Reviews (page 4 of 15)
Herlig stemning. Flaks at denne ble plukket ut på en solfylt vårdag.
Cuba libre! God stemning og fin musikk!
Utrolig fet første spor, men ganske kjedelig ellers
Hørte i bilen til hytta en solfylt vårdag og da funket den veldig fint. Ble litt lei på slutten. Men den får en snill firer.
Niks. Har ingenting i mot fremmedspråklig sang, men da må musikken låte kul. Det kan gjerne være i bakgrunnen på en kafé på granka, mens æ tar en pina colada og ser på soloppgangen, men spilles nok aldri fra Spotify-kontoen min igjen.
Hørt på bussen på vei til jobb. Oi! Jeg hadde flere låter fra denne plata offline allerede. Dette er så sykt bra. Fikk meg til å watchliste Wenders-dokuen.
Koselig, men kjedelig. Skjønner godt at filmen ble en suksess, men musikken alene kan ikke bære dette prosjektet.
Not bad! It was overly long but I enjoyed it. Not a genre of music I often listen to and wouldn’t be upset to hear it again.
Sounds pretty much like what you’d expect Cuban music to sound like. Not my cup of tea, but I can’t say I hated it. It’s fine. I didn’t find much to be excited about, but at the same time, there wasn’t really anything to hate. It’s a passable album. A bit too simple and relaxed for my taste.
It's pleasant. Runs a bit long though. 3/5.
Perfect for someone obsessed with and trained in Latin dance.
A vibe, but did not speak Spanish
Good.
6/10 If I could dance, I'd dance to this. A bit repetitive for my taste but good background music for studying.
this one actually makes you happy
Classic album. Very good.
Day 25 — Buena Vista Social Club — Buena Vista Social Club (1997) Listened: Mar 25–27, 2026 Genre: Cuban Son / Bolero / Afro-Cuban / World Music Vibe: Warm, nostalgic Cuban son and bolero — elderly masters playing timeless Havana street music with effortless charm Highlights: • Chan Chan Impression: Couldn’t connect with it despite the warmth and charm. The language barrier and unfamiliar genre kept it from landing. Chan Chan was the clear standout. Rating: 1.4/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Likely not
One of the first albums I have ever heard in my life, still an amazing listen to this day.
I listen to this quite often in the background of my morning routines. It gives a nice start to the day. The quality of the album drops a bit towards the end, but the atmosphere carries through.
Oh man finally getting around to this after years of having it recommended to me. Warm, lively, uplifting and passionate. I've been familiar with the story behind this record for years but to finally hear the fruits of their labor is great.
Lovely playing.
Me gusta
Nice to hear somehting else than pop and rock in the list. Chill experience that was pleasant to listen to. Best track was Chan Chan.
3.5
8.0/10 Really liked this
As a Colombian and therefore a Spanish speaker, it's sad to see people on this site looking down on this album just for being in Spanish. This is an amazing album, and an absolutely iconic project in Latin America, full of the most skilled musicians Cuba had available at the time, and if you don't appreciate it just for being in a language you don't understand, sorry but you're an idiot
Первая вещь понравилась сразу.
Love this gem, was beforew my time but I remember listening to music like this my aunties house
Loved it, have listened to their music before but never all the way through an album
Pretty Good album. I didn't understand the lyrics but felt good to listen to.
Hermoso. Me emocionó que fuera el primer album en español que me remociendan.
Not gonna change your life but very enjoyable. Sun was out today so this was perfect accompaniment.
i had no idea there was a band before this musical. sorry!
one of my favs lately
#92/1001 🇨🇺 Ry Cooder brings a collective of veteran Cuban musicians together to document the music of their past. This is a simply wonderful record, i bought it unheard one day having no clue what it was and have loved it ever since. I had a habit of burning through £50 in HMV most weeks on payday, often buying albums that i knew nothing about on the strength of their artwork or sometimes an NME review. This was undeniably one of the best of these purchases and it still sounds wonderfuly fresh today. Now pass me a Cuba Libre Best Tracks: El Cuarto De Tula, Candella, El Carretero, Chan Chan.
mm en lo personal no me gusto mucho, pero porque no me gusta mucho el género, pero tiene muy buenas letras y armonias
Una obra maestra extraordinaria. Los sonidos de La Habana te llegan al alma y te hacen bailar el corazón gracias a una armonía musical brillante. El ensamble impecable entre la percusión tradicional, los pianos y las guitarras construye una experiencia instrumental de primer nivel. A este despliegue sonoro se le suma una riqueza vocal impecable y una lírica profunda, con baladas y relatos de amores perdidos que invitan a un análisis detallado.
Enjoyed very little of this 2 stars
Fantastic world music album
Musica bailables, movidas, muy desendencia y estilo cubao/latino
It was a great! but sadly I don't speak the same language.
