Siembra

Who doesn’t love Latin music?? So fun and energetic. Definitely needed this.

I’m not the biggest fan of salsa, but this was really good. It’s like a funky salsa. Kind of reminds you of eating dinner in a chi chis.

decent record, sounded okay

I enjoyed this. The horns and strings were a nice touch.

Catchy music, not generally for me but enjoyable! Solid 3.

Good times. Muy caliente

Wish I had some chips for this salsa. This was pretty enjoyable.

Something about the vocals are just amazing. You’d have to be in the mood to listen to something so different and Venezuelan like this, but it’s so enjoyable and only a short album. I feel like Escobar listening to this. Would create a drug empire off the back of this, 7/10.

Oke echt wel een cool album. Onverwachts, buiten mijn comfort zone, maar wel een vibe. Bij hogere temperaturen had ik dit misschien een ster meer gegeven. 3.4

I didn't know what I was getting into, but did not use a private spotify session. I like the rhythms, did not understand the lyrics. I meant to go back and listen to it again in the afternoon, but did not get a chance.

Despite understanding mayhe 10 words it was well produced with good instruments

Siembra kind of gave me flashbacks to playing the Tropico games — laid-back, tropical vibes with a political edge hiding underneath. The mix of salsa, funk, and commentary works well, and the musicianship is solid. It’s got a smooth, chill sound that makes for great background music, even if it didn’t completely blow me away. Definitely a cool listen, just not something I’d keep on heavy rotation.

I enjoyed the general vibe, but a lot of the tracks over stayed their welcome. Maybe the lyrics would’ve kept my interest better if I spoke the language, but normally the music is enough on its own.

I enjoy this. I’m not super into salsa and I think it may be a bit lost on me. But that’s probably just me not getting it.

Good tunes nothing spectacular.

Spicy latin music that gets the blood flowing

Why does he like guyaba so much?

Reminds me of holidays in Cuba!

This was fine. Fun, even. But will I ever seek it out again? Almost certainly not.

One woulda preferred they stick with the direct disco beats with which this opens, but this is fine otherwise. Not that one's moved to anything like transcendence, though it's undeniably bright and warm and clave-swings pretty steadily throughout, with some lovely touches by both castanet player and backing vocalists. This feels no better than replacement level and sorta below average for this list (even grading on a curve for the language barrier). One should probably be expected to speak salsa to know how good this is. Glad it sold so well.

Fun album Must be more enjoyable in the summer

Not a bad listen for a Saturday morning!!

SALSA! pretty good fun album. Good background music.

A vibe for sure

I have a complete lack of opinion on this and I don’t like the babies on the cover

Siembra is definitely one of the more different albums that i have looked at. I wasn't really expecting to see any salsa music on this project but this album corrected me on that front. That's not to say the album is a bad one. The songs here are decently catchy and definitely scratch that salsa itch if there is one. The songs can tend to get a bit repetitive in some places but the album was short enough to the point where that was not too much of an issue. I still can't seem to get over how much i wasn't really expecting to see an album like this, guess i should have expected it from the salsa tag being there. I still think this album is alright. Best Song: Maria Lionza Worst Song: Ojos

a pretty cool listen!! seemed more funk influenced than i originally assumed it was going to be which i think definitely made it better. tough between low 4 and high 3

2.5

Kinda the same issue I had with Tanto Tempo. The unfortunate association I have with this music is either soundtrack or dance music, and not listening music. It's really good for those things, but not something I'd ever go out of my way to just put on and listen to.

Enjoyable Latin Jazz. Lots of spirit and energy

A perpetual motion machine created out of layers and layers of rhythm from the rich percussion, bass, even the way the piano is played like a drum at times, and the multiple melodies from vocals, horns, guitars & piano to create rhythmic counterpoints.

Hehe, Willy Colon It was fun. All salsa sounds the same to me, and I more or less equally like it every time

C'est super, je n'écoute pas tellement de musique latino mais cet j'ai trouvé cet album très bon ! Coups de cœur : - Plástico - Buscando Guayaba - Dime - Siembra

io e la salsa non ci mescoliamo troppo, nel senso che un po' mi annoia. però a piccole dosi è groovy da morire e gli strumenti sono *chef's kiss*, quindi non riesco fisicamente a dare una valutazione negativa.

Saucy Salsa from a bygone era.

Perfectly fine, warm and sunny and upbeat. Plenty of worse records have sold more (and better ones fewer) so glad this enjoyed its commercial moment.

The only thing working against this album is the Scottish winter weather - would be exceptional on a Cuban beach with a mojito and a big cigar

Solid musicianship but the songs did tend to bleed into another which dragged the album down a little bit. Still decent but salsa isn't totally my jam. Need to be in the right mood.

