Mi Vida Es Cantar

At this point in Celia Cruz's 40-plus year career--over 20 Gold albums; collaborations with salsa greats Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon, Tito Puente, and the Fania All-Stars; and countless awards--you would expect the Queen of Afro-Cuban music to run out of ideas and song titles, let alone steam! Yet, this indefatigable grandma, who counts among her living legend peers American jazz orishas Aretha and Sarah, remains an inexhaustible fount of some of the most luscious sounds to rock this planet. Cruz's party verve still rages feverishly high, that butter-scotch voice is as rich and emotive as ever, and she still rides those vocals just as smoothly over this set's sizzling Latin jams, produced by the excellent Ralph Mercado and played by a stellar crew of salsa-meisters. The title of evergreen Cruz's latest jolt of pure central nervous system stimulation says it all: In English, it means, "My Life Is To Sing." --Elena Oumano