Siembra

Hard Salsa so irresistible that you’re going to want to double dip that chip.

Not because of nostalgia or historical importance, but because the songwriting, concept and execution are exceptional. Siembra is one of the greatest Latin American albums ever made.

Any nothing wrong with this one. I can’t say that Samba is a genre I will throw on, but Willie and the Colons are likely the best that ever did it. Giving it a strong 3 7.6 out of 10

so relaxing and enjoyable

Un álbum muy bueno, entiendo porque tiene tanto reconocimiento en el plano latinoamericano Letras intelectuales según mencionan esta es una respuesta a un momento donde la salsa estaba perdiendo terreno de forma significativa debido a otros géneros emergentes, me parece muy atrevido justo como inician el álbum haciendo un homage a la música disco No todas las canciones son memorables pero la gran mayoría lo son, y también son una referencia para samples algunas canciones Este dúo es sumamente talentoso, y de verdad que tienen una sinergía natural, esto no sale si no existe una conexión bien construida Honestamente lo recomiendo y lo pienso reescuchar, lo único que me hace quedarme en el 4, es que no todas sus canciones son una referencia absoluta en el género, sin embargo todo el álbum junto está muy bien conformado

Love

This was a fun listen, in the kitchen and in the car, yesterday. Both musicians are clearly very talented, and while I guess it was mostly salsa, it also felt quite jazzy in parts and disco in others. It did, however make me listen to my goto, The Buena Vista Social Club, afterwards, though - which is better. I think it's a very solid 3, but I can't stretch to a 4 as that is BVSC territory...

First track started and I thought what a bass groove and then 30 seconds later we were into salsa and that’s where we stayed. An initial disappointment but has on in the background while working and gave that lighter feeling of a holiday abroad. Good musicianship and melodic vocal even though I don’t understand the language. Understand they are the best in their genre and wasn’t offensive but it won’t be a go-to

sooo gut

Not for me

No es un género que suela escuchar pero fue un disco divertido. Me dieron ganas de aprender a bailar salsa mientras lo escuchaba

Like being on holiday.

Вайб 10/10 я почувствовал будто прямо сейчас нахожусь на пляже какой то латиноамериканской страны. Все улыбаются, я лежу на шезлонге с бокалом пина колады и на фоне играет эта музыка. Однозначно один из лучших альбомов что я слышал в жизни, идеальная музыка чтобы ставить на фон и радоваться жизни.

Raro, podría musicalizar un capítulo de Outlander.

Hm. Naslovnica mi ni obetavna. Pojma nimam kaj je to. What's with the babies? "Pedro Navaja" poznam od nekje... This is not for me. Razen, da sm v unem komadu del besedila prepoznala, mi je vse kinda the same.

When I was little, my dad used to spin this album and try to salsa dance with my mother and she would roll her eyes. My sisters and I would laugh. Good memories.

Not for me

4.2

This would be alright in the background of a restaurant or cafe, especially if I had a rum But I found actively listening to be pretty aggravating

Really good even though I didn't understand any words except "Nueva York" (a city that I live in) and Smith & Wesson (a gun manufacturer who I do not patronize). Had a little bit of a prog sensibility that was fun. There's something almost Brechtian about Pedro Navaja - much to consider.

Cool stuff, samba

4/5

I'm a sucker for this genre. Fun album, but got a little boring at times. Listened to it at the grocery store, that might be why...

Es como que la trova de Silvio se cruza con la salsa de NY.No hay que saber de salsa para entender la importancia de este disco.

Easy listen, happy dance music. No worries.

Ja mhm leuk maar heel repeptitief

Fun! It's salsa, it's got groove, it's got sauce - it's salsa. Obligatory "I'm Hispanic" comment (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

PERFECT album for a slow sunny morning

What a delightful surprise. I have never listened to this genre much and I did not expect to like this. Gobsmacked by what a banger it is.