Salsssaaaaaaa! 3/5

Fun change of pace! Loved the instrumentation. But this isn’t really my jam, especially for 7 songs in a row. 3/5

some really fun musical arrangements here. more variety than expected. the type of groovy that's equally good for letting loose and for locking in

Fun latin album. I enjoyed the nod to West Side Story. Probably not an album I'll listen to again because I have Buenavista to fill this itch when it needs scratching.

it seems fine, not really my bag

Hispanic music

It’s alright 3/5

Had some good moments but this is more background music for me.

Jess said this has been her favourite so far. Fun to dance to!

A couple songs went pretty hard but otherwise it's what my uncultured brain expects from a Latin album and not much more

I liked this album more than I thought, because this is really not my style of music. I can't see myself ever returning to it, but it was upbeat, energetic, and an easy listen.

Wasn’t on my radar but I kinda liked it

Did you know Ruben Blades was Minister of Tourism in Panama?

Somehow made salsa sort of acceptable. The very start of the very first track, where it sounded like it was going to be a disco/ salsa blend set me up for a bit of a disappointment when this wasn't followed up in the rest of the album, but it wasn't too big.

samba

3/5

I thought I would enjoy this more with loving Gloria Estefan as a kid, but I was indifferent. This is not a reflection on the quality of the album, but on my personal taste.

Took a point off because of the sirens in the one track

A genre I’m not going to actively listen to but great to put on for a vibe

No. 260/1001 Plástico 4/5 Buscando Guayaba 4/5 Pedro Navaja 4/5 Maria Lionza 3/5 Ojos 3/5 Dime 3/5 Siembra 3/5 Average: 3,43 Started out really strong, but lost some steam towards the end. Still enjoyable listen overall.

Good, but not for me. I imagine a cool vibed nightclub sound.

Pleasant

Day264 - a fun album that deserves a drink in your hand

I have never listened to salsa. I can’t rate this album normally. I just listened to first two songs from album and understand: It’s 100% not for me. I like Spanish songs, but not like these. So 3/5.

I can tell that I like this, but I have never listened to salsa before so I don't really know what to make of it or what to rate it.

I have never listened to salsa music and didn’t think I could sit through 40 minutes of it nonetheless but pass me some chips please cause I wanna dance

ehh this was fun but im not super into it

Solid

Good but didn’t make it through. Intro on the top listened track was legendary.

3.3 stars rounded down.

Funky salsa? Kinda digging it.

I liked tracks 2 onwards more than the opener with the disco. Overall pretty enjoyable - some excellent horn playing. But it also doesn't quite have enough variation to keep me engaged for the whole album.

It was interesting to hear that very popular single within the context of the rest of the album.

Not my music, but he use every vocal, rhythm an instruments to make an varied album… 5/10

Pretty good.

Solid latin tunes

Latin feel 感觉会在餐厅小酒馆之类的地方播放，悠闲惬意的感觉

Very vibey

Thoughts before listening: I've heard of these performers, but I do not believe I've heard their music. I also do not recognize the album cover. Perhaps latin jazz of some sort? I definitely think this will be a first time hearing this. Review: Sounds like I'm at a Mexican restaurant. This is definitely a fun listen even if its not necessarily my cup of tea. I do remember going to Peru and this type of salsa music was everywhere so its bringing back very good memories. Even at dance clubs you'd hear Usher followed by a salsa song. I am glad to have been forced to listen to this today. 3-stars

Quite enjoyed this! Would like to dig into these guys’ catalogues a little more…

I’m not too familiar with this genre so I’m not sure how this stands out but I quite enjoyed it! Seemed like at least one of the songs had a satirical bend which I thought was cool even though I didn’t fully understand

Came out of the gates with a banger opening track. Never reached such highs again but was enjoyable throughout.

Not my jam, but perfectly enjoyable.

The trombone player on this 🤌

Now I know where every Mexican restaurant I've ever been in gets their music from.

Tangy tomatillo

Pretty good - I love it when they do a roll call of countries in latin music (see Plastico)

I can’t really comment as I’m not very familiar with salsa. It was fine. Rating: 3

I like a lot of latin music but wasn't a fan of this. I didn't feel the energy to dance. I wanted to like it but it just didn't strike me. I might try listening to it again since I wasn't paying a ton of attention. My grounds manager at my appartment listens to a lot of what I assume is salsa when he dances in the parking lot. I was a little stressed yesterday for my tournament but I put this on while I was cleaning.

I came close to turning this off until I heard Maria Lionza and needed to figure out who sampled it. I listened to it 4 times before figuring it out. https://youtu.be/n4ZIPIwGkGk?si=6Z-n-5pbCqHo9GrQ I didn't really care for the rest of the album.