I liked the music it was super fun and feels relaxing to listen to when the suns out. I don’t speak Spanish though so I do wish I knew the lyrics
You can tell how professional and tight these musicians are. It’s sexy, smooth and delightful.
Me gustó porque tenía diferentes tipos de vibras, era una salsa tranquila y clásica de Cuba.
the instruments are peak
121. good
My only complaint is that I couldn’t follow along with translations as I was working at the time, but that’s 100% on me. Despite the language barrier I still really enjoyed this one and I’ll definitely listen to it again.
De Camino a la vereda schon goated
hella fire insanely nice to listen to already had a couple of songs ,not giving it 5 because I wouldn't listen to it on a daily basis
Nkt for m
not bad but i didnt add much
Simply lovely
great music for just chilling and good vibes
Amazing vibe and the live recording perfectly executed. thanks
Really lovely and transportative. I admittedly don't know much about this kind of music, but I'm glad to have listened to this.
Just excellent music & guitar work throughout.
5 April 2026. 2pm. I love the ambiance so much, my mom approved it too lol 8/10
muito bom ouviria outras vezes, mas me cansou
FIRST SONG - first impression, it’s very cuban with amazing and what i feel like are many instruments being played. - nice pitch, not too high - i was right, it’s cuban 🥹 - first song is amazing but does feel like a constant loop, tho i don’t mind it. SECOND SONG - an upbeat song - was dancing with this song it was fun - i do prefer more “mysterious” songs THIRD SONG -a bit less upbeat - the solo is going hard - i’m feeling good yet serious FOURTH SONG - mainly instrumental i think - i love instrumental songs - the piano is like the main singer FIFTH - a lot more mysterious i forgot to log further, from all the songs “Chan Chan” is n1 for me
could say i enjoyed it but i felt like this was kind of repetitive and boring
This was really fun to listen to, once!
One of my favourites. Love the rhythms so much. Love the beautiful arrangements supporting those rhythms with all the right instrumentation. Love the understated but incredible playing. All very beautiful. Ought to be a fairly regular listen for me - I need to remind myself it exists and is there for me!
LIKE
Had a long review that of course got lost. Never heard of album or band. Cant really say too much abt the songwriting as it’s in Spanish but there are some really catchy choruses and the background music in all the songs is really good. Great horns, great guitars and some good piano/bongos mixed in too. I think some of the song go on for too long but that’s my biggest complaint. It’s VERY easy on the ears. A nice relaxing listen. No absolute bangers perse, but no horrible songs either. I was disappointed by the title track. Not because it was bad but because I was expecting it to be the best on the album which it was not. With that being said , as a whole I enjoyed the album a lot more than I initially thought I would. It’s just a really well made album musically. 3.4/5.
i felt like i was sitting on a beach in puerto rico. absolutely LOVED it
This was just fun. It's not really my vibe but it was an experience. The instrumentals were A1 and when someone was singing it just made it better. Talking about singing, I would have like a bit more vocals and found some tracks to be repetitive. I'd listen to the album as a whole again but don't see a lot of replay value in singular tracks. Rating: 7.4/10 Favorite track : Chan Chan Day 1
Disfruté mucho la escucha de este álbum, además de que me recordaba a mis bisabuelas
Love this album, played it whilst cooking tonight, my daughter loved the vibe too, talented musicians- made us dance around the kitchen.
So fun! Loved it!
Really enjoyed these tunes. Not sure if I'd listen again, but I like them.
Good to start with this gem while it’s snowing like hell where I live. It completely takes me out of it. Makes me want sun, rum, cigars, a Cuban sandwich and somewhere to dance. The whole thing just feels easy. Beautiful, relaxed, and fun without trying too hard. Exactly what I needed. Would I own it on vinyl? Absolutely Food pairing Tacos, Cuban sandwich, anything with Latin flavours Wine pairing Sparkling, slightly funky white or orange. Cold and refreshing Easy 4/5 for me
Not really my type, but it's definitely an album with great songwriting quality.
The álbum sounds good, is like a type of soul but in spanish, I like this types of music, cause it’s relaxing and transmit a lot in their lyrics, I love it!
It's one album that you are going to listen to and instantly feel so much happier. It's the perfect album to put on while having friends at the house, catching up with a bottle of wine. Listening to this just makes me want to book the first flight to Cuba. I'm really happy that I've discovered this.
I could have listened to the whole album, but I also could listen to two songs and tell you that I’m sure this is great music, but outside of the context of dancing it does absolutely nothing for me. Props to the Spanish/Carrib culture for their outstanding contribution to music, food, dancing, and just overall awesomeness.
While I think most people (including me) are probably familiar with the term Buena Vista Social Club due to the Broadway musical or just having heard about it talked about in music, I didn't know the complete story behind the album and I'd never listened to the album before. I love the music. Even though it's an album from the 1990's it has such a traditional and classic sound to it. And while I don't understand the lyrics they are singing, you just get a joyful feeling from them and such a feeling of the culture of Cuba. I enjoyed listening to this one even if it was out of my normal comfort zone of music.
