When Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall, the two-disc live recording of the renowned Cuban group's unforgettable 1998 concert, was released earlier this week, producer Ry Cooder appeared on WNYC's Soundcheck. Host John Schaefer writes on the show's blog of "the Buena Vista phenomenon" that took place upon the studio album's release, and looks to the new release as "a reminder of why 8 million of us went and bought this record in the first place." The Scotsman gives the new album five stars, suggesting, "There never was, and never will be again, a moment like the one this splendid double-CD eternalises ... [L]et this CD cast its spell on you."
Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall, the two-disc live recording of the renowned Cuban group's unforgettable 1998 concert, was released earlier this week. Ry Cooder, who produced the group's original studio album as well as this second collection, appeared on WNYC's Soundcheck this past Tuesday, the new album's release date, to talk about the state of Latin music then and now. You can listen to the complete archived episode at wnyc.org.
Soundcheck Host John Schaefer writes on the show's blog of "the Buena Vista phenomenon" that took place upon the original album's release more than a decade ago, and looks to the new release as "a reminder of why 8 million of us went and bought this record in the first place."
Says Schaefer, "For me, the greatest thing about BVSC is that it proved the American marketplace wasn’t as parochial as it’s usually made out to be." He takes exception to the general understanding among most record companies that Americans are not interested in non-English popular music. "I’d like to think BVSC destroyed that sort of thinking, and paved the way for the later American success of world music acts like Cesaria Evora, the Cape Verdian singer, or Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour ..."
Read more at wnyc.org.
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The Scotsman gives the new album five stars, with reviewer Michael Church suggesting, "There never was, and never will be again, a moment like the one this splendid double-CD eternalises ..."
He calls the record "a loving farewell" to the group's central figures, Compay Segundo, Rubén González, and Ibrahim Ferrer, who have since passed, exclaiming: "how wonderful to hear them again here, excitedly riding the crest of a wave they'd never dreamed of catching." He points to González as "the backbone of the whole thing, laying out bracingly muscular rhythms, cartwheeling nonchalantly up and down the keyboard, and maintaining a wonderful harmonic transparency."
Church concludes by recommending that listeners "let this CD cast its spell on you."
Read the full review at thescotsman.scotsman.com.
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And on the other side of the world, where the album is being received as a welcome summer CD, New Zealand's 3 News music reviewer Nick D says, "It's incredible ... You close your eyes and you are in a smoky bar in Havana," also adding kind words for the packaging—"I love my 32-page booklet"—and the group's 1997 studio album as well, suggesting, "If you don't have the original, go check out the original, cause the original version is amazing."
You can watch the segment on 3news.co.nz.
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