Siempre Vivire

1	Oye Como Va Celia's Oye Como Va 4:20
2	La Sopa 3:57
3	Dos Dias en la Vida 3:43
4	Contrapunto Musical 4:25
5	La Pachanga 3:56
6	Por Si Acaso No Regreso 5:49
7	Yo Viviré (I Will Survive) 4:34
8	La Medicina Cubana 3:53
9	Quitate de Ahi 3:30
10	La Llave 4:51
11	Uno 4:17
12	Tu Voz Bolero 3:54

Barnes & Noble

As the rock world has shown us, there are some rolling stones that do indeed gather moss -- but the robust Siempre Viviré (I Will Live Forever) shows that Cuban diva Celia Cruz isn't one of them. In fact, the 76-year-old dynamo drives the point home with the title track, a lush salsa rendition of Gloria Gaynor's eternal anthem of fortitude, "I Will Survive." And while she may be the queen of salsa, this punchy set is decidedly diverse, offering a Celia for every season. The bubbly son "Contrapunto Musical" celebrates the richness of Caribbean music to the sound of a brawny brass section and the Cuban trés guitar. The slickly arranged "Celia's Oye Como Va" pays tribute to her longtime friend and collaborator, bandleader/composer Tito Puente, whose death in May of 2000 left Celia to carry the torch for Latin music's glory days on her own. At the same time, she acknowledges the vibrant currency of Santana's hit version of the tune with the inclusion of some sinewy blues guitar licks. The infectious, locomotive-like "La Pachanga" is simply a conga line waiting to happen, while Celia gives a nod to Puerto Rican folk music with the festive plena "La Sopa." A jaunty, mariachi-laced duet with Mexican crooner Vicente Fernandez on the bolero "Tu Voz" ("Your Voice") acknowledges her south of the border constituency as well. Her characteristic aura of grandmotherly wisdom dances with an unshakably youthful love of life throughout -- que viva Celia! Abraham Velez

All Music Guide

The question that must be confronted for those familiar with the breadth of her work is, "Is it even possible for Celia Cruz to record a bad album?" With elements such as producer Emilio Estefan, Jr., executive producer Angel Carrasco, and of course, la guarachera del mundo herself converging to create 2000's Siempre Vivire, the answer to that question seems clear. Celia's first album for Sony certainly captured those elements that uniquely belong to Cruz, and discriminatingly avoided any influences of the day that might adulterate those qualities or date the project. In conceiving this record, the creative team walked a very fine line by deciding on a project that could both stand among its contemporary peers and yet sound classic. It is hard in modern salsa to find the tres, a sultry bolero, or to hear plena played well. In a genre that continues to narrow its stylistic scope, it's refreshing to come across a record that can simultaneously be a citizen of the present, and reach to the past. Cruz herself delivers that gutsy, dark molasses tone that is as sweet as the "Azucarrr!" she made famous. Like Celia, Siempre Vivire is of such a high quality that is both a bold challenge for tomorrow and a graceful bow to yesterday. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide