Some records don’t just survive time—they outrun it, dance past it, and dare you to keep up. The Queen of Salsa: Centennial Tributedoes exactly that. This Craft Recordings reissue isn’t just a celebration of Celia Cruz’s 100th birthday—it’s a living, breathing proof-of-life document for one of the most indomitable voices ever committed to wax.

The Compilation spanning 1966- 1993 was cut from the original master tapes by Clint Holley and mastered with muscular clarity by Paul Blakemore. This set sounds explosive. The punch of the rhythm section, the bite of the horns, the air around Celia’s voice—it’s all here, alive in the room. Craft Recordings continues to work their magic on these reissues. If you’ve only ever heard these tracks digitally, this vinyl will reset your expectations.

The compilation smartly pulls from Cruz’s imperial period when she was redefining tropical music on a global scale. Right out of the gate, “Quimbara” (with Johnny Pacheco) hits like a ceremonial invocation. It’s rhythm as possession—drums tumbling forward while Celia rides the groove like a high priestess summoning the spirits of the dance floor.

Then there’s “Usted Abusó” with Willie Colón, all bitterness and bravado. The lyric cuts deep, but Celia delivers it with elegance and heat, never losing her regal poise. It’s heartbreak with perfect posture.

The set also leans into her pop-crossover brilliance. “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” shows her command of phrasing and restraint, while “Guantanamera” reminds you how effortlessly she could transform a folk standard into a global anthem without sanding off its cultural soul.

Elsewhere, “Bemba Colorá” is pure Afro-Cuban fire, while “Azúcar, Azúcar” distills her catchphrase into musical DNA—joy weaponized as rhythm. On Side B, the Fania-powered “Bamboleo” snaps with live-wire energy, and “Toro Mata” brings Afro-Peruvian roots charging straight through the salsa engine.

The real triumph here isn’t just the track selection—it’s the reminder of range. Celia wasn’t only a force of nature; she was a master stylist, bending son, guaracha, bolero, and salsa dura to her will without ever losing her identity. Power and precision. Fire and form.

Ana Cristina Reymundo’s new liner notes frame her legacy with welcome depth, but the grooves tell the story better than any essay: exile turned into empire, tradition turned into rocket fuel.

This reissue doesn’t feel archival. It feels urgent. Necessary. Loud in all the right ways. If you want to understand why Celia Cruz is eternal, this record doesn’t explain it—it proves it.

Celia Cruz – The Queen of Salsa: Centennial Tribute is a definitive vinyl monument to a woman who never stopped moving the world forward, one shout of “¡Azúcar!” at a time.