Buena Vista Social Club - Out Of Retirement

The Buena Vista Social Club holds a huge piece of my heart! I feel it is my duty to pass along the goods to those of you who may not have had a chance to embrace the passionate, moving, golden age of Cuban music. *BVSC is just what it was too, a club. A club for members only, consisting of talented young musicians who enjoyed drinking rum & coffee in the afternoon, playing cards, smoking the finest cigars...just sharing a camaraderie of social interests. These men were also making little money hosting dances at their clubs. The communistic uprising during the Cuban Revolution in 1959 seen these clubs as rebellious, even hedonistic in nature. All the clubs were shut down, causing a steep unemployment rate among thriving musicians, thus causing the fall of a great era in music.

The music carried on through the heart of the people, and 50 years later *BVSC was resurrected. The gentlemen most poplular, Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Cachaitio Lopez, (plus others), and one lovely lady Omara Portuondo began touring and became well recognized internationally. In 1997 the self named documentary was released which gave fans a visual tour inside the lives of these passionate people. The documentary is gritty, yet beautiful and moving. I play it for all my guests when they come over while I cook, and we together enjoy our own little club of camaraderie.

One of my favorite slow jams from *BVSC majors, Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas" Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps. They sing with so much soul.



This is a great one too! "Chan Chan". With lyrics like "I can not deny the affection I have for you", you will want to listen to this one with a little sugar by your side.





Omara Portuondo the lovely cubana songstress is still performing. Follow her Gracias tour here @ Omara Portuondo