Its fun

Excellent version of the breed

I am not a salsa music person, and I am most certainly not a salsa dancer. My attempts at dancing salsa have ranged from abject failure at best to emotionally scarring at worst. I simply cannot move my body with that kind of fluidity, grace, or rhythm. I enjoy watching people who can, but whatever genetic gift allows someone to move like that clearly skipped me. That said, I had a thoroughly pleasurable experience listening to this album. I generally enjoy uptempo Latin American music, whether it’s salsa, merengue, or reggaeton. There’s something infectious about the rhythms, the percussion, the sheer movement of it all. It gets the body going. Not that my body can go, but I appreciate the effort. What always impresses me about salsa, both the music and the dancing, is its fluidity. Everything seems to exist in a state of perpetual motion. The rhythms intertwine, the horns punch through, the percussion rolls along, and the bass holds everything together without ever allowing the music to lose momentum. There’s some absolutely killer bass work on this record, particularly on the opener, “Plástico,” which has an almost slap-bass, disco-funk quality to it before settling into that unmistakable salsa groove. It’s terrific playing. I also enjoyed the call-and-response roll call of Latin American countries toward the end of “Plástico,” each answered with an enthusiastic “¡Presente!” It immediately reminded me of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, where he similarly called out the countries of the Americas. Maybe Bad Bunny was deliberately paying homage to Blades and Colón. Maybe it’s just part of a much broader tradition of celebrating Latin American solidarity. Either way, it was a connection I wouldn’t have made before hearing this album. And I caught a little West Side Story in “Pedro Navaja,” which was a fun surprise. As for the lyrics, their deeper meanings are largely beyond my comprehension. My Spanish isn’t nearly good enough to appreciate the storytelling, and I’m not going to sit there with a translation open, desperately trying to follow every word. Frankly, I’m not much of a lyrics guy even when the music is in English. Unless we’re talking about someone like Dylan, I’m generally much more interested in the jams, grooves, arrangements, and musicianship than in dissecting every line. So I’m undoubtedly missing an important dimension of what makes this album so celebrated, and I recognize that. Am I going to heap effusive praise on Siembra and deliver a song-by-song breakdown of its brilliance? No. It’s simply not my kind of music. But that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize the extraordinary musicianship, the infectious energy, and the undeniable appeal of the record. I enjoyed listening to it. I admire the musicians who made it. I marvel at the people who can actually dance to it. And that’s about all I have to say about that. 6.5/10

wel gewoon een banger, en de tekst is echt diep

Riktigt bra, det svänger och har haft detta på repeat ett par dagar nu. Detta är långt utanför det jag brukar lyssna på. Nya matlagningsalbumet.

This was fun and certainly had some swing to it but it wasn't really my thing. Songs all seemed a bit long as well. Not sure if that's a hallmark of the genre?

Nice.

Siembra is an album about hoping that a better world is possible. Blade's lyrics are half the album, there is something new to them with every listen. The critical view of 1970's NYC was and is relatable to pretty much every city. Remember that you can see their face but never their heart.

I don't speak Spanish and I know nothing about salsa. I'm pretty sure that either Colon was listening to a lot of EWF or they were listening to a lot of him. The horn sections sound very similar. The Wikipedia page says that Pedro Navaja is based on The Threepenny Opera. Again, I don't understand the lyrics but I can hear bits of it in the melody (along with quoting West Side Story). So even though I have no education in salsa, this sounds like melting pot music to me and I like it a lot. It grooves in a way that Tito Puente does, except with a splash of American disco. As a bassist I really dig the mathematical precision of the bass lines. I think this would be a good "gateway drug" for gringos who want to explore Latin music. 4 stars.

Quite a fun album that I enjoyed, I did find that the songs were a bit repetitive and went on for a bit too long but still a good listening experience

Something I’ve never heard, don’t really have the language skills to understand fully and I totally got lost in the groove. It really is all about that connection with the utterly stupendous flow of this album. Great.

Siembra erschien 1978 bei Fania Records und ist die zweite gemeinsame Platte von Willie Colón, einem Posaunisten und Bandleader aus der Bronx mit puerto-ricanischen Wurzeln, und dem panamaischen Sänger und Songschreiber Rubén Blades. Aufgenommen wurde sie 1977 und 1978 in den La Tierra Sound Studios in New York. Colón produzierte, Jerry Masucci war Executive Producer. Es ist Salsa, aber keine, die nur auf die Tanzfläche zielt. Blades schrieb sechs der sieben Stücke, nur „Ojos“ stammt von Johnny Ortiz. „Pedro Navaja“ erzählt in gut sieben Minuten von einem Straßenräuber nach dem Vorbild von Mackie Messer und endet mit zwei Toten und einem Betrunkenen, der die Beute einsteckt. „Plástico“ nimmt Statusdenken und Fassade aufs Korn, „María Lionza“ widmet sich einer Geisterfigur aus Venezuela. Dazu kommen dichte Posaunensätze und ein Rhodes-Piano, das dem Ganzen etwas Weiches gibt. Zum Tanzen taugt das Album nur bedingt, dafür ist es zu erzählerisch, und manches Stück verlangt Geduld. Trotzdem gilt Siembra als meistverkauftes Salsa-Album überhaupt, und das liegt an den Texten, die auch ohne Musik tragen würden.

