Siembra

Not super familiar with the genre beyond it being a stable at a local kebab van (very culturally confusing place) but as an introduction this was nice. I like how the vocals swim over the instruments, which are very good too. The first track was too long for what it did in my opinion and I was worried the rest of the album would follow that structure but it didn’t.

Salsa music tends be a very full sounding musically with the horns, piano, various bongos, drums & bass. That bass on the opening on Plastico was awesome, also the bass on Maria Lionza. The music tends to blend together but that's OK. I still enjoyed the fun music even if I don't speak much Spanish. I caught certain words, here & there. Plastico is a pretty straightforward song even with the language barrier. I will probably never listen to this again but I'm still glad I was exposed to this. The album cover is weird to me. The babies are just weird. It also looks like it could've been made in any Era but the drawings around the babies look like its from the late 60s. It's an odd contrast to my brain. 3

Maybe it's just the day, but this album didn't connect for me. I didn't find that there was anything outstanding or new happening here.

I love how clearly the personality of these performers shines through my lack of Spanish-language knowledge. There's clear joy and power here even when the lyrics themselves are heavier. It's extremely not my kind of music, but it's so obvious why this album is on the list.

Very cool album, great vibes throughout. Favourite track: Dime

Fine.

Me gusta mucho esto!!

Y'all mind if a white boy speaks a little spanish? Fave track: Plástico 4

Some essential salsa. 3.5/5

This is awesome. No notes.

This is fire, it reminds me of summer nights and warm lights and stained glass lamps, it makes me want to salsa. This is is great getting ready/pre-gaming music, it's just enjoyable to listen to.

I didn't really enjoy this, but the fault likely lies more with my tastes than the competency of the artists. I would have said the songs ran a little long, but honestly, they all sounded the same, so I guess where the cuts are is ultimately moot... and not understanding Spanish probably didn't help matters...

The best kind of background music.

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

No idea if this is good or not as am not from south America.

Didn’t give it a great listen but what I heard was lovely

Not had bags of time to listen ti this but what an authentic latin record !!! Doesn’t get any better

Love some Latin music and this is a really great listen. One downside is I would say Spanish is much less sexy when you understand it...

A solid combination of music -- vocals, instruments and arrangement -- made this album an enjoyable listen even if not indispensable.

The music is fun. I can't comment on the lyrics. It sounds like it'd be great at a party.

A Cuban holiday soundtrack in mid February in the UK… why not. Not a bad album

Jolly. But once you've heard one track, you've heard them all.

I don’t know if my old review saved, but I was skeptical of this album at first. I had just finished watching a Fela Kuti live preformance, so my standards were pretty high for big band outfits and communal song writing. I started cooking Shakshuka for lunch and the later half of the album started growing on me, particularly track 5 or 6

I had no idea Ruben Blades did music, but it’s good! Really good!

This is really good stuff. Wouldn't listen to it all the time but certainly when the mood hits. I was a bit worried, the first 30 seconds, because I thought it was gonna be very disco heavy, but it isn't! Great sound. Salsa's not my every day jam but worth a listen for sure.

Good salsa--not usually my jam (or condiment) but this gave me some moves. Top tracks: "Plástico," "Ojos," "Buscando Guayaba"

--Plástico...cool, funky opener --Buscando Guayaba...straightforward salsa --Pedro Navaja...did I hear a West Side Story reference? --María Lionza...the middle section is especially good --Ojos...more fun but it's starting to meld together now --Dime...chunky salsa --Siembra...this one feels a little more epic. some nice orchestration here

LOVINGGGG

It was fine.

Qué buen sabor!!

Objectively good music but it's just not for me. The album cover is also tragic.

Funky, Latin, afrobeat. This album blew me away. I could listen to it on repeat. So good

Another album I would never have heard of, let alone listened to, and absolutely loved.

After a minute-long funky disco fakeout, this turns into a danceable jam of jazzy samba. As a big fan of interesting percussion, there's a lot to like here. Songs effortlessly move from one idea to the next, accented by big horns. While there are clear verses and choruses, there are also some jammy parts. As free as it sounds though, it never really lets loose into something truly amazing. And all of the songs are mostly the same tempo and energy level, which makes things blur together a bit by the end. Still, this is a ton of fun, even if it's not something I'll be dying to hear again soon.

I liked this album I listened to this while making carne asada for dinner (coincidentally). I like to think some of the spirit of this album transferred to the meal, because it was a pretty good batch. This is fun music, like for a big party. I checked out some of the translations for the lyrics, and it does have some heavier subject matter, but mostly songs about love and life. Just good music without many aspirations to be much more that than (which is so refreshing.) Jazzy, upbeat, and holds up to multiple playthroughs. 3.75/5

Un réveil parfait !

Not really one for me. I don't hate it, but nothing here really interests me. I guess I learnt I don't really like salsa music

Interesting listening to this post 2026 Super Bowl with Bas Bunny. Vibes are solid and fun, while not a huge fan usually and going off mostly vibes, this feels likes walking through ybor later at night and hearing the doors open from the various clubs.

too much spansish babo

This was a fun listen.

