siembra*: first, you don't need to know the history of Salsa very well to appreciate its lush arrangements and instrumentation ; and then, there are many moments in this record where Blades and Colón aptly use other influences, if only for a few seconds ("Plastico"'s disco intro, the nod to *West Side Story* in "Pedro Navaja", that insane Ennio Morricone-like drop in "María Lionza", or the music-hall strings in the title track). All in all, it was a quite leasant first listen. Plus, even though I'm not fluent in Spanish, I feel like the songs are also telling interesting stories. So I hope I have time to revisit this record later on to delve deeper on that other subject and learn what those storie are all about... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

This was very enjoyable, great background music, very atmospheric. Maybe I should not be surprised I recognized one Major Lazer sample from Maria Lionza.

It is physically imposable to be upset while listening to Samba, your body will not allow such a thing and move to the music anyway. A great album filled with beautiful drums and horns and a sexy latin style, not that I know what they are saying but who cares it's the whole vibe that makes it transcend langauage. Favourite track Plástico

Dope !!

Ah, finally some music you can dance to. Include more salsa next time, gringo

B4ng4

3.5 pretty good. Better than a lot of the others!

Vibes

Solid album. Willie and Ruben will go places. 4/5

Brings me back to an evening on Curaçao at the beach with a beer. Good memories.

I don’t know a lot about salsa music but this makes me want to explore more of it.

Pretty nice album of music I don't normally listen to, also pretty cool to hear something familiar from being sampled in different songs

This makes me feel nostalgic to a place I've never been.

Makes me wanna get up and dance. Perfect album for the summertime.

LOVE!

Pretty nice

Прослушано! Отличный альбом, заводной латино, в моём вкусе.

I assume this sounds so classic because it is the standard. Very enjoyable and a nice change of pace from so much brit-pop.

this thing bops. music I normally wouldn't listen to (and still probably won't) but a fun dive.

Saucy, salsa, envigorating music.

I'm a fan of Buena Vista and some latino music but i've never heard that album before...it will become one of my classics Thanks!!!

Refreshing, enjoyed the beats and grooves, this is the sort of new stuff I signed up for.

I have never listened to a salsa album before, but this was really great. Shameful that a Texan hadn't listened to a salsa album before.

Salsa music! Pretty good

Sehr neu für mich, gefällt mir 3 oder 4 Sterne, muss nochmal hören schwierig. 4, weil niedriger standard?

La vie est une fête et je suis la piñata

This makes me think of Three's Company for some reason. I was super excited about watching Chrissy, Janet and Jack trade sexual innuendos in front of Stanley. Similar to this album, I didn't understand really what was going on, what was transpiring, but it seemed fun and sexy and made me happy nonetheless. This too, puts a smile on my face and would happily listen to this again.

I like but I didn’t listen that closely

I was hoping for Latin music and the bass line opening the album lead me astray for a few seconds, but then bam - 43 minutes of diverse salsa music. I’m not always in the mood for Latin Dance but this is an album that will definitely hit the spot.

We take for granted the lovely global rhythms available to us at the click of a mouse. In 1978, were there hipsters with no roots in South America who listened to this? I like to imagine there were but I doubt there were many.

Although I own a few Salsa LPs from back in the day, I abandoned the genre after one too many aborted salsa lessons. I'll give this high marks because 1) I like call-and-response vocals and they have it in every song 2) the late 70s production doesn't have the shrill trumpets of early salsa predecessors from the 50s and 60s 3) there's a fair bit of variety among the songs 4) When Spotify provided me with other salsa artists after it finished this, I preferred Willie and Ruben 5) it was the greatest selling salsa LP of all time.

Salsa, ruhig und lebhaft

Salsa music is fun and something I do not really listen to.

no tää tosiaan on hyvää salsaa! salsa on usein aika tyhjänpäiväistä saman toistoa, tässä tykkäsin joka biisistä. perjantaimeno! (María Lionza -biisin loistavaa introa on Major lazer sämplännyt, kiva huomata)

Such a cool record with so many cool instrumental parts. A great listen.

Nice! Some great samba

Quite enjoyable.

Horns and percussion carry this album. As someone else noted, it sounds like a generic salsa album, but when you learn it's actually the best-selling salsa album of all time, you understand that it's influential rather than derivative. I like it well enough, but I don't know enough about salsa to explain if this good compared to other salsa albums or how exactly it is influential. An enjoyable listen though, and ticks some of the same boxes as Getz/Gilberto's bossa nova album that I also really like.

