Released in September 1997, Buena Vista Social Club, the self-titled debut from the ensemble of Cuban musicians assembled by Juan de Marcos González and Ry Cooder, became a worldwide sensation by 1998. Wim Wenders' subsequent Oscar-nominated 1999 documentary made it even more of a phenomenon. The musicians involved, including Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Compay Segundo, Rubén González and Omara Portuondo, went on to their own acclaim, too. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its recording, Buena Vista Social Club is getting a deluxe reissue on September 17. It features the original album, remastered by Grammy-winning engineer Bernie Grundman, and more than a dozen alternate takes and previously unreleased tracks from the 1996 sessions.
“Buena Vista Social Club has probably been the most important album of Cuban music in the late 20th century, and definitely the one that reopened the doors of international recognition for ‘Son Cubano,’" says Juan de Marcos González. "25 years later I can still feel the positive vibes of the studio and, of course, the pleasure of having contributed to some extent to the album that rescued the music of my country and many of its great interpreters from the shadows.”
The 2LP/2CD Deluxe edition includes a 40-page book featuring new liner notes, rare photos, lyrics, biographies of the musicians and a history of the club itself, plus two 12"x12" art prints. There is also a separate 2LP vinyl edition featuring five unreleased songs, and a 2CD set with all the unreleased session tracks and alternate takes. Preorders are available now and you can check out the Deluxe Edition packaging and tracklist below.
You can listen to one of those previously unreleased songs, "Vicenta," now. It's a vocal duet between Eliades Ochoa and Compay Segundo, and the song "follows the story of a well known fire which, on 1 April, 1909, destroyed almost all of the village of La Maya, close to Santiago de Cuba, where Eliades Ochoa was born and lived as a child, amongst plantations of banana, coffee and cacao." You can watch the video, which features footage from the original 1996 sessions, and watch a trailer for the reissue (and listen to the original album), below.
You can watch Wim Wenders' 1999 Buena Vista Social Club on HBO Max and watch the trailer below.
Buena Vista Social Club - 2LP & 2CD Deluxe Book Pack
• The original album, Remastered by Bernie Grundman, on CD & 180g 2LP
• CD of previously unheard bonus tracks taken from the original 1996 session tapes
• 40 page book featuring new liner notes, photos, song notes, lyrics, biographies and a history of the original club
• 2 x 12x12” Art Prints
2LP
A-1 Chan Chan (2021 Remaster)
A-2 De Camino a La Vereda (2021 Remaster)
A-3 El Cuarto de Tula (2021 Remaster)
A-4 Pueblo Nuevo (2021 Remaster)
B-1 Dos Gardenias (2021 Remaster)
B-2 ¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? (2021 Remaster)
B-3 Veinte Años (2021 Remaster)
B-4 El Carretero (2021 Remaster)
B-5 Candela (2021 Remaster)
C-1 Amor de Loca Juventud (2021 Remaster)
C-2 Orgullecida (2021 Remaster)
C-3 Murmullo (2021 Remaster)
C-4 Buena Vista Social Club (2021 Remaster)
C-5 La Bayamesa (2021 Remaster)
D-1 Vicenta *
D-2 La Pluma *
D-3 A Tus Pies *
D-4 La Cleptómana *
D-5 Orgullecida (Alternate Trio Take) *
CD1
1 Chan Chan (2021 Remaster)
2 De Camino a La Vereda (2021 Remaster)
3 El Cuarto de Tula (2021 Remaster)
4 Pueblo Nuevo (2021 Remaster)
5 Dos Gardenias (2021 Remaster)
6 ¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? (2021 Remaster)
7 Veinte Años (2021 Remaster)
8 El Carretero (2021 Remaster)
9 Candela (2021 Remaster)
10 Amor de Loca Juventud (2021 Remaster)
11 Orgullecida (2021 Remaster)
12 Murmullo (2021 Remaster)
13 Buena Vista Social Club (2021 Remaster)
14 La Bayamesa (2021 Remaster)
CD2
1 Chan Chan (Monitor Mix) *
2 Vicenta *
3 La Pluma *
4 Dos Gardenias (Alternate Take) *
5 Mandinga *
6 Siboney *
7 A Tus Pies *
8 El Carretero (Alternate Take) *
9 Ensayo *
10 El Diablo Suelto *
11 Saludo Compay *
12 Descripción De Un Sueño *
13 Pueblo Nuevo (Alternate Take) *
14 La Cleptómana *
15 ¿ Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? (Alternate Take)
16 Orgullecida (Alternate Take) *
17 Descarga Rubén *
18 Candela (Alternate Take) *
19 Orgullecida (Alternate Trio Take) *
*Previously unreleased tracks and alternate takes from the original 1996 studio session tapes
