“This bravura concert double-CD is, in fact, only the second Buena Vista Social Club album featuring the original members. This Carnegie Hall show took place July 1, 1998, before a wildly enthusiastic audience, and 10 years later it’s still easy to hear why the crowd was crazy for the music. The recording is immaculate, the performance breathtaking. Disc one opens with “Chan Chan,” a memorable BVSC tune and an ideal intro number that sets the festive mood for the duration of the listening experience. Throughout the discs we hear the incredible voice of Ibrahim Ferrer, the fluent guitar of Compay Segundo and the gorgeous piano of Ruben González (”Almendra,” “La Engañadora”), all of whom have since died. Together with Cachaito Lopez, Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa and a stellar crew of second-line players, these legends of Cuban music brought some Latin heat to a legendary venue. —Philip Van Vleck”
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