from the LP Siembra, Fania Records, 1978This was the biggest selling salsa album of all time when it was released, and it’s gone on to move tens of millions of units over the 30+ years since it dropped, perhaps the greatest release of Fania records’ entire discography; what Dark Side of the Moon is to North America & Europe, Siembra is to South America, Central America, the Caribbean, & parts of NYC…it’s that hallowed and revered. To the untrained anglo ear, this might sound like any old salsa record from the ‘70s---granted, with stellar production & arranging care of Willie Colón, but a large part of what makes this LP so relevant still today are the socially conscious themes found in many of Rubén Blades’ lyrics, speaking to the difficult lives of many Hispanic people in both New York and around the Spanish speaking world. It should come as no surprise that it’s the percussion that really hooks me in most Latin music, but the critically aware subject matter found here absolutely serves as the sweetened condensed milk to this slice of musical Tres Leches!
