 Buena
Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
This album and the documentary film of the same name have done much to
familiarize a generation of North Americans with Cuban son -- a musical form that was
once well known but that was at risk of disappearing, as many of its
most important artists were aging and dying in obscurity. Ry Cooder
risked fines and arrest (by U.S. authorities) to bring
their music to a broad audience, and has since brought some of the
musicians
to perform in New York City.
As Cuba turns increasingly toward tourism as an economic strategy,
musicians in the most touristy spots tend to focus a little too
narrowly on the music from this CD. Fortunately, I never tired of "Chan
Chan," and it is easy to get a few block away from the main hotels and
clubs to hear a much richer variety.
|
 Mambo
Kings
The sound track of this film about Cuban immigrants in New
York includes many of the standards of mambo and cha-cha. The song
"Guantanamera" is the most overplayed song in Havana these days, and
our group decided that we were
tired of it by the third day!
|
 Dancing
With the Enemy
"La Guarapachanga" is one of many dance standards on this
collection from Luaka Bop (see below), an early effort to produce Cuban
music for a U.S. audience.
The title of the CD refers to the Trading with the Enemy Act, which
prevents
U.S. citizens from buying anything from Cuba. After forty years, this
law
will bring Castro to his knees ... any day now!
|
|
Orishas
Emigrante
Orishas is part of a growing number of Latin American musicans working
in Paris. Theis group of emigres is named for the orishas, which are
deities of the synchretic religious traditions of Cuba, Brazil, and
other places where
Yoruba people were brought in bondage. (See my Cuba page for more on this
tradition.)
|
