Customer Reviews

Bridge to Havana (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Star power clout, politically compelling and spectacular music, BRIDGE TO HAVANA is poised to be a global sensation. With such stars as Dave Koz, Gladys Knight, Montell Jordan, Brenda Russell, Burt Bacharach, Buena Vista Social Club's Omara Portuondo, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett, Mick Fleetwood, Lisa Loeb, Peter Frampton, Joan Osborne, Paddy Maloney, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, and many others joined with Pablo Milanes, Chucho Valdes and other legendary Cuban musicians combined writing skills and performances to create a whole new genre of music. The fusion of jazz, pop, Latin, rock and R&B yields multi-format material, which will be available on both CD and DVD in July. The creative and technically expert film ensemble of Haskell Wexler and others captured the highly charged emotional synergy of this event. This compelling footage combined with full digital multi-track recordings, both in studio and on stage, will give an international audience a glimpse into this extraordinary event. Multi Grammy-winner, Ed Cherney (Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones) supervised the recording on 20 bit 32 track digital. This event, created to bridge cultures and political beliefs and foster good will, resulted in a musical event of the highest magnitude.

yes, I was one of the lucky ones who partcipated in this amazing project, "Bridges To Havana". Although it went by the name, " Music Bridges" at the time.. I am delighted to see the release of this music not only because I was a part of it al but because I never really thought it would ever come out.. It was caught up in politics and litigation for years. Everyone should know that Todd Smallwood had so much to do with this record. I am sure he is not getting the credit he deserves. Look for his solo CD which is being released on 9/25/04 on Sanctuary.Records. He worked on it with Mick Fleetwood. Getting back to Cuba. I was an assistant engineer working in one of the recording studios we shipped down and set up at the Hotel Nacional in Havana. it was an experience I will never forget. seven days of non stop chaos, excitement and creativity. There were some side highlights that happened while we were there that might interest you. Ry Cooder was in Havana for the Premier of his movie, "The Buena Vista Social Club" and some of us were lucky enough to here them play live in a small church in Havana. Also, The Baltimore Oriols came down and played the Cuban Nationals and again some of us got to go see that spectacle as well.. It was the first time since 1947 that the Americans played the Cubans in baseball. It was a big deal. That night we played the 23 of the songs that were written, in concert, after which, we were rounded up and surprised to find out we were being taken at 1am to meet Castro. We formed a single line and two hours later I was face to face with him and let me tell you that was one of the most interesting three minutes of my life. I could go on and on but the thing you should know is that Cuban singers and musicians perform from such a passionate place. There is no money in Cuba. I believe at that time the average monthly salary was $7. yes Seven dollars a month. When you take the monetary gain away from Art it becomes soley about passion. That passion affected all of us who were there and you can feel it in these tracks.

I bought this CD after reading the history of its making and have not regreted it once. This is one of the most fantastic collaborations I've ever heard. Unfortunately, the shop where I bought it did not have the enhanced version, so that is what I plan to buy next. We need more cultural exchanges like this one and we need to remove trade barriers against Cuba.

an incredible mix of artists and their interpretation of latin/cuban rhythms and beats..just a fantastic disc

I don't get what the fuss is about...Bridge To Havana may have been an adventure for the gringo musicians that went to Cuba to record with Habanero studio musicians. And they might have even felt they were contributing to world peace by doing so. But musically, this CD has very little to do with Cuba. The Cuban and gringo musicians were randomly grouped with each other, with no thought at all given to which musicians would complement each other. The result is, as one would expect, a hodgepodge. For example, "Feelin Good" is Gladys at her soulful best, and the Latin percussion backdrop is tight and sabrosa. But the track sounds like a Cuban Son overdubbed onto a Motown R&B track, the two never coalescing into a whole. Another irritation: although Cuban greats like Omara Portuondo (Buena Vista Social Club) and Chucho Valdes were associated with the project, they are no where to be found on any of the tracks. It's as if the producers deliberately purged the disc of Cuban flavor, missing a huge opportunity. Nevertheless, the CD does have its moments, which is why I gave it a third star. "One World" features the always original Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), and Paddy Maloney (The Chieftains) blowing some spectacular pipes, giving the tune a solemn, otherworldly quality. "Volvere" with Ruth Merry also deserves honorable mention. But these cuts have nothing whatever to do with Cuba. If you want to experience contemporary Cuban-fusion at its best, check out Oleg Tumanov's Rio Havana, or Sexto Sentido's Mi Feeling here on Amazon. - DJ Arnoldo