Willie Colón is an asshole, but he's mainly an asshole because he's so aware of his impact on salsa music that he's a stuck up arrogant little bitch. He's not wrong, and he's probably the reason this particular effort made it to the list. It's also arguably Ruben Blades' best piece of work, and it's definitely his most recognized. The entire A-side is the kind of hits all Latin communities will recognize, but the album as a whole is a salsa standard. You won't meet a cocolo that hasn't heard these songs, it's like sacred pages. The production quality of this effort is of the top tier, it would've been a hit regardless because of Ruben Blades' poetic story-telling capacity. He really paints a picture with his words as he admires the musicality of the genre. We start off with the classic Plástico, a song about shallow, hollow, plastic individuals. After the main descriptors he mentions a classic line that echoes towards the end, it feels something like "Recognize you can see their faces, but not their hearts." That's followed by Buscando guayaba, this song is a little more vague about the search for ones treasure, how hard it might be to find the fruit, but it lends itself to potentially imply a romantic encounter or even the highest high of a drug. The point is an incessant search for that highest quality, and what it might mean to finally snag it. Finishing off the A-side is Pedro Navaja, the lyrics to this have the potential for an entire movie, or at the very least a well shot short-film. It follows a trenchcoat thug, Pedro, he feels cool, walks with security, flashy gold tooth. He catches sight of a woman, presumably a prostitute having an unlucky day, and he marches towards her with a fist in his pocket. As he hurries behind her, she pulls her .38 Smith and Wesson from HER coat pocket to place in her purse so it's no longer in the way, when he pounces and presses his dagger into her— only to receive a gunshot in return. She stares at him bleeding on the ground, and says she thought she was having a bad day, but Pedro is worse off, he's just lost it all. Despite the bang, there were no curious neighbors, nobody cared for what happened, except for a drunk who stumbled onto Pedro's body. He took the revolver, the dagger, and the few dollars Pedro had on him, he then leaves singing the outro to the song: Life is full of surprises. My original vinyl copy has Plástico all scratched up and for good reason, it's hard not to dance to that track. The next few songs keep with the idea of the record, they hold their own weight, they're recognized classics for the salsa loving community. Then it gets to the end with the title track. The title of the album falls short when literally translated, "Plant" or "Planting" doesn't sound as pretty as the metaphor, it has more to do with reaping what you sow. The title track finishes the album off with the message: our future is the children, the love with which you plant that seed will provide the fruit of tomorrow. 4.8/5

Say what you want about the bias of this list but the non Anglosphere ones they’ve put in here are REALLY solid I just really like music that’s easy to dance to, it’s as simple as that. And believe it or not that’s the whole point of salsa. I was tapping my foot all the way through. Im sure it would be fun to look up the lyrics but it’s really not necessary for music like this in my opinion. The only real downsides for me are the relatively repetitive nature of the genre where most songs sound very similar, and the lack of a true standout. Still, when every song slaps I’d be hard pressed to give it lower than a 4. Definitely a 9/10 album imo

It just makes you want to dance I don't listen to salsa on the regular, and if I did I think I would get sick of it, but theres enough genre-fusion going on that each song is very distinct from each other, making it a great listen. I did think the music sounded like the inside of a Chevys, but thats more of a societal problem

Good, not great. A couple good songs, the others not memorable. Closer to 2 1/2, but not close enough to call it a 3.

Really groovy, I don’t know how else to describe it, I have no idea what the songs are about or is being sung, I am just here to vibe along to the music. Very fun to listen to

Did you know that there are only two salsa albums on this entire list? And on top of that, I think they're the only genre that gets only two albums. So, according to the list, the entirety of salsa music you need to hear is one Tito Puente record and this. Though they're not bad picks, if you had to pick only two. Sure, I assume there's more to salsa than just these two albums, but, I mean, from what I've read, this is apparently the greatest salsa album of all time. Yeah, sure. To me, salsa seems like a very groove based genre. As long as the music has a great one and you can lock right into it, you're bound to have a good time. It's a nonstop, consistent party groove, and it's a great time. That sort of groove is present on this album, too, but it's less party focused. With some R&B flavoring thrown in on top for good measure. And it's just a fun listen it's really not anymore complicated than that. Some songs may drag on a bit long, If you like salsa . . . well, this is apparently the best there's ever been, so I can't see any reason why you wouldn't enjoy it. In the end nothing on here exactly gets me bounding out of my seat, but I had a real good time, and that's all I could reasonably ask for. Did I need to hear this before I die? Sure

Well I would certainly have died without hearing this if it wasn’t for this list. Once is probably enough though. Mad samba.

Oh man that album made me anxious. The beat was just too fast and frenetic the whole time I guess? I need a break.

Sure did enjoy this. Where is my mojito? Perhaps my time living in Miami has given me a profound appreciation for latin / Caribbean music. Still can't dance to this but love to listen. Would like to be at the Ball and Chain in Miami listening to this LIVE.

Good

> the Beatles Fantastic

Pretty solid. First track listing South American countries might have been inspiration for Bad Bunny's Super Bowl listing of Americas? Kinda fun for a listen.

Pretty fun

Cookin!

A nice wee curveball for a Monday morning. Can’t say I’ve heard a lot of salsa music in my day but this was pleasant, well recorded and just the right duration. Excellent brass throughout, lovely arrangements. Can’t imagine I’ll listen to it again but it started my week with a bit of class.

Such a classic!

It's good. Kind of samey, but still good. It's more of a background music, lounge music, but it's fun. 3.5/5

387/1089 - This is definitely salsa music.

so nice, really like it

This album was awesome. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was a lot of fun to listen to.

Not for me

Not my type of music, but I thought it was good.

