When the phrase 'dance diva' gets bandied about, generally it involves an interpretive singer who can handle pop, rock, & R&B and whose voice is well-suited to the rhythmic demands of remixing and house/trance/club music. So what term can encompass the volcanic talent of someone like Celia Cruz, whose scintillating voice remained undaunted by salsa, merengue, rhumba, and any other kind of dance style you could think of. 'Dance diva' doesn't really get across the decades of songs that Cruz has performed, nor does it get across the cultural impact of her voice and personality.
A stellar voice in many different varieties of music, this remix project finds La Cruz's dusky voice equally at home amongst today's dance floor varieties, whether the body and soul of "Camaloe," the "Guantanamera" remix by D'Menace (responsible for five of the record's thirteen tracks) which straddles electro and broken beat, Oba's Rumba Ke Sumba Mix of "El De La Rumba Soy Yo," which lets Cruz's voice emanate from a deep well of Tenagliac bass, and the kickoff D'Menace Mix of a live version of "Quimbara" which goes from intimate salsa floor-filler to big room house anthem without backing down from a tuff rhythm arrangement. There's also some jazzy drum & bass, and a cumbia or two lurking around.
There are very few vocalists who have enough range and breadth of work to be both easily remixed and a provocative interpretive singer, and it is both right and just that this collection may help househeads of the world discover the joy that is Eternal Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz. This record is a great tribute to the influence of Celia Cruz, a great dance compilation, and a good instrument for bridging genres.
