Buena Vista Social Club

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Buena Vista Social Club

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I first heard of Buena Vista Social Club through a colleague of mine. He would play this CD in his office and I found the melodies quite rhythmic and haunting.

Once I purchased my copy of this wonderful CD, I was really hooked. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. The love and emotion for the artists' craft comes through and leaves an indelible mark on each listener's heart.

These once forgotten musicians through the help of Ry Cooder have been able to share their traditional melodies with the western world.

I was amazed to see how successful this album's sale have been for a world music title. But a few listens later, it didn't surprise me at all. I guess people just know great music when they hear it even when it crosses ethnic and language boundaries.

By the way, I'm an audiophile and the sound quality on this album is exceptional. The sound has a lot of depth and ambiance. Try this CD in a high end audio system and you'll experience a certain intimacy you don't find in most traditional studio albums.

As an avid Cuban music collector I was excited by the reviews, but disapointed after listening to the recording. The sound is fair, but lacks the "son" of past great Cuban perfomers such as Blanca Rosa Gil, Benny More, Celeste Mendoza, Nico Mambiela, Trio La Rosa, and the great Trio Matamoros. The Buena Vista "boys" grew up hearing these great Cuban musicians of the '40 and '50s, which strongly influenced their own music. Overall, the recording is fine. I suggest listening to "Esto Era Cuba Chaguito", "Guajira y Son", "Cubanisimas Vol.1", "Cuba L.A.", "Son de Cuba", "Matancera Romantica", and "Guajiras - Los Violines de Prego".