Great Latin discovery! Never heard of these guys before, but man, what a joy to have on. Would love to add this to my collection.

before: never heard this before, expecting Latin Disco, we'll see... after: ...as expected lol. pleasant and lively enough, although not something I'll be listening to again. if I spoke the language I'd probably like it even more

Really fun, there’s not much to dislike about this album. Except, maybe, that album cover…

Great album. Especially as a warmup to the Bad Bunny halftime show

It was fun, but it’s hard to fully enjoy songs without understanding the words

A bit perplexing. Great horn section and good production, but 42 minutes of Salsa is a bit much for me.

Not really my thing, didn't excite me. I liked the rhythm.

This is the kind of album I love being on this list. Among all the britpop it's nice to get a hit of lively salsa. Fun album, this.

Looks cool

Unexpectedly amazing. It's time like these I wish I understood Spanish. The whole thing oozes soul Edit - listened to this half a month ago now, just found out Willie Colon died a couple days ago. RIP

Very nice to listen to and instantly danceable - it's fun! And it's also very well made instrumentally, too.

I’m not a salsa fan ao an entire album was difficult to get through.

Latin music is oké maar niet perse een favoriet. Wel leuk om een sample terug te vinden van een iconisch nummer

If I were rating based purely on how weird I thought the album art was, this would be much higher.

Salsa isn't really my thing, or so I thought, but I really enjoyed this album. Has some funky tunes as well! It's very varied and it's all good.

Certainly is Samba

Enjoyable listen

Loved Siembra

Groovy! If i could speak spanish i’d probably adore this but the language barrier is a thing so i have to just rate it pretty good.

Solid latin groove. I could definitely see myself spinning this up again and falling in love with some of the tracks.

I was worried that this would be a generic disco album for about 30 seconds, and then the band kicked into a proper salsa groove and all was right with the world. Blades, Colón and their band (including 5 trombones and no other horns) are in top form here, and it's impossible to listen along without bobbing your head (if not your whole body). Fun little musical quotes along the way (from the "William Tell Overture" to West Side Story) keep it entertaining. Couldn't tell you what the songs are about, but boy does it groove! Favorite tracks: "Buscando Guayaba" y "Siembra"

fun samba album

3 1/2 Stars: I didn't understand a lick of it, but it's a good time. Honestly, I was hoping for something a little louder, a little more vibrant, a little spicier. This is Salsa afterall. Still, I'm not mad finding my way to this.

A delight.

Lively, well-oiled grooves built from bright brass lines, busy percussion, rolling piano figures, and clear, narrative vocals move this salsa album like a beautifully organized dance hall—perfectly suited for motion and social energy, yet as listening music it feels too functional to invite deeper attention.

I liked this a lot. I don’t really have much to compare it to, but I can understand the acclaim it has gotten. Some of the songs felt a little long to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. 4/5

fantastic salsa

I had never heard this album! I liked it, clearly a very influential album!

4/5. This is a really lovely album and has a lot for those who enjoy the genre. Really not much to say, it's a near perfect execution of salsa. The disco influence at the start is excellent.

TLDR: I appreciated this listen upon closer inspection. This was a quick and easy listen. If I had a single dancing bone in my body I may have appreciated it more, but alas I do not. I appreciated the West Side Story reference in Pedro Navaja and the little I was able to recognize from the Spanish lyrics. Took the time for a second listen and lyrics translation and got a lot more out of the album, most notably the lyrics of Plastico and Pedro Navaja. The style of Maria Lionza was also a standout for me.

Imagine being scared of someone who sings in Spanish. Gtfoh. This is so damn fun Best Song: Plastico Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4

Great musicianship. It sounds like a relic of its era in the opening number with its heavy disco influence. Not something I would have discovered on my own.

1: Plástico 2: María Lionza 3: Dime

Will admit to being a sucker for some good latino. This is the first album I've had of the genre, so feels like it's a bit underrepresented on the list. These are pretty good.

Sons latinos, orchestre avec beaucoup de cuivre (trompettes, saxo). Willie colon a permis de rendre le trombone écouté par le public via ses musiques et ruben blades. Colon a été un artiste latino avec une réelle influence. Cet album est frais a écouter lorsque l’on invite a la maison, pas si redondant même pour un album latino. Album marquant pour la salsa (adopté par les étudiants pour les luttes de paix et les fiertés latines)

ohohohoho YES we funkin good tonight

Even from a cold flat in Scotland I felt the Latin warmth.

This is bordering on 4 stars, however I find that I just wasn't quite getting into the songs as much as I thought I would.

Great music in album! After listening I’d love to learn to salsa

Vot see oli üks hea Salsa. Peakski rohkem Ladina-Ameerika muusikat kuulama.

I understand some of these words. Bumaye

Don't know the difference between salsa and samba, but when I ever find myself in a situation in which I have to bring "the sauce" in a very Latin American sense, I will remember this album.

So fun, really good musicianship. The trombone is crazy good and overall very good vibe

Not really my jam, but its charms were undeniable. Toe tapping salsa greatness.

Probably a good album of this genre, I just don't care for this genre. 3 stars or C-.

I was unsure on this album at first, I didn't think a Salsa album would interest me much, and on my first listen through I was still not sold. A solid 3 I thought. How foolish I was. I cannot keep myself from coming back to this album, and each time I do I find myself enjoying it more and more. If you find this album dull, or that every song "sounds the same" I urge you to listen again, take in each layer sound, enjoy it on its terms, not within the box of what you expect Salsa music to be. Enjoy the back and forth between Ruben Blades' vocals and the backup singers, the horn section, the percussion. There is an energy radiating from the performance here that is utterly captivating. Its fucking awesome. Favourite Track: 7 - Siembra Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

This was great! I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Amazing musicianship.

