Musician of the Moment
Buena Vista Social Club
vBuena Vista Social Club were established in 1996. They named themselves after a members club in the Buenavista quarter of Havana, a popular music venue in the 1940s.
vThe ensemble was established to showcase the popular styles of music of the time, such as son, bolero and danzon.
vTo create the group a dozen veteran musicians were recruited, some of whom had been retired for many years.
vThere were 11 members originally, but the line up has changed over the years.
vThe groups first album was recorded in March 1996 and released in September 1997, and quickly became an international success.
vThe ensemble performed in Amsterdam and New York in 1998 and their performance was captured on film for a documentary, which also included interviews with the members. The film was released in 1999 to critical acclaim, it received an Academy Award nomination for 'Best documentary feature'.
vA second documentary was released in 2017, 'Buena Vista Social Club: Adios'.
vThe 'Buena Vista Social Club' name has become an umbrella term to describe further releases, the term has been likened to a brand label encapsulating Cuba's 'musical golden age'.
