VA - Fania Records 1964-1980 (The Original Sound Of Latin New York) (2011)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks, cue, log, full scans) - 1.1 GB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 519 MB
2:22:30 | Latin, Funk, Soul, Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Sonero | Label: Strut / Fania Records
Fania is, bar none, the greatest Latin recording label of all time, the home of the most sparkling salsa and the boogiest boogaloo ever set down on a mold of wax barely able to resist melting from the heat. During its heyday, it hosted most of the best recordings by the biggest salsa stars of all time: Willie Colón, Hector Lavoe, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Mongo Santamaria, and many others (even El Rey, Tito Puente, recorded frequently). But with the advent of dozens of compilations, from Fania and others, available in periodic waves during the last half of the 2000s, it's easy to forgive weary listeners who look at this compilation from the Strut label and ask, "What's the difference?" Of course, anyone who knows Strut knows that the label takes quality control to an insane level of detail, and this two-disc celebration of all things Fania is no different.