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Elly Roberts reviews
World Circuit
- Released: October 2008
- Rating: 10/10+++
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
It was never going to happen. Except that it did.
Now this is what I call a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant album THE best of2008.
Its the sound of old-timers having a final fling with fame, which they neverhad in their early years.
Rediscovered (by default) by Ry Cooder for The Buena Vista Social Club (a members-only club) project back in 1996, with a Grammy in 1997, the old boys who were longforgotten from the Havana music scene in the 1950s, reunited for one of themost fascinating albums and accompanying DVD ever.
Cooder was supposed to record an album with two African musicians and localHavana musicians, but the Africans failed to get their visas, so Cooder andNick Gold of World Circuit Records decided to record an album of Cuban son musicinstead. It would eventually make Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums Of AllTime list (2003) at number 260.
Their first and only intended gig was at Carré Theatre in Amsterdam Holland.Things were about to change though, for ever. Back stage after the show, DavidBither of Nonesuch Records suggested to Cooder that it should also happen inAmerica. He agreed, and that it should take place at Carnegie Hall.
Captured on July 1 1998, they reintroduced to the world the golden age ofCuban music between the 1930s and 1950s before principal members Compay Segundo,Ruben Gonzalez, Ibrahim Ferrer died in the 2000s. Thank goodness it was recorded,an its baffling its taken a decade to surface. Nevertheless, what you hear isa group of maestros on top of their game, loving every minute, and a highlyappreciative crowd. It wasnt all plain sailing during rehearsals according tothe CD liner notes, but it all came together on the night.
There are many wonderful quotes in the notes, but my favourite is by Cooder himself:“It was like all the genies were out of the bottle.”
From the original album there are 10 tracks and 6 non-album classics, all of whichseamlessly melt into each other. Choosing a favourite is literally impossible,and theres little point in rambling on about the songs (sung entirely inSpanish) and translations, so just go and get it, and youll know exactly whatIm talking about!
File under: Total total magic.
Weblink:buenavistasocialclub.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Chan Chan
2. De Camino A La Vereda
3. El Cuarto De Tula
4. La Enganadora
5. Buena Vista Social Club
6. Dos Gardenias
7. Quizas, Quizas
8. Veinte Anos
9. Orgullecida
10. Y Tu Que Has Hecho?
11. Siboney
12. Mandinga
13. Almendra
14. El Carretero
15. Candela
16. SilencioView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.