Celia Cruz & Ray Barretto - Ritmo En El Corazon (1988)

Celia Cruz's epic discography is home to some of the best-loved Latin music ever put to tape, partially because the legendary singer consistently worked with the finest musicians in the genre. RITMO EN EL CORAZON brings together recordings the Queen of Salsa made in the 1970s and early '80s with such luminaries as Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, and Tito Puente. In addition to Cruz's always-appealing vocals, which exude rhythmic precision, a laid-back ease, and a sheer joy in performing, these tracks sport stunning chops from the band personnel, and their respective leaders (trumpeter Colon, conguera Barretto, and master percussionist Puente).

The fare here is largely old-school salsa, with its brew of big-band jazz, ballroom balladry, and--most dominantly--African and Latin rhythms. The moods shift from minor-key slink ("Tu Voz") to celebratory anthems ("Tu Musica Popular"), with hardly a down-tempo moment in the batch. The caliber of Cruz's output is consistently remarkable, and these tracks--given their superstar guests--push her formidable skills to an even higher level. For classic salsa and Cuban dance, it doesn't get much better than this.