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Buena Vista Social Club [VHS] [1999]
 
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Buena Vista Social Club [VHS] [1999]

VHS ~ Compay Segundo
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

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5 new from £3.98 33 used from £0.01 4 collectible from £4.25

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Product details


Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1996, composer, producer, and guitar legend Ry Cooder entered Egrem Studios in Havana with the forgotten greats of Cuban music, many of them in their 60s and 70s, some of them long since retired. The resulting album, Buena Vista Social Club, became a Grammy-winning international bestseller. When Cooder returned to Havana in 1998 to record a solo album by 72-year-old vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, filmmaker Wim Wenders was on hand to document the occasion. Wenders splits the film between portraits of the performers, who tell their stories directly to the camera as they wander the streets and neighbourhoods of Havana, and a celebration of the music heard in performance scenes in the studio, in their first concert in Amsterdam, and in their second and final concert at Carnegie Hall. The songs are too often cut short in this fashion, but Buena Vista Social Club is not a concert film. Wenders weaves the artist biographies with a glimpse of modern Cuba remembering its past, capturing a lost culture in music that is suddenly, unexpectedly revived for audiences in Havana and around the world. Wenders makes his presence practically invisible, as if his directorial flourishes or off-screen narration might deflect attention from the artists, who do a fine job of telling their own stories through interviews and music. It's a loving portrait of a master class in Cuban music, with a vital cast of ageing performers whose energy and passion belie their years. --Sean Axmaker

Synopsis
The story of the album, featuring the musicians of Cuba recreating their music and ending with concerts in Amsterdam and Carnegie Hall.

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Buena Vista Social Club [VHS] [1999]
45% buy the item featured on this page:
Buena Vista Social Club [VHS] [1999] 4.2 out of 5 stars (21)
Buena Vista Social Club [DVD] [1999]
25% buy
Buena Vista Social Club [DVD] [1999] 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
Buena Vista Social Club [1999] [DVD]
21% buy
Buena Vista Social Club [1999] [DVD] 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£9.98
Buena Vista Social Club
6% buy
Buena Vista Social Club 4.8 out of 5 stars (38)
£7.98

 

Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Guaranteed to make you smile, 4 Jan 2001
By A Customer
I got the video as a christmas present and every time I watch it I end up grinning so much. I agree that some of Ry Cooders more patronising moments are cringeworthy. But the real problem with the film is how inadequate it makes me feel. These beautiful people spend their lives in a beautiful land making beautiful music and making people happy. I don't, but I want to. I've never seen such healthy, joyous old folk before. I'm truly astonished that what is, ostensibly, a music documentary should have such an inspiring effect on me. If you like the music then buy the video, because it really brings it alive.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cuban Discovery, 9 Jan 2006
By pablo "scoon2" (Scotland) - See all my reviews
  
The Buena Vista Social club is a fascinating look at Afro-Cuban music and concerns itself with US artist Ry Cooder and his dream being fulfilled wherein he records and plays live with some old grand masters of the Cuban sound.
The Cubans are amazing guys with great personalities and incredible life stories. Singer Ibrahim Ferrer and the great pianist, Ruben Gonzalez, are particularly captivating personalities.
The great thing that comes across is the sheer enjoyment of these musicians and the total love that they have for their music.
Superbly filmed by Wim Wenders, the DVD has an excellent director’s commentary that really adds to the movie.
The music is fantastic and certainly made me hunger for more.
A joy from start to finish.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best feel-good film of last century, 5 April 2000
By A Customer
Evin if you have no interest in the music, the place or the lifestyle, Buena Vista will sweep you off your feet. A marvellous documentary of the participants in the Buena Vista Social Club operation that was a sell out success, it is packed with some of the most moving performances of Cuban music ever. The narrative is captivating and summarises the life and times of these legendary musicians as well as a little of the history and culture of Cuba. The only irritation is the aggravating presence of Ry Cooder throughout, but it is well worth it. Don't buy the album, invest in the video instead and watch it every day as the sunsets overhead. This is what life is all about.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Buena Vista Social Club Video
Beautiful soul stirring rhythms of yesterday combined with enlightening views of Cuba today. A truly wonderful video.
Published 13 months ago by Yvonne Mcgeehan

5.0 out of 5 stars A TOUR OF LOVE
This has one amazing Spanish ballet, with English lyrics!!!

I also have 2 CD's from the Spanish stars. Read more
Published on 4 May 2007 by d-thinkerdotcom

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 stars for the doc film - the music is another matter.
The music on this dvd is magic, with the proviso that I really think Ry Cooder should have stayed in the control room/off-stage and out of the mix. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2006 by C. Nation

5.0 out of 5 stars Far more than the sum of its (very rhythmic) parts
I got the CD for Christmas and to be honest, only really like two or three tracks. But the film knocked my socks off. Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2005 by rhartnup2

5.0 out of 5 stars MUSICAL TREASURE FROM CUBA
Filmmaker Wim Wenders and guitarist Ry Cooder's documentary of nearly extinct Cuban music of the 1940s and 50s is a refreshing musical treat. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2005 by F. Sweet

4.0 out of 5 stars Cuban beauty
This film is in many ways an absolute joy - full of passion and humanwarmth, identifying how music is core to the lives of these ageingmusicians in a run down Cuban society... Read more
Published on 20 April 2004 by Andy Millward

2.0 out of 5 stars Great idea poorly executed
The story of Ry Cooder & son travelling to Cuba to track down some great but forgotten musical geniuses from a music club long since closed down sounds like a great idea for a... Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars DVD an improvement on the film
I've followed Ry Cooder's career from the mid seventies and Wim Wender's career from the early eighties. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiration
As you can imagine, I'm impressed! The media in Britain should learn from these old boys, and focus their energies on real music. Read more
Published on 6 May 2003 by Anonymous

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing
I don't have the CD, nor had I seen the film, but bought the DVD based on recommendations from others, but was very disappointed. Read more
Published on 3 Jul 2001

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