"This is a famous photo of mine." "Taken during the October missile crisis outside the Hotel Riviera." "The whole Malecon was full of anti-aircraft guns and cannons." "We were expecting a US invasion." "I took this one in 1959, in Washington." "Fidel laid a wreath before Abraham Lincoln." "It's called 'David and Goliath'." "The little man and the giant." "These are Che Guevara and Fidel playing golf." "Who won?" "Fidel." "Che let him win." "Ah, the Buena Vista Social Club!" "Compay Segundo!" "Hello!" "We should ask these people." "Let's ask the old folks where the Buena Vista Social Club is." "He'll know." " We're looking for the Social Club." " The Buena Vista?" "Oh, that's long gone." "The Buena Vista was..." "let's see." "You go up that way..." " It was No 48." " Yes, but it's no longer there." "OK, tell us where it used to be." "Look, you go up that way, and you'll find it." " You used to dance there?" " Sure I did." "I was born near there." "It's a private house now." "Go on the dual carriageway." "It's that house, the one with a line painted on the door." "It's been gone since 1944." "We've lived here since then." "I remember they used to throw parties at the Buena Vista." "In its day, the best bands in Cuba played there." "Know what I eat when I've had too much to drink?" "Chicken soup." "You take a piece of chicken neck and you fry it." "When it's no longer bloody, you toss in some chopped garlic." "You can still see part of the bar." "You eat that and you won't have a hangover." "That's how I stay fit." "Best thing there is." "From Alto Cedro, I'm going to Marcané." "I get to Cueto, then go to Mayari." "The love I have for you, I cannot deny." "My mouth is watering." "I can't help myself." "Juanita and Chan Chan, play together on the beach." "How her bottom shakes." "How Chan Chan is aroused." "Clear the path of dry cane leaves." "Because I want to sit down" "On that trunk over there." "Or I might not make it." "Asleep in my garden." "Amid the gladioli and the roses." "And the white lilies." "My soul feels sad and heavy." "From the flowers I wish to hide my bitterpain." "I don't want the flowers to know... the torments that life gives me." "If they knew what I'm suffering... for my sorrows, they would cry as well." "Silence, for they are asleep." "The gladioli and the lilies." "I don't want them to know my sorrows." "For if they see me crying, they'll die." "Omara Portuondo!" "I, Ibrahim Ferrer Planas... was born in a small town, in Santiago de Cuba." "San Luis." "I am the son of Aurelia Ferrer." "Registered as her natural son." "I say this because..." "I'd like you all to know from me... who I am and what I am." "At the age of twelve..." "I lost my mother." "I had already lost my father." "I was an orphan." "I was my mother's only child." "So I had to look after myself." "I was at school, where I had friends." "But I had to abandon my studies then." "Life at that time wasn't what it is now." "It was harder." "You had to fend for yourself." "Do you need a hand?" "Ruben and I were just taking it easy." "Ruben loves to improvise, and so do I. Let things flow." "So, I started singing." "I said Compadre, pick up this tune." "Two Gardenias for you." "With them I mean to say I love you, I adore you." "Pay them all your mind." "They'll be your heart and mine." "Ry Cooder heard it, too." "When he arrived, I had just sung that number." "To loosen up." "And he recorded it." "Two Gardenias for you." "With them I mean to say..." "I love you." "I adore you." "Pay them all your mind." "They'll be your heart and mine." "Two gardenias for you." "With all the warmth of a kiss." "Kisses you'll never find in the arms of another." "They'll live beside you, and talk to you as I do." "And you'll believe they're saying "I love you"." "But if one evening, my love's gardenias should die." "It's because they'll have discovered... that you've betrayed me for the love of another." "My name is Omara Portuondo." "I was born here in Havana in the area known as Cayo Hueso." "My father was a famous baseball player." "He was one of the first Cubans to play outside his country." "They took Cuban baseball to the US." "My parents used to relax after lunch and sing a few songs." "They would sing duets." "And that's how my love of Cuban music began." "I started singing La Bayamesa when I was a little girl." "My father would sing the lead voice, and I'd sing the back-up." "The song I've recorded here, Viente Anos... has won a Grammy." "I've known it since I was a child." "What matter if I love you, if you don't love me any more?" "A love which is in the past should no longer be remembered." "I was the love of your life, once so very long ago." "But now I'm part of the past, and I can't agree to that." "If all the things we want were within our grasp... then you'd love me still as much... as twenty years ago." "With sadness we watch our love fade away." "A part of our souls so heartlessly torn apart." "Here on the beach, how Maria enjoys herself." "Here on the beach, Maria, how you