Siembra

Background

Siembra is the second of four collaborative duo albums produced by Rubén Blades and Willie Colón. During its time, it was the best-selling salsa record in history. This record was broken with the release of Cuenta Conmigo by Jerry Rivera in the 1990s. It has sold over three million copies worldwide, and almost all of its songs were hits at one time or another in various Latin American countries. With its rousing social commentary and unconventional sound, "Siembra" set the salsa world on fire and remains one of the most original and influential works in that genre. Among Siembra's tracks, Blades' masterpiece is still "Pedro Navaja," a song that he fashioned after Bertolt Brecht's "Threepenny Opera."

Critical reception

John Bush of Allmusic gave the album a five-star rating, praising the composition of the songs by Blades as well the arrangements by Colón. Bush emphasizes the use of disco arrangements at the beginning of the first track, "Plástico", until Colón's band "slip into a devastating salsa groove". He also praised Blade's vocals, noting his high-tenor voice on "Buscando Guayaba" and tender tones on "Dime". David Wilson of Wilson & Alroy's also gave the album a five-star rating. He praised both the arrangements and the message of "Plástico", referring to "Dime" as "a beautiful love song". The album was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.

In pop culture

The song "Buscando Guayaba" was featured in the 1988 Disney animated film, Oliver & Company.

Track listing

All tracks written by Rubén Blades, except where noted.

Personnel