AMG Review of Legends of Cuban Music

Marisa Brown
All Music Guide

One of the longest-running Cuban bands ever, la Sonora Matancera certainly have a very large collection of music from which compilers can choose, which makes any kind of best-of an overwhelming task. Luckily, the folks at EMI knew what they were doing when they put together Legends of Cuban Music. Celia Cruz, probably the most famous of the singers to graduate from the ranks of the band, is featured quite prominently here, but Bienvenido Granda also adds his vocal talents to many of the pieces as well. And with 22 songs -- including "Tatalibaba," "Que Lengua Más Larga," and "Rumba Para Parejas" -- on the track list, Legends a good package with a lot of good music from one of Cuba's beloved groups.