excite me." "I was born in 1907." "On the coast, by the sea." "In Siboney." "I lived there with my father." "He was a train driver, in the magnesium mines." "I lived in Siboney until the age of nine." "That's when my grandmother died." "Then I moved to Santiago de Cuba with my brothers." "I wasn't allowed to leave Siboney until my grandmother died." "She put it this way:" ""Until I die, my grandson..." that's me "... cannot leave my side"." "I used to light her cigars." "I was only five." "And she'd say "Light me a cigar"." "And I did, from the age of five." "I'd light it, and my grandmother would smoke it." "So, you could say I've been smoking for 85 years." "I'll have to work hard." "Ry Cooder is here." "On a tree trunk, a young girl... carved her name with joy." "And the tree, touched to the core... let a flower fall for the girl." "I am the tree, so sad and moved." "You are the girl who hurt me so." "I'll always treasure your dear name." "But tell me, what became of my poor flower?" "I learned that as a young boy." "Music is so beautiful." "My name is Eliades Ochoa Bustamante." "I was born in Santiago de Cuba on June 22nd, 1946." "My mother, Jacoba Bustamante, played the tres." "And so die my father." "We were a musical family." "I was born a country boy, of course." "From the moment I woke up, I heard music." "I had music in my blood." "I heard music when I went to bed, and music when I woke up." "In 1958, I was no bigger than a guitar." "I started playing as a kid all around Santiago." "In the red light district." "I played and passed the hat:" ""Help Cuban musicians"." "That's how I made money." "I took all the money home to help my parents." "Along the road by my house... a merry cart-driver went by." "His songs came from the heart." "Like a jolly country boy he sang." "I'm going to the rail crossing, to unload my cart." "And so end another day of this back-breaking task." "I work without respite so that I can get married." "And if I can manage that I'll be a lucky country lad." "My days of passing the hat are over." "I'll never forget it, but it's in the past now." "I'm a country lad and cart-driver, and in the country I live well." "The country is the Garden of Eden, the loveliest in the world." "Let's ride our horses to the mountains." "Hello, how are you?" "We've been waiting ages." "You're late." "I thought maybe the cops were after you." "Make yourselves at home." "Once, in Santiago de Cuba, my grandfather was... the president of a French society." "It was called 'EL Cocuye'." "Once, a delegation of Africans went to visit him there." "One of the women became Friendly with my mother." "And when she left, she gave my mother this staff." "My mother was a firm believer in this Lazarus." "I have one the same." "And I believe in my Lazarus, too." "We call him the Beggar." "He's very powerful." "He's the one who leads the way and helps the poor." "The other Lazarus is the same." "But that's one I take with me." "The one who begs." "I lay flowers for him." "Sometimes I light a candle." "I give him honey." "See?" "'It's bees' honey." "I give him perfume." "Lots of perfume." "Every time I go out, I spray him." "And I spray myself." "His little shot of rum." "I like it, so I assume he must like it, too." "My wife makes him a meringues sometimes." "Know what that is?" "We put them here." "We offer them to him." "So that's how he gets all these things." "We Cubans can be thankful, I don't know, to the Man up there... that we are the way we are." "If we cared about possessions, we would have disappeared long ago." "But we Cubans are very fortunate." "We're a small country." "But we're very strong." "We've learned how to resist... the good and the bad." "Cienfuegos has its Guaguanco." "Today I am very moved." "I will sing to my land." "To that famous region... known as the Pearl of the South." "That's the last one." "It's the one Juan de Marcos wanted." "My name is Ruben Gonzalez Fontanells." "I was born in Santa Clara, in 1919." "At the age of nine, I started playing the piano." "My family had bought a piano." "It was a fine one, a John Stowers." "It was also a pianola." "It sounded lovely." "When I saw that instrument, I went crazy." "I really liked it." "So I began practising all the time." "When my mother saw I had talent and could become a great pianist... she arranged for me to study with a teacher in Cienfuegos." "I studied with her until the eighth grade." "She'd say to me "Ruben, you'll be a good pianist." ""You have great skill with your hands"." "I was ignored, so I lost touch." "But I wasn't going to starve." "I polished shoes, cleaned the streets, sold lottery tickets." "I had a family to support." "I'm not ashamed to say that." "We moved from Santa Clara to Havana." "But being in the capital made me feel insecure." "I said to myself "There are lots of pianists in Havana"." "So, I started studying other things." "Playing other instruments." "But it turned out that one of my neighbours... was a man called came to know as Arsenio." "He had a