Wasn't expecting to listen to samba! Not complaining though, it was fun 😜

Colorful Carnival dancing, I can’t tell it’s good or not

A very average album where everything sounded the same to me. Good playing, but nothing stood out to me.

Dare you to frown while you listen to this.

Ive really enjoyed the latin rhythms that have popped up and this is no different. Maybe its because they make it seem like its sunny in my ears and i live in a damp northern european climate in January. Lots of fun and energy and sunshine.

Dynamic and fun, so many great songs that stand above others

Perfect album

Very fun

No so mucho

Salsa isn’t something really listen to, as I’m sure is the case for most here. From what I read, this is a peak of the genre. I enjoyed it, but it certainly didn’t light a fire to become the turning point in my salsa journey. I can say that the rhythms are infectious - the percussive polyrhythms, fluid but punchy bass, piano serving as a melodic and rhythmic supporting the back. The songs are well arranged, performed, and sung. Despite all that, only about half the songs really landed for me. This is one where understanding the lyrics might help my appreciation grow, as what I’ve seen seems interesting. Perhaps one to give a few more tries, as more familiarity with salsa may enhance my enjoyment (or not).

1/28/26. Awesome to come across some salsa, such a fun album! A love the little bits of fusion with funk throughout, especially on the bass lines. Definitely one to revisit again, or when I want to have a good time.

I'm biased but this album is so good. Can't get enough of salsa 4.5/5

Best-selling salsa of all time, original and inventive All song hits

Didn't understand most of the words, but at least it had swing!

I appreciated something different and new to me, but it didn't really grab me.

Felt a bit out of my comfort zone with this one, but quite enjoyed it.

This album makes me want to dance. Which checks out because apparently it was the best selling salsa album of its time. When I first saw the album cover I wasn't sure what to expect. But I really enjoyed this album, it was nice to listen to as I went for a walk on a beautiful sunny day.

This was rad.

Was not expecting such a wide variety of music in a salsa album, but I was pleasantly described by the melodies, harmonies and musicianship.

Labaaai geras. Labai groovy, užbeda tiesiog. Primena stone flower.

Tror sgu det er på listen fordi det er det mest solgte salsa album nogensinde. Det var sjovt at høre det der major lazer havde sampled i sådan et album. Synes også disco delen i starten af albummet var grineren at have med, det tror jeg helt sikkert jeg vil bruge i et sæt. Tror det går godt til at mixe med noget andet. Tror jeg har en dårlig dag i dag, så føler det er mega uretfærdigt at rate noget. Jeg synes ikke det gjorde det store indtryk på mig, det er god salsa musik og sjovt at lytte til. Men jeg ved ikke om jeg har sat mig ind i teksterne nok eller historien omkring musikken. Det er NEw york salsa som er sådan lidt mere urbant og klubbet. Det er altså det som afspejler sig i lyden af swing og hornsektioner. Det er salsa dura som er mere råt og agressivt. Sangene handler om at leve i byen og miljøet som kan arbejde mod én. Salsa er sgu hyggeligt og sjovt at lytte til, men ved aldrig om det er en "niche" som jeg ender med at dykke ned i. Det håber jeg på en eller anden måde, for så betyder det virkelig jeg har bevæget mig i en anden retning.

Now THIS is my vibe. Sounds like a lot of music was inspired by this. 10/10. Good stuff

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

I don’t listen to salsa but this album was very listenable. Good beats and rhythms

Fun as fuck, I’m not hitting salsa music very often and clearly I’m missing out

Very groovy I liked it a lot

Sooo vibey that was fun

Listened Before: No Wowwww I thought this was already good and then the HORNS came in which sent it into incredible territory. Get me some chips and I'm gunna SALSA 5/5 Playlist Add: Buscando Guyaba

Latin is not really a genre I gel with, even if I can hear the skill and style in the playing.

Love!! We should be dancing to salsa at clubs. Sexy by essence of the thing, makes me wanna swing my hips

Fun!

New from the first 10 seconds it was going to be a good one.

This Album was a little disappointing, I’ve actually enjoyed what I’ve heard of other language music, but this was a let down. It is in AOTYs top 500 and the highest rated salsa album I believe but it’s just not my genre. Album Rating: 62/100

Pretty good honestly.

picks:plástico, pedro navaja

SALSA!

Skemmtilegt salsa

Glæsileg salsa sósa. Nógu mismunandi lög til að halda manni á tánum.

it's 3.5

Ok deci asta chiar mi-a plăcut, Spanish vibes gen. Cred ca îi dau un 8

My taste for Salsa has been growing as I get older. Being a latin kid who didn't dance Salsa you get a contempt for it and not fitting in the culture. But years later you're a jazz head, who discovers fusion jazz and latin jazz, finally going full circle discovering Fania and all the same songs you hated as a kid, which you realize sound amazing. This album is Salsa perfection and a pillar in Latin culture. Long live Fania.

Salsa.

I don't listen to this genre on the regular, but this album does it very well.

My fave MJ album, now and forever.

Not for me at all!

Solid album but nothing jumped out at me. The only thing I know about salsa is that I like listening to it when its on so I cant tell if its necessarily good or bad unless its absolutely terrible.

good!! I dont think ive actually listened to salsa music on my own so I didnt fully know what to expect. every song in the album was different enough from each other to make the entire album enjoyable. made me want to dance and drink a cocktail. all this considered, there are other genres I prefer so I most likely wont listen to the entire album again 6/10

It was okay

Not bad, but like very Spanish-style music.