Salsa Music, well this is something I usually never listen to. It is ok and fun and positive and brings you in a tropical atmosphere. But not something I really will dive into it or go back again. The album cover could also be from a diaper brand... As I cannot understand the lyrics, so not sure where they sing about....

I expected to enjoy this … but for some reason I just didn’t.

Great vibes you can't argue with

Creative all the way through

Probably an amazing album if you really like salsa and Latin vibes.

such a fun time, especially because salsa music is quite a new genre to me. enjoyed looking up what siembra means, and learning that it’s to plant something like seeds, makes the babies on the album cover i guess make a little bit more sense to me now. 😭 favs: buscando guayaba, maría lionza, dime.

C'était loin d'être désagréable, même si je ne réécouterai jamais ça.

Its fine. Salsa is not my vibe.

I loved this and I’ll have to admit my heart sunk a little when I read salsa album but this is plástico fantastico! Like yesterdays jazz record not one I’d gravitate towards but happily have it playing - I wouldn’t actively avoid it which is not something I can say about some of the 70s rock I’ve encountered so far on my 1001 albums adventure. It’s upbeat, musically accomplished and importantly varied throughout the album. Brass sections, funky bass, great vocals, some shouting and clapping.

Solid

Really excellent album here. Every song was, at minimum, enjoyable. Have never really listened to salsa music in this way and I have to say I'm really impressed by this album. Plastico, Maria Lionza, and Siembra were the true standouts for me. Each of these songs really offer everything for me. Great sound, great lyrics, and really cohesive. Honestly came so close to giving this a 5, but I have to reserve that for truly impeccable albums. This one did come close... if I could give half ratings, this would be much closer to a 4.5 than a 4.

I absolutely love everything about this. This is the kind of music that reminds me why I started this whole 1001 albums thing, to find new music that I wouldn’t typically listen to and to expand my tastes. I’ve been waiting quite a while to hear something that’s not British or American which is what most of these records seem to be. So having this come up has been an absolute treat, never in a million years would I have thought to listen to this. But now I think you can call me a Willie Colón fan. The music is so fun, it really makes you want to get up and move so it would be great to have on while you’re doing a task. All the instruments are great and it’s a lot of things I’m not used to hearing, so hearing them played well leaves a great impression. His voice is spot on. He’s clearly very passionate about the things he sings about although I would have no idea what he’s saying because I don’t speak a word of Spanish, and I don’t need to know because he’s giving it everything here. I love the sound effects used on Pedro Navaja, it adds a great texture which sets it even further apart from other music and helps tell a story to people that don’t understand the lyrics. It’s extremely difficult to choose a favourite song because I love all of them. Overall this album is totally awesome and I will listen to it again and again.

Album #189: Siembra - Willie Colón & Rubén Blades Genre (W): Salsa Singles: Siembra, Pedro Navaja, Plástico I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I actually really like this album. It’s such a refreshing change of pace and a lovely Salsa sound! I love it a lot and I wish there was more overseas representation. Favorite tracks: Plástico, Guayaba, Pedro Navaja, Ojos, Dime, Siembra

Nando's has ruined this music for me

Really good, if anyone is in Venezuela can you please pick my up a copy on vinyl?

Friggin YouTube music auto played after the album ended. Still fuming

Hell ya 4.5

Pensaba en hacer toda esta crítica en español pero sería demasiado trabajo. Loved this! I guess my only tiny quibbles would be that sometimes the songs go on for a long time but that's just a feature of the genre. It's so nice to have some good variety in these albums every once in a while. Inspired me to look up if Buena Vista Social Club is also in this list. It is gracias a Díos so I will save a 5-star rating for that but this is a very strong 4.5. Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: "Buscando Guayaba"

beautifulllllllll I love Blades voice and the layered instrumentation, sweet day yesterday with this

mannn this hit the spot. this is an album that i would definitely buy a physical copy of, will be coming back to it for sure. can't say I've ever sat down and listened to an entire salsa album. i love how they get you with the disco on track 1. this is what makes this project worth it, i can tolerate the overrated white dad rock if it means I'll keep discovering great stuff like this here and there

Never heard of this album before. I grew up in Montreal in the 60’s and 70’s and we didn’t have a lot or any exposure to true Latin Musica. Been living in Los Angeles since 1982 and have certainly been exposed to much more and Ruben Blades is great. This album is too!

