Before the advent of revolution, vulgarity, thought police and the great Diaspora, there lay a magical city, The pearl of The Antilles; Habana, Cuba. Amidst its architectural wonders, the denizens of Habana were a spectrum of chic and savvy urbanites, gangsters, libertines and the old grand Cuban families. Much has been written about Cuban music and it’s roots in Europe and Africa; which gives it it’s unique flavor.
For me, all I knew as a child was that this was what my parents listened to as they regaled me with stories of their life, their parties, friends and a life that was lost to them forever.
In this playlist I have included various greats of this time; they are in no particular order: The great Beny Moré, Bola de Nieve, Ernesto Lequona and the Cuban Boys (recordings 1935-38) and Rubén Gonzalez and Ibrahim Ferrer (resurrected from obscurity by Ry Cooder in the Buena Vista Social Club series).
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Top artwork by: Sergio Baradat
August 1, 2009
Amazing mix! I love it!