Rating:
Genre:
Latin
Release Date: 06/13/2006
Divided into three discs,
Vintage Latin,
Cuban Fire, and
Salsa Swing,
Pure Salsa: The Soundtrack to the Ultimate Salsa Dance Class looks to teach listeners about the history and development of the genre. In doing so, it doesn't limit itself to what would be considered "typical"
salsa music (disc three, with cuts from
Eddie Palmieri,
Alfredo de la Fe, and
José "El Canario" Alberto is about as close as it comes), but moves into
meringue,
Latin pop,
son,
mambo, and even
calypso. Despite its title and the liner notes summarizing different important periods in
salsa's life, the album's actually more of a
Latin music overview that then chooses to take a greater focus on
salsa rather than something that's, well, pure
salsa. There are a few of the requisite stars included on the compilation (
Celia Cruz,
Tito Puente,
Beny Moré), but there are also a fair number of relative newcomers, some of whom are pretty well known (
¡Cubanismo!,
the Afro-Cuban All Stars, whose song with
Felix Baloy,
"Baila Mi Son," is great) and some of whom are not (
Ritmo Alegria, for example, who still manage to show up seven times between all three discs). The cuts from these latter artists are still good, but many of them have the super-produced feel that modern
Latin music often takes, missing a bit of the punch and rawness that earlier
salsa often had (luckily,
Cruz's song,
"Rumba Para Parejas," isn't lacking in the slightest). For someone who's looking for a more contemporary, smoother sound, and to whom big names and big songs don't matter as much,
Pure Salsa could be a good introductory album to
Latin music (though there are better ones out there), but to anyone who really knows
salsa and wants something that truly dedicates itself to it, this compilation doesn't quite cut it.
~Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
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