Essential
Nelson Guirado | Pico Rivera, California United States | 10/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Beny More' is rightly considered the greatest overall Cuban singer and performer. I'm guessing that many people who love music have thought of whose voice they would have if they could choose one. Cooke, Elvis, and Sinatra usually come out on top for me, but Beny always manages more than a passing consideration. He was a complete singer, equally comfortable with slow boleros or the fastest uptempo Afro-Cuban music. He worked in a number of bands including the Trio Matamoros and Perez Prado. He was offered a job with Celia Cruz' band, the Sonora Matancera, but didn't like its tame sound and, instead, assembled the rocking, world-class band you hear on Maracaibo Oriental, blazing a unique trail with a harder, more instrument-centered sound. But every single song on this collection is worth hearing. Great and essential."