A trip to Cuba was on our bucket list for many years. Bonnie’s uncle, Leon, was a regular pre-revolution visitor to Cuba, and as the story was told, had joint ownership in a Havana home. Listening to Leon’s stories sparked an interest in Cuban culture, and we were finally able to visit Cuba in 2019. Look for future posts on Cuba and our trip.
On our most recent NYC trip, we attended an off-Broadway musical production of the “Buena Vista Social Club”, which is based on the 1997 album produced by guitarist Ry Cooder. The play was performed at the Atlantic Theater Company, a small and intimate space located in a converted church on West 20th Street.
The album celebrates the pre-revolution era of Cuban music, and features a series of musicians who represent the original Buena Vista Social Club. In 1940’s Cuba, clubs were segregated, and the Buena Vista operated as a black members club. These fraternal clubs are similar to the social aid and pleasure clubs that also developed in New Orleans. The clubs were typically organized around a common interest, and the Buena Vista was a musician’s club.
The play does a great job of blending the history of the Buena Vista Club as it existed in the 1940’s and the production of the album in 1997, with actors representing the young musician interacting with their older selves. At some points during the musical, there were 40 actors, dancers and band members on stage. The acting and music talent were incredible, and offered a unique view of Cuban musical history.
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