Compiled and produced by Nick Gold, who played a key role in the Buena Vista Social Club project, this is another reminder of Cuba’s extraordinary musical history. Abelardo Barroso died in 1972, but he is still a hero both in Latin America and west Africa. Like many Buena Vista stars, he had an uneven career, with fame followed by hard times and then further success. He was a celebrity in the 1920s and 30s, but by the 50s he was busking outside the flash nightclubs of pre-revolutionary Havana, before being rediscovered by Rolando Valdés of the massively popular Orquesta Sensación. These remastered recordings from the mid-50s sound almost uncannily contemporary, with Barroso’s distinctive, slightly harsh-edged vocals matched against a gently driving, rhythmic band featuring fine flute solos from arranger Juan Pablo Miranda on Cuban standards that include the slinky Bruca Maniguá (later covered by Buena Vista’s Ibrahim Ferrer) and El Manisero.