Can you get a 4 on vibes and musical excellence? I guess this review is proof you can. For whatever reason I really gelled with the tempo, enthusiasm and quality of vocals and instrumental work. Normally language is a serious limitation on this type of album, but I found the general sound of it so compelling that it triumphed. Willie and the big trombone wins the day.

Due to being an incompetant Englishman I found this a struggle to engage with. I found one blended into another and could not detect any material change. I dont really like the genre either which doesnt help. I would say this is not designed for me especially as I cant follow the "story". I am sure its lovely...

This one was a test of my limited Spanish skills! Great Latin vibes. I felt a bit out of context listening to this in a drizzly UK suburb in January, but it was full of life and a fun listen. I find it interesting how relentlessly upbeat the music is, juxtaposing lines like "Dime cómo me arranco pa siempre el inmenso dolor" with wiggle and a smile. For some reason I always feel like samba works best as music to cook to... I might have fajitas tonight.

Very-very nice!

Loev it

Some good jams here, but I have no business reviewing this album. I just have no context for this genre. I'll bet this would be tons of fun to hear in a smoky nightclub somewhere much further south of where I am right now.

I haven't heard of Willie Colón and Rubén Blades before, and I know almost nothing about salsa, so this was another album where I was starting from scratch. I enjoyed it even as it started to blend together for me, probably because of the language barrier. But this was pretty enjoyable.

Not bad at all, although I’m not sure it quite hit the mark as well as it could have.

Overall Rating - 4.50/5 (9.00/10). I do love me some Latin Jazz.

I haven't listened to that much salsa music but found this a really enjoyable album.

Funky Jazz

always forever bb

197/1001 Willie Colón/Rubén Blades - Siembra Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I really enjoyed this for what it was. Do I have the knowledge to know this is an exceptional/groundbreaking salsa album? Absolutely not. If I ever return to it, it'll be at the peak of summer.

5/5 Ritmicamente impressionante, rico em texturas e irrepreensível harmonicamente.

Good vibes and a lot of fun

Would have sounded better at a seafront bar in Spain with a Tequila Sunrise in hand rather than a cold January in Yorkshire with a Lemsip. 2/5 14/1/26

this was very fun! I think that, as a white and uncultured boy, I cannot unlock the full potential of this album, but the instrumentals are so fun and the backing vocals are wonderful

You know, it felt like last year there was about a month where my Spotify weekly recommendations were just “oops, all tropical.” This album stood out among others I’ve listened to in the genre

tell you what, these horns fuck. this is a groovy album! some funky bass shit happening in "María Lionza" to break things up juuuust when the album starts to feel a little samey. i struggled between giving it a 3 and saying "it's a high three tho" or just giving it a 4, and the longer i listen to the second half of the album specifically, the more i think it's a 4. while i may not revisit this one nearly as often as other 4s i've given out, i feel like this album does meet my completely arbitrary and largely artificial criteria for scoring a 4

banger

Pretty cool, not as good as the Cuban album from a while back though. A bit too much of the same thing over and over

Fun stuff, sounds very fresh despite being released so long ago. Colón's wiki page is a wild ride of names. It's fun reading the lyrics and then understanding Colón's politics...

Had high expectations with the opening disco line but it didn’t come back to that or move anywhere past what it decided to do instead

I enjoyed this quite a bit on my first listen and then slightly less on my second but it’s still very good and the occasional abrupt genre shifts were enough to keep me excited.

Im positive that I’ve flipped past this in the used bin at a record store before, and I should’ve given it a go — Latin jazz is great. Lots of life, love the Latin country roll call, fuck ICE.

Very energetic album with some strange sounds at points, no idea what they were singing about but it was catchy. Wouldn’t listen again.

Makes me want to dance. Great horns!

This was a really good album. The Spanish wasn’t to bad to understand either and on relisten I could probably pick some words out get a gist of what’s going on. The one song I think was asking when a lady he liked was going to move on from her grief which is kinda wild.

Fun

i don’t know if i can get into salsa

Social commentary with a side order of Salsa.

Alright for some...but not for me

Soothing and smooth.

Gute Sache kann man mal laufen lassen

Very fun!! enjoyed this listen

3.4 I appreciate a bit of samba, but never knowingly put it on. First two songs were really good, although after that I struggled to enjoy it as much. Always reminds me of cruising down the streets of Vice City as a 14yo with Espantoso playing.

Review - This was a good album - not listened to salsa before and it's got me interested, although research tells me this is a very unorthodox salsa album so idk if liking this means anything Good songs though and some v fun slap bass parts. Rating - 7.5 Need to hear? YES

Not my vibe but interesting AF, might one day listen to it again with translation

Great Latin album.

Other than a spot or two where they ventured into disco territory, this was very good and enjoyable. It was fun, energetic and relaxing in a feel-good way.

You ever expect an album to be "good and nothing more" based on past experiences with the genre that the album's from and the kinda weird album cover only to be surprised like crazy that the album's actually pretty great? Bit of a hyper-specific situation, I know, but that's what happened to me today. This album is way better than I thought it would be! I've never disliked salsa music, but it's never been something that I've really loved per se. Combine that with this album cover that's kinda weird to be honest and I went into this expecting something akin to a high 3/5. Uh, yeah, I was wrong. This is actually really freakin' good. Of course, the energy is as present as I would've expected it to be. That's the one thing I've always been able to appreciate about the genre is the energy behind it. There are things that make Siembra stand out though. The bass stands out more, which I always love to hear. This album actually manages to make most of the songs stand out, which is impressive. I feel like salsa has a bit of a reputation where people think that every song sounds the same, so it's nice to hear an album like this that dispels that myth. I think the thing that really surprised me was the songwriting. I checked the translations, and this thing actually has a pretty good collection of stories in its lyrics. Super respectable. Apparently this is the best selling salsa album in history, and I can see why. While I can't imagine that I'll have a ton of times in my life where I'm really craving salsa music, I can say for sure that this album will come on if that time were to come. I dig this. High 4/5.