Not my cuppa tea but interesting and I did enjoy most songs on the album

Disco Salsa from 1978... Very enjoyable. 3/5

I'm sure this is a great album but samba just is not not really for me.

Not really a fan of this type of music but appreciated the talent here.

It made me want to seat-dance.

the best salsa album ever recorded by a cast member of Predator 2

Fínt að dilla sér við þetta.

I don't speak spanish and I'm not well versed in salsa music, but based off pure vibes this was fun.

Enjoyed it. The disco-esque intro really threw me off but it quickly resolved into what i was expecting.

Mario music

This was fun! Unfortunately (and this was definitely mostly to do with me being home from college), this album led to a week-long procrastination of album listening, so it loses a star for that. But I really did enjoy this! I would never listen to salsa music normally, so I appreciate getting the chance to hear this.

This is not an album to listen to in your car. The first song made me think something was clunking around in the back of my car, and then that other song had a siren in it. Not the kind of music I usually listen to but it was totally fine

Fine. Likely due to my unfamiliarity with this genre of music, I find it challenging to observe the nuances in this album that place it above its peers and as being worthy of its place on this list. That lack of comprehension is a failing on my part.

Very good, though probably not something I would listen to again? A fun time, though I believe the lyrics are political, I don’t speak the language.

Latino.. se hai voglia è un buon album

6/10 good vibes but forgettable

Buscando Guayaba Pedro Navaja María Lionza Although I didn’t know what they were saying I could feel the energy in their words. The instrumental section was good though, but the album itself did not stand my mind more than an hour after listening to it great to listen to and fun to dance too.

- Honestly a lit vibe I enjoyed this for what it was - I want a Corona

- good vibes

Super fun. Latin beats and horns were super groovy, and fun to listen to. It was really creative and vibey. I had a great time with this one.

Much better than the other salsa album I got

I didnt think this was the best

Too sad for this joy Too naive for this high art Too bad, it’s charming

The biggest trouble with this list is that music is very much about the context in which it is listened; I did enjoy this much more than I thought but I'm sure if I was sitting in a tropical setting with my wife, a pina colada and able to swing my hips I'd enjoy it a lot more than listening in an office in Devon while it is pissing down outside.

high 3

Pedro Navaja I gather is like a hispanic Mack The Knife…

Not sure where this fits in my rotation. Probably not. Well played not my bag.

Latin jazz

Love the energy, ojos was my favorite (3.5/5)

Salsa ambience. Great listening in the background of daily chores.

Audição de salsa ou música caribenha agradável, ainda prefiro as bandas cubanas.

Trombone heavy and worth a relisten

Some nice sounding Spanish music. The first song had me thinking it was going to be a Spanish disco album, but it was like all the other Spanish albums I've been given so far. Pretty good, not my thing.

Pleasant but unremarkable 70s salsa, to my ears at least.

Well, you can't argue with "the best selling salsa album in the history of salsa music and Latin music", I guess! Not really my usual genre to listen to, so I can't say much about whether this deserves the title, but a fine album, I suppose. I did find "Buscando Güayaba" a weird and somewhat jarring song, and while I kind of liked the seamless transition between tracks (interrupted only by YouTube's annoying ads), it made it really hard to follow much of anything, in large part because my sung-Spanish comprehension is as abysmal as my sung-French comprehension. And while the reference completely went over my head, it's interesting to know that "Pedro Navaja" is an homage to Bertolt Brecht's "Threepenny Opera." "I like to live in America!" (3)

This was a lot lot better than I expected, while salsa music won't become a heavy favorite of mine, it was nice to hear some diversity in the songs.

I enjoy salsa and enjoyed this record. I don’t know if it’s a good example of the style or not, my salsa knowledge and palate are not extensive or refined. But I’d put it on again.

Now I can die with sabor.

Upbeat and fine. Not my normal cuppa but I didn’t dislike it.

Fun world record. Reminds me of paddington

Felt like I was on holiday, lovely

love the smell of his colón on me <3

Technically brilliant I'm sure but I was well bored by the third song. Samba/Salsa heaven if you like that kinda thing. THREE!

2/7, 29%

This is our first Spanish album. I'm ignorant so I would probably need a cultural trip sitter to tell me why this is an important album, but I enjoyed the upbeat vibe regardless.

Albums like this truly expose my biases. When I saw that it was salsa, i groaned. Its the same beat over and over. But that's the beauty of this project. It forces me to listen without assumptions. To dig deeper beyond the congo drums and listen to the nuances. The horns are my favorite part of every song! This album is great in a lot of ways. Especially when it crosses into jazz.

