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Traveling from the streets of Havana to the stage of Carnegie Hall, this revelatory documentary captures a forgotten generation of Cuba’s brightest musical talents as they enjoy an unexpected encounter with world fame. The veteran vocalists and instrumentalists collaborated with American guitarist and roots-music champion Ry Cooder to form the Buena Vista Social Club, playing a jazz-inflected mix of cha-cha, mambo, bolero, and other traditional Latin American styles, and recording an album that won a Grammy and made them an international phenomenon. In the wake of this success, director Wim Wenders filmed the ensemble’s members—including golden-voiced Ibrahim Ferrer and piano virtuoso Rubén González—in a series of illuminating interviews and live performances. The result is one of the most beloved documentaries of the 1990s, and an infectious ode to a neglected corner of Cuba’s prerevolutionary heritage.
Original Release
05/07/1999
US Release
06/04/1999
Links
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Octavio Calderon | Self - Musician / Self |
| Joachim Cooder | Self |
| Ry Cooder | Self |
| Angel Terry Domech | Self |
| Ibrahim Ferrer | Self |
| Ibrahim Ferrer Jr. | Self |
| Manuel Galbán | Self - Musician / Self |
| Hugo Garzón | Self |
| Carlos Gonzalez | Self |
| Juan de Marcos González | Self |
Directors
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Octavio Calderon | Self - Musician / Self |
| Joachim Cooder | Self |
| Ry Cooder | Self |
| Angel Terry Domech | Self |
| Ibrahim Ferrer | Self |
| Ibrahim Ferrer Jr. | Self |
| Manuel Galbán | Self - Musician / Self |
| Hugo Garzón | Self |
| Carlos Gonzalez | Self |
| Juan de Marcos González | Self |
| Pío Leyva | Self |
| Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea | Self |
| Orlando 'Cachaíto' López | Self |
| Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal | Self |
| Eliades Ochoa | Self |
| Gilberto 'Papi' Oviedo | Self |
| Alejandro Pichardo | Self |
| Yanko Pichardo | Self |
| Omara Portuondo | Self |
| Jesús 'Aguaje' Ramos | Self |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Ulrich Felsberg | Executive Producer |
| Rosa Bosch | Producer |
| Deepak Nayar | Producer |
| Rafael Rey Rodríguez | Producer |
| Ulrich Felsberg | Producer |
Editors
Clips
Buena Vista Social Club: Song
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 2000 | Oscar | Best Documentary, Features | Nominated |