Tiene un mensaje hermoso, pero musicalmente no es lo mío

This was fun. My dad is from Aruba and this gave me good nostalgic feelings. It’s very difficult to properly rate this album, though.

I enjoyed it very much.

I’ve never in my fifty years listened to a salsa album. I’ve heard songs here and there of course. This is such a fun album. The beginning of the album really threw me. I thought, “Oh, this is some disco/salsa fusion thing” but it really isn’t. It does throw in a lot of unexpected songwriting choices that make it so interesting. I can’t say I’ll be coming back to this but I really enjoyed my time with it.

Loved it!

Rip Salvador Allende. Chile presente lacking debido a qlo Pinochet There are many other LATAM albums that I like better but still easy 4/5

This 'twas very groovy

listened casually but i liked it

No idea what they’re singing about but sounds like they’re having a great time! Very groovy. 4

Very fun time was had listening to this album. I don’t have much context for it but it feels joyful and energetic.

Album : 59/ 1102 Songs known going in : 0 Favourite song : Plástico Rating : 2/5 Notes I could see myself putting this on while revising spanish

fine easy listening

I know that it's a common complaint that there is too much Britpop (or whatever other genre the reviewer dislikes) on this list, and I would probably agree. But, and maybe it's my ignorance showing here, I think there is also too much salsa and samba. Possibly I don't know enough to pick up on all the nuances of the genre here, but in my opinion, once you've heard one (or five) South American salsa / samba albums, you've heard enough. And surely South America has been up to more than this musically? I get that samba is the home genre, like how blues, rock and roll, and rap originated in the USA, but the USA gets a lot wider representation of artists, it's not 100% rap artists. It just seems a bit narrow-minded. Anyway, this is fine. It's some salsa music with a guy crooning in Spanish over the top of it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

I'm not versed in this type of music enough to tell good salsa music from just OK salsa music, but this was pretty enjoyable for a genre that I'm not really into at all.

Nothing amazing for me. A nice listen

Siembra by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades is a really enjoyable album with some great music and a lot of personality. I especially liked the rhythms and the way the instruments come together to create such a lively, danceable sound. The salsa arrangements are full of energy, and the percussion and brass really stand out. You can tell there’s a lot of musicianship behind the music, and the album has a sound that feels both rich and natural. However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the singer’s voice, which didn’t quite work for me personally. I found myself enjoying the instrumentals more than the vocals at times. That said, the lyrics touch on social and political themes, giving the album more depth than just something to dance to. The song “Pedro Navaja” is a standout, with its storytelling and almost cinematic feel. I also appreciate how the album blends entertainment with commentary on everyday life and society. Even when the vocals weren’t entirely my thing, the grooves kept me interested throughout. Overall, Siembra is a strong and influential salsa album that I enjoyed mostly for its music, arrangements, and infectious rhythms.

I really liked this, was surprised at the disco opening and a couple of slap bass spikes, but then it settled down in style. The musical and classical references in the music were fun to listen out for as well. It sounded they were having fun recording it. It also kept my attention for the whole album so I'm going to upgrade it to a 4!

Muy bueno y Pedro Navaja y María Lionza son epicardos

Sambondealo

Fabulous

1. Plástico - 9 Brilliant opening bass line and strings before it gear changes into a very traditional sounding salsa-style of music which has amazing amazing vocals. Love the lyrics as well. The talking part at the end I'm not too much of a fan of, but overall it's a great track. 2. Buscando Guayaba - 9 Another brilliant track that builds superbly vocally. Really great instrumentals that make you swing along with it. A track you just have to dance to. 3. Pedro Nevaja - 4 It's all over the place. I'm not a fan of how it continuously builds to the point where it feels like it will never come down. It just feels like pitch and octave go too high. Then after the opening half of the track it just goes all over the place. The added sound effects and piano in the bridge just cause audio chaos. 4. María Lionza - 5 Not a fan of how this track opens instrumentally. The rest of it is alright but it's nothing like the opening two tracks in terms of the quality. Overall, it's okay, 5. Ojos - 7 Very fun instrumentally and with some solid vocals on it as well. Very enjoyable. 6. Dime - 6 It's good but right in the middle it feels like it should be the end of the song. It has so many stops that feel like this is where the track should end. Second half after that is great and instrumentally overall it's very good but the false endings both half way through and a minute before the actual end are very off putting. 7. Siembra - 7 Another song that's alright. Instrumentally and vocally fun, I'm not a fan of how the singing turns into almost talk at the end of the track. Having said that, the intro is absolutely fantastic. Average Rating: 6.71 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.36 Rounded Down: 3 Stars

