Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Club: The album so good it's life-affirming. And it almost didn't happen. In 1996, an American musician landed in Cuba to record a music project with Malian musicians. But when they didn't show up, Ry Cooder and his producer, Juan de Marcos González, went looking for replacements. That's when they found Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Rubén González, who had seen their musical prime decades earlier in the 40s and 50s. Compay was nearing his 90s, and some believed he had died, until he showed up on Buena Vista Social Club. Rubén hadn't played in years, and didn't even own a piano. But together with a cast of all-star Cuban musicians, they created what would become the best-selling world music album of all time. How did Buena Vista Social Club become a global phenomenon? In this episode of You'll Hear It, Peter Martin and Adam Maness listen to the record track-by-track to understand what makes this album so magnetic, and how it holds up 30 years later. Plus - a FIRST in You'll Hear It history. ------------------------------- Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: ------------------------------- About You'll Hear It: In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again. ------------------------------- Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love: ------------------------------- 00:00 - Buena Vista Social Club 00:55 - Why This Episode is NEXT LEVEL 06:59 - "Chan Chan" 10:24 - The Story of Buena Vista Social Club 14:34 - "De Camino a la Vereda" 16:27 - "El Cuarto de Tula" 20:09 - "Pueblo Nuevo (Danzón)" 24:26 - "Dos Gardenias" 26:12 - "Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?" 28:15 - "Veinte Años" 29:49 - Omara's On Stage Shout Out to Peter 31:09 - "El Carretero" 32:33 - "Candela" 34:38 - "Amor de Loca Juventud" 35:55 - "Orgullecida" 37:03 - "Murmullo" 39:48 - "Buena Vista Social Club (Title Track)" 44:38 - "La Bayamesa" 46:12 - Peter's BIG Reveal 47:40 - The BEST Moments on BVSC 49:33 - Categories: Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits and Snobometer 51:52 - What to Listen to Next 54:19 - Open Studio Plays "Chan Chan"

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Buena Vista Social Club is an episode from You'll Hear It - Music Advice by Peter Martin.

This episode is 59:24 long.

This episode was published on Apr 6, 2026.

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