Live at Yankee Stadium, Vol. 1
Artist: Fania All-Stars

In the '70s, Fania Records was often called "the Motown of salsa," and in fact, Fania was every bit as important to salsa as Motown was to soul. Fania's '70s roster boasted some of the decade's biggest names in Afro-Cuban music; so when Fania assembled a band called the Fania All-Stars, you knew that some major-league salseros would be on board.... Read More

Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual
Artist: Juan Luis Guerra Y 4.40
Community Score: 9.17

This three-time Grammy-winning performance by the daddy of bachata and modern merengue is a must-listen for not only the tropical music fans of the world, but any music lover with a pulse. Juan Luis Guerra, often credited with bringing his nation's music to a global audience, has created yet another landmark album for lovers of Dominican music... Read More

Rebotando/Sueño Contigo
Artist: Ilegales
Community Score: 8.00

Two of Illegales' best albums, Rebotando and Sueno Contigo, were combined on one disc by RCA Internationale. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Quiero Estar Contigo
Artist: Gisselle
100% Azucar!: The Best of Celia Cruz con la Sonora Matancera
Artist: Celia Cruz & la Sonora Matancera
Community Score: 9.50

Female singers are abundant in Latin pop, but for whatever reason, salsa has remained a male-dominated idiom. From the 1950s to the mid-'90s, salsa's most prominent female vocalist has been Celia Cruz, a pearl of a singer rightly exalted as "the Queen of Salsa." This excellent CD focuses largely on the recordings she made with la Sonora... Read More

Swing On
Artist: DLG [Dark Latin Groove]
The Winners
Artist: Celia Cruz
Community Score: 9.50

Cruz with Willie is just about as sure a thing as Celia with Johnny (Pacheco). Surer, maybe, since C&J have made far more recordings than C&W. Celia Cruz is the nearest thing to an icon in contemporary salsa, and since she reaches at least two generations, you can bet on this reaching at least the Top Three, if not the zenith. ~ John Storm... Read More

Live at Yankee Stadium, Vol. 2
Artist: Fania All-Stars