Francisco Aguabella - Hitting Hard (1977) [Reissue 1999]

This sizzling collection, which originally came out in 1977, features renowned conga player Francisco Aguabella on 11 solid Latin-influenced funk and soul tracks. The talented vocalists (male and female leads) are as contagious as the energetic rhythms. "Ramon's Desire," "Don't Let Them Fool You" (featuring wah-wah guitar licks), "I Wanna Know," "Fantasy" (a bender), and the silky "Image of a Star" are gems.