Customer Reviews

A Toda Cuba Le Gusta

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is a work of art. It is only rivaled by its companion albums, "Buena Vista Social Club", and "Introducing Ruben Gonzalez". I would strongly recommend buying all three and listening to them in succession, although each is excellent in its own right. "Afro-Cuban All-Stars" is a collection of old standards, mostly from the Cuba of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Although to many (including this Cuban-american) that Cuba is gone, what with the political scene such as it is now under Castro, the music IS ALIVE, as this album definitely proves. Lush, big band sounds, impeccable singing by such greats as Ibrahim Ferrer and Manuel Puntillita Licea, combine to paint a vivid musical picture that practically includes the tropical aroma of the island itself. The first track, "Amor Verdadero", is a "son" that tells an unforgettable story of a man and his relationship with his mother which sustained him during a traumatic life. "Habana del Este" has a beautifully nostalgic, melancholy feel to it that reminds one of simpler, more romantic times of yesteryear. Yet tracks like, "Pio Mentiroso" leave one with a desire to jump up and dance, shyness be damned. Take it from this Cuban, this is the album to get, whatever your culture, whatever your taste. You'll love it.

I bought this album because the group is coming to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore in March of 2000. I'm a telemarketer and wanted to know what they sounded like so I could pitch them. I've also been to Cuba and really enjoyed the music there. The verdict: This is a fabulous album and I've been raving about it and about the group to my patrons ever since. I predict that people will be dancing in the aisles at the Meyerhoff! It is impossible to sit still while listening to it; even my totally nonmusical sister was dancing to it. (I'm still in shock about that!) I've also just seen the Buena Vista Social Club film about Ry Cooder's trip to Cuba to pull that group together. I was very pleased to see some of the same people are also members of the Afro-Cuban All Stars: the great pianist Ruben Gonzalez, and 90+ year old vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer (who looks 70, if a day.) I can't wait to see them in person. Anyone who likes world music will love this CD. I guarantee it!

i just received my cd A Toda Cuba Le Gusta today and i must say it's fantastic. the beat, the rhythm, the sound...it's incredible. and to think i never would have bought it had it not been for amazon's online reviews. i recommend this cd to anyone who is fan of cuban music. and to all those who are not. just one listen to this hot cd and you'll be converted for life! amazon, thanks for giving listeners a voice.

I regret being the first person not to give this album 5 stars. I am certainly pleased at the great enthusiasm other reviewers have shown. My reasons for going with 4 stars are that "Introducing... Rubén González" is so decidedly better (which I gave a raving 5 stars), that I simply couldn't rate this album at the same level. Although the performance quality is very high, it often seems a little too flashy and overproduced for my tastes. "Buena Vista" and "Introducing..." both have a naturalness of sound here -- which I think is entirely necessary for this kind of music -- that rises above the glossiness found here. I will say that the opening son is memorable, "Havana del Este" is quite moving, and I love "Clasiqueando con Rubén." After you hear the last piece, you'll never listen to CPE Bach's "Solfeggio" in the same way again! Get this album, but PLEASE, by ALL MEANS, make sure you listen to "Buena Vista" and (the incomparable) Rubén González albums also.

This is real Cuban music. The original source of all the Salsa, good and bad, that you hear these days. But it has a feeling of quality that you don't hear in today's salsa, being this feeling the flavor of the "real thing". If you like music that is a must to dance and at the same time doesn't tire you to listen over and over, buy it. I must also recommend wholeheartedly the Buena Vista Social Club CD (of course) and even more than that, the "Introducing Ruben Gonzalez" CD, which in my opinion is not for 5, but for 10 stars. The 3 CD's (but mainly Ruben's) left you with this unmistakable feeling of having listened to something unique, the feeling of the music having turned you into a better human being; the same feeling I get when I listen to, for instance, a good version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

This is an awesome cd, more up-beat than Buena Vista Social Club. I love all types of music but specially Salsa. If you want to hear what that genre started as, you should listen to this and other old Cuban music, after all the cubans invented the stuff. Somehow Ry Cooder just fits right in. Like I said we invented but we don't own it. Worth every penny.

Honestly, I can think only of two groups of people who will enjoy this recording, and if you're in either group, I urge you to order it immediately if not sooner.

If you're one of those totally or mostly unfamiliar with Cuban jazz, you'll love this. It's a celebration of life, full of good humor and vigor. The excitement of the music is bound to get to you, and you'll wonder why you've never given it a chance before.

On the other hand, you might be quite familiar with this sound, with the vocals of veterans such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Pio Leyva, Manuel 'Puntillita Licea, Raul Planas, Jose Antonio 'Maceo' Rodriguez, and Felix Valoy, and with the full sound of trumpets, teombones, enhanced by sax, flute, and piano. If so, you'll find this the best you've heard, and will insist on its being in your collection.

If you're in neither group, well, what can I say?

This album has made a rainy Pacific Northwest winter much warmer--the horns have all the bright heat of sunlight, the rhyhms are infectious, as is the joy evident in all of the performances. I haven't had a moment's regret for buying this album; it brightens my mood every time I hear it.

Hmm.. too flashy? What do you expect when you take a dozen of the best musicians in Cuba, complete with well over a half a century of experience? The music is far from the laid back impromptu style most of these artists are originally known for, but injecting such precision and talent into the roots of their music can only produce something worth buying and listening to over and over. 5 stars!

WOW! I got a lot more than my moneys worth on this album. I listen to it everyday! But be forewarned, It's had to avoid shaking your hips while under the influence of this incredibly orchestrated music. The horns are sooooo Tight! Ruben Gonzales is one of the best Piano players I've ever heard! And los sonoros have such class and style! BUY IT!