great band." "And he heard me play." "But Arsenio was blind." "Not from birth." "He had an accident and lost his sight." "Anyway, one day he said:" "Ruben, would you like to join my band?" "I said yes, of course." "He'd had a pianist who'd left." "He'd gone to Europe." "I played in Arsenio's band for about four years." "I had a few hits." "People always said Arsenio liked to pick fights." "He'd get really angry when people argued back." "He'd stand there, listening." "Then leap in the direction of the voice." "But of course, he was blind." "So they'd all run away." "And whoever it was would say "Quiet, don't let him catch me"." "And poor Arsenio would stumble about." "And get really angry." "Because people were nasty to him." "He was a big fat guy, taller than anyone." "He used to make me laugh." "I swear, I won't smoke again." "Well, just a little bit." "And I won't drink either." "No more of that." "I used to drink a lot." "I've a good bodyguard here." "She won't let me." "This is Arsenio Rodriguez It's his best photo." "May 24, 1946." "His band toured a lot in Mexico, and in Venezuela." "Most of them are dead now." "This one is still alive." "He's nearly 100." "His name is Pascualito." "He plays the timbal." "He died in Spain." "The one thing I don't want is to die." "Not yet, anyway." "That Man up there, and my wife here... are making sure I'm still around to enjoy myself." "You know, some people don't have much time left." "As long as I have blood in my veins..." "I'll go on loving women." "Women, flowers and romance... are the most beautiful things in life." "One night of romance..." "that has no price." "I haven't forgotten it, and I'm 90 years old." "I have five children." "You met Salvador and Basilio." "Salvador is the youngest." "I have five children." "But now I'm working on the sixth." "I want to have one more." "See you some other day." "One day, out of the blue... there was a knock on my door." "It was Juan de Marcos." "I was shining my shoes at the time He said "What are you doing?"" "I said "I'm just shining my shoes"." "He said "I've been looking for you." "Come with me"." "I told him I didn't want to sing any more." "But he said "No, man, I need you" So I ask him when." "Tomorrow?" "I said." "And he said "No, right now"." "Well, let me have a shower." "No, no, right now he said." "All I had time for was to wash my face... and wipe the shoe polish off my hands." "So we came here, to the Egrem." "And here, in the Egrem studios, I found Eliades Ochoa." "He was with Compay Segundo." "And Ruben was playing the piano." "When Ruben saw me, he started playing..." "That's a number I'd made popular in Cuba." "It's called Candela, by Faustino Oramas 'EL Guayabero'." "There goes a dancing rat, having a whale of a time." "While a mouse drums out a tune to brighten up the day." "A cat comes along, too." "So elegant and content." "Good evening, friend he says to the drummer." "Anyway, I started singing." "And Ry, who was in the booth, must have been listening." "He heard me... and decided to record it." "So I said OK." "And we recorded it." "And that is how it all started." "Fire!" "Fire!" "I'm burning up!" "Faustino Oramas and friends, put this fire out forme!" "Just dial seven zeros and the firemen will be right here." "My name is Orlando López 'Cachaito'." "I want to tell you how I became a musician." "I started playing I was nine." "When I was 11, I joined my aunt's orchestra." "Starting with my great-grandfather, we all play the bass in the family." "I was going to study the violin." "But my grandfather said I had to play the bass." "You know how it is." "I was a bit of afraid of the bass." "But in the end I got used to it." "My style of playing is..." "Well, I need to concentrate." "I love this instrument." "I've studied classical music, every genre." "I don't know, to me music is like a game." "I've played with many orchestras in my time." "And this is how I met Ruben." "I'd played with so many pianists, And he was the only one missing." "Now it turns out we're a great duo." "My great strength is that I have a good ear." "I can also sight-read very fast." "So before he plays a note, I already have it in mind." "My name is Amadito Valdes." "I am percussionist." "I use my father's name as he was my source of inspiration." "I followed in his footsteps." "In the field of percussion, the timbal is very limited." "Whoever plays it must be very aware of that... and use his imagination." "Because this is an instrument which is rather limited... in its physical design, you could say." "It's a humble instrument." "But one that lends a lovely color... to popular dance music." "My name is Manuel Mirabal Vazquez better know as 'EL Guajiro'." "I started playing at the age 18." "So I've been playing the trumpet for 47 years." "It was great playing with all the compañeros." "If it hadn't been for the Buena Vista, they would have been forgotten." "No one would remember Ibrahim, Ruben, Compay Segundo." "To see Compay, at the age of 90, playing the tres so