Finally a Spanish album. I remember my mom telling me about Ruben Blades when I was a kid. This guy is incredibly talented & has a bona-fide music career. I enjoyed this album so much, I listened to three more. I'm certain Blades influenced many modern artists including Ricky Martin. I'm glad this was part of the challenge. Love me some salsa.

this was pretty awesome.

Pretty easy to see why this is one of the most popular Salsa albums of all time. It's easily the best one I've ever heard (out of the 3-5 I've heard). Even without knowing much about the genre, I can tell that this is "good" - there's something about it, from start to finish, that sets it apart.

Liked it

Really fun Latin album, would liven up any party

This is one of those albums that I don’t know how to rate objectively. On the one hand everything all sort of sounds the same but on the other hand I really did enjoy it.

Crisp, lively, 70's Havana vibe. Couldn't understand a word but enjoyed the rhythm and energy nonetheless.

Really enjoyed it, would definitely listen again

Fun, perfect salsa album. Makes you wanna get up and dance

Really lovely album. Loses 1 star due to the fact they have a traffic siren on one song, which limits when I would want to put this on (it freaks me out during car listens, and is annoying at home). But overall some absolutely charming tunes.

I know nothing about salsa but I guess I quite like salsa. This is obviously a good example of salsa, so it’s nice to have a goto salsa album if I’m ever in the mood for salsa. 💃 salsa 💃

Very good! Muy bueno

Yup, it's really good salsa. It made me feel like I, with my lead feet, could dance. I can't pretend I know what the lyrics mean, but this album was meant to be kind of revolutionary? All I know is my summer barbecue playlist has some new songs!

Really fun salsa, surprising amount of variation across tracks. Hard to not want to dance when listening.

This album was fun, I enjoyed it, although I don't speak Spanish so I missed out on some of the topical qualities that made this album so popular. It has a lot of range and is always entertaining. Also I learned that Ruben Blades is the same one who I remember from TV and movies over the years, pretty impressive. Learning about "Pedro Navaja"'s relationship to threepenny opera was instructive, it's a very good homage!

J’adore le cubain, mais je ne connais pas l’histoire du style ni comment cet album s’inscrit dans celle-ci. Ça sonne très authentique, mais pas nécessairement innovateur ou nouveau ou charnière. C’est par contre vraiment excellent. Le son est vraiment bon aussi.

Pretty excellent.

Enjoyable listen

This puts me in a happy place: A Mexican food restaurant eating tacos! Uno mas margarita, por favor.

Nice to hear some salsa to break it up from time to time. Irresistible.

Not familiar with this album and didn't really know what to expect. Lots of surprises throughout: the strong disco feel of the first track, the atmospheric police sirens and brief quoting of West Side Story on "Pedro Navaja," the chanting during "Maria Lionza"... It's hard to resist these rhythms.

Salsa now y’all

The picture of colon that Spotify uses when I stream this album on my tv is just nearly as cool as the album itself. I listen to a lot of salsa and it all sounds exactly the same, but that’s what I like a about it.

It was a lovely album for a Monday morning. Nothing exceptional, but listening to some salsa here is very warming. Four stars

Great sounds, good Latin vibes. Got a bit annoying and repetitive at parts. All in all a good album. Loved the bass.

Some really great samba sounds here / - drawing inspiration from Disco, Swing and Kurt Weill keeps it interesting and creative.

Babies? En español ? Alrighty. The cover is very 70's. Diving in there is an immediate energy and urgency to the music. I tell you what, these guys can play! Unlike the last album I listened to, which was pointlessly complicated, these songs are layered in the best way, with all the different rhythmic and musical and lyrical elements building into a brilliant unified whole. Sometimes funny, sometimes emotional, but always in motion. I want to put on something sexy and dance the night away.

That was a nice salsa album that I want to check out again. The album cover is good a note giving a hint as to what is about to come & it felt ominous in the first notes this was going to be a heavy disco album…thankfully (for me at least) it wasn’t!

On this rainy, cold gloomy day, this a much needed ray of sunshine and warmth! Now, I gotta get up and dance, well maybe. Enjoyable!

very enjoyable, nice latino rhythms,

Excellent, not heard of the artists before but it's a beautiful and enjoyable listen.

