Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Ibrahim Ferrer (CD - 1999)

Personnel includes: Ibrahim Ferrer (vocals); Teresa Garcia Caturla, Omara Portuondo, Jose Antonio Rodriguez (vocals); Manuel Galvan, Ry Cooder (electric guitar); Eliades Ochoa (guitar); Papi Oviedo (tres); Lazaro Ordonez Enriquez, Julian Corrales Subida (violin); Roy Avila Serrano (cello); Carlo Montenegro Ruiz (alto saxophone); Braulio Hernandez Rodriguez, Gil Bernal (tenor saxophone); Manuel Mirabal, Daniel Ramos (trumpet); Jesus "Aguaje" Ramos, Alberto Munoz (trombone); Ruben Gonzalez (piano); Olando "Cachaito" Lopez (bass); Joachim Cooder (drums, dumbek, udu drum); Roberto Garcia (bongos, guiro); Carlos Gonzalez (bongos, cowbell); Angel Terry (congas); Amadito Valdes (timbales); Ibrahim Ferrer, Jr. (clave); Lazaro Villa, Pio Leyva (background vocals).

Recorded at Egrem Studios, Havana, Cuba.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB PRESENTS IBRAHIM FERRER was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Performance.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB PRESENTS IBRAHIM FERRER was nominated for the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Performance.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB PRESENTS IBRAHIM FERRER won the 2000 Billboard Latin Music Award for Album Of The Year by a Male Performer and won for Album Of The Year by a New Artist.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB PRESENTS IBRAHIM FERRER was nominated for the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album.

Personnel: Ibrahim Ferrer (vocals); Gema Cuatro, Estela Guzmán Vega, Omara Portuondo, Teresa Garcia Caturla (vocals); Eliades Ochoa (guitar); Manuel Galbán, Ry Cooder (electric guitar); Papi Oviedo (tres); Julian Corrales Subida, Humberto B. Legat (violin); Gil Bernal (tenor saxophone); Daniel Ramos, Octavio Calderón, Manuel "El Guajiro" Mirabal (trumpet); Rubén González (piano); Joachim Cooder (drums, dumbek); Angel Terry (congas); Carlos González (bongos, cowbells); Roberto García (bongos, guiro); Amadito Valdés (timbales).

Recording information: EGREM Studios, Havana, Cuba.

Why the whole world wasn't privileged with the voice of this angel-faced singer until he reached his 70s is open to debate. What is certain though, is that this first major solo outing shines a long overdue spotlight on one of the most wonderful Bolero/roots artists to ever emerge in Cuban music. Like the humble Parisian baker on the corner who makes stellar croissants out of what might otherwise be a banal commonbread, Ferrer performs these romantic standards with a divine usualness that makes them burst with love.

Whirling in the mid-20th century time warp that is Cuba, this stellar studio opus bears many similarities to that of the Grammy-winning BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB. Many friends from that project are again on hand, including producer/slide guitar stylist Ry Cooder, Eliades Ochoa on guitar, pianist Ruben Gonzalez and the superb vocalist Omara Portuondo, although the gentle background harmonies by the women of Gemo Cuatro and sumptuous string arrangements are wonderful new additions. "Silencio" is surely one of the loveliest pieces here, with a heart-melting duet by Ferrer and Portuondo--the juxtaposition of Cuban guitar legend Manuel Galban's vibrato fills and Cooder's Hawaiian-style slide tastefully ornament the song's romantic imagery. minimize