Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz – Lo Mejor / Greatest Hits

This Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz compilation brings together some of the duo’s most celebrated salsa recordings, spanning their early Alegre/Tico period through their influential Vaya Records years. The selection highlights the combination that made the pair so distinctive: Richie Ray’s virtuosic piano and Bobby Cruz’s unmistakable vocals, with a repertoire rooted in salsa, guaguancó and Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Tracklist

Lado A

1. Agúzate – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
2. Sonido Bestial – Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
3. Guaguancó Raro – Justi Barreto

Lado B

1. Chiviriquitón – Chivirico Dávila
2. Nabucodonosor – Bobby Cruz / Richie Ray
3. Traigo de Todo – Alice Lancia
4. Pa' Tra y Pa' Tra – Richie Ray / Bobby Cruz

The photographed jacket lists these seven selections exactly, including the songwriter credits printed on the sleeve. The recordings come from different points in the duo’s catalog: “Guaguancó Raro” is from Agúzate (1970), while “Sonido Bestial” comes from El Bestial Sonido de Ricardo Ray y Bobby Cruz (1971).

Details

• Artists: Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
• Album: Lo Mejor / Greatest Hits — compilation
• Label: Vaya Records / Fania Records
• Format: 12" Stereo Vinyl LP
• Genre: Salsa, Guaguancó, Afro-Caribbean
• Language: Spanish
• Tracks: 7
• Featured Vocalist: Bobby Cruz
• Notable Tracks: “Agúzate,” “Sonido Bestial,” “Guaguancó Raro,” “Traigo de Todo”
• Catalog/Pressing: The photographed copy appears to be a later Vaya pressing/reissue; the jacket shows a 1988 copyright date.
• Songwriting: Richie Ray, Bobby Cruz, Justi Barreto, Alice Lancia and Chivirico Dávila are credited across the selection.

Collector note: “Sonido Bestial” is particularly significant in the Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz catalog. The 1971 album version incorporated Afro-Cuban rhythm with jazz, rock and classical influences, including a passage based on Chopin’s Revolutionary Étude.