Was a fun listen, will I listen to more, or explore more, unclear

Un artiste genial, legendario. Amplio diversitad aqui. Puedo escuchar a artistes como asi cada dia. Absolute legend Willie Colón. Amazing artist with so many songs to love. Resonated really well with this album. For anyone who also liked it please look at more of his music, because its a treat for sure. Hope to find many more albums from him here. Goated. Sin Somoza claro que si.

Wow this is simply amazing. A wonderful breath of summer air between all of the 80's and country music. The instrumentals are mixed clearly and make you swing around in your seat. Will definitely be listening again. 9/10

The first notes start and immediately I know I'll be in for a treat. Sadly later the songs became a bit less soul and more salsa, though still thoroughly enjoyable. Probably won't put it up again but a fun listen. 7/10

Willie Colon and Ruben Blades created a masterpiece of an album. When I heard the opening of Plastico I thought they were dabbling in disco a bit before the salsa groove kicked in fully. Baldes’ lyrics speaking a sort of social commentary on material wealth. This is still relevant today. Most of these songs are timeless and just beautiful written. The music is played well arranged perfectly. I can see why this album is listed as the top on so many lists. It’s just so good.

i feel bonita

About the superficiality and artificiality of the 70s society. Violence creates more violence, you get what you give. It's about liberty, freedom from colonization and pride in Latin American culture. María Lionza is a figure in a 20th century religious movement that blends African, Catholic and Indigenous beliefs, she stands for nature, peace, harmony and love. The album cover reminds me of exactly that. It to me resembles harmony among all people and with nature. The innocent idea that everyone and everything on the earth can coexist. Ojos = eyes. Eyes stand for clarity and truth, the song talks about all kinds of eyes (of all kinds of people) waiting for truth and freedom, seeing beyond the shallowness and lies of the current world (leaders). Willie Colon (New York born, Puerto Rican parents) turned Republican 2016, Ruben Blades (Panama)

Very fun. Definitely reminded me I need to learn more about Blades’ music career. I was dropping my daughter at school after winter break, so it was the perfect record to get her ready for Spanish class.

Good album to put on as your entrance music when you join a Zoom meeting

Very enjoyable Latin/samba music, could definitely see myself putting it on again. Going with three stars because there’s no standouts or individual songs I’d revisit by itself

Awesome background music, have listened a few times already but honestly no single track sticks in memory.

Coming out of the gate hot with that funky bassline....this is music that everyone can like. I was expecting a bit more genre shifting after that hot start, but it went to pretty straight salsa/Latin music. Very enjoyable and fits a very specific mood.

MUUUUUUUUUUY BUENO

Fun to listen to.

Completely new artist for me. Enjoyable if not memorable

Not even finished this album yet but have already had so much fun from it. Really, really great music that I'm chuffed to have heard! :) Yay for new discoveries! :)

Salsa isn’t really my thing but this is pretty good

When an artist's Spotify bio begins with a quote from the International Trombone Association you know you're in for something different--I don't typically listen to trombone-heavy music. And all I can say is, yes, it was something I wouldn't typically listen to and it was pleasantly fine.

I speak spanish and love this one, he's a storyteller fr

This is a fun one, apparently one of the best selling samba records of all time. The music is great and the musicianship is top notch. That said, and I've said it before, I don't understand sitting around and listening to dance music. I suppose I could have gotten up and samba’ed. Anyway, it's very good but I’ll probably never listen again

It's fine. Pretty much what I expected from a Salsa album. It's not my type of music.

This is a very mediocre salsa album. I will say though that it is representative of the genre but plain and boring.

This was great - super enjoyable. Really nice instrumentation on this album. A solid 3.5 for me.

Am I hearing this right? Something that's not in English? An album that's not American or British? Robert sweetie, are you fine? Were you having a fever? Was the day you added this the day you found out the world has more than two countries? You took a geography lesson by mistake? Even now, he doesn't pick something that does anything outstanding. This album is fine, but that's about it. I could name 10 Latin albums that should've been on this list but aren't. I'm not part of this culture at all, but this is the type of music that plays at weddings at the request of the drunk unmarried uncle in my country, so I doubt it's THAT exciting for Latinos either.

Outstanding. Right up there with the Buena Vista Social Club.

Yesyeyseyyeysydysyeysyeysyeys get me to South America and get me on the cocktails 4.8/5.0 Best Song: Ojos

Funky and fun, it’s maybe a little bit cheesy in a way though? A bit soft jazzy at times, lil something from a restaurant in then 70s in America? It’s very easy listening though, you wouldn’t turn it off, and it gets you tapping your feet.

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

I respect the very talented musicianship and singing on display here, but the music doesn’t speak to me. I found too many small aspects that were featured in the songs to be distracting.

