Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
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1h 45m
Directed by Wim Wenders • 1999 • Germany, United States
Traveling from the streets of Havana to the stage of Carnegie Hall, this revelatory documentary captures a forgotten generation of Cuba’s brightest musical talents as they enjoy an unexpected encounter with world fame. The veteran vocalists and instrumentalists collaborated with American guitarist and roots-music champion Ry Cooder to form the Buena Vista Social Club, playing a jazz-inflected mix of cha-cha, mambo, bolero, and other traditional Latin American styles, and recording an album that won a Grammy and made them an international phenomenon. In the wake of this success, director Wim Wenders filmed the ensemble’s members—including golden-voiced Ibrahim Ferrer and piano virtuoso Rubén González—in a series of illuminating interviews and live performances. The result is one of the most beloved documentaries of the 1990s, and an infectious ode to a neglected corner of Cuba’s prerevolutionary heritage.
Up Next in Buena Vista Social Club
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BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB Commentary
This audio commentary, featuring director Wim Wenders, was recorded in 1999.
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Wim Wenders on BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
This interview with director Wim Wenders was conducted in Berlin in December 2016.
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Radio Interviews: Eliades Ochoa
The following radio interview, recorded in 2000, features BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB musician Eliades Ochoa.