One of the greatest bands of the controversial Latin-soul period, the Lebrons again prove themselves above the fray.
Picadillo a la Criolla is a later LP but every bit as essential as the earlier ones. Overall, the tempo is even and the instrumentation and arrangements consistent. At the end of the first side things start to liven up; "Te Lo Imaginas" is a longer piece with nice horn work. Side two starts off with a kick, an interesting update of "El Manicero," and builds from there. "Vagabundo" and "La Agonia" are superior tracks with the most interesting music and singing. Think what you may about boogaloo; this is top Latin music with soul. ~ Tony Wilds