REVIEW: Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club bids ‘adios’ to U.S. one last time

NEW YORK — The Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon will hopefully live on forever. The album, which brought Cuban music to adoring fans throughout the world, and the subsequent documentary by Wim Wenders have cemented these classic tunes in the collective memory of so many dedicated listeners. From “Chan Chan” to “Dos Gardenias,” the songs will always be there.

As far as the touring troupe of musicians who bring the Buena Vista Social Club banner around the world, that part of the story will soon end. The Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club is bringing a final set of performances to the global community with their “Adios” tour, which recently played two nights at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

Although many of the original members of this 1990s project are now deceased, the stage was populated with older and newer talents that brought the same great tunes to a packed house. During the Wednesday night concert, bolero singer Omara Portuondo, who was born in Havana in 1930, enlivened the two-hour concert with several songs. Her voice is tender on the slower compositions and rousing on the upbeat dance tunes. She immediately had the crowd on its feet and demanded they stay standing. To help instigate the emotions, she would offer a few dance moves herself. With one hand on the microphone and the other kicking up her dress, she coupled energy with an indomitable need to entertain. Her song selections were surely the highlight of the evening.

Eliades Ochoa was another prominent addition during the concert. His guitar strumming was expertly handled, and his vocals offered an authenticity that was unparalleled. Born in Songo la Maya, Cuba, in 1946, the master of guajira (Cuban country music) allowed the evening to be varied and diverse, giving the audience a different flavor of Cuban music. His tunes are certainly danceable, but they can often be thoughtful and lyrically complex. His iconic black cowboy hat was on full display.

Other greats on the stage included trumpeter Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal, who joined two other musicians in the trumpet section. The bandleader and trombonist, Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos, made it his duty to keep the evening structured and energetic, keeping the many musicians on stage in sync and creatively prominent. The solo sections were handled with excellence rather than self-indulgence, and when the dancing began, he was usually the one who began the movements. If there had to be one instrumentalist who stuck out more than the rest it would be Barbarito Torres, who played the laúd, a stringed instrument that looks like a cross between an acoustic guitar and ukulele. At one point, he even played the instrument behind his back.

The selections for the evening were varied, with many of them coming from the seminal album Buena Vista Social Club. It came as no surprise that “Chan Chan” and “El Cuarto de Tula,” perhaps the two strongest songs on the album and during the concert, finished off the evening. The encore featuring Portuondo and opening act Andrea Motis singing “Dos Gardenias” was rhythmic perfection personified.

There are memories that still linger from the Beacon Theatre show, which may prove to be the final concert in the United States for the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club. The musicians now head to Central America, South America and the rest of the world. Hopefully one more round of concerts will come in 2016, but even if they don’t come back, these musicians said “Adios” in a fitting way.

Those who want the beat to live on can check out the Afro-Cuban All Stars with Juan de Marcos, who is a pivotal presence in the Buena Vista Social Club history. They will bring their musical talents to the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, N.Y., in spring of next year. Plus, Ochoa and Torres will offer a duo concert at Irving Plaza in New York on Jan. 22.

For those instrumentalists and singers who are now deceased, the Orquesta offered an accompanying slideshow of images and dedications throughout the evening. Ibrahim Ferrer received perhaps the greatest applause. These dedications, coupled with the unforgettable songs, provided an appropriate and transfixing tribute.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Click here for more information.