The question that must be confronted for those familiar with the breadth of her work is, "Is it even possible for
Celia Cruz
to record a bad album?" With elements such as producer
Emilio Estefan, Jr.
, executive producer
Angel Carrasco
, and of course, la guarachera del mundo herself converging to create 2000's
Siempre Vivire
, the answer to that question seems clear.
Celia
's first album for
Sony
certainly captured those elements that uniquely belong to
Cruz
, and discriminatingly avoided any influences of the day that might adulterate those qualities or date the project. In conceiving this record, the creative team walked a very fine line by deciding on a project that could both stand among its contemporary peers and yet sound classic. It is hard in modern
salsa
to find the tres, a sultry
bolero
, or to hear
plena
played well. In a genre that continues to narrow its stylistic scope, it's refreshing to come across a record that can simultaneously be a citizen of the present, and reach to the past.
herself delivers that gutsy, dark molasses tone that is as sweet as the "Azucarrr!" she made famous. Like
,
is of such a high quality that is both a bold challenge for tomorrow and a graceful bow to yesterday. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez