Buena Vista Social Club

On July 1, 1998, a group of elderly Cuban musicians walked onstage at Carnegie Hall and, with the first portentous notes of "Chan Chan," brought classic Cuban son to America. It was enough to make you cry. With Ry Cooder's help and Wim Wender's film, Buena Vista and its many spin-off solo acts brought to light some of the greatest music Cuba has ever produced, capturing its enduring elegance and appeal. Many of the principals are dead now -- Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzalez, Ibrahim Ferrer -- but thankfully they live on in this landmark live recording.

In 1998, the aging members of this Cuban collective realized a lifelong dream: playing to a
sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall. That show, captured on this two-disc set, is even more
emotionally engaging than the group's eponymous album, which triggered a worldwide
Latin-jazz revival. Highlights include a fiery vocal workout on "El Cuarto de Tula"; the
intoxicating folk of "Orgullecida," featuring Ry Cooder's Hawaiian-style slide guit... More >