release date: Sep. 16, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]
producer: Ry Cooder
label: World Circuit Records - nationality: Cuba
*Track highlights: 1. "Chan chan" - 7. "Veinte años" - 9. "Candela" - 10. "Amor de loca juventud"
*should be the entire album.
How I wish the world would have much more of this kind. This is a studio debut album in the sense that it's the first of its kind. The album features various traditional Cuban artists who were brought together by the Cuban musician, Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist, Ry Cooder. Cooder's love and interest for world music was the starting point of the project, which was an idea of releasing music with famous national Cuban artists who were literally unknown - internationally speaking. Luckily, Cooder realised the project of his dreams, which is so unique. Most of the performers were at the heights of their career in the 1940s and 1950s, and it's a mere wonder that they were still able to record this fabulous music for everyone to experience.
The album won international fame, topped the album charts world-wide, and it was nominated and won many prizes in the aftermath of its release. It's quite naturally enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and several of the featuring artists on the album launched a late solo career, e.g. Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Rubén González, and Omara Portuondo.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]
1997 Favourite releases: 1. Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club - 2. The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole - 3. The Divine Comedy A Short Album About Love
