The Sound That Stayed Home

Older Cuban repertoire never vanished. In 1996, a recording project carried it into a new global market and transformed several late careers.

Cuban traditional music did not freeze after the revolution, and the musicians gathered for Buena Vista Social Club did not share one story of obscurity. Some had retired; others kept recording and touring. What changed in 1996 was the route to an international market. Nick Gold, Juan de Marcos González and Ry Cooder organized sessions around older Cuban repertoire; World Circuit distribution and Wim Wenders's film turned the recordings into a global phenomenon. Follow the line from Arsenio's conjunto to Chappottín's continuation, then to a project that amplified selected musicians and songs for a new audience.

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geography

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