The first track “Plastico” is a banger. The rest was interesting, but didn’t hit like the first track for me

I’ve listened to this album about 5 times all told, and I still don’t know what to make of it. It’s fine, I guess, but it does all sort of blend into a mesh. I don’t speak Spanish, and so can only pick out a few words, there seems to be quite a lot about both women and flowers, but I don’t know how much knowing what the topics of the songs would help. Maybe I just need to listen to this while dancing, but I can’t do the samba either. A true five out of ten if ever there was

Funky. Disco-y. Salsa-y. Tropical-y. Altogether a pretty fun album to listen to, even if I have no idea what they’re saying. I feel like I’ve been transported to Miami in the late 70s at the height of the cocaine drug trafficking era.

I just can’t get into latin music for an extended period of time. With that being said I’m still going to give it some good stars because the musicianship is obviously very good. I can see this being very good if you are into this type of music, but it’s just not for me.

It was fine. Nothing mind blowing. 6/10 Top 1: 1. Dime

J'ai beaucoup de difficulté avec les artistes hispanophones, mais pour une fois, je suis surprise. C'est vraiment intéressant à écouter et j'ai apprécié mon expérience.

Have not heard this before but I’m looking forward to checking it out. I would say not speaking the language affected my enjoyment. The music was decent but felt repetitive and I kept finding myself wondering what the lyrics were. Overall, I was enthusiastic for this but was underwhelmed.

Cool for what it is, some very funky stuff. Not for me though.

This album was kinda fun. It was a great background listener while working today. I've heard of Ruben Blades before and I know he's a force in the salsa/jazz scene, but the only sound I've heard from him is Pedro Navaja, and that was in The Mask.

Enjoyed the sound and rhythms!

I don’t know enough about the genre to pass any judgement, really. But, I listened to the whole thing and enjoyed it.

Ruben Blades I knew, but not Willie Colon. A fab mix of Brazilian jazz plus disco.

Great salsa music!

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about salsa and I have no real grip to judge is one album is better than the other. They all kinda sound the same to me, but it's still a pleasant sound it's all good.

Listening to this during a snowstorm was pretty absurd, but still pretty good overall.

Very nice groovy and passionate salsa album. I honestly can't understand the political aspect of it, but that was a pleasant listen.

Not my style.

Not really to my taste but was nice to listen to something different, can definitely see why people like this sort of music

Sexy

Got some good funk on it. It can get you moving. Salsa is fun but it's not my thing normally. After a couple of listens, I was definitely dancing without noticing.

Starts with a promising soul, then it mostly latin

This kinda music can often quite easily dip into the background for me but this one managed to break through. Quite enjoyed it. Fave track: Maria Lionza

Good fun - looking out the window at the sunshine falling on the trees in front of a blue sky seems fitting for this soundtrack to the morning. Three and a half. Fave track: Pedro Navaja

Great vibes and quiet catchy, but no idea what the lyrics are

Fun!

Salsa? Cool

Idk much about salsa, but this had some cool instrumental moments, just got a bit samey towards the end.

Never heard of this album or artists before, but fun surprise to hear Latin music.

Ok, so another one where it’s ‘not for me’. Ugh. I get the musicianship and that it was a smash hit. And salsa is kinda fun. Probably missing out because I don’t understand Spanish so the story is lost on me. Fun to dance and have a laugh too. A bit like background music to listen to

A perfectly fine Latin music album.

Nice bass line right at the start! This is not really my bag but it was enjoyable for what it is.

A good time, got me moving

Fun album and not something I'd normally listen to. Can absolutely see how I would dance to this at an event or something. Some great tracks, especially Ojos.

Pretty good. First few tracks were really interesting, though the rest of the album kind of started to sound samey to me. Enjoyed it overall though.

Was fine, but not the sort of thing I'd ever turn on. I didn't dislike it or anything. It was... Fine. 2.5/5

Pretty decent Latin music. Not really my thing, but a solid way to kill 40-some minutes. C

Es un disco de salsa. Está bueno, pero nunca me va a interpelar tanto. Tiene una vibra hermosa.

Hygge nok. Lidt sådan noget madlavningsmusik. Discount versionen af Buena Vista Social Club.

Favourite tracks: plastico

Nice morning listen

Meh. Good enough to not slip. But not good enough to add any songs to my library.

Never heard of this album, but it was an enjoyable listen. Well recorded and inoffensive, it has great instrumentation, percussion and vocals throughout. The horns had great texture on “Maria Lionza”. 3.5/5

It's got a great beat and you can dance to it.

That was kind of fun.

Leukleukleuk

Time for a salsa jam! It's nice. Rhythmic and fun, but not exceptional in any way.

This didn't excite me.

