Latin funk neither begins nor ends with War, as good as they were. Latin artists from East L.A. to Spanish Harlem -- and Puerto Rico to Colombia, for that matter -- were getting groovier and earthier throughout the '60s, and the results were wide-ranging and usually just as sparkling as any developments within commercial R&B. The Fania label, as the home to most of the best Latin artists of the '60s and '70s, pumped out much more than its fair share of funky Latin tracks, and although most of them were never in-the-pocket like James Brown, the instrumentalists were just as good. Case in point being Ray Barretto, whose "Together" (which opens this collection) married horn blasts and furious conga drumming. The compilation may err slightly on the Latin soul end (Joe Bataan, Ralfi Pagan), but it's impossible to overlook the immense influence of Fania's artists on funk and groove music in the '70s -- think of War, Santana, Mandrill, Cymande, and Malo. El Barrio: Latin Funk is a great snapshot. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide