Heroes

Estrellas de Areito | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 6, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 6, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B00000JG3D
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,648 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #98 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Cuba > Salsa

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Call it the original Buena Vista Social Club. Back in 1979 a crew of Cuba's best musicians got together in Egrem Studios in Havana and recorded epic sessions that were later issued on Egrem's Areito label. Brought together by African musical impresario Raoul Diomandé, and under the direction of trombonist Juan Pablo Torres, these 30 "stars" poured their hearts into a series of long, energetic tracks (running 7 to 15 minutes apiece) that burn up the aluminum on the two CDs they are now housed on. Many names leap out of the roster: Paquito D'Rivera, Rubén González, Israel Perez, Pio Leyva, and Arturo Sandoval just for a start. They are small parts in a group that spanned three generations from across the island, and they fused the violin-based tipicas with the tres and horns of the jazzier conjuntos to create a sound that shook the city and spread out to the world. Torres's inventive arrangements and his willingness to allow for a lot of improvisation within that framework mark this as an exciting adventure. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD blew me away., September 5, 1999

By 

Robert Sullivan, MD (Woodland Hills, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heroes (Audio CD)

Recorded 20 years ago, this is a collection of the best Cuban musicians of the time. The tunes are descargas (jams) all done in one take, just as they happened. The energy is wonderful. Also, if you look at the photograph that is on the front cover of the CD jacket, you'll see a 20-years-younger Ruben Gonzales laughing uproariously with a few of the other players and wearing bell-bottoms. He's on piano on the CD and sounds great, more fiery than on Buena Vista Social Club. This is a terrific CD. It simply blew me away.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the best, the freshest, the most spontaneous!, August 20, 2000

By 

Herve Bronnimann (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heroes (Audio CD)

All of the sudden, with so many Cuban music CDs, it's hard to know what to buy. So I asked my percussionist friend Andy (hi Andy!) who specializes in afro-cuban drumming, and is highly critical of all the hype surrounding BVSC (as much as I enjoy them). He was prompt in telling me of this old five-disc LP collection that he has, and if it's the same thing, don't walk, run, click like a madman, and get'em!

If you like authenticity, spontaneity, and Cuban music, this is the best buy you can hope for until they release more of the old timers. Cuban music was at an all-time high in the 50s and 60s, and most of the artists on these two cds were performing in the best two or three groups of that era. Even though this recording came in late 1979, and was (incredibly) performed in a week, its improvisations are just mind-boggling. You will be witnessing witchcraft artistry at an incredible level.

And the recording quality is absolutely not a reason to shy away from this purchase. Although from 1979, in Habana, with limited equipment, you could fear a bit; in fact, it turns out warm, full of life, and perhaps better than a clean digital recording that would have been made these days. Very pleasant also is a little booklet with the lyrics (and translation) and an illuminating commentary (done too rarely to my taste). The lyrics add so much to the music! especially for non-native Spanish speakers.

If you have at least one BVSC recording, you'll have to at least borrow this one to educate yourself and reach another level in your appreciation of Cuban music. Along with "Cuban counterpoint, a history of the son montuno" these are my best two buys of the year. Highly recommended!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great musicians, very danceable, makes you feel great!, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Heroes (Audio CD)

As soon as I heard this CD in the sample section of a record store I was hooked. The latin beat is perfectly catchy without being frenetic and cheesy sounding like a lot of modern salsa. The music is probably the happiest thing I've ever heard. Havana must be (or must have been)quite a place if you could go out an hear this kind of stuff. This CD makes me want to join a Cuban Son band!