Pretty easy listening. I like the brass. Decent album for a genre I don't really listen to. Likely won't return for more.

Great tunage really enjoyed this

Less of an album and more of a vibe. Good music but individual songs won’t sell it. It’s more how you see it overall.

Enjoyable world music standard 3

Toe tapping fun. Made me want to learn how to dance a little bit. But not enough to make me get off my arse.

Disco flavored Yacht Rock designed to piss off Christopher Cross, which is a compliment to all, especially those little babies on the cover.

I’d listen on tuesdays

A solid salsa album, and paired well with chips & salsa.

Can't say I've ever listened to a full salsa album like this but this one was absolutely Feugo🔥

Don't listen to much salsa but damn if it didn't have me craving some tacos and margaritas at 10 am on a Monday.

It might be really good salsa, but it's still salsa

Nice, but didn’t do a lot for me

"Como decia mi abuelita el que dé último rie se rie mejor" Salsa in 1978 really fit right in with the Disco scene. I enjoyed the album - more for the music than the singing. Standout: Pedro Navaja 3/5

Enjoyable but not really my style

Who knew four babies could write such fun and lively music?

Boogie time baby

Whimsical, happy music that makes you want to shimmy along

What a fun album! Great musicality all around.

This is the kind of music that makes me wish I knew how to salsa dance

Wel fijne muziek, maar ik merk dat latijnse muziek voor mij allemaal redelijk hetzelfde klinkt. Ik vind het dus moeilijk om iets heel goed of juist minder te vinden. Dus pakken we de gouden middenweg: 3 sterren.

bun, instrumentalu putea sa fie ceva mai funky da csf

Tof en zomers, maar niet iets waar ik veel naar zou luisteren

I enjoyed this one. I don't speak Spanish or know very much about latin music but it was definitely a fun dance break in the middle of my work day as my energy was starting to fade. I think I'd give this one a 3-3.5/5.

I know nothing about Salsa. The instruments were played very well, the singing was nice, the songs were good. A foot tapper. 3 / 5 stars.

This was fun, and I had never heard of this album or the artists before. But I did tire of it and was glad when it ended. Oh wait there were still three more songs, it was too much.

Its aight, if I ever want to listen to salsa again I know where to go.

Was pretty spicy

My wife loved this album. me I can take it or leave it. 3 stars

My mate brought a flamboyant friend to the pub. We chatted and they seemed ok. Most of the time I had no idea what they were going on about but they did say they wanted to live in America a couple of times. I probably won’t see them again.

Best Song: Buscando Guayaba. I think it is the background chorus that really set this one apart. Worst Song: Siembra. I'm not sure if it was actually the worst, or if I'd just exhausted my interest in this level of latin music. Given my ignorance of the genre, it all started to sound very similar by this point in the album. Overall: Not my genre, but nice and enjoyable all the same. I could imagine it for cooking and eating particular meals. It is danceable, but in a way that I don't know how to dance to.

Found myself dancing a little in my seat to this. Fun.

Samba - didn't really know what to expect or how to rate. I didn't get it, but didn't hate it.

Apparently the essential salsa album the 70s twists were cool but that’s not what made the album good

Solid samba music.

donde esta la bibliotheca

Decent album, even if it‘s not exactly my genre.

Oh, that cover :D I'm not into salsa, but that was quite pleasant.

vauvvat tekee musiikkia...heh... vauvamaista... HUVLATON, HULVATON ALBUM COVERI TAAS KERRAN... salsa...ei olla reseptiä vielä annettu, noh... mukavaa viiddakojuhlailua...ellei ruve tanssahtelemaan niin semmonen vähän tausta noise genre muuten mutta tässä biisien vaihdon voi silloin tällöin erottaakkin...miellekästä musiikkia ps uusi paskin review löydetty We should start a site "1001 Albums You Should Pass On Before You Die" ?????? HÄH???ANTI KOMEDIA...noh ei se mitään... äijä yritti ei aina voi onnistua ojos

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Plastico (1) 2 - Pedro Navaja (3) 3 - Ojos (5)

Blades & Colon: a dangerous partnership.

Salsa is music for dancers. Which is to say, its fans engage with it viscerally. With the mind with the feet, a holistic integration senses and sensations, of the tangible and the intangible. Long story cut short: this is excellent mood music

Today's album was a salsa album, something I am not very familiar with. Salsa music can trace its roots to Latin jazz, mambo, and I heard a touch of funk influence in there too(mainly in, the intro of Plastico). This was an interesting listen, as it is way out of my wheelhouse, and all the lyrics are sung in Latin. The brass instruments add some liveliness and danceability to the tracks, and the precussion is on point! Overall, not my favourite to just focus on and listen to, but as background music, it would be great. Not sure if I will listen again, but I appreciate why it is on this list. Favourite song: Ojos, Pedro Navaja, Plastico Least favourite song: Dime, Siembra 3/5

3.5/5. This was good, although I found that some songs dragged on a bit. But overall I enjoyed it.

