At first glance, this looks like the perfect Christmas present for Cuban music enthusiasts: a finely packaged box set that includes three CDs and a DVD, released to mark what would have been the 100th birthday last month of the great singer and guitarist who became best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club, and who enjoyed worldwide success until his death in 2003 at the age of 95. But it's not quite what it seems. It's described as an "exhaustive overview" of Segundo's work, but it only covers his final recordings from 1996-2003. Which is unfortunate, for this is surely the right time to release a comprehensive retrospective of his extraordinary career.

That said, this lengthy compilation includes some memorable tracks. The first CD concentrates on his solo work in the late 1990s, and it's a reminder of his elegant, rippling, gently driving acoustic guitar work and very fine singing. The second includes duets with the likes of Khaled, Charles Aznavour and (best of all) Omara Portuondo, while the third includes some impressive concert performances. Chan Chan, the song Segundo made famous with Buena Vista, appears four times in all this: as a studio recording, a live recording, on an unremarkable tinted video clip and filmed in concert. Even his staunchest fans might regard that as overkill.