I've heard this before and even seen them perform live, and it's probably a better experience in a theatre than on the stereo. I prefer to listen to this kind of music as part of a compilation, abd at an hour in length, the whole album outstays it's welcome. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Superb ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 275 Already owned : 62 Purchased : 15 To buy : 2 Nope : 196
Standouts Pueblo Nuevo Buena Vista Social Club
This is lovely, while a bit samey
This is good but not what I would listen to all the time
Well, this was delightful. I was aware of this from its original release (and film) but hadn't ever sat down to listen before. High four.
Canciones que conocia: ChanChan, pueblo nuevo. el cuarto de tula y dos gardenias. Canciones que agregue a playlist: 4/14 Cancion que mas me gusto: Amor de loca juventud y Pueblo nuevo. Muy bueno
A 7/10 album
Es gab damals einen großen Hype um den Film und die Musik. Was für mich schon Grund genug war, lieber wegzuhören. Da lag ich wohl (mal wieder) falsch und freue mich jetzt auf den Film von Wim Wenders.
An album that feels authentic to its roots. Really pleasant listening experience
español, cubanos
Very much a time and place listen. Who would have guessed a cold, wet and windy spring evening in the UK wasn't ideal timing. One for a BBQ
cool instruments, even though thats totally not the type of music i usually listen to it was nice to explore some new sounds (but i didnt listen to the whole album)
Quite a pleasant listen, even if this genre isn't my usual jam. No song particularly stood out to me, but this was fun to have on while I did my grocery shopping, kind of made me want to dance in the supermarket
I remember when this came out. Was such a breath of fresh air. Within a few months it was in every cafe on earth (and must be somewhat responsible for Putamayo becoming a label). Such an amazing live experience as well. I have you to find a mood or time this album is not appropriate.
Ry Cooder was responsible for organizing this project, rounding up still-living Cuban musicians from the 1930s-1960s. Traditional Cuban/Latin music was no longer popular by 1996, but this album created renewed interest worldwide. The music provides great Latin atmosphere. Ratings boost because of the historical/cultural significance.
Finally, a Spanish language album!! It was just fine. A little sleepy for my taste. Ah well.
Pure and joyful in any context and any mood. Expected but greatful that it's featured on this list. Fav tracks: Chan Chan, Candela. RYM: Y (#577) Saved a song: Y
No idea what's going on but its lovely stuff
This was a nice listen. I enjoyed the variety of moods I experienced listening to the ballads, love songs and rhythmic dance numbers. It took me back in time to the 90s when I was hanging out with Tony and Maria.
One of my all time favorite records
8.7/10 lo volvería a escuchar más adelante perfecta para darle buen ambiente a un día ajetreado
Si tiene un sonido muy cubano y me parece que, a pesar de eso, no se siente pesado. Pueblo nuevo fue mi favorita; muy buen instrumental.
Ci stava, alcuni banger ma dovrei riascoltarlo
fue de menos a mas, literalmente 7 me gustaron y 7 medio q no capaz que con otra escucha me termina gustando mas
Really enjoyed this. Beatiful music, the kind of stuff I have playing in the background when I'm cooking up some fire in the kitchen
great classic music, so many talented musicians
Enjoyed it, but not my usual go to.
Ta bien
primero que nada no los conocía, pero me gustó bastante tienen una onda ahí con el jazz que me encanta pero más movido, suenan muy bien. le di un 6,75
Good, fun album
LOVE IT!
I can see why it was so we'll received but to my untrained ear, it all sounds the same. It definitely made my body move though which is why enjoyed many songs. Great album, just not for me.
Classic south/Central American vibes - 7/10. Sure it’s good, but not always my vibe. Sometimes.
Background bbq music, would listen again
best instrumentation great vibe highlights: El Cuarto de Tula
Very famous album and story. Nice enough to listen to and well played and produced but a bit like background music for me.
Absolut großartig!
4/5
Enjoyed most. 3/5
So jazzy and lively!
If this is the album we have to thank for modern Latin music, the. This deserves five stars. That and it’s super fun.
I remember going to the show when they toured. Interesting that Cuban music was hip for a minute there. I still like the album, especially Chan Chan and Dos Gardenias. It's a very high 3 for me.
Waffled between 4 and 5 with this. But, it was matching my mood today and is really excellent.
Classic.
Wow! I absolutely adore this album. If the riff on the first track doesn't get you feeling some kind of way then I don't know what to tell you. This project is a commendable collaboration and a half. There are these musicians that all seem to know how to play their instruments better than anyone else. I guess it just sounds perfect to me.
Fun! Best Song: Chan Chan Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3
Este disco lo conocí por mi abuelo, es una joya de la música cubana, creo que junto con uno del Compaye Segundo, son los discos más representativos.
Beautiful music! Happy to have discovered this!
