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Beginner's
Guide to Salsa
Most compilations with the word "salsa" on them are junk. Fortunately, the "Beginner's Guide To Salsa" isn't one of them - it's been created with care and attention, by a UK DJ who clearly cares about both the music and the dancing aspects of salsa. I picked up this Three-CD set in my local MVC for £9.99, which is pretty good value for 30 tracks. Each track has a good description on the CD cover, and the music on each disc is carefully-arranged to a theme. There are a few songs I really couldn't like, and there weren't as many classics as I'd prefer, but overall it's an extremely nice selection of danceable music, with songs from Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Fania Allstars, and Eddie Palmieri (but nothing from Willie Colon, alas). My particular favourites were "La Rebellion", "Pa' Curubande Yo Voy" and "Que Bueno Baila Usted" on disc two, and "Salsa Con Coco" on disc three - great to discover a fantastic dance track which I haven't heard before. In fact, almost all tracks on disc three are great dance numbers. Great music, great care taken over the arrangements, great value for money. |
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Salsa
Fresca A 15-track compilation of salsa music from the '90s. Probably one of the best (or safest) "introduction to salsa" CDs around. Highlights for me are: Track 2: "Pa' Bravo Yo" (with one of the most easily-recognised intros of all time), track 3: "Bailando" (a classic dance track, nice musicality and easy to dance to) and Track 5: "Idilio" by the great Willie Colon (not his best, but pretty darned good all the same). Downsides: it's a bit "romantic" in places (i.e. overly light), which means there aren't any real "get down and shake it" tracks such as "La Muerte". A decent merengue or two might also have been nice to break it up a little (but then, it says "Salsa" on the cover). And finally, it peters off a bit in the last few tracks (tracks 13-15 are pretty forgettable). However, generally tracks are of a high standard, both muscially and dance-ably. |
