Buena Vista Social Club from 1998 reviewed by Jim Carroll
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall
World Circuit
It was a coming-out ball that was a long time coming. Buena Vista Social Club are now one of world music's most lucrative brands, even if three of the main players (Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez and Compay Segundo) are now deceased. Back in July 1998, though, the veteran Cuban singers and musicians who rolled up to New York's Carnegie Hall for their first big night out together had yet to become a phenomenon.
The Ry Cooder-produced album (and the Wim Wenders film) may have turned the Cubans into unlikely worldwide stars, but magical, wonderful, starry shows like this didn't hinder them either. This delightful double album is the sound of a timeless ensemble who had swapped retirement at home for the biggest stages in the world and were having the time of their lives.
www.worldcircuit.co.uk
JIM CARROLL
Download tracks: Chan Chan, Mandinga, Candela
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