Another album I've heard a gazillion times in my life. Loved the movie, owned the CD, heard it in every cafe everywhere. Listening to it 25 years later or so doesn't pack the same punch but still a beautiful lyrical album
Good but nothing I would listen to at anytime.
Now I know what my roommate plays all the time :)
another one with deep nostalgia for me, reminds me of my grandma or mom making tostones in the summer with all the kitchen windows and back door open ):
Tanto tranquillo para mi, pero es muy padre!
So much rhythm and feel in every song. I want more
Obviously a banger
wa een banger vibey album muchos buenos amigo 4.5
4,5: suuper nice maar niet elk nummer is ook echt even insane dus toch net geen 5
Having experienced the joy of hearing Orquestra Ibrahim Ferrer & Ruben Gonzalez y su Grupo perform live, during their 1999 US tour, just a couple years after the release of this album, the joy and resilience of the Cuban people feels evident to me across the tracks on this album. Yet, at the moment of this listening, nearly three decades later, the melancholic elements of the music are what feel most evocative and haunting, with the Cuban peoples facing shortages of fuel and food in the face of yet another US blockade of the island...
Beaux souvenirs!
Cool sound!!! I liked the vibes. 3.5
An old favorite!
Let me raise a Cuba Libra in toast!
423/1089 - How many fucking songs on this project are just gonna be oscillations of 1 to 5 to 1 to 5 chords over and over again dressed up in different genres? I'm not even saying music should have more than 10 chords per song to be interesting, just stop using 1 4 and 5 all the time, or if you do, spice it up with a different parameter and don't do the most generic shit ever as it pertains to your principle genre. Way too competent for a 1 star rating. The performance is excellent. The music is milquetoast.
Of all the non-English-speaking albums so far, I’ve probably enjoyed this one the most. It did transport me to Latin America, and probably because it was a sunny day, it was pretty uplifting. Still, not something I’ll listen to again, mind. Bit long and samey.
Сразу захотелось взять сигару, и стать диктатором одного из островов карибского бассейна. За это ощущение спасибо! Приятный альбом, хорошая музыка. Было приятно послушать это на фоне во время работы.
Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (1997) Вывод: забытая золотая эпоха, ставшая мировым наследием Buena Vista Social Club альбом о ушедшей эпохе гаванских салунов. Музыкально это звучит как застолье старых друзей. Для меня это не модная, а душевная музыка. Уютная атмосфера Гаваны конца 40-х, энергия болеро слилась со сном в жаркую тропическую ночь. Подобная музыка это настоящая находка и мост между поколениями и культурами. Это тот случай, когда ностальгия становится не грустью, а жизнеутверждающим жестом, а забвение оборачивается бессмертием.
Listening to this while the US is blockading Cuba. A little over a month after Bad Bunny played the Super Bowl halftime show. Latin music has a larger profile in the states then maybe it ever has, hard to deny the influence this record had.
Fisting you is easy baby
Enjoyed
Not what I expected!
First 3 songs were excellent and probably adds to a summer playlist. Liked the general vibes in this cold March morning in Quebec, it reminded me that summer is coming.
I bought this when it came out, played it to death. Ace
A few songs sound like they’re straight out of Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul and I mean that complimentary. The music in those shows is fantastic and this really does remind me of it – not every song but a few towards the start of the album. This may be the best non-English speaking album I’ve had so far.
Definitely deserves to be on this list
Still a great listen.
Good
Хороший альбом і класний документальний фільм саме з музичної його сторони. Мені здається, він також багато зробив для популяризації музики поза західним світом.
Таке мені подобається, десь ближче до 4. Перша пісня просто супер топ, та і взагалі класика.
bastante bien para ser el primero
Good background music. Nice for beach listening. Probably won’t go back to it often.
Svängig bakgrundsmusik. En trea.
Ok
Wow! This is pretty stellar!! Wikipedia notes are very interesting/useful, the music is super interesting. I don't know much about these styles, but I am up for the sounds, ready to dance :-) I enjoy my listen through (and some re-listen, it's Quite Wonderful, 9/10. That paragraph above is my main comment, this is my side whinge. Trigger alert: this paragraph might bring you down. My rage at Gorillaz' first 'album' and Damon Albarn in general can only deepen, when I read about what Ibrahim Ferrer did, and wrote, for this Buena Vista Social Club album. Then Albarn and co-conspirators just "plug him in" to their shitty "London dance music"? Goddam white boys from the "first world", oh wait, I guess I'm one too.
Exquisite. Viva Cuba libre!!
I’m genuinely too white to give a good review of this. I appreciate the musicianship and the voices were amazing! I just wish it was all more upbeat. 4/5 ⭐️
80
This was pretty cool, really enjoyed it.
This album is delicious. There are so many great songs in here, and very vivid too. It's a very enjoyable record but, also, one that really stands as a mixture between Cuban music and jazz, making of it a very interesting listening. I've loved it. It's of such a musical taste, freedom and joy that it transmits a lot of passion and joyfulness.
