In 1974, during the heyday of the New York salsa explosion, the Fania All Stars were invited to perform in front of 80,000 people at a stadium in Zaire, Africa. Featuring exquisite performances by Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe and the All Stars' many other virtuoso players and vocalists, the concert was captured on film. Unfortunately, this precious footage has been available only in substandard versions, quickly becoming a rare collector's item.

Now, Fania is proud to offer a definitive edition of this musical treasure. The brand new edition of Fania All Stars - Live In Africa includes a remastered DVD of the original film, as well as a CD with the audio of the concert.

Fans who are already familiar with this footage will be delighted with the improved quality. The colors are lush and vibrant as a young Cheo Feliciano belts out "El Ratón" and Roberto Roena performs his legendary percussion solo on the electrifying "Ponte Duro." The sound is also vastly improved - allowing us to enjoy the magnificent coro section of Héctor Lavoe, Ismael Miranda, Ismael Quintana, Cheo Feliciano and Santitos Colón in all its grand detail. The opening "Químbara" with a radiant Celia Cruz, is in itself worth the price of admission.

Better yet, this new edition includes bonus footage that was not present in the original release of the movie. Salsa aficionados will be moved to tears by these images and sounds: Héctor Lavoe and Ismael Quintana singing together a capella; the All Stars rehearsing for the big show in broad daylight; Johnny Pacheco signing autographs and laughing with his African fans.

Restored to its former glory, Live In Africa captures a particularly soulful moment in the history of Latin music. Don't miss this one.

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