The surviving members of the beloved Cuban group Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club bring their current farewell tour to UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall Friday.
Assembled by American guitarist Ry Cooder for a 1997 recording session in Havana, the group of aging, forgotten musicians which included bassist Orlando "Cachaíto" López, guitarist Eliades Ochoa, singers Manuel "Puntillita" Licea, Omara Portuondo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Compay Segundo and virtuoso pianist Rubén González. Recorded in just six days at a studio once owned by RCA that had remained unchanged since the '50s, the Buena Vista Social Club album's relaxed exploration of traditional Cuban forms became a surprise global hit and won a Grammy Award.
The group shot to international fame on the success of the album and the acclaimed world tour they embarked on to celebrate the album. The individual players rose to even greater heights with subsequent solo albums and the 1999 Buena Vista Social Club documentary made by famed German director Wim Wenders that featured performances recorded at Carnegie Hall.
While several members -- López, Licea, Segundo, Ferrer and González -- have passed away during the intervening years, Ochoa and Portuondo have continued to anchor the touring group performing songs from the beloved album. The current version of Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club that also includes Guajiro Mirabal, Barbarito Torres and Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos brings it's "Adios Tour" to Berkeley Friday night.
Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club
Friday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. $40-$89.50 (sold out)
Zellerbach Hall