Cuban Music

Buena Vista Social Club - The enormously popular Grammy Award-winning CD of
classic popular Cuban music produced by Ry Cooder. This CD revived the careers
of several neglected veterans and opened international stages to these excellent
musicians not well known outside Cuba. Very refined, yet deeply funky. This is the
CD that started it all. Extraordinary. $19.98

Ibrahim Ferrer - Lead singer from the Buena Vista Social Club now in his
own album. He was shining shoes in Havana when Ry Cooder found him
to join the group and revive his exquisite talent. Hardly anyone can belt out
a soulful bolero like Ferrer. Many say this CD is better than the original
Buena Vista Social Club CD. This is the golden voice of Cuban music.
Weather-beaten voice with engaging elegance and poignancy. Cuba's Nat
King Cole. $19.98

Ruben Gonzalez - Debut album by one of Cuba's national treasures.
Made over fifty years after his first classic recordings with the great
Arsenio Rodriguez. Recorded live with no overdubs in two days in
Havana. A dazzling and spontaneous display of inspired piano playing.
Part of the Buena Vista Social Club group. Fantastic, magical. $17.98

Afro Cuban All Stars - Four generations of 15 of Cuba's most brilliant musicians come together in a Havana
studio to play a repertoire of old and new classics. From the Buena Vista Social Club group. Lead vocals by
some of the lead soneros of the golden age of the '50s. Six-piece horn section with Guajiro Mirabel on
trumpet is made up from Havana's celebrated Tropicana Orchestra. Superlative rhythm section combines
'Cachaito' on bass, with percussionists including Miguel "Anga" and Julienne Oviedo, the hottest of Cuba's
new young stars. An instant classic. $17.98

Charanga Cubana "Añoranza de Una Epoca" - This
is one of our most popular albums. When this is
playing in the store, the happy beat is infectious -
people like it and buy it! You will like it too. $16.98

Omara Portuondo - She came to global prominence as the female singer on the Buena Vista Social Club,
but Omara Portuondo has a career that stretches back many years. She sounds for all the world like a
Cuban Billy Holiday, smoky and quietly tragic, with a history of lost love. The lush arrangements, which
often sound transplanted straight from 1950s Havana, frame her voice exquisitely with guests such as
Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo and Ruben Gonzalez. The disc is slightly jazzy, with a yearning vocal
that's emotive without ever being overwrought. There's little doubt that Portuondo is a world-class singer,
and this is the ideal showcase for her extraordinary talents. $17.98

Compay Segundo "Grandes Exitos" - 17 greatest hits from Francisco Repilado (aka Compay Segundo),
now in his mid-90's. He's a unique man, a living legend, who plays a unique instrument -- a hybrid of the
tres and the guitar created by Compay to suit himself. The numbers on this CD come from recording
sessions spanning half a century and include popular Cuban songs that Compay made famous and that
made Compay famous in Cuba, in Europe, and finally in the US. Several are his own compositions. One of
the Buena Vista Social Club superstars. $16.98

Orishas "A Lo Cubano" - The Orishas, a Cuban group based in France, use Afro-Cuban religion to
summon the spirit of hip-hop. Named for gods of Santeria, they came together in 1998 through a cultural
exchange program between French and Cuban rappers. Collaborating with French hip-hop producer Miko
Niko, they bring the attitude of Havana streets to the rest of the world, appealing to the Buena Vista Social
Club crowd as well as the hip-hop heads. The sound of sacred Santeria beats and traditional son weaving
through sharp-edged lyrical attacks with groove-heavy bass and drum tracks make for a cool joyride
through the back streets of Havana. $16.98

National Geographic Destination: Cuba - This collection of Cuban music, performed by Cuba's most
famous bands and musicians, is a great starting point to capture the essence of the island nation.
From an alluring land of tropical beaches, crumbling art deco architecture, and king-size 1950s
American cars, Cuba's music is as steamy and exotic as its tropical nights. This music conveys the
constant change throughout Cuba's history, the many cultures that have shaped the country, and the
wide-open future that lies ahead. Tito Puente to Omara Portuondo to Pio Leyva and many others.
$17.98

Beny More "Lo Mejor de lo Mejor"- A great compilation of Beny More's Mexican tour
(1945-1952) and also some of his RCA Havana recorded sessions with his own band
and that of Ernesto Duarte. The 2-CD set is a major compilation of 40 songs especially
for those who dearly love this grand-daddy of Cuban music and for those who are just
getting to know "El Barbaro del Ritmo". Above all, the price is right! $24.98