VARIOUS ARTISTS
Cuba Esencial - La Coleccion Cubano (Music Club)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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The phenomenal popularity of the Buena Vista Social Club has made a lot of people turn their ear toward the island nation of Cuba, and that has made bigger stars of performers like Chucho Valdez, Ibrahim Ferrer and Ruben Gonzalez, to name but a few. The idea of this collection is to offer a companion to the Buena Vista discs, one that contains the original versions of the music Buena Vista covered. Most of the material was found in the vast vault of Egrem Studio in Havana, a state-run facility where there are over 10,000 master tapes carefully stored away. If you're a true fan of Cuban music, you can just bet that Nigel Williamson felt like a kid in a candy store there. He's the music journalist who put this baby together, and he did a fantastic job. As terrific as Buena Vista is, there's always something special about original versions, and these recordings by artists like Los Zafiros, Omara Portuondo, Beny More and Tito Gomez are absolutely perfecto. You've taken the first step, now you can take the next.

Track List:

Orquestra All Stars - La Comparsa * Omara Portuondo - Dos Gardenias * Los Zafiros - Bossa Cubana * Beny More - Tumba Tumbador * Manuel Licea 'Puntillita' - A Toda Cuba Le Gusta * Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Piniero - Amor De Loca Juventud * Elena Burke - A Ti Destino (Decide Tu) * Omara Portuondo, Pio Leyva Puntilla and Teresa Garcia Caturla - Deja Que Suba La Marea * Tito Gomez - Lagrimas Negras * Teresa Garcia Caturla - Si Tu Mo Vienes * Beny More - Yo No Fui * Josephine Baker - Mi Corazon Es Para Ti * Merceditas Valdes - Elube Chango * Omara Portuondo - Siboney

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