Zin in tapas
Ik vind Chan Chan al heel lang een heel mooi nummer, maar ik kom er nu achter dat ik deze hele plaat al best goed ken. Heeft pap hem vroeger toch vaker opgezet dan ik me kan herinneren. Ik heb vorig jaar (dankzij Bad Bunny) een poos best wat ouderwetse salsa geluisterd, dus dit gaat er, hoewel trager, ook wel lekker in
it wasnt bad but i cant seem to enjoy it or wanting to listen to this album ever again. every art is beautiful in their own way and this art just didnt seem to be the vibe i like or enjoy.
Fantastic album!
A very pleasant listen.
Legendary album by legendary cuban band.
These guys are the real deal. Great sounds all around.
so so so so good
Very pleasant, not a genre I listen to much but felt like a good example of it
Well that was unexpectedly pleasant! Just booked myself some salsa classes. I phoned up and the lady said "How flexible are you?" I said "Well, I can't make Tuesdays" 🕺 I'm here for another 769 days 😐
Very enjoyable!
L'impression d'être à la fois en train de faire du transit de meth et d'être dans Tropico 5. Album qui passe partout, tout en représentant très bien d'où il vient Au niveau musical c'est abouti, en n'ayant pas que la guitare en lead, ça ajoute une dimension à l'album tout en restant dans l'ambiance Un peu sur les longueurs au niveau des deux tiers de l’album mais cela reste un excellent album dans son genre J’ai longuement hésité mais la proposition et la réalisation vaut le 5*
I thought I was getting a punk album for some reason so when I heard the Cuban sounds I thought "fun intro, lets see where it goes". I try not to google anything before I listen so that way if its brand new I go in with an open mind. Once the second song hit, I knew I was in for a treat. It had me thinking I was back in Epcot, or an episode of Burn Notice. The tone and tempo makes these songs seem upbeat but I dont know the words. Either way, I dig it.
This album is really fun. I’m not super knowledgeable about Latin music but this is great. Upbeat but sooooo smooth and chill, just makes me want to sit outside a bodega on a hot day and drink light beer.
Buena Vista Social Club feels warm, relaxed and full of life, with beautiful rhythms that instantly put you in a laid-back pleasant mood. It’s the kind of album that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a sunny bar in Spain, listening to great musicians just enjoying playing together. 🎶☀️ Added to my album list ❤️!
Really quite pleasant on the ears
Such impeccable grooving with all instruments throughout. I really loved so many of these songs and their vibes. The flow between songs in the album as a whole is so electric and wonderful. Songs with harmonies and without both always had stellar vocal performances and kept the movement of what the instrumentals started. As a piano player, Pueblo Nuevo was one of my favorites and I now want to try playing it in the near future. Amazing fusion of Latin music with so many other genres like jazz and even some country influences.
This would be fun to hangout to
I’ve always loved this album. This listen was no exception. I think I latched onto the production this time. Something about the percussion is so crisp in a way that sounds timeless. The band sounds so tight.
i dont understand a single word, but i like it. fun. I love the piano. it kinda feels like those albuns you listen one time and like and listen at family parties, but wouldn't listen intencionally. at the end it gets a little exausting.
esta bueno
Thought the album was pretty great, I really vibed with the jazz/samba thing they had going on. My favorite was probably El Cuarto De Tula or Candela both had pretty high energy compared to the rest of the album and had alot of great parts in them. The album also had a lot of variety which I can appreciate. All the players and singers were at the top of their game, and each one felt like they contributed rather than be a detriment to the songs. 8/10.
Nice breath of fresh air! Or, storied and dusty air brining in a lot of mood and history. I looked over the global reviews and all the negative ones were along the lines of "not in English" or "fuck pinko commies" so yeah -- that's your gang if you don't like this one.
If this doesn't move your body, heart and soul, you aren't fully alive.
So good it makes me wish I spoke Spanish
Bardzo fajne kubańskie kawałki, chan chan oczywiście top. Przyjemne do słuchania i warte zapamiętania.
Loved the melodies, the instruments flow so beautifully together for a calming experience.
Favorite songs are "Veinte Años", "Amor de Loca Juventud", and "La Bayamesa". As a New Orleanian, I'm tickled to hear how Cuban music has inspired some of the great jazz I grew up on; the song "Orgullecida" could be something I'd hear in a club by my house. I'm so glad I got this album on a Saturday so I can give it multiple listens in a day!
Imagine its 1958 and you are sitting at a table in a Cuban club watching a band playing. The band are good, the atmosphere is hot and people are dancing but you leave as its nothing you haven't heard before. 30 years later you wander into the same bar and the band are still playing, only this time everyone is wildly applauding them, you drink your drink, listen politely and bid the bar staff goodnight. As you walk out the music makes you remember 1958, and you reflect on what isolation does to a country, frozen in aspic with nothing moved on Still the band were fairly decent
Discazo. Pueblo nuevo y amor de loca juventud mis favs
Kinda got bored
The opening track ‘Chan Chan’ hooked me in on this album almost immediately. It straight away made me feel like I was on a beach somewhere, cocktail in hand, feet up. The vibes are great and I’ve never listened to an album like this in full before - genuinely enjoyable from start to finish. 8/10.
