Customer Reviews
Intro to the people behind the music 
2007-08-01
The music has been beautiful, but this DVD gives you the ability to see the people and faces behind the music. We enjoyed it very much.
Buena Vista Social Club video 2007-07-04
I'm a fan of old Cuban music, and I found it amazing how this incredible talent was reawakend to full bloom instantaneously when Ry Cooder put it together in this documentary. I had enjoy the CD, but had not had the opportunity to watch and enjoy the old timers in the video. Compay Segundo has been a Cuban legend since he first appeared in the scene in the '30s. I had no idea he was still alive. Thanks to Mr. Cooder for giving him a few days of happiness, and sharing him with us one more time. The greates revelations for me though was Rubén González at the piano who seemed to have not lost one ounce of his brilliance after all these years even with arthritis and little practice, and Ibrahim Ferrer whose voice kept as fresh as when he was a teenager. Simply amazing!
cuba! 
2007-05-30
this is a wonderful documentary bringing even more of a voice to those giving us this wonderful music! some parts use subtitles. presents a nice history of the time.
Essential for anyone who loves music 2007-05-10
Essential for anyone who loves music. Ry Cooder is to be complemented for his work in bringing the musicians together back then. I saw the BVSC live about 6 years ago, and it was one of the most amazing and inspiring performances I have ever seen. The movie is a bit slow in parts, and the music is somewhat brought down by Ry Cooder unfortunately. I have the greatest respect for him as a master guitarist (his other collaborations are outstanding) but here he looks hopelessly out of place as the BVSC chugs on with their amazing brand of rootsy lightness. Cooder sits around producing a melancholy wail once in a while from his slide guitar, and that's about it. Pity. But still, if you are into music - and particularly Latin music - you HAVE TO SEE this film :)
great for Spanish students or music lovers 2007-03-26
Loved this DVD because it's useful on so many levels for my Spanish class. Can use it for cultural discussions of music, social issues, history of Cuba, current policies toward Cuba, etc. Most expecially, kids like music and the life stories of the musicians are quite moving. Also, for the beginning student, many of the singers' dialogs are also not too hard for them to follow.
Bittersweet Symphony 2008-06-02
Wim Wenders' "Buena Vista Social Club" is a masterpiece. American blues guitarist Ry Cooder goes to Cuba,in search of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club. He comes to an impoverished, aging country. The clubs are long gone, living only in memories. Miraculously, Cooder finds living remnants of Cuba's musical scene-Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales, Compay Segundo, and the singer Omara Portuoundo. Their music is bittersweet. They sing of joys long vanished, of a freer time. Ry Cooder doesn't glamorize Cuba's squalor,nor the repression that drove its musicians underground.
"Buena Vista Social Club" shows musicians who are young at heart. Quite a few have since passed away since this film's release nearly a decade ago. The opening,the haunting "Chan Chan",sends chills down the spine. "Veinte Anos" is an amazing ballad of unrequited love (when I saw this movie in college,I sang along-it's that powerful) The conclusion is powerful when the musicians come to the US and perform at Carnegie Hall. Ironically, and sadly,the "Buena Vista Social Club" was barred from entry to the US after 9/11 since they were branded as "propagandists" for the Castro regime. Anyone who has heard their music knows that they sing about love and loss, joy and sorrow... not politics. They are musicians whose golden years are truly golden.
"Buena Vista Social Club" is a soothing bittersweet symphony for the eyes and the soul. It's impossible to watch this documentary without being moved. It's music that speaks to the heart. The musicians are elderly,their song is timeless.
What an experience! 2008-05-04
Thank you, Ry Cooder for tracking done these hidden legends and documenting them before some of them disappeared.
Cuban Legacy Music ! 2007-09-21
I have several copies of this wonderful Cuban Music, one for the car, one for the house, etc. I have also purchased the DVD on the making of the CD by Ry Cooder. This is a lasting memory of what was a beautiful era in Cuban Music. You don't need to understand Spanish to appreciate the glory of the sounds that come out of this band of legends. A must have for any music collection !
great for the classroom! 2007-09-19
I show this movie in my High School Spanish class! Kids love it and have often downloaded the music onto their ipods!
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL REVIEW 2007-09-09
EXCELLENT MOVIE FOR LOVERS OF CUBAN MUSIC.
RY COUTER AT AL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN SEARCHING FOR SOME OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS AND FINDING SUITABLE NEW ONES TO MAKE A GREAT DVD.
JASCONS