Loved

4/5

Flawless perfection

Salsa music is just so pleasant and I will probably never listen to any of it outside of being forced to

Siembra feels definitive. The horns are bold and muscular, the rhythms are infectious, and the album balances joy with substance in a way that’s hard to pull off. This is music that moves your body immediately while still rewarding attention, whether you’re focused on the arrangements or just letting it fill the room. Willie Colón’s trombone gives the record its spine. It’s punchy, gritty, and confident, grounding the grooves and giving the music a physical presence that’s impossible to ignore. Rubén Blades brings intelligence and narrative weight without ever draining the fun out of it. The songs feel lived in, communal, and deeply connected to real people rather than abstract ideas of genre. What really seals it is how naturally this album fits into life. It’s not precious or distant. It sounds great while things are happening around you, and it also holds up as a focused listen. That combination of accessibility, musicianship, and cultural impact is rare. This is a clear five stars for me. A high-water mark for a style of music I enjoy, and one that earns its reputation not just historically, but in the present moment as well.

I've been a little lukewarm on many of the world music entries on the 1001. This record is good music which just happens to be world music. A critical distinction, I think.

he bim ufrume glost nöd chöne notize mache, aber huuuuuere freud gha. paar songs hani scho kennt, riese bangers. vieri.

PANAMA PRESENTE han ja echt KEI ahnig vo salsa unf eird glaub nöd würkli chönne bewerte, öb das "guete salsa" isch ABer ich gnüsses gad sehr und das langed mier förig william darm cool maría lionza het recht en geile ahfang jaa ich han huere spass gha! NOMAL LOSE

Enjoyed this, nice bass and instrumentation, nothing extremely special but a nice listen

Authentic salsa music had me moving round the office.

Such a joy to listen to this soft music filled with Latin motives. The entire album does non-stop. Added all tracks to my collection and have already listened to it twice !

I couldn’t get into it. DNF

Good stuff as I'm really loving the vibes of these Latin Jazz choices and this felt like a masterclass on rhythm and storytelling. It’s not just "background music", it’s an energetic piece of art. The interpolation of "America" from West Side Story was a nice touch.

Siembra approved

I fully intended to say "it does what it says on the tin" but I think it ended up being a fair amount better than that. May give it another listen.

Album No. 0099 on my list. I'm not that much into Latin music, so "Siembra", by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades was actually something completely new to me. I have to say that I did enjoy the album though! Salsa is just such a cool genre, and the songs on this are really great. I guess I'll never listen to this because I'm in the mood for some cool salsa music, but this makes it all the better to play in the background regularly. Cool stuff! I'll add "Plástico", "Buscando Guayaba", "Pedro Navaja", and "María Lionza" to my playlist. 4/5 stars!

Done

Generally don’t care about salsa but this one wasn’t too bad.

Nicht interessant...

Not my thing genre-wise, but it was very joyful and fun. Love the reference to West Side Story's America in one of them too.

One album a day is pretty tough and maybe not enough time to spend with something to really pass judgement, but having said that, I think that if an album invites you to revisit it again that should immediately add another star for me.

Life gives you surprises, indeed! Because this album was a relatively new discovery for me, and I LOVED every minute of it! The rhythms and melodies are delicious, and vocals and lyricism are magnificent. I now wish that this album list had more salsa in it.

#798. I couldn't be bothered to look up the lyrics, so I don't know what they were singing about, but what I do know is that this shit slaps. 4/5: excelente

I was not previously familiar with the artist or the album. This is a disco-influenced salsa album. It is catchy and makes me want to dance. This is not music I would typically listen to but I enjoyed it for what it was. I could see listening to it again if I was in the mood.

Pretty good

A very upbeat and fun listen, couldn't help but dance along. All tracks added to my liked list on Spotify, all a bit long to be regular plays but will be nice to revisit once in a while. Also nice that I can practice my Spanish whilst listening trying to translate and repeat the lyrics.

Plástico is no Que fàllo. Love from the jump. Musicality, beat and brass. I kind of love it. The storytelling and lessons in the (translated) lyrics speak truth, I think. Listened before? N Saved tracks? N Favorite tracks? Plástico, Siembra, Pedro Navaja, Ojos ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really Liked it. Saved some tracks.

I know Rubén Blades as the formidable Daniel Salazar on Fear the Walking Dead. This should be interesting. The horns are fantastic. I'm glad Deezer translates the lyrics for me. Pedro Navaja tells quite the story. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja, Ojos, Siembra ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Really liked it. Saved a bunch of tracks.

A good album. Some of the songs blended together a bit, and it fell on it's face in the last moments, but not bad overall. 3/5

Pretty good. Very dance-able music and fun a listen.

Loved this. Added a couple to my cooking playlist.

Album cover is a classic. Listened once and enjoyed. Feel like a good album to have in your back pocket for just the right dinner party. Could go down a storm in the right setting. But I've never hosted a dinner party.

High 3 first minute of first track takes us in an exciting disco samba direction. sadly moved to straight samba for the rest. nothing wrong with that but disco samba would of been fun

Don't even know how to rate this. From the little I understood, Willie and Rubén attempted to unite Latin America with salsa. Pretty fun tbh

Bait and switch with the disco bass at the beginning of this record is wacky. The rest is fun salsa from actor/musician/activist Rubén Blades and arranger/musician/band leader Willie Colón and their band. In case you didn't read the wiki article, this is the best-selling salsa record ever. I haven't ever deliberately listened to any other salsa records because I'm slightly allergic to congas and bongos, but this one is pretty OK. I would recommend this album if it was the only salsa record you hear before you die.

bing bong fuck this album 1/5

Good! Fun and easy to listen to it!

