Classsic album of Puerto Rico's Plenas and Bombas.
06/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cd provides buyers with some of the best interpretations of Puerto Rico's Plenas and Bombas by the late great singer/composer/ musician/arranger Mon Rivera and the legendary multitalented Willie Colon. The best musicians were used in this recording and Salsa stars such as the late Hector Lavoe provide background vocals. A must buy for those who like Afrocaribbean/Puerto Rican music!"
Oh, WOW!
Carolyn Downing | 11/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you love boricua, you'll love this one! Words can't describe! Buy it!"
Interesting approach to Afro-Puerto Rican music
Roberto Jimenez | Tampa, FL USA | 10/01/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On this CD, you will hear Willie Colon's powerful band, backed up by Rubén Blades and Héctor Lavoe on chorus, exploring the two main Afro-Puerto Rican genres: "bomba" & "plena", with the master plenero Mon Rivera on vocals. Also, featuring on timbales and "quinto" is "Kako" Bastar. So, in terms of the sound, is as powerful as it gets.
My only complaint is that Willie didn't risk much on this one: he didn't take the Afro-Boricua rhythms to new grounds; he stuck pretty much to the traditional sound (with Afro-Cuban instrumentation, of course). He did come up with interesting stuff (listen to Mosaico #2), but apart of that, he didn't give his imagination room on this one.
Still, this is a must have if you are into Salsa or Afro-Caribbean music, as I am. "Pena de amor" and "Ya llegó" are classics."
He left us too soon...
Blockhead | USA | 12/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is Boricua to the bone. The very best of the best. Mon Rivera died a year after the release of this album. No one had the 'traba-lengua', it was all Mon. This must of been a crowning achievement for Willie Colon. To be able to record this master's best material prior to his death. Ever since 1975 no one has been able to duplicate this achievement. Every song on this album kicks butt. Traditional to the max and beautifully crafted. Words that makes one cry from laughter. Rythmic, dance-able and solid musical creativity in a simple format. And Mon's patented non-sensical, gibberish of made-up words that died with him; 'traba-lengua'. Non-existant words with rythmic bounce. A kind of scats in Plena beat. It's so sad how our culture is slowly fading away. This recording serves as a reminder of the losses we face if we don't preserve out culture."