Does anyone know anything about the latin band called "Buena Vista Social Club"? If so, why are they infamous (or so I've heard) in Cuba (or is that the U.S. I don't know anything at this point)? And where can one find any info about this group? Are they still active?

[ May 29, 2004, 04:17: Message edited by: Zurga ]

No idea who they are

Here's a link (http://www.wim-wenders.com/art/buenavistasocialclub.htm) , Zurga. I think this is the official website. Hope it helps.

My uncle has a cd of this band and they had one small hit in Holland some years ago.

That;s all I know..

Buena Vista Social Club has some relaxed music, of which the best known songs are probably Chan Chan and De Camino a La Vereda.

I usually use All Music Guide (http://allmusic.com/) for general information on music. The following is written about them:
"Less a band than an assemblage of some of Cuba's most renowned musical forces, Buena Vista Social Club's origins lie with noted American guitarist Ry Cooder, who in 1996 traveled to Havana to seek out a number of legendary local musicians whose performing careers largely ended decades earlier with the rise of Fidel Castro. Recruiting the long-forgotten likes of singer Ibrahim Ferrer, guitarists/singers Compay Segundo and Eliades Ochoa, and pianist Rubén González, Cooder entered Havana's Egrem Studios to record the album Buena Vista Social Club; the project was an unexpected commercial and critical smash, earning a Grammy and becoming the best-selling release of Cooder's long career. In 1998 he returned to Havana with percussionist son Joaquim to record a solo LP with Ferrar; the sessions were captured on film by director Wim Wenders, who also documented sell-out Buena Vista Social Club live performances in Amsterdam and New York City. (Wenders' film, also titled simply Buena Vista Social Club, earned an Academy Award nomination in 2000.) The public's continued interest in Cuban music subsequently generated solo efforts from Segundo and González as well as a series of international live performances promoted under the Buena Vista Social Club aegis."
(The article can also be found here (http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70405141318060703&sql=Btvfxlf3ejcqi))


Besides that, I can fully recommend listening to the CD once; it has some pretty good music.

I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of years ago and they were quite good. You can get their CD's and it's nice music to have as background or for parties even if you don't want to pay a lot of attention to it.