Indeed, these are just approximations of the musical excellence of this project that pays tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club, made up of Compay Segundo, Omara Portuondo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, and Ruben Gonzalez, among others. In addition, it refreshes Cuba’s prolific musical heritage.

The Galileo Galilei Hall in Madrid, which was cram-full, had no time to react to the avalanche of musical rhythms that the performers played from the very beginning with high professionalism.

In order to please the audience from the beginning, which is a safe bet, the Estrellas de Buena Vista had sung “Bilongo” and “La negra Tomasa.”

Other tracks which the audience really enjoyed were “Veinte años,” a classic song by Maria Teresa Vera and Guillermina Aramburo, in the voice of Arahi, a former singer of the Anacaona orchestra, “Lagrimas negras” and Miguel Matamoros’ known boleros, “Ay candela,” “Quizas, quizas, quizas,” a premiere and a tribute by Pancho Amat to his Canarian grandfather and, of course, the popular “Chan Chan.”

It is always difficult to be successful following the extraordinary career of the Buena Vista Social Club, which captivated the world in the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century.

jg/omr/npg/ft