Emily: Oh salsa music, I have spent so many hours in your
company while I spend my days in the gift shop at work. You see, my music
selection at work is limited to the world music and jazz sample CDs we get sent
from vendors because, somehow, the explicit language and general fun on my iPod
doesn’t fly with the powers that be. My favorite CDs of that bunch are the
Latin dance compilations – they’re so upbeat and fun, it makes work go by so
much faster (plus, I can dance in a silly fashion when no one is around). Which
brings me to our selection today: Willie Colon and Ruben Blades’ Siembra.
Though not a presence in my gift shop rotation, the salsa rhythms were as
familiar and enjoyable as always. These guys bring a more modern spin to salsa
as well by incorporating some disco and popular American culture references
(West Side Story and Mack the Knife, anyone?) to the traditional grooves. It
made me want to dance in a big salsa hall with an old-school band like these
guys…or, you know, just groove a little in the middle of my shift. Whatever
works.
Favorite Tracks: Pedro
Navajas; Plastico, Buscando Guayaba
Zack: Aaaaaah! Why won’t it end!? Seriously all I
want is for this album to stop playing and yet I still have another song to go.
This album could not be more boring. I tried just listening to it straight on
but I started to fall asleep. So I tried playing Solitaire and I still was
bored. I read online articles, stumbled upon, even Sporcled. Nothing could make
this album go by any faster. It’s only a modest 42 minutes too. But it’s 42
minutes that just won’t end. This is supposed to be like the greatest salsa
album of all time but all I’ve heard is the album most likely to piss me off
with its repetitive rhythms. Or knock me unconscious. Why? Why won’t this last
song end? I swear if I write this entire post in the time it takes me to finish
this last song I will know that this album is cursed to go on for an eternity. It’s
such a starch contrast to something like Abraxas by Santana which took Latin
roots and infused in with other genres. This is just straight, saturated salsa
and it could not be more draining if it came with a side of hypnosis and cough
syrup. Wait…it’s over. It’s finally over. Oh my you have no idea how happy that
makes me.
Favorite Tracks: Pedro Navajo; Ojos; Plastico
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