I never really listen to salsa but this album is definitely staying around for me! The complexity of each song is so delicious (there is no other way to put it) and as an opening track, Plástico does absolutely everything. It doesn’t get five stars purely because I don’t really have a frame of reference, but it could easily be a five upon revision. Also trombone appreciation means it couldn’t possibly fall below a four.

i have not really listened to a full album in a different language before so this was cool to listen to. i love the style/genre it has a light and happy mood all throughout. good music to dance to

Makes me think I’m on vacation. Bueno.

For something fully in Spanish, this was a vibe. I would not go out of my way to re listen based on some sort of emotional connection to the songs story, but if I was looking for something fun and inviting to create atmosphere or celebrate to, this has that in spades. For this style of music that I’ve heard a lot, this band must be some of the best to have ever done it. The musicianship and production of this album is next level.

Not my kind of music to listen on a daily basis but it teaches tons of great things, we need more music like that

A nice fun time it hasn't really connected to me the way some albums can but it's still really nice.

Velmi dober💃🕺🔥

What is with this cover? Because the album contained within is top notch. It put me in a good mood so I’ll give full marks.

Plástico Pedro Navaja

Enjoyed this...but it makes me wish that I knew how to REALLY dance and that my Spanish was so much than it is. Somehow I recognized the name Ruben Blades, but don't know how.

Didn't have a chance to listen to the whole thing, but thought it was fun! Cool bass parts and nice singing.

#5: Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Siembra. This is my first time actually endulging in salsa music intentionally. I have zero clue what I'm getting myself into. I'm just gonna hop in, see if I like the music and hop out. Track 1: Plástico. Wow. Funky bass and orchestral production were not what I was expecting. The song soon takes a more traditional salsa approach but still that opening caught me off-guard. I can't speak Spanish and cannot be bothered to look up the lyrics so this is mostly just basing off of how the music itself sounds and so far I like it. Really like it in fact. 8/10 Track 2: Buscando Guayaba. This sounds like Jackbox Games music /positive. Also the Crazy Frog break? Hello? 8/10. Track 3: Pedro Navaja. I've been noticing a trend in my reviews. Pretty much every most popular track on the album ends up being my least favourite. I'm not sure why this is the case but this album seems to be another case of it. It's still a good song tho so there's a break at least. 6/10. Track 4: Mario Lionza. Don't have a lot to nessisarily say about this track. It's just catchy. 7/10 Track 5: Ojos. That repeated title is gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, isn't it? 8/10. Track 6: Dime. That don't make no cents! *Smugly looks to the camera*. That's...all I have to say about this track. Not knowing Spanish really limits what I can say about this album. There's only so many times I can say "Music good" before it sounds condencending. 7/10. Track 7: Siembra. IS THAT FUCKING FLY ME TO THE MOON!? Apart from that musical flashbang, this song has a more noticable dour tone to it. You can still dance to it but expect to have the nervous sweats with how the pianos sound. 8/10. Overall I was fairly surprised at the quality and consistency of this album especially for it's time. Dare I say I might re-visit it from time to time? Favourite Track: Plástico Least Favourite Track: Pedro Navaja. Overall: 8/10 (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Never listened to it before, but I love this era of Fania All Stars and the latin jazz fusion disco soup. Ya can't be in a bad mood with this playing.

Background music at best, but good background music

Esto está brutal; Me encanta esta música. Idk spanish so I hope that's right. Latin music has been growing on me heavy.

01) Plástico - 7,0 02) Buscando Guayaba - 7,0 03) Pedro Navaja - 7,5 04) María Lionza - 7,0 05) Ojos - 7,0 06) Dime - 7,0 07) Siembra - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,14 (71/100)

I have been listening to Siembra this whole time and I only just now found out it was done by Rubén Blades...the actor! And by "this whole time," I mean since this morning when I started listening to the album. Now when I watch "The Milagro Beanfield War," "Predator 2" or "Fear the Walking Dead," I can say that is Rubén Blades...the salsa superstar!