It's always funny listening to something on this list which isn't rock or pop. For one thing, it has to represent it's entire genre and for another, it gets a sort of burst of additional interest for not being yet another 60s hippy album or 80s new wave album. It's something different! So, I liked this a lot. Initially I thought it was going to be a disco album given the strings and back-and-forth-on-the-octaves bass line. But that sound only returned for the final track. Yeah! Good! I felt like I should be in the movie "Chef" drinking a tequila and wiggling my hips in a way I've literally never done. But maybe that's the other point, it's totally not in my day-to-day culture, so I don't know if I'll come back to this and play it again. Maybe if there's some sort of salsa party? Anyway, Yeah! Good!

Really enjoyed this. Will revisit.

I remember when Len Houmous missed a meeting to collaborate on this album. He thought Willie Colon was a fake name and a prank by Ken Chutney! 2.4 2/7 Buscando Guayaba

Cool Salsa Album

Ehhhhh. I want a margarita now but that might just be because it's mid December and I'm craving summer.

I have had this album on my hard drive for over a decade and always thought I knew what it was. I didn't. Now I do. It's incredible.

Well, I judged this album by its name and turns out I wasn't wrong. Salsa isn't really my jam unless the food type. But dude does have a great voice.

Not really my thing, nicely done though.

Good vibes all the way around

Fun

good shit

Being born in Latin America, of course I was familiar with most of the tracks, as they are so essential and generational for salsa music. However, I am (or was) a person who has never liked the genre and always thought it sounded the same, so I never really paid much attention to these tracks before. After listening carefully to Siembra, I noticed its richness, the lyrics, the incorporation of other genres... And now, I have no choice but to admit it is indeed a musical masterpiece

Makes you want to dance, as much Latin music does.

Tasty salsa. Love it!

A little groovy at times. Definitely imagine myself cooking in my future kitchen with a glass of wine while listening to this album. Overall gives off good vibes, makes me want to learn how to dance. Favourite song was probably Dime.

no

Vibes het album! Benieuwd of ik dit een heel album trek, doet me meteen een beetje denken aan de Buena Vista Social Club waar ik heel lekker op ga! Ho ho ho eens even, vind ik daar zowaar het originele sampletje van Bumaye?!?!? Ik dacht al die tijd dat de Typhoon versie de orginele was, maar blijkbaar zit er een nóg ouder sampletje achter. Besef me nu ook wel hoe dom het is om dat te denken, maar goed. Moet wel even benadrukken dat, hoewel ik het best wel lekkere muziek vind, het wel echt achtergrond muziek is. Als ik andere albums vaak standaard 13 in een dozijn rock heb genoemd dan noem ikdit toch wel een beetje 13 in een dozijn salsa. Is dat omdat dit dé standaard is voor salsa? Beetje zoals de Beatles dat voor rock zijn? Dat kan, daar weet ik dan weer niets vanaf. Wat ik wel weet? Dit is een zomers, vibey album. Ik denk dat als het lekkerder weer was geweest dat ik dit meer had kunnen waarderen dan nu helaas. Voor nu; prima album, niet heel bijzonder maar leuk dat er eens een genre in staat dat we nog niet echt gehad hebben. FAVO: Plástico, Pedro Navaja, Maria Lionza

A very interesting mix of musical styles. Really quite enjoyed it.

Joyful interessting lyrics

sometimes the album of the day fits a vibe I didn’t know I was searching to curate. salsa music on a rainy cold day was exactly that

får en att röra på höfterna och det känns som minimum, men också typ att det inte går att önska sig mer. det gör ett bra jobb med vad det försöker, men är inte speciellt ambitiöst.

I mean so här: musiken var rätt nice. MEN det är clearly meningen att man ska dansa till den. Att bara LYSSNA på den gav inte så värst mycket förutom "kul att utforska nya genrer". Och jag avskyr att dansa

Många bangers men albumet som helhet var mindre än summan av sina delar

¡Sixten! ¡Presente! Tänk att sitta i skymningen på en strandbar på Kuba och spela backgammon med nån kommunistgubbe samtidigt som detta spelas i bakgrunden. Dröm.

Brukar störa mig på latin men jag har haft jävligt roligt med den här jäveln.

Vissa stunder vill jag ge en tvåa och andra en fyra. Landar på en stark trea. Skulle behövt marinera mig en vecka i salsa för att kunna göra en bedömning.

Salsa. Nej tack. Jag är inte presente här. Får mest ångest och kan inte få bort den tills nu förträngda bilden av stringtrosan som dansade överallt på UKKs salsakväll. PTSD. Uscha.

inget jag kommer lyssna på igen men det var inte dåligt direkt!

Bra tryck i produktionen!

Sounds the same as everything my wife's mom listens to... probably not the right person to be rating this as I hear a lot of very similar music and its not really for me.

It’s canny. Sounds like one of the best of its style, but I’m no expert. And that’s part of the problem I think, kinda sounds like a lot of other things. But I like it.

I really like the first 5 minutes of salsa music and after that it starts to grind me down a bit, I think because if you're listening to salsa you're going to hear exactly the same tempo and beat until you stop. Right place right time I could enjoy this and I certainly wouldn't have heard it otherwise so glad it came up but I pretty much knew how it sound before listening. 2.5.

María Lionza is really good, the brass nonsense is quite stirring, and the rest is fantastic salsa. Almost leapt out of my sofa a few times straight into salsa basic, but I didn't. Lost a bit of patience near the end, but realised it was because I'd listened through twice. No regrets. Scrapes a 4.

The opening few bars of the first track had me thinking I might've got this album wrong.... But no, it became exactly what I thought it would be soon after. It might be the best salsa album ever, but it's lost on me. It's nice enough, but not my thing and I'm never going to choose to listen to it Also.... Willie colon teehee 2