Buena Vista Social Club - Music (Buena Vista Social Club)

Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its scope and sense of hushed romanticism, Buena Vista Social Club is that rare meld of quietude and intensity; while the players sound laid-back, they're putting forth very alive music, a reminder that aging doesn't mean taking to bed. Barbarito Torres's laoud solo on "El Cuarto de Tula" is both more blinding and more tasteful than any guitar showcase on any recent rock album; a quote from "Stormy Weather" and some very distinct parallels to Hawaiian styles remind us of why it's called "world music." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews of Buena Vista Social Club

pastarasta
Cumbria, UK
8th October 2008

Buy This and Weep!!
When the lights came up in the cinema where we saw Wim Wenders' movie of the same name, we saw grown adults weeping. This is more than a band, it is a musical phenomenon. Such a synergy is rare in this day and age, and the vibe on this album is just fantastic.

Buy it and weep, because you have missed your chance to ever see or hear Ruben Gonzales, Compay Segundo or Ibrahim Ferrer playing live with the band again, but the remaining members still tour and the band is organic, progressing through the years with younger, equally talented musicians, so if you see a gig advertised and can get to it, don't miss it! This album has changed many lives...

Patrick H.
Spain
11th September 2008

Over rated
I think there is alittle bit of hysteria about this album. I think the importance of the album lies in the fact that it opened the flood gates for Cuban music in general rather than to the individual merits of the album itself. Since its release there has been renewed interest in Cuban music and it has revitalised the careers of many of those involved in the project. But the album itself? Well, it's good, but not great! The album is pedestrian. I can't help thinking that Ry Cooder was at the mercy of time and just couldn't get the album to sound the way he wanted it to. Compared to other Cuban albums I have heard, and own, this one ranks lower.

Spider Monkey
UK
6th July 2008

Buena Vista Social Club
'Buena Vista Social Club' is the Ry Cooder produced album of such melodic, harmonious, relaxed Cuban beauty. Each track transports you to another time and place and you honestly feel your cares drifting away as you listen to each song. From the wonderful album opener 'Chan Chan' to the infectious 'El Cuarto de Tula' and the delightfully mournful 'Dos Gardenias' and more, this album throws up delight after delight. Ry Cooder may have brought this amazing music to a wider audience, but it is the talent and passion of the musicians that shines through. A beautiful album that deserves a place in any music collection. Well worth a try.

Mr. M. Gossage
Kent, UK
16th December 2007

This is simply amazing...
Just take a listen, it doesn't matter what you're in to, just listen.

It's relaxing and melodic while being completely passionate and beautiful. How anyone could ban this stuff is beyond me. Damn politics!

AfricanJade
South Africa
27th April 2007

Gorgeous classic - Party starter
This is such a gifted compilation, Ry Cooder gave music lovers everywhere a rare gift by being the inspiration and the driving force behind exposing these great musicians to the world. It's one of those cd's that always somehow seems to be close to the top of your collection, a guaranteed great play and essential for any party.