BEST OF/20TH CENTURY - India

India's entry in the extensive 20th Century Masters series of best-of samplers from the Universal vault is a useful one. There've been numerous India compilations released over the years, yet most were haphazardly and cheaply put together. The Best (2001) and Grandes Exitos (2005) are the two exceptions, as these are both lovingly assembled, comprehensive collections that round up all the key songs one disc can hold. 20th Century Masters is different, though. It's likewise lovingly assembled, but at only ten songs, it's certainly not comprehensive, including only a couple representative selections from each of India's Rmm albums. Since these selections are representative of their respective albums, however, their sum serves well as a budget-line sampler. Sure, career highlights like "Ese Hombre" are missing, but a lot of others are here: "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte," "Dicen Que Soy," and "O Ella o Yo" (from Dicen Que Soy [1994]); "Fever" and "Jazzin'" (Jazzin' [1995] -- co-billed to Tito Puente); "Sobre el Fuego," "Me Canse de Ser la Otra," and "La Ver de Experiencia" (Sobre el Fuego [1997]); "Sola" and "Hielo" (Sola [1999]). Since India recorded so much first-rate salsa during the '90s, what's here is just the tip of the iceberg. Even so, it's enough to give you a sample of each of her albums, and if you like what you hear, you'll then know where to go for more. If it's only one disc you want, though, you might want to pay the extra cost and get Grandes Exitos. As is often the case with these 20th Century Masters samplers, this one only scrapes the surface. But at least it does so well and at a budget price, which is why it's a useful entry in India's muddled catalog. ~ Jason Birchmeier

• Format: CD
• Genre: World Music
• Genre: World Music
• Released: 02/13/2006
• Genre: International
• Released: 2/13/2006
• Format: CD
• Released: 02/13/2006