Sue Miller writes: Most salsa compilations are designed for the dance floor and Putumayo Presents: Salsa is no exception - except that it features tracks from Salsa royalty such as Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez and Chico Alvarez with Charanga veterans Orquesta Aragon thrown in for good measure.

The Poncho Sanchez coro 'Shing a ling pa' bailar y gozar mi son' ( Do the Shing a ling and dance and enjoy my Son) just about sums it up and this track kick starts the album with nifty conga breaks and trombone grooves. The classic voice of Chico Alvarez follows this up with his 'Rumba en el Solar' with its assertively weaving baritone sax lines against a tight brass section.

"most of the other tracks are also strong with good dance numbers".

Standout tracks for me were Eddie Palmieri's 'Sujétate la Lengua' (Hold your tongue) where one melodic brass mambo reminded me of the coro 'Hay que sembrar, para recoger' (Reap what you sow) and Orquesta Aragón's 'Son al Son'. I have to own up to loving this track prior to this compilation, taken as it is from their 1999 Lusafrica release 'La Charanga Eterna'. Here the impassioned and rounded vocals of Cheo Feliciano weave symbiotically around the agile flute inspiraciones of Eduardo Rubio with midway coros by Rafaelito Lay, Carlos Villegas and Ernesto Bacallao joining in the intense conversation. Most of the other tracks are also strong with good dance numbers from Grupo Galé, Son Boricua and Fruko y Sus Tesos so definitely one for discerning dancers and musos alike!

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