Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall

The soul of Cuba in the heart of downtown Manhattan

At last: 11 years on from the date of the original recording comes the release of BVSC’s triumphant showcase at New York’s Carnegie Hall, performed July 1998 and originally featured in the finale of Wim Wenders’ landmark documentary. With late Buena Vista greats Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez and Compay Segundo sharing the stage with an all-star ensemble that includes Eliades Ochoa, Barbarito Torres and producer Ry Cooder, this set represents the culmination of a unlikely dream that saw a troupe of vintage Cuban artists indelibly leaving their mark on the most prestigious concert venue in New York.

Staged as Buena Vista fever was first sweeping the globe, the album documents a one-off concert and includes versions of such evergreen gems as Chan Chan, El Cuarto De Tula, Dos Gardenias, Quizas, Quizas, Siboney, El Carretero, Candela and Silencio. On top of its many other claims to fame, the recording inevitably arrives as a fitting memorial to the unique and diverse talents of the three most distinguished Buena Vista members, who have long since passed on.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

World Circuit | WCD 080 (2-CD)

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
<< Back to Issue 370

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