Buena Vista Social Club- Live at Carnegie Hall

A truly legendary album

The Buena Vista Social Club is an institution of Cuban Music. It started when Juan de Marcos González and Ry Cooder got together to record with veteran Cuban musicians and gave it this title. Since then a documentary, filmed by the German film-maker Wim Wenders, has brought it to international attention. Subsequently there have been two concerts and the second held in July 1998 at Carnegie Hall, New York, is this recording.

The project has launched successful solo careers for several of the musicians including Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez and Ibrahim Ferrer and most importantly brought traditional Latin music back to world attention. It has made its way into many a DJ’s bag and restaurant.

Its not just an album, it’s a who’s who of the 1960’s onwards Havanna club scene.

Now, I am already a lover of Latin music so I found this really easy to listen to however for the outsider this is definitely the first step along the way to appreciating the genre. The overall sound is excellent, and all the instruments compliment each other beautifully. The musicianship is top class and there is a real easiness in the whole product. El Cuarto de Tula has an epic set of guitar solos and some real freedom of rhythmic expression in the vocal part. The title track and Siboney are the perfect snapshot of the many musical styles that inform Cuban music, from improvisatory Jazz flavours to the Hispanic Harmony and the laid back Caribbean take on African rhythms. For the fan of vocal music there is a wide range of catchy folk tunes including Veinte Años, El Carretero and Candela.

So, why should you have the live album instead of the studio version? Well you shouldn’t, you should have them both because they both offer different things. The polished studio version sounds great and is an excellent way into the sounds of Cuban music. However the live album gives you the real taste of this country’s style, as one of the musicians, Amadito Valdés, says:

“In Cuban music we like to act in the moment. We rehearse but there’s always space for improvising and that always happens when we’re on stage, even in a grand place like Carnegie Hall!”

This says it all. The live album shows you the true essence and also gives this very talented group musicians more time to show how great they really are. I recommend you listen to this, the original and if that gets you interested watch the documentary for more of an insight into Cuban music and culture in general.