4.5
I don’t want it to be winter where I live anymore :( I want it to be 80 degrees and sunny :( Solid hour of lush, energetic son cubano and bolero, strung together with jazz inflections and led by a clearly astute group of musicians.
Gran disco. Atemporal
Decent Mexican mariachi vibes. Pretty music
Excellent though especially emotionally charged in this moment.
So good. These guys are amazing. And Ry Cooder is an underappreciated national treasure.
Not a genre that I feel very qualified to speak on, but as the kids say, it's a vibe. And I love it!
This was more or less the soundtrack to my life in Austin, TX, back in 1997-1998. Saturday mornings spent slow rolling with lots of french press coffee and hard rolls from Texas French Bread down on Guadalupe, warm breezes through the windows, and this playing on the legit hi-fi system. Damn that was some good living. Soooo, it's really hard for me to separate my current enjoyment of this album from the memory of me enjoying it. That it mostly holds up in the context of me sitting in my federal office working on crappy legal stuff means it's a damn good album. So good, in fact, that I'm going to rank it a 5.
This was a favorite in the late 90s architectural design studios. I never owned it but heard it plenty of times. It's incredibly pleasant.
I heard some of this back when it was a hit and liked it well enough, but had pretty much forgotten about it. Was great to revisit -- smooth and pleasant throughout.
4/5 - I probably could have listened to this all day. I sorta did. Chan Chan is a newly discovered favorite.
Tropical, agradable. Variado e interesante, ritmos caribeños clásicos, recomendado para todos! En especial latinos
good vibes. makes me move my body. want to dance. love the guitar
i liked this a lot. easy listening
Wonderfully uplifting record! I had heard of them before this but I didn't know any of their music so I'm glad I've now been introduced to them. 5 stars.
Dude this is heat
überraschend gut dafür dass es spanisch ist, vibes halt
einf vibes
I went through a phase where I listened to this album constantly, but then it fell out of the rotation. I’m thrilled that the random generator put this album back into my consciousness. It’s timeless and classic. This is music that never goes out of style, and fulfills something deep and nourishing within my soul.
Im richtigen Moment ganz cool
Même pas besoin de l'écouter je l'ai poncé et reponcé c'est banger, la musique du soleil qui donne le smile
Oui ! Connu ! Cependant, je n’avais jamais écouté l’album jusqu’au bout, il y a des pistes très calmes… mais je trouve ça vraiment chouette
Plutôt sympa! Le premier titre est un classique, vraiment bonne ambiance pour bosser
1990s background music for dinner parties. As Half Man Half Biscuit said in The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train): "She stayed with me until She moved to Notting Hill. She said it was the place to be. Where the cocaine is fair trade And frequently displayed Is the Buena Vista Social Club CD"
Excelente album. Histórico.
i love this album.
I love this album
es nostálgico
Feels very nostalgic. Very peaceful, I really love the guitar. Fav song is ‘El Cuarto de Tula’.
El primer albumen que tuve en espanol. Era muy pegajoso y relajante.
Pleasant background music. Now I just need something good to eat and drink and maybe a beach.
I've always wanted to like this more than I do, but it's just kind of repetitve and slow. Beautiful for sure with a great story, but just never moved me.
Great Latin sounds 🎺
This is one of the GOAT albums. I still own it.
Fun
I don't think it's possible to say anything bad about this album. But it's not anything I would seek out. Definitely outside my typical musical menu.
I never listened to this when it came out so it was great to see it come up here. Such a great cultural snapshot that shines a light on a forgotten, underexposed group of musicians. I especially liked "El cuarto de Tula" and used the translate feature on Apple Music. This is one of the best world music/jazz albums of the last 50 years.
Lotta fun listening to this one. Such a cohesive group of brilliant musicians. So vibrant, so much life. I love music that's deeply rooted in place. Never been to Cuba but almost feel like I've walked the streets of Havana after listening to this one. Gotta check out the Wim Wenders doc about these guys
Perfect house-cleaning/ lazing around the house music. Super relaxing and lively enough to not fall into the background. Great vocals and instrumentation!
no me termina de cerrar su sonido
Great listening at dinner with the girls, remember it from somewhere but can't place
8/10 Top 5: 1. Dos Gardenias 2. Veinte Años 3. Murmullo 4. Candela 5. El Carretero
Just another album that reenforces my need to really learn Spanish. Shout out to Siembra, RIP Willie Colon.
There's something about Hispanics (in this case, Cubans) and music. They just know how to make music that sounds fun, pleasant to listen to and full of heart. BVSC is a wonderful and talented group of musicians and this album shows that. Chan Chan is obviously the highlight here, but the rest of the album is just as wonderful to listen to. If you like Chan Chan, I highly recommend you check out the rest of the album. 9 / 10
Good times were had by all.
