Customer Reviews

Siembra

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(2)
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This is the new remastered edition of this classic Willie Colon recording featuring Ruben Blades on vocals. The lyrical aspect of this recording has been covered elsewhere so I'm not going to dwell on it besides metioning that most of the lyrics deal with the political reality of the "latino everyman."
The reissue has all the original cover art and an appropiate essay covering the significance of this recording. The only drawback is that it didn't include the lyric sheet or additional tracks. I'm sure that someone, somewhere has to have outakes from these sessions. Maybe these things will come as a part of a box set of another "commemorative" edition once everyone involved "gets paid."
Otherwise, the sound is louder, more focused and a bit cleaner. But again as with some of these new Fania remasters, the top end is rounded off to eliminate hiss. I find that bothersome, but I'm just being picky.

Buy it!

Though I grew up on the Lower east side of Manhattan I was never much into Latin music or Salsa. My brother however is a fanatic and gave me this album (yes vinyl) back in 1979 with a dedication in Spanish from Ruben Blades! Needless to say this has become an heirloom.

As for the music, upon hearing the songs I was instantly struck by the fact that this did not sound like any other latin music I'd ever heard. The Lyrics were meaningful, uplifting, exhorting! The masterful compositions infused with Willie Colon's breathtaking orchestration whisked me away to musical bliss. Siembra accomplishes the impossible by making EVERY song dance-able yet introspective. The thought provoking lyrics will have you rethinking your role as a Latino, while simultaneously tapping your feet.

There is no filler on Siembra; not one bad song to be heard. My 15 year old just listened recently and was blown away, a testament to this true Masterpiece that will live on as the benchmark by which other Latin music will be judged.

This is the jewel of the Willie Colon catalogue. With songs that are politically charged and so well crafted, this album is the summation of the Colon-Blades recordings. Most of these tracks were hits when released. The best track, in my humble opinion, is the haunting "Dime."
The personnel included among others, Sal Cuevas on bass, Willie Colon on bass trumpet and Eddie Montalvo on congas, Jose Rodrigues, Papo Vasquez, Leopoldo Pineda on slide t-bones.
By far, this was Willie's best band. They were tight, and also well produced and recorded.
The only critique is the remastering. Although better than most of the Fania reissues, the sound could have been truly enhanced to faithfully reproduce the warmth and detail of the original lp.
Besides that point, this album should belong in any music lover's collection. It's a classic!

It's been said for many years that this 1978 release was the all-time biggest-selling salsa album ever. I can't really prove that but what is undeniable is that "Siembra" was a turning point in Latin music. Colon and Blades are both at their best here and no salsa collection is complete without this CD. The ever-popular classic hits "Plastico", "Ligia Elena" and "Buscando Guayaba" immortalized this album.

The Panamanian-Puertorican greatest combination, Blades and Colon. Who in Latin America does not know the lyrics of Pedro Navaja? This album took Salsa music to a higher level. Since its release, Siembra has sold millions of copies. Today we have it on CD and is the oportunity of a life time to buy it if your dad or your uncles never wanted to lend it to you. Ruben, if you are reading, I just want to thank you for being a role model for many Latinos, including myself. Arriba Panama! Sigue teniendo muchos exitos compatriota, yo te seguire apoyando!

Como Panameño, me siento sumamente orgulloso de ser parte del país más hermoso, divertido, colorido y con más ritmo del planeta; y bien chiquitito tambien pá que sea facil llevarlo siempre en el alma!
El mismo país que dio a luz a leyendas mundiales como Rod careu,Orlando Blackman, Roberto Durán, Mariano Rivera, Roberto Kelly y Ricardo Miro, También puso en el ñapa a el salsero más grande de esta tierra, el maestro Rubén Blades!!!

Este disco no necesita introducción, es una leyenda. Compuesto por los mejores músicos de la salsa y con la colaboración de otro de los grandes, el maestro Willy Colón!!! ¿Qué más se puede pedir?

Todas las canciones son una belleza, son una cuna de ritmos y sabores que te ponen en "sontin" desde el primer segundo que le pones play al cd!.

Hoy, 3 de noviembre de 2003, Panamá cumple sus primeros 100 años de vida republicana y fue un sueño hecho realidad el volver a ver en tarima en la bella avenida Balboa, al salsero del mundo tocando todas aquellas canciones que vuelven loco a mi pueblo y al sabroso mundo de habla hispana...en un show que ponía tus ojos en lagrimas al oir los compaces de su música, sentimiento, letra y ritmo!!!
Gracias Maestro Rubén!

Todos son bienvenidos a Panamá, un país bien chiquitito, pero con un corazon hermano, que simplemente es dificil de abrazar con tus dos manos!

y como dice la canción...Patria son tantas cosas bellas!
Que viva Panamá!

You, your kids,your mate,and everybody around you will thank you for playing it.It is required reading at the Salsa University of the World,and I think it will make you a better person when you play Siembra,Plastico,Ojos. It will haunt you with the story of Pedro Navaja(What a guy ! ).I have my 1978 original 33LP and is heavily defended. GET IT? It really is that good! Anyway enjoy many years the way I haved.

Este disco es obligatorio para cualquier persona que se precie de ser latinoamericano, dados los mensajes que sus letras incluyen. Una producción excelente de Rubén Blades y Willie Colón, tanto en lo musical como en lo lírico.
"Plástico" y "Siembra" nos llaman a la acción, y a la vez nos hacen enorgullecernos de ser latinos, "la raza que Bolívar soñó", parafraseando a Rubén.
"Buscando guayaba" y "Ojos" son dos deliciosas melodías, de esas que nos hacen movernos casi por instinto, sin siquiera pensarlo.
Pedro Navaja, el arquetipo del delincuente latino de los bajos fondos de Nueva York, aunque quisiéramos erradicarlo, es el fiel reflejo de las clases bajas atrincheradas en el gran imperio estadounidense.
"María Lionza" y "Dime" son dos joyas que se degustan lentamente, al compás su ritmo.

En otras palabras, simplemente maravilloso.

SIEMBRA is the best of the Ruben Blades and Willie Colon Jobs, in this album Ruben showed his poetic fiber in all his splendor, he introduced a new way to make Latin Music. Everybody remember Pedro Navaja, because through this guy, Ruben talked about the hard streets, as we can find in New York or another place in the world, but if you take a few minutes to analyze the rest of the work, you can find out marvelous lyrics as "Ojos" or "Siembra" where ruben made a call to join our latinamerican people, to work very hard and together for a best future. In "Maria Lionza", Ruben described very well our magic-religious world, this is something that only the latinamerican people can understand. Ruben is a prolific musician, I feel a big respect for his work. (...)

"Pedro Navaja" (Switchblade Pete, more or less) is Ruben Blades' update on the Brecht/Weill "Mack the Knife". It's got better music, a wittier lyric, a wry, ironic punchline--and you can dance to it!