well." "And Ruben playing the piano." "I think this is the key to the success of these recordings." "My name is Barbaro Alberto Torres Delgado." "In musical jargon, everyone knows me as 'Barbarito Torres'." "I've played Cuban country music since I was ten." "I play the laud, which is Arabic in origin." "The Moors took it to Spain where it was modified." "There they made a laud with a longer neck." "The medieval troubadours introduced it to Cuba... where is modified again." "This resulted in the Cuban laud which is the one I play." "Tula's bedroom has gone up in flames." "She fell asleep without blowing out the candle." "Call the firemen." "Bring lots of hoses." "Tell them Tula's bedroom has gone up in flames." "Barbarito is on the loose!" "He's crazy." "Arrest him." "My name is Pio Leyva." "'EL Montunero de Cuba'." "My name is Manuel Licea, 'Puntillita'." "Domino!" "Can't you see I'm a phenomenon?" "You can't beat me, Puntillita." "At dominoes, I'm number one." "You might be the best singer." "But at dominoes, I'm the best." " Shall we join them?" " Wait till they call us." "Hey, come to the studio!" "Now I'm thrashing this guy at dominoes, I must go to the studio." " OK, you're winning three-two." " We'll continue later." "Let's see how the recording is going." " See?" "You can't play with me." " Man, give me a chance." "I'm happy to have had the opportunity... to co-ordinate and take part in this project." "It's brought together all the great names of Cuban music... who'd been practically forgotten here." "People like Ruben Gonzalez... one of the three greatest son piano players of all times." "Ibrahim Ferrer, one of the greatest Cuban singers ever... who had sadly been forgotten for more than ten years." "And people like Puntillita, Pio Leyva..." "Compay Segundo, Eladies Ochoa." "This album will have an enormous impact... on Cuban music." "Recording, please." "There's a party at the ranch of compadre Don Ramón." "The roastpig is ready." "The locals are on their way." "They're bringing the house down for Don Ramón's birthday." "The Comay dancers are coming." "All the roads are jammed." "The bongo, triple and guiro have all begun to play." "Your kisses rained down in a tempest of love..." "With uncontrollable desires to join our lives in love." "Yet in spite ofit all." "Your departure was my downfall." "The end of all my dreams." "And they will not be revived unless that day returns." "That day... of our last meeting... in love." "Whenever I ask you how, when and where... you always answer "Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps"." "Look, what a beautiful building." "It's extraordinary." " And these avenues are so beautiful." " Just imagine!" "You're calling Cuba?" "So much activity." "Look at the gun that guy has." "All the greats are there." "That's Charlie Chaplin." " Laurel and Hardy." "Remember them?" " The fat guy and the thin guy." "And this is one of the great trumpet players." "Which one is he?" "Who was the greatest trumpet player?" "The one who used to play under the stars." "And played the highest note ever at that time." "This one was blind, remember?" " He was a pianist." "And her?" " She must have been famous." "It says it here." "They're all here." " Who's the one in the middle?" " The one with the saxophone?" "See if I can remember his face." "This is the life!" "This is so beautiful." "You can see the whole of New York from up here, like from the plane." "There's a plane taking off now." "They won't fly over this building." "Where is the Statue of Liberty?" "I thought the Statue of Liberty had a crown." "You can't see it from here." "You should look through the viewer." "You can't see the crown from here." "Yes, you need to get closer." " At least we know where it is." " That's right." "Let's move into the sun." "You want sun?" "Let's go." "Ruben, had you ever been here?" " Yes, many years ago." " Who were you with?" "Oh no, not up here." "I went to the Statue." " But who did you go with?" " With some tourists." "Was that in the 1920s?" "I don't know." "I was about 30, and now I'm 80." "I want you to know this is the first time... that I find myself in New York, in the US." "I've always longed... to see this city." "I'm not an American, And I can't speak English." "But I'll learn a few words soon." "So I can hold my own in this place." "I wish I could bring my wife and children to see this." "So they could see how beautiful it is." "This is so lovely, so lovely." "Look, Radio City." "At least I'm getting to see it." "I'm so happy to be here." "I never could have imagined." "So beautiful." "I'm really happy." "About two years ago." "I decided to retire." "I didn't want to sing any more I was very disillusioned." "Life can be very hard." "I was tired of singing and not earning anything." "I tell you, my staff is like my mother." "It's been with me for 58 years." "And that's how long my mother's been dead." "Ibrahim Ferrer (February 20, 1927 – August 6, 2005)" "This Revolution is eternal" "Karl Marx" "We believe in dreams"