I do not speak the language fluently, so I can not give an accurate judgement on this album from a lyrical standpoint. That being said, this matters pretty little when the vibes for this album are so great. I loved the vocals, the musicianship, the energy. It's an incredibly fun listen, but I do think it drug on just a bit too long for my taste. Over time, it just begins to dull a bit and loses that great energy it had toward the beginning. These types of tracks would be a welcome addition to the album if they didn't take up over half of a 15 song soundtrack.
i loved it so much, such a masterpiece
I don't speak Spanish so the lyrics are lost to me. However, the first song feels like you've been transported to a humid summer day at a Caribbean beach club, with a cigar in hand as you're lazily swing back and forth in a hammock. The rest of the album gives more or less the same feeling, perhaps you've ordered a cocktail or sat down at the domino table. I first heard this album over a decade ago and it's still as good as it was back then.
Haven't used to listen to albums like this but i guess it's a good album to listen to it in the summertime so i'm gonna listen to it again a little bit later, it's a vibe tho
my childhood
un album muy relajante con canciones que me dan mucha nostalgia por alguna razón
I really dont have time for this so i give this a 3 stars for the sake of being a 90s jazz album Edit from future me: I finally got around to listening to this album again. This is a very great piece of music by some great singers. Im gonna give this project 4 stars.
An album that can transport you to a humid beach with a light breeze rustling the palm trees, this is a greatest hits sampler of fantastic pre-Castro Cuban music. It is impeccably produced and performed, and the enthusiasm for the material by the performers comes across vividly. The record is a bit long and is front-loaded, but these are nits. A definitive Cuban musical statement.
I’m sure there was a time when it was obligatory to have a copy of this kicking around. Entry level Cuban jazz but not dumbed down, it was great prep for when we went over there what is now a frighteningly long time ago.
The sound of rum and coffee from an old rocking chair
¡Que música tan hermosa! Listeners of this record are treated to a vibrant time capsule of Cuban Nostalgia. Buena Vista Social Club was clearly meant as a cultural homage to a bygone age in the island's musical history, and one can easily imagine themselves walking through the streets of Havana 60 years ago on a sunny afternoon and hearing music like this playing around town. As someone who's been learning Spanish for a couple of years now, I relished the opportunity to enrich my immersion, and I appreciated being introduced to many Cuban-specific words and phrases. There's much more to appreciate in this album beyond the cultural elements, as all the musicians put on a splendid performance that I enjoyed listening to from start to finish. One likely does not have to understand Spanish to grasp the beautifully poetic sensations being delivered by the lyrics, but I found lines like "Un pedazo de alma (a piece of soul) Que se arranca sin piedad (that tears itself apart without mercy)" to be hauntingly romantic. I would recommend this album to anyone, and I undoubtedly will be adding it to my collection of replayables.
Put me on a beach and give me this album please.
This is the type of album I was hoping to hear starting this challenge. It was so fun to bop to while doing my work, and I feel like this album had more of a cultural impact than the vast majority of the albums we have listened to so far. This album made me crave a mojito and some good Cuban food. Very good.
Perfect restaurant music at best
Would give 4 stars if I was drunk off tequila. 6.1/10
The recording has so much energy. It’s like the sound engineers just got out of the way and let these people cook. I love how crisp and layered the sounds are. The compositions and vocals are also just beautiful. What a record.
I love this sound. The guitars and the rhythms and the vocals are all laid back and calming. The music is communal and you can imagine a group of whoever is around grabbing an instrument or singing along. Just great vibes all around.
Definitely fun and of a style. Don't know if I'll be listening to this one again, but it was a good time!
I enjoyed this little trip to cuba. Maybe i should listen to more latin music with bad bunny rocking the superbowl
Perfect album to transport you to another place and time.
Ughhhhh, I SO wanted to like this. And I did 5 songs in. But then the rest of the album happened and it SLOWED way down... Could've been a contender. Instead, ended up with a solid 3/5
The opening guitar strum is like a cold sip of water on a hot, humid day. I've listened to this album countless times, and it never really gets old.
Easy listening, but many songs sound similar to each other. My favorite song on the album, Orgullecida, sounds like the instrumental they play when the "camera" pans over to Spongebob's house lol
fun background - a bit repetitive
Wel oké, maar boeit me niet heel erg
It's pleasant and something new to me, but it feels like...just good elevator music. Slightly disappointed after the new-to-me high of yesterday's Baaba Maal.
Znam na pamięć nutka po nutce, album genialny
Beautiful music but not really my cup of tea. All the songs started to sound a bit the same after a while
Heard it before, and didn't get it then either.
