My journey into Latin music has been both joyous and a bit haphazard, often shaped by chance encounters with remarkable artists. One such discovery was Costa Rican–born Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, whose powerful artistry pulled me in after I watched the outstanding 2017 documentary on her extraordinary life (sitting at a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes).
So when I began exploring the music of Cuban icon Celia Cruz, I knew I had to dive in—but I wasn’t quite sure where to start. Widely celebrated as the “Queen of Salsa,” she was one of the most influential Latin artists of the 20th century, selling more than 10 million records worldwide during her lifetime.
Fortunately, Craft Recordings has made that journey of discovery easier with its excellent Craft Latino reissue series, which includes recordings from Celia Cruz—some unavailable since the mid-1960s. True to form, Craft delivers top-notch production values at fair prices, reviving rare titles in editions that arguably surpass the originals. These new reissues feature all-analog (AAA) lacquers cut directly from the original master tapes and are pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Like Craft’s acclaimed Original Jazz Classics and Jazz Dispensary lines, they boast superb pressing quality and faithful use of original artwork..
In honor of Celia Cruz’s centennial, Craft Latino has reissued her debut solo album, Son Con Guaguancó, originally released on Tico Records in 1966. Long regarded as a landmark recording, it has appeared on numerous “best of” Latin music lists, and NPR included it in their 2018 roundup of the 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women.
Many of the songs on Son Con Guaguancó were reportedly staples of Celia’s deep repertoire. For me personally, an immediate stand out is an arrangement of the early Afro-Cuban jazz classic “Manteca,” presented here as “No Hay Manteca” and credited to R. Calzado (I’m guessing he was likely the arranger and perhaps author of new lyrics). The 1948 original was co-written by trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie with the great percussionist Chano Poza and arranger Gil Fuller. Either way, it is a great tune!
It’s hardly surprising that an artist of Celia Cruz’s stature would eventually join forces with another towering figure in Latin music: Johnny Pacheco, co-founder of the iconic Fania Records label, which helped bring salsa to prominence in the U.S. and around the world.
Originally released on Fania’s Vaya Records imprint, Tremendo Caché (1975) is another vibrant collection of salsa brilliance. I can’t quite single out favorites just yet, but the chemistry between Cruz and Pacheco is undeniable—so strong it bridged cultures and created something larger than the sum of its parts. All three albums they recorded together were hits in their time; their very first collaboration, Celia & Johnny—which I briefly reviewed earlier this year—remains a landmark and is now listed in the National Recording Registry.
Their salsa arrangement of “Cucala” (reportedly inspired by Ismael Rivera’s bomba version) was apparently one of several big hits from Tremendo Caché back in the day.
I could go on but I hope by now you get the essence here: if you are looking for some upbeat vocal-centric Latin sounds with rich Afro-Cuban and Salsa cores, these recordings featuring Celia Cruz are a good place to start.
Where to buy:
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.