Music

Buena Vista Social Club - The enormously popular Grammy Award-winning CD of classic
popular Cuban music produced by Ry Cooder. This CD revived the careers of several
neglected veterans and opened international stages to these excellent musicians not well
known outside Cuba. Very refined, yet deeply funky. This is the CD that started it all.
Extraordinary. $19.98

Ibrahim Ferrer - Lead singer from the Buena Vista Social Club now in his own
album. He was shining shoes in Havana when Ry Cooder found him to join the
group and revive his exquisite talent. Hardly anyone can belt out a soulful bolero like
Ferrer. Many say this CD is better than the original Buena Vista Social Club CD.
This is the golden voice of Cuban music. Weather-beaten voice with engaging
elegance and poignancy. Cuba's Nat King Cole. $19.98

Ruben Gonzalez - Debut album by one of Cuba's national treasures. Made
over fifty years after his first classic recordings with the great Arsenio
Rodriguez. Recorded live with no overdubs in two days in Havana. A dazzling
and spontaneous display of inspired piano playing. Part of the Buena Vista
Social Club group. Fantastic, magical. $17.98

Afro Cuban All Stars - Four generations of 15 of Cuba's most brilliant musicians come together in a Havana studio to
play a repertoire of old and new classics. From the Buena Vista Social Club group. Lead vocals by some of the lead
soneros of the golden age of the '50s. Six-piece horn section with Guajiro Mirabel on trumpet is made up from Havana's
celebrated Tropicana Orchestra. Superlative rhythm section combines 'Cachaito' on bass, with percussionists including
Miguel "Anga" and Julienne Oviedo, the hottest of Cuba's new young stars. An instant classic. $17.98

Charanga Cubana "Añoranza de Una Epoca" - This is
one of our most popular albums. When this is playing in the
store, the happy beat is infectious - people like it and buy it!
You will like it too. $16.98

Cuba Video - John Holod's travel documentary explores Cuba's cities and back roads. See the
most beautiful island in the Caribbean. Experience its history and culture. From the spectacular
Sierra Maestra mountains, Santiago de Cuba, Cuban cowboys, Carnival, Trinidad the colonial
jewel, the Isle of Youth, stunning Viñales Valley, the tourist haven of Varadero, vintage cars, to
Havana - the heart of Cuba! Much more. Come along on a true adventure! In English, with music.
80 minutes. $29.95(VHS Tape) $32.95(DVD)

Omara Portuondo - She came to global prominence as the female singer on the Buena Vista Social Club, but Omara
Portuondo has a career that stretches back many years. She sounds for all the world like a Cuban Billy Holiday, smoky
and quietly tragic, with a history of lost love. The lush arrangements, which often sound transplanted straight from
1950s Havana, frame her voice exquisitely with guests such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo and Ruben Gonzalez.
The disc is slightly jazzy, with a yearning vocal that's emotive without ever being overwrought. There's little doubt that
Portuondo is a world-class singer, and this is the ideal showcase for her extraordinary talents. $17.98

Compay Segundo "Grandes Exitos" - 17 greatest hits from Francisco Repilado (aka Compay Segundo), now in his
mid-90's. He's a unique man, a living legend, who plays a unique instrument -- a hybrid of the tres and the guitar
created by Compay to suit himself. The numbers on this CD come from recording sessions spanning half a century and
include popular Cuban songs that Compay made famous and that made Compay famous in Cuba, in Europe, and finally in
the US. Several are his own compositions. One of the Buena Vista Social Club superstars. $16.98

Orishas "A Lo Cubano" - The Orishas, a Cuban group based in France, use Afro-Cuban religion to summon the spirit
of hip-hop. Named for gods of Santeria, they came together in 1998 through a cultural exchange program between
French and Cuban rappers. Collaborating with French hip-hop producer Miko Niko, they bring the attitude of Havana
streets to the rest of the world, appealing to the Buena Vista Social Club crowd as well as the hip-hop heads. The sound
of sacred Santeria beats and traditional son weaving through sharp-edged lyrical attacks with groove-heavy bass and
drum tracks make for a cool joyride through the back streets of Havana. $16.98

Los Zafiros, Bossa Cubana - 17 tracks recorded in Havana 1963-67. Formed in 1962 against the backdrop of the
emerging Cuban Revolution, Los Zafiros became the most successful vocal group in Cuba and they toured
extensively abroad to wide acclaim. This evocative album brings alive the feel and vitality of sixties Cuba and takes
you right into the heart of Old Havana. Doo-wop and the twang of electric guitar pop combine with an inspired take
on bolero, calypso, bossa nova and the rhythmic heritage of Cuba to make incredible listening. $17.98

National Geographic Destination: Cuba - This collection of Cuban music, performed by Cuba's most famous
bands and musicians, is a great starting point to capture the essence of the island nation. From an alluring land of
tropical beaches, crumbling art deco architecture, and king-size 1950s American cars, Cuba's music is as steamy
and exotic as its tropical nights. This music conveys the constant change throughout Cuba's history, the many
cultures that have shaped the country, and the wide-open future that lies ahead. Tito Puente to Omara Portuondo
to Pio Leyva and many others. $17.98

Beny More "Lo Mejor de lo Mejor"- A great compilation of Beny More's Mexican tour (1945-
1952) and also some of his RCA Havana recorded sessions with his own band and that of Ernesto
Duarte. The 2-CD set is a major compilation of 40 songs especially for those who dearly love this
grand-daddy of Cuban music and for those who are just getting to know "El Barbaro del Ritmo".
Above all, the price is right! $24.98