One of the joys of salsa is that the genre combines unabashed populism with committed musicianship. This vibrant collection from Colombia launches straight in with a long, jazzy piano solo in La Sonora Carruseles' 'Vitamina', establishing the sound of musicians enjoying themselves which will continue throughout. The album covers everything from classics by Los Golden Boys and La Sonora Dinamita to modern salsa romántico from the likes of Orquesta Internacional Los Niches.

It's difficult to pick highlights from a selection which already strings them together one after the other. For a fabulous vocal riff the prize would probably go to Los Titanes with Saulo Sánchez in 'Una Paolmita', for a grooving horn section maybe Fruko y Sus Tesos in 'El Preso', for rhythmic play La Sonora Dinamita's 'Bongo Bongo' and for vocal invention the hysterical 'Cuerpo De Guitarra' by Gambino Pampini, a song which compares a woman's body to a guitar and makes great play of the double meaning of tocar in Spanish – (to play an instrument/to touch).

But what really blew my socks off like nothing I've heard for a long time was Yolanda Rayo, without a doubt the discovery of the disc. Representing a younger generation of salseros, Rayo is also known as a pop singer and supplements the usual salsa line-up of percussion, piano, bass and trumpets with electric guitar. But her voice comes from an elemental place rooted in the spriritual tradition of salsa, and her evocation of the Cuban Santería deities in 'A San Lázaro (Babalu)' has an utterly authentic ring.

Rough Guide/World Music Network eschew the traditional packaging which would have accompanied most of these tracks in their original releases (well-oiled beach beauties very sparingly dressed in primary colours) in favour of a series of tasteful pictures of Colombian buildings, handicrafts and the musicians themselves. Which is great because I don't need to feel emabarrassed about having the disc lying around my house, and I guess it tells you they know their market. A bigger bonus are the fantastic sleeve notes by Sandra Alayón-Stanton who also researched and compiled the album, clearly a labour of love which drew heavily on childhood and youthful experiences rather than an academic exercise.

All round, a superb introduction to an inexhaustible genre.