Notes & Personnel Info |  | One of the, if not the, preeminent salsa labels in the U.S., Fania has a proven track record of producing a long list of extremely high-quality Latin artists including Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Willie Col¢n, Ray Barretto, Rub?n Blades, and Eddie Palmieri, among others. So if they decide to issue a "best-of" collection, it's something that deserves to be taken seriously. Such is the case with Leyendas de La Fania, Vol. 3, which, though it doesn't include tracks from all the stars (both Col¢n and Blades are missing, for example), still represents the label's talented roster very well. Pete "El Conde" Rodr¡guez has a great song, "La Abolici¢n," included, as does Cheo Feliciano ("Castillos de Arena"), Orquesta Harlow ("Con la Mayor Elegancia"), and Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco's standout track, "Ni Hablar." As the album progresses, it does move a bit away from salsa and into more pop- or boogaloo-based arrangements ("Due¤o de Mi Coraz¢n" by La Lupe, "Mambo Mongo" by Mongo Santamaria, and even Tito Puente's "Pata Pata," which is a little far afield from what he usually does), but overall Leyendas de La Fania, Vol. 3 is a pretty great look at what the label put out. ~ Marisa Brown |
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