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Buena Vista Social Club: Cuba, Musicians, Afro Cuban, Jazz And Rumba
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Published: September 12, 2007
It is the collaboration that inspired an album and documentary. Their music has crossed countries and continents to captivate millions. The Buena Vista Social Club may have its roots in Cuba, but its legacy has traversed oceans. Inspired by the club in Havana, Cuba in the late 1940s, the Buena Vista Social Club has a history that involves Latino, American and African cultures.
Ry Cooder is credited with discovering the group during a visit to Cuba in 1996 with producer Nick Gold. Gold had recorded a session with West African and Cuban guitarists that resulted in an Afro Cuban sound. Cooder was invited to sit in on the experience, and immediately signed on to the project. Unfortunately, the African musicians were denied visas and the original idea would never reach fruition.
The Buena Vista Social Club would get its remaining members and inspiration from Juan de Marco González. He was a "former rock n' roller" who rediscovered his Cuban heritage and wanted to form a project that paid tribute to his heroes. These mentors would end up being members of the project. Cooder, Gold and González joined forces soon after the Afro Cuban plan came to an end.
It was not easy putting together the Buena Vista Social Club. The players were getting on in their years, some had not played for a while, and it was often hassling to get them into the studio. Other faults with recording equipment and missing members led doubt as to whether or not the project would work. As history shows, of course, there was a spark.
The Buena Vista Social Club was an instant hit. The aging musicians still had it, and together they were incredible. The influences of African, Cuban and American roots can be heard in the jazz and rumba sound. As one member remembers, they started playing and soon the lights went on. Rubén Gonzalez remembers thinking, "I thought they wanted me to stop playing." To the contrary, everyone in the studio wanted more. Production continued on the Buena Vista Social Club albums.
The magic created with the Buena Vista Social Club resulted in three albums at the end of three weeks. More were to come with collaborations and members of the Buena Vista Social Club would go on to produce their own. Concerts were held all over Europe and in the United States. Their story developed into an Oscar-nominated documentary by Wim Wenders in 1999.
The Buena Vista Social Club opened peoples eyes to Afro Cuban music. Americans identified with the jazz, and Africans recognized the rumba. The magic of both the album and film has given the music another life. Even though Havana's heyday may be over, the spirit lives on in the form of music. Despite the fact that the original club is long gone, the Buena Vista Social Club is still in touch through CD, in film, even on the web.
Sources:
"Buena Vista Social Club." AfroCubaWeb. 24 Feb. 2007. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.afrocubaweb.com/buenavista.html#discogr aphy.
"Buena Vista Social Club." IMDB. 1999. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186508/.
Martinez, Rubén. "Introduction." PBS. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.pbs.org/buenavista/film/introduction.ht ml.
Ry Cooder is credited with discovering the group during a visit to Cuba in 1996 with producer Nick Gold. Gold had recorded a session with West African and Cuban guitarists that resulted in an Afro Cuban sound. Cooder was invited to sit in on the experience, and immediately signed on to the project. Unfortunately, the African musicians were denied visas and the original idea would never reach fruition.
The Buena Vista Social Club would get its remaining members and inspiration from Juan de Marco González. He was a "former rock n' roller" who rediscovered his Cuban heritage and wanted to form a project that paid tribute to his heroes. These mentors would end up being members of the project. Cooder, Gold and González joined forces soon after the Afro Cuban plan came to an end.
It was not easy putting together the Buena Vista Social Club. The players were getting on in their years, some had not played for a while, and it was often hassling to get them into the studio. Other faults with recording equipment and missing members led doubt as to whether or not the project would work. As history shows, of course, there was a spark.
The Buena Vista Social Club was an instant hit. The aging musicians still had it, and together they were incredible. The influences of African, Cuban and American roots can be heard in the jazz and rumba sound. As one member remembers, they started playing and soon the lights went on. Rubén Gonzalez remembers thinking, "I thought they wanted me to stop playing." To the contrary, everyone in the studio wanted more. Production continued on the Buena Vista Social Club albums.
The magic created with the Buena Vista Social Club resulted in three albums at the end of three weeks. More were to come with collaborations and members of the Buena Vista Social Club would go on to produce their own. Concerts were held all over Europe and in the United States. Their story developed into an Oscar-nominated documentary by Wim Wenders in 1999.
The Buena Vista Social Club opened peoples eyes to Afro Cuban music. Americans identified with the jazz, and Africans recognized the rumba. The magic of both the album and film has given the music another life. Even though Havana's heyday may be over, the spirit lives on in the form of music. Despite the fact that the original club is long gone, the Buena Vista Social Club is still in touch through CD, in film, even on the web.
Sources:
"Buena Vista Social Club." AfroCubaWeb. 24 Feb. 2007. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.afrocubaweb.com/buenavista.html#discogr aphy.
"Buena Vista Social Club." IMDB. 1999. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186508/.
Martinez, Rubén. "Introduction." PBS. 12 Sept. 2007. http://www.pbs.org/buenavista/film/introduction.ht ml.
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