Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997)

I own a couple of albums that I've just found somewhere. Buena Vista Social Club is one of them. If I remember correctly, I just found this CD on the street without the cover, but it was in quite a good condition and it works perfectly when played on a CD player. I don't know if I'm a huge fan of this music, but it's definitely different from the stuff I usually listen to, so I'm really glad to now have this album. Even if it is just the CD without covers. Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble of Cuban musicians who got together to try and revive the old pre-revolution Cuban musical styles. Ry Cooder had a big role in production of the album. I have never been in Cuba, or really even been really that interested in Cuban music, but listening to this album, I really feel like I already know a bit more about their culture.



I have seen some films and documentaries from Cuba where music has been in a central role. Whenever I think of Cuba, I think of sun, old cars and the music. When I'm listening to this album, I can almost see the sunny streets of Havana that I know from photos and films. Sometimes music can really stimulate your other senses as well and I feel like this album has a special air about it that can almost transport me to the origins of it in my mind.

The album starts with a melancholic and slow song Chan Chan. I like these sorts of more laid back songs on the album more than the more upbeat ones. There's something beautifully jazzy about them. De Camino a La Vereda is a lot more cheery sounding song with more familiar latin rhythms. El Cuarto De Tula is faster in tempo, but it has more mystical and darker melody. This is the kind of music I would think of first when I think about Cuban music. Pueblo Nuevo is properly jazzy piece with some great double bass work and a saloon style piano. Dos Gardenias sounds almost like some Finnish schlager songs. I'm sure they have taken lots of influences from latin music. ¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? is a wavy song with old-school vocals. The song sounds like it could've been used in old black and white silent films. The rest of the albums follows more or less similar styles. I find that I'm really bad at writing about this kind of music, as I don't really know anything about it.

Wim Wenders made a film with the same name about the music scene in Cuba. There's a music video made with clips from that film for the song Chan Chan. This video may have many cliches about Cuban way of life, but I believe it's quite realistic as well. Looking at the scenes in the streets of Havana, makes me want to visit there at some point. I would just like to go before the communist regime falls there altogether, because the island is bound to lose something special with the fall of the regime.

Listen to the album on Spotify.