Nice nice

I thought there'd be more of this kind of thing on this list. A refreshing change, but not particularly my thing.

Ah, it is Rubén Blades from Fear The Walking Dead! Erm, that's probably not the acclamation he'd want to be remembered for. The album is quite refreshing, great beats and grooves. Felt that most tracks could have been shorter, but overall enjoyed the vibe.

This is probably the best kind of this music around and it's great stuff but not likely to ever want to listen to again

Liked this but would have liked to understand The lyrics better.

I’ve never had an issue with music that is in a different language. Music bypasses the logical part of the brain and talks to your heart. No one questions whether they “understand “modern Art, the only important thing is whether that art piece talks to you or touches you? This is the kind of music that goes beyond language. Does it make you wanna wiggle? Can you feel the beat making you want to dance? Can you hear emotion in their voices? Without even researching any of the background to this album it sounds like a love song to Latin America. It’s a salsa masterpiece. It’s not my favourite genre of music, but I appreciate it for the superb compositions and musicianship and the obvious feeling behind it.

3.7 - ¡Salsa piquante! In terms of quality, I have no idea how this compares to other salsa records but to my ears it sounds pretty sharp.

ca rend un peu zinzin

In 1978, Willie Colón and Rubén Blades collaborated on the best selling salsa and Latin music album of all time. Unfortunately, it's not a style I know much about and thus can't tell you what makes it stand out from other salsa music. In 1994, Colón and Blades each ran for political office. I also can't tell you what made either stand out there, since Blades lost the Panamanian presidential election badly, and Colón lost in a primary for Democratic Representative in NY's 17th Congressional district. I also can't tell you what the outcome was of the May 2007 lawsuit that Colón filed against Blades for breach of contract. I can tell you that siembra means "sowing," though that doesn't really help us to judge this album.

A pleasant affair. I had heard of Rubén Blades before but I forget where. Maybe high school Spanish class.

not really my vibe, but very pleasant to listen to. Favorite track - María Lionza

Absolute classic. The rise of political rap, and one of the earlier examples of boom-bap style. This is definitely one to hear before you die.

I actually dig this hard. Can’t help but move about when it’s on.

Cetait bien jai aime le style mais pas plus. 3

7/10

Enjoyable

Ok

More Latin stuff. It's not bad, it just all sounds exactly the same. 3/5.

Solid salsa. Makes my toes tap and gets me hungry for chips n salsa.

Lovely album to dance to, but not such an attention grabber if just listening

It’s spicy

I actually really like the sound of salsa music. It has a very full sound - dense percussion, active harmonic lines from the keys, nice color from the horn section, strongly featured vocals, and nice backing chorus. And I'm the last person to insist that I understand what the singer is talking about - generally I don't care about lyrics at all, and some of my favorite bands I have no idea what they're saying most of the time. So salsa is kind of a natural fit. The main issue for me is that like any very-strongly-genre'd style, all the songs basically sound the same to me. Which is fine - it's a nice sound - but the lack of diversity and small-c conservatism (not really pushing the envelope) keep any strict genre-work like this from getting top marks. I did enjoy listening to it, and would like to learn more salsa. But I wouldn't put it on for myself, except for my only Dominican friend (who prefers bachata anyway).

I wish I knew more about salsa so I could appreciate what makes this album in particular special in the genre. I do really like it though!

I actually thought that I'd like this a little more. The experiences I've had with Latin music on this list has been pretty positive. This is ok. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I just didn't feel anything was special here. Perhaps fans more familiar with the genre might understand its significance better than I

I do not know Salsa music at all, but this is great, it grooves, and it's very enjoyable to listen to. Great record.

3.4/5 it's good salsa but not really in the mood for it

Eh. Never been a fan of mild salsa. There's a certain amount of energy here that's... almost appealing? But it's missing the edge that a lot of other latin albums on this list have. The energy is blunted by the smoothness of the delivery. Which is a shame because the musicianship is clearly tops - these guys are masters - but the delivery leaves me wanting. Every track outstays its welcome by about 2 minutes, too. I'm left feeling like, if these fellows would just slip the lead and cut loose, they'd blow the roof off the joint. But they don't. They play it safe, instead. Hence the middling score.