треки с фортепиано отличаются ну очень любопытной гармонией - треки без фортепиано реально отдают абстрактной латиной. ну это для совсем неискушенного слушателя, я даже босанову не отличу, подобная музыка для меня как тёмный лес. но кататься на коньках под неё - 7/10
Felt like background restaurant music
Every single one of these songs was played in a Pier 1 Imports in the 90s. Fun album, but drags towards the end.
Music for a sunny beach or a night out
Enjoyable little album, no idea what they were saying tho
The production quality really sets such a mood and makes you feel like you're in the room with them. The whole album is such a vibe, especially after learning the backstory. This was already one of my go to records, so hard not to call it a 5.
Yep, very nice and easy to listen. Percussion and guitar great in particular.
I don't know why I was hesitant to start this. Chan Chan is a great start. It sounds like the music that would be playing during a Robert Rodriguez love scene. I know one is Cuban and one is Mexican-American but there are some similarities across Latin music. I'm finding a newfound appreciation for Cuban music. I like this a lot more than I would have expected. This album is great. Amor de Loca Juventud is the Cuban All of Me. Orgullecida is a low point. The back half of the album is not as good.
Pre listen thoughts. I love this album, they were amazing live, it will be getting a 5. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning when it gets a listen . Post listen thoughts. Yeah it's still one of my favourite albums.
There’s nowt wrong with this lp. I’m sure it soundtracked many a West Sussex dinner party where 90’s ex-ravers congratulated each other on being multi-cultural and ate fajitas for the first time. The performances and musicianship are fine but I feel this has been toned down for the International market. I bet if you were a connoisseur of Cuban music you could reel of twenty or more better lore exciting records and I rather wish this list picked them instead.
God no
Were it 15 minutes shorter, it would've been a 5/5. The playing, singing and songwriting are soulful and beautiful. Old masters who came together and made magic. 4/5
Not horrible but not my thing
triple platinum!!!
Listened to this in high school and liked it then, but now for some reason I don't like it nearly as much. It's still good don't get me wrong, but maybe because I've heard so much more worldly music since then I don't find it as compelling. Having said that, I can see how this opened the door for many others in the 30 years since then.
Very fun and impressive album. Cant believe i have never heard it before.
Good album for a good time. Havana sounds- sweaty evenings and slow dancing under low lights on the beach.
Checked a copy of the documentary out from the library when I was 18. I didn’t have much exposure to this genre of music, and the album that came out of that documentary quickly became a heavily rotated album. I sampled a lot of it in my earliest production, but I haven’t listened to it in a long time. Now I have a wider, deeper understanding of this record’s, and the music still feels fresh, relevant, and such a joy to listen to.
i've listened to this before. my mom used to play this album frequently when I was a kid, so i remember having good memories about it Chan Chan - 5/5 De camino a la vereda - 5/5 El cuarto de Tula - 5/5 Pueblo nuevo - 3/5 Dos gardenias - 4/5 ¿Y tú qué has hecho? - 4/5 Veinte años - 4/5 El carretero - 5/5 Candela - 5/5 Amor de loca juventud - 3/5 Orgullecida - 4/5 Murmullo - 3/5 Buena Vista Social Club - 3/5 La Bayamesa - 3/5 Average score: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A perfectly acceptable listen, but how in the world did this sell 6 million copies?
hay una canción que ya no recuerdo el nombre pero que la letra es súper dudosa mdkdkd igual me gustó el álbum dentro de todo
Eh
Opens really strong with chan chan and has a nice relaxed window into Cuban music but can be a repetitive at least vocaly
I recognized this name for some reason, but didn't know anything about them, nor any of the songs. I have heard the name Ry Cooder before but not exactly sure why. So this was pretty much a walking in blind kind of thing. I had a hard time getting into this. It's kind of fun for a bit - but just get's tiring after a while. I started zoning out while listening. I think I just don't know enough about this kind of music to really appreciate it - after awhile it just all sounds the same to me. The most exposure I've ever had to Cuban music, is from Rocky Ricardo's band on I Love Lucy. It seems like it hasn't changed in a long time. I ended up liking the 2 instrumentals - "Pueblo Nuevo" and "Buena Vista Social Club". Liked songs on Spotify: 2/14 Rating: 1/5
De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané. Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí.
Really enjoying this much more than anticipated. A great variety of moods and sounds on this album, so much so that I think it might be a great beginner piece to introduce someone to the sounds of Latin music. In fact upon further research of Buena Vista Social Club I have to praise it even more. The story behind this group is just as rich and interesting as the music
A wonderful transportation back to Havana.
Que dire de plus excepté qu'on a une pensée pour la grande majorité des Cubains qui subissent la bataille des idéologies politiques.
C'est de la bombe! Cet albun a la propriété de propulser l'auditeur immédiatement dans les Caraïbes et de rendre joyeux. Au même titre, mais différemment quebla compagnie créole mettons. Des musiciens extrêmement talentueux.
Que dire de plus. Un classique dans cette maison. Commencer avec Chan Chan en plus, wow.