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The Fania All-Stars will always have a special place in every Latino’s heart. The group of salseros (singers, songwriters and musicians) was established by Johnny Pacheco in 1968 to showcase Fania Records’ artists. In 1971, Fania All Stars Live At The Cheetah became the biggest selling live Latin album ever by one group. Just imagining Willie Colon blowing on his horn and Hector Lavoe singing his pains away on the mic is enough to make anyone dust off some vinyls and throw a house party. Admittedly, there will never be another salsa collective like Fania. But…what if they made their debut in 2007? Would they still rock Yankee Stadium? Of course but they’ll need help from some new school musicians from every genre. Check out our starting lineup…

Hector Lavoe: Born Hector Juan Pérez Martínez, Lavoe was the preeminent voice of 1970s Puerto Ricans. His heart-wrenching singing was a reflection of his tumultuous life. If Marc Anthony didn’t exist then R. Kelly would be a decent fit. The Chi-town singer/songwriter/producer has remained the king of R&B amidst scandal and the dip in record sales. And shooting up heroin is a horrible vice but pissing on underage girls is just as bad.

Willie Colon: Signed to Fania Records when he was just 15, Colon collaborated with Lavoe on various popular albums. He later released music as a soloist and with other singers including Ruben Blades. Siembra, his collaboration with Blades, is the biggest selling salsa album in history. If Dr. Dre was a Nuyorican in the 1960s and could grow a beard he’d be the perfect fit to be El Malo. Similarly to Colon, Dre has molded many artists with his productions including Ice Cube and Eminem.

Johnny Pacheco: This Dominican salsero was responsible for gathering and molding Fania’s superstar line-up. As a bandleader and producer he has worked with Celia Cruz, Colon, La Lupe, etc. A.B. Quintanilla’s ability to orchestrate talent is unmatched in today’s music biz. He was largely responsible for his late sister, Selena’s classic songs and made cumbia cool. And he acts a fool in his music videos much the way that Johnny P danced around during Fania’s live performances.

Celia Cruz: An icon who transcended musical genres Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso aka Celia Cruz was well into her career when she began recording with the Fania All Stars. In 1974, she released the popular Celia & Johnny, her collabo with Johnny Pacheco. Christina Aguilera has got the pipes that transcend her pop contemporaries. She’s also always willing to think outside the box musically. Although there will never be another Celia, X-Tina has enough talent to perform at her own tribute concert when she’s in her 70s also.

Ruben Blades: Starting as a mailroom employee at Fania Records, Blades eventually got his time to shine. He penned “El Cantante,” the song which would become Lavoe’s signature tune. In the ‘80s he began acting and even ran for president of his native Panama. Tego Calderon’s socio-political rhymes have shed light on Latin America’s racial tensions. Just like the Panamanian, El Abayarde is a jack of all trades, master of all who writes, produces and performs his music.

Larry Harlow: El Judio Maravilloso (The Marvelous Jew) revolutionized the way the piano was played in salsa. He co-produced, wrote music and starred in Our Latin Thing and Salsa, two of the paramount documentaries on Afro-Cuban based music in NYC. Even though Timbaland thinks calling Scott Storch a “piano man” is a diss, this jammin’ Jew could pen a salsa track if he wished. Larry is a beast on the ivory keys and Storch likes to date beasts like Lil Kim. Shalom that!