Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club

Editorial

When Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club released their debut album in 1997, they had humble expectations - sell a few records perhaps, and hopefully garner some international attention for Cuban music. What actually happened was nothing short of revolution, albeit the peaceful kind. To this day, the album, Buena Vista Social Club, has sold over eight million copies and following its release, fueled a kind of Cuba-mania throughout the world. Across America, it inspired thousands of salsa dancing classes and a spate of Cuban-themed bars on high streets, and The Telegraph's (UK), Peter Culshaw, put it, "Buena Vista has become World Music's Dark Side of the Moon".

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble of some of Havana's finest veteran musicians. Their sound is nothing short of masterful and their success is solely a result of their music, as opposed to their marketing. All the members of this 13-piece band have their own, earnest take on the wide range of Cuban musical styles, and bring it all together in their live performances in an incredibly mesmerizing, entertaining and hip-swaying way. There's never been a better time to justify those Salsa classes.
Dave Martin, January 2010