I don’t really know much about the genre, and the dance culture around it kinda irritates me. But an album like this one on its own is great. I enjoyed putting it on in the background while working or cooking. Definitely favourite track is Plastico and then Maria Lionza. 3.5/5 down to 3 simply because it’s not really my thing

Willieee ik heb de heupen op het werk liggen losschudden zenneee

It’s fine, good instrumentation.

It's alright, but I don't see anything special to make it the best selling salsa record OF ALL TIME. It felt more like music you'd here whilst holiday in a cafe at night. Maybe I'm just not a salsa fan.

Ändå en salsagrabb är jag

Initial hit of disco had me wondering, but this turned out to be an excellent salsa album—a genre I know next to nothing about. Great way to be introduced to this classic album.

Great running music. Felt fun.

Idk Spanish but it was a gud listen Kinda repetitive as a new genre for me Very full feeling with all the percussion If I didn’t listen to War I may not enjoyed it as much

Good Latin album

youtube video has only one song. so I love it! It's actually pretty interesting, but I'm not paying $109 that it's being listed for on ebay.

Fine latin/tropical flair. I probably liked Pedro Navaja the most but nothing got me very excited and nothing stands out as bad. Overall, an interesting listen.

It's difficult rating an album when you don't understand a single word of the lyric. I enjoy hearing this type of music. The interplay of the percussion is infectious, I can't resist moving to the rhythm. I was struck by the muted tones of the horns. No sharp edges at all, the horns were always a mellow, round sound. I also really like the dynamic between the lead and backing vocalists — the call and response was a feature I enjoyed and it didn't wear out its welcome. But all that said, I'm not sure how to rate this. I enjoyed it, but it's like an island in my musical experience, I have little else to compare it to. I'm going with a 3, partly because if I heard a track from this album again in any other context I don't know that I'd recognize it from any other song in the genre.

I feel like me giving this a rating is kind of silly. I don't know from salsa. The music on this album certainly sounds good and clearly the musicians are excellent and the arrangements are fun, and I dig it, but it doesn't grab me the way jazz does and I'm not sure why. Anyway, I'm glad I heard it. I can see throwing it on for a party. But I don't feel like I need to do a deep-dive into the careers of either Blades or Colon. As for my rating, I'm giving it a 3 just because I don't know what else to give it. It's probably a 5-star salsa album, but it's a 3-star listening experience for me and that's no reflection on the quality of the music.

I dig! I know practically nothing about this genre. Never heard of this Willie Colón & Rubén Blades but this vibe is gonna be grooving a lot in the background when I cook.

It's good salsa, but it doesn't really do much for me. Some good background music, but there wasn't much to actively hold my attention.

Starts off with some discoey funk. Then goes into salsa pretty quickly. The music definitely makes you move but as a non spanish speaker I have no clue what the lyrics are saying. Although idk if that's even really the point of salsa!

3.5

Colon

Good solid sound, just not my general preferred genre.

Enjoyable, but i found that i didn't want to listen to it more than once

Salsa, 1978. Pretty interesting record, perfect for moments of happiness with absolutely funny and enjoyable songs, but not memorable. Anyway, this album is not bad at all.

Greatest selling salsa album of all time with the weirdest fucking album art I’ve seen to date. Didn’t understand a lick of lyrics so I have no idea if this cover maybe makes some kind of sense after all? It was cool though, went well with brunch this week.

Drôle de début d'album. J'imagine que c'était l'idée de tromper les gens. Après on est dans un album de salsa sympathique. Je ne sais pas si c'est toujours valide aujourd'hui, mais étant pendant longtemps l'album de salsa le plus vendu, je comprends sa présence sur cette liste. Je ne suis pas un super fan, mais ça s'écoute bien.

First time listen. Good. So seventies!

Some funky salsa. Not something I’d always listen to and I enjoyed it for sure.

The opening song in particular had no right to slap that hard quite frankly

Good vibes all round

Pedro navajas is a true Latin American classic, I’ve always respected a lot Ruben and of course Willie this is a good record which I had never heard in full before

Enjoyable enough, but I probably don't have the musical context to appreciate it properly, and the language barrier doesn't help either.

spicy

Not a usual kind of music I listen to, but it was pleasant enough. The songs were quite long and I was losing interest about 3/4 way through though.

Hey, look, this is some lively, lively stuff and great background music. Top notch background. The beginning grabs me and there's a lot of great work here, but it doesn't hold my attention. They can't all be Incubus.

Not what I habitually listen to, but there's something quite appealing about the rolling, shimmying sound of Siembra. It had a tendency to swag along in the background a little, but when I tuned in properly, I was digging it. My only real criticism is that a few tracks were wrapped in the plush gauze of period TV theme music. I'd rate this higher if there was a little more bite or grit, I think - but am I not missing the point somewhat?

