Dios Disfrute a la Reina Review

07/13/2005 7:29 AM, AMG


To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the passing away of Celia Cruz, Universal Music Latin dug into its vault and unearthed some recordings by the Queen of Salsa that date back to the late '90s. Universal then dusted them off, gave them some contemporary sheen, and graced the world with their wonder. The resulting posthumous album, Dios Disfrute a la Reina, is a godsend to the gigantic international fan base that worships the Queen. The release of this album is nothing short of a red-carpet event. Celia's voice doesn't grab the spotlight with as much flair as it did back in the '50s and '60s when she sang alongside la Sonora Matancera, yet she can still move you immensely, especially when she's singing Miguel Matamoros classics like "Lágrimas Negras" and "Son de la Loma (De la Loma Bajan)" as well as a few gems by Oscar Gomez: "Cuándo Volverá," "La Cuba Mía," "Vámonos de Aqúi," and "Estrella Dulce." An iconic voice and a batch of great songs deserve a spirited musical backing, and that's precisely what you get here on Dios Disfrute a la Reina -- the sort of festive salsa that you can't listen to while sitting still. Granted, this isn't the fiery salsa of la Sonora Matancera (remember, Celia was slowing down a little -- but not much -- by this point); rather, it's a lighter style that's better suited to a wide, all-ages audience, which is what this music deserves -- as grand of a reception as possible. That's not the entire story, however. Universal spices up the album with some contemporary touches. Two songs, "Son de la Loma (De la Loma Bajan)" and "El Muerto Se Fue de Rumba," are given a reggaeton spin (the trendy Latin sound of the moment circa 2004). This pits the light salsa grace of Celia against the freewheeling dancehall-rap exuberance so integral to reggaeton. It somewhat works, more so on the former than the latter, though those listeners unaccustomed to such youthful urban sounds will want to skip over these songs (and especially the three further remixes of these songs appended as bonus tracks). And yeah, you can only wonder what Celia would have thought! On the other hand, the songs should well appeal to the young urban market, but still, they do sound out of place here. That minor quibble aside, there's plenty to praise Universal for; after all, even the packaging is stellar. Dios Disfrute a la Reina is a wonderful addition to the Cruz canon, and you can only hope there's more where this came from. These latter-day recordings are a fitting epilogue to a regal recording career, and even those who are new to Cruz may want to pick this one up. Celia's recordings with la Sonora Matancera in the '50s and '60s will always be what she's remembered most for, and thus the best place to begin (start with Rhino's 100% Azucar: The Best of Celia Cruz & la Sonora Matancera for an ideal introduction). But Dios Disfrute a la Reina isn't a bad place to begin, not a bad one at all. Let's just hope it's another beginning (a posthumous one, that is) rather than an end. It's hard to say goodbye, isn't it? ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide