Buena Vista Social Club
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.99 You Save: $8.99 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.42 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Buena Vista Social Club
Free Music Review: a staple for your Latin music collection.....
Hit: 5 Stars
It was the music of the Buena Vista Social Club, brought to the U.S.A. by Ry Cooder, that brought the sound of cha cha, bolero and son to the foreground. These songs are, first and foremost, some of the most authentically beautiful, sensual musical forms in the existence of Cuban music. I remember watching the artists, featured in the soundtrack, on the big screen. All I could keep thinking was, "How could these artists be 'forgotten'? Their music is so amazing!" Artists like Omara Portunda (the beautiful, sensuous lone female vocalist featured with Ibrahim Ferrer on "20 Años," a haunting bolero) and Ibrahim Ferrer, well into their seventies, eighties, and, even nineties, still singing and playing their instruments with wild abandon! What an inspiration.
I guarantee that this album has something for everyone. We have the popular "Chan Chan," a slower tune, played with guitar and percussion, "El Cuarto de Tula" (a wild number, great for salsa dancing to!) and many other cuts. This is a true example of the triumph of the human spirit, how nobody can overcome it, and how it transcends ages and cultures.
Free Music Review: Absolutely Stunning.
Hit: 5 Stars
"Buena Vista Social Club" is the album that ignited my love affair with the rich and warm sounds of Cuban music. The album's intricate melodies and impassioned vocals glide through these excellent tracks, all produced by Ry Cooder. But while Cooder takes helm of the production, the real stars are the vocalists and the band members who breathe energy, feeling, and zest into this stellar recording. The opener "Chan Chan" is a gentle and laid back number equipped with effective percussion, a spicy dash of guitars, and well-harmonized vocals from Eliades Ochoa, Compay Segundo, and Ibrahim Ferrer. I was left in awe by the pretty melody of "De Camino a La Vereda" and the sharp trumpeting in "El Cuarto de Tula." But I was most impressed by the dynamite Ibrahim Ferrer who takes lead vocals in "Candela," an uptempo number which soars due to tasty acoustic guitars and percussion. Sensual, tender, emotional, and full of life, "The Buena Vista Social Club" is a towering and riveting experience. It's a rare beauty that will leave you amazed.Free Music Review: Absolutely Unbelievable!
Hit: 5 Stars
Buena Vista Social Club's self titled first album is musical excellence. Focusing predominantly on son, a traditional Cuban musical form, BVSC delivers, and with spectacular results. This collaborative masterpiece between BVSC and Ry Cooder simply must be experienced. From the first chords on the tres on "Chan Chan" to the final notes of "La Bayamesa", BVSC takes the listener on a trip to both Old Havana as well as rural Cuba. BVSC provides an excellent introduction to traditional Cuban music to those who are new to the genre, as well as a more than satisfying offering to even the most discerning Cuban music afficionado. In all honesty, I feel (and I think that most of this album's reviewers would tend to agree with me on this one) that to discredit this album is truly to demonstrate profound ignorance and lack of appreciation for son music, one of Cuba's oldest and most respected musical styles. In short, this album is ablsoutely essential listening and a must-buy, hands down. If you don't already own this album, buy it as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.Free Music Review: A soundtrack for 1999...
Hit: 5 Stars
A lovely disc, and one which darn near anyone would enjoy. It is the sort of thing I imagine was being talked about in that book "Cooking as Courtship", the sort of music which appeals to most anyone without falling into that popular pit of sentimental drivel. You keep all your guests happy, and yourself as well. This is to me an amazing sort of music, comforting and interesting, exotic and familiar. I put it on the changer the other day with a Stephane Grapelli & Django Reinhardt disc, and the evening took on a sort of lilt and sway you wouldn't believe. Try it in combination with American classics from the same period when these old Cuban guys were young, like Sarah Vaughn or Billie Holiday. Read that sneaky courtship book, which I think I got off Amazon, and figure out how to "capitalize" on these precious recordings. (By the way, forgive Mr. Cooder as we have Mr. Getz. It is not a perfectly indiginous recording, but then we had plenty of opportunity to buy those more pure examples of Cuban music and didn't. And go see the movie.)Free Music Review: Wonderful recording...
Hit: 5 Stars
I also echo the praises of the heartfelt musical performances on this CD, but in addition, I want to draw attention to how well the music is recorded and mastered. The musicians are so spontaneous in their performances that all the detail captured in the recording enhances the listening experience, giving it a "live" texture that's so important for this music. The CD's booklet notes that the recordings were made mostly at Egrem Studios in Havana, Cuba. I would say the Cubans are light years ahead of the American pop music recordists -- the accuracy which the intruments and vocals are captured is stunning. For example, the armonico used by Compay Segundo in "Y Tu Que Has Hecho" is captured in all its crystal. The piano timber in performances by Ruben Gonzalez are spot on. Ibrahim Ferrer sings three feet in front of you in "Dos Gardenias". The only track with mastering problems is "Candela" where the left channel is sporadically attenuated, but it is hard to notice with such a spirited performance. What a CD!