The salsa genre boasts a number of classic, genre-defining albums - efforts by the likes of Rubén Blades, Ray Barretto and Willie Colón that sum up the very essence of this music. In terms of movies, however, there's only one cinematic production that has gained a rightful place as the ultimate salsa document: Our Latin Thing.

Anchored on the historic performance that the Fania All Stars delivered at the Cheetah Club on the evening of August 26th, 1971, Our Latin Thing captures the New York '70s salsa explosion in all its power and adrenaline. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Leon Gast, the movie has been something of a collector's item during the past decades. Now, a remastered edition of both the movie and the music associated with Our Latin Thing is available on the Fania label. This is the definitive, 40th Anniversary edition of a historic moment in tropical music.

Highlights include a raucous version of "Anacaona" performed by Cheo Feliciano at the top his game - with an orchestra of superstars whose backup vocalists alone includes such luminaries as Héctor Lavoe, Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago and Pete 'El Conde' Rodríguez. Gast takes also to the streets of the Spanish Harlem where the salsa phenomenon was born, as well as into the recording studio for a peek into the creative process, featuring producer/keyboardist Larry Harlow.

The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition of Our Latin Thing includes a DVD of the remastered movie, as well as two CDs containing the music of the film and a few bonus tracks. LESS >