Gloria Estefan's third Spanish-language album, Alma Caribena ("Caribbean Soul"), provides proof that Cuban music is where this household name does her most impressive work. With arrangements pitched lower than those for her often-flyweight pop ballads, the disc finds Estefan singing in a register that allows for a richer range of expression. The smart melding of traditional and cosmopolitan styles also speaks to a desire on Estefan's part for more creative sounds than the average Diane Warren tune can support. A cameo by the great Celia Cruz on "Tres Gotas de Agua Bendita" is as much a symbolic triumph as a musical one, but again demonstrates that Estefan's instincts are in the right place. A Latin-pop crossover star more than a decade before Ricky Martin, she makes a declaration on Alma Caribena for the true music of her heart. --Rickey Wright