AMG Review of Greatest Songs Ever: Cuba [2006]

Marisa Brown
All Music Guide

With the great amount of talented artists that have come from Cuba, it's confusing why Australian-based Petrol Records decided to have so many repeats on their Greatest Songs Ever: Cuba. The most obvious answer is that there were licensing problems, but the fact that the other albums in this series (Greece, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Ireland, and France are some of the other countries) included some more notable stars nearly refutes that idea (coupled with the fact that the track list on the website is completely different than the one that is actually on the album). Septeto Nacional are a great band, as are Charanga Latina, but why listeners need to hear two songs by each, instead of something from Celia Cruz, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, or Beny Moré, to name just a few, is a little perplexing. The music on Greatest Songs Ever is still pretty good, and a nice combination of son, salsa, and even some rhumba and mambo, but it's a bit of a misnomer, too.