Very latin, wanted to go swinging

Buen ritmo. Buenas voces. Muy melódico y caribeño.

This is one of the best Salsa albums I've ever heard. Now I don't know much about it, but the complexity and musicality are on par with the best I've heard. Great album!

Really enjoyable Latin salsa. Usually I find this style of music gets pretty same but there was some really nice variations going on. Something to play again when the weather gets hot and it is time to party on the sand

Excellent!

Superb. Continuingly interesting and a joy to listen to.

This was dope.

Very fun album

Very cool salsa, def gonna read up on the history of this record. lotsa bops

Ne znam zasto toliko volim tu slasu al ju jednostavno jako volim.

Legoh na kauč i uistinu uživah u albumu, malo koji nepoznati do sad je to uspio.

Rubén Blades? The actor? What a fun ride, I don't speak Spanish, so I can't comment on the social commentary aspect of this collaboration. But I do dig salsa music and this spans a range. This Afro-cuban-disco-jazz centric album is a fun listen and I'll definitely revisit. 4/5.

Banger salsa album

💃🏼🕺🏾

Didn't listen to all of it but it was very nice.

Perhaps the most danceable album I've come across on this list. Forget language barriers, this transcends all. If this won't get you moving, what will? Favorites: Plástico, Buscando Guayaba, Dime, Siembra.

Klasse salsa, rytmisk, opmuntrende, catchy, stemningsfyldt

Funky!

Super album, blijft goed die latin muziek

This is what this list is for. I'd never heard of this before and I'd probably have never listened to it otherwise. This is great. I've done only a minimal amount of salsa dancing in my life, but this music makes me want to get up and dance. This is great stuff.

Não conhecia nenhum dos artistas deste álbum; ótima introdução! Ao ouvir, me deu vontade de tomar um mojito na praia, com os pés enterrados na areia.

2/11/2022 Today's Album: "Siembra" by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - This is a fantastic Latin album that covers an incredible amount of traditional Latin melodies with great production and excellent performances. Many moments on this record sound so fun, energetic, or eargasmic that it makes me wish I knew how to speak Spanish. The vocals are incredible, many basslines are groovy and danceable, and the chorus melodies are catchy and pleasant to listen to. Lots of exotic percussion and bright trumpets join the rest of the elements to create a really warm and welcoming soundscape. There isn't much else for me to cover as I don't speak Spanish, but suffice it to say this album is a great listen and I enjoyed it from top to bottom. Score: 8 Groovy Highlights: Plastico, Pedro Navaja

Prefs: Pedro Navaja, Maria Lionza, Ojos, Dime Moins pref: Siembra

Nú er ég enginn salsa maður, og eiginlega alls enginn, en þessi discósalsa rennur mjög ljúflega í mig. Gæti alveg haft þetta í bakgrunni á góðum stundum og jafnvel til að dansa við. Mikið vildi ég samt að fyrsta lagið hefði haldið áfram með byrjunagrúvið í stað þess að fara í sölsuna.

I really enjoyed this. I know nothing about Salsa. I'll have to learn more. Interesting reading about Mack The Knife in various translations too.

Mieltä kohentavia rytmejä ja teki mieli tanssia. Mitään hajua mistä lauloivat, mut nautin kovasti

This album is a mix of salsa percussion and piano at its finest. The songs build up beautifully and "Pedro Navaja" is a masterpiece.

but was actually really funky, I really enjoyed that 8/10

It was about time we had some salsa

Great album. Enjoyed this one

Yea! Wish I had someone to dance with do this album.

So fun! Very fresh sound. Interesting chord progressions and rhythm. Great intro into salsa music.

Me llamo Siembra, esta fuego

Very cool! I enjoyed it a lot. A hidden gem.

Great Salsa music that makes you want to dance.

Nice

really fun latin music 4.5

This was super fun! Love salsa music and this didn't disappoint! Great music for working to as it didn't distract me and helped me to be productive and focus. It put me in a great mood and some of the sounds are really cool/unusual.

Can't say no to this!

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Maria Lionza

Ces personnes parlent un espagnol absolument impeccable. Je pense qu'on peut le dire à ce stade, c'est du très très grand Baltard récompensé par un bleu de ma part.

salsa