Duets

1	Saludo a Chango (with Khaled)
2	Fidelidad (with Silvio Rodriguez)
3	Lagrimas Negras (with Cesaria Evora)
4	Siempre Te Amaré
5	Viejos Sones de Santiago (with Duo Evocacion)
6	Virgen del Pino (with Santiago Auseron)
7	La Juma de Ayer (with Pio Leyva)
8	Baby Keep Smiling (with Lou Bega)
9	Frutas del Caney (with Felix Valoy)
10	Morir de Amor (with Charles Aznavour)
11	Linda Graciela (with Basilio Repilado)
12	Macusa (with Pablo Milanes)
13	La Pluma (with Omara Portuondo)
14	Juliancito (Tu Novia Te Botó)(with Martirio and Raimundo Amador)
15	Beautiful Maria of my Soul (with Antonio Banderas) / Mambo All-Stars
16	Tente en Pie (with Los Compadres)

Barnes & Noble

It worked for Sinatra, why not Compay Segundo, the nonagenarian treasure of the Buena Vista Social Club? His name alone recalls the legendary pair known as Los Compadres, where Compay Segundo provided the second, or lower, voice, and thus this album of duets restores the oldster to his most effective supporting role. It also pairs the irascible baritone with some real surprises. The fruit of Segundo's well established career in Spain, the cast has a continental flair, ranging from the warmly embraced Cuban performers of Segundo's generation, such as BVSC'ers Omara Portuondo and Pio Leyva, to post-revolution stars Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes. Then there's the Spanish lights -- Ketama guitarist Raimundo Amador (a guest on many of Segundos Spanish albums) and amazingly, Antonio Banderas. Most satisfying of these stunt pairings are the cross-cultural unions with artists who could easily be Segundo's old friends, the Frenchman Charles Aznavour and Cape Verde's barefoot diva Cesaria Evora. Ending the set with a look back at Los Compadres in their prime, Duets offers a warm atmosphere of fellowship that's as endearing as Compay Segundo himself. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

There's a definite problem here, and by and large it's a lack of inspiration. Historically, Compay Segundo has been a great duet singer -- all you have to do is listen to his vintage recordings, made well over 40 years before Buena Vista Social Club turned him into a star. However, these aren't those recordings, but mostly newer material (with the exception of "Tente en Pie," which dates from 1950 and offers an indication of what this could have been, if done properly). But Segundo with Charles Aznavour? It didn't work when first released, and it doesn't work when reprised here. But things reach a nadir when he's teamed up with none other than Lou Bega -- why? -- and then, well, that famous singer Antonio Banderas for "Beautiful Maria of My Soul," where Segundo simply sounds like he's phoning in his part on a bad line. Like most compilations of this ilk, it draws on the novelty factor (oh look, there's Segundo with Cesaria Evora!) rather than any sense of quality in the music. It might keep him in the public eye, but at what cost, really? Chris Nickson