I kind of feel like a schmuck giving this a rating, because you can tell there's some storytelling going on in these songs and I have absolutely no clue what they're saying. Except for the one song where the did the roll call of nations. Which I liked! That first track hits hard and then yeah - great background music, great dance music, great music to listen to while washing dishes after having taco night. It would have also been great cooking music, too, but I didn't put it on until after we ate. But now I know. Next Taco Thursday is gonna be lit! One nitpick: Colon & Blades would've been a fantastic name for this duo, or a list of instructions on how to torture someone, or a pretty good law firm. Feels like a missed opportunity, but they can't all be Sex Packets.

This was an uplifting start to the week. It also matched the summer mood. I' usually weary of foreign language albums. I wouldn't read a foreign language book, so why listen to an album I don't understand? I have very low cultural limitations. The language wasn't an issue here. The music carried it through.

Starts off with some nice bass guitar then went into salsa :( but I digress. Sounds pretty competent to me but not really into salsa music as a personal listening experience.

Cool, but not my thing

Ruben me up the right way 🕺🏻

Opaaaa putaaa

70s Salsa and funky. I find it really easy on the ears and good to have on and relax. Started to question it's credentials but the Wiki put me right. Very influential all over the Latin world.

Klasyczna salsa jest klasyczna

The first minute of the album really fakes you out, you think it's gonna be a funky disco thing It's still nice though, although it's hard to tell the songs apart, they all sound the same, so the album felt a little repetitive I enjoyed it because of its relative novelty. The motifs and themes of this album aren't present in many other genres. Classy musicianship throughout, too.

A personal commitment to this platform is maintaining an open-mind. That said, most non-English language music is going to have difficulty maintaining interest outside of the music and a bit of referencing to the why of this album becomes necessary. Key points: this album is the highest selling salsa album in history, the prerequisite of that being that it transcended its own sub-genre and called upon Latin music/people together. With this in mind, one can listen to this album knowing that while it is very much for Spanish-speaking nations, that it is indeed for nations, rather than its particular Spanish speaking country. Take this a little bit further, the 1978 release of this album seemingly coincides with the barrio experience within the United States, and in a way that makes the music relevant for this review too. Musically, the energy of salsa is distinctly of cultural significance that may escape a lot of listeners. However, for the adventurous or academic intentioned listener, the rhythm and horns demonstrate a certain professionalism that is easy to admire. Vocally, the singer is actually quite good and while the instruments certainly stand on their own, the lyrically melodic symbiotic relationship is a pleasure to pay attention to. While salsa is not the usual fare that would score high for this reviewer, the academic approach to understanding this album is a worthy time expenditure.

Wow, that first track opens up like a disco and before you know it has evolved into samba. A good fun album, Pedro Navaja, and Maria Lionza are highlights for me.

Something I have noticed in the process of this project is that I am less critical of world music than I am of English music. I am not a big fan of dance music in general salsa I do think is the best of it though. I don't understand the album but it is fun and upbeat and it being the best selling salsa album in the history of salsa music certainly gives it a deserving spot on the list. I liked it though it doesn't have the relisten value that some of the other foreign language album that I have heard on this list.

3/5 nice but salsa is not really music I listen.

Salsa

In all my ignorance, I've never heard of Willie Colon and Ruben Blade's collaborative album "Siembra". I'm only aware of Colon through his collaborations with David Byrne on the latter's "Rei Momo". But this is the real deal: a quick Google has told me "Siembra" is the biggest selling salsa album of all time, and it's jam-packed with ornate arrangements and feelgood vibes. It's a great party, but for me it became a little repetitive after a while. There are only seven tracks here, averaging over six minutes each: while each one didn't quite do enough to have me gripped, they certainly proved pleasant to enjoy in the background or to brighten up a long work day. The language barrier has stopped me getting the full lyrical impact, but there are some interesting concepts at play (particularly the narrative about the killer "Pedro Navaja"). Musically, it's consistently tight, accomplished and catchy. "Plastico" begins, somewhat unexpectedly, with a slapped bass funk-disco figure, before settling into a more familiar salsa rhythm about one minute in. From there it's syncopated piano, a vast roster of percussion including bongos, congas, cowbell, plenty of horn arrangements gliding over the top, and all the other characteristics of Latin music I can remember from GCSEs. Favourite parts included the chanting in "Maria Lionza", giving a great sense of momentum; the call-and-response vocals in "Ojos" and some of the percussion fills in between verses; any time horns appeared. I may not be actively seeking "Siembra" out in future, but whenever I hear it I'll burst into an uncontrollable salsa.

A pleasant listen. Highlights were "Plastico" and "Siembra" Interesting to hear "Maria Lionza" which was sampled by Major Lazer on "Watch Out For This"