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Buena Vista Social Club

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Sept. 17

Singer and rapper Lil Nas X's debut full-length Montero is on NPR Music's shortlist of the best new albums out on Sept. 17. Charlotte Rutherford/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Charlotte Rutherford/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Sept. 17

The debut album from singer and rapper Lil Nas X tops our list of the week's best releases, along with the 25th anniversary of Buena Vista Social Club, new ones from José González, Carly Pearce and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Sept. 17

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Cuba: While The Politicians Argued, The Musicians Jammed

Cuban musician DJ Jigüe works in his studio in Centro Havana. Felix Contreras/NPR hide caption

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Felix Contreras/NPR

Alt.Latino

Cuba: While The Politicians Argued, The Musicians Jammed

The musical exchange between the United States and Cuba goes back to the 19th century. Thankfully, the two countries' political standoff never filtered down to musicians.

Cuba! While The Politicians Argued, The Musicians Jammed!

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20 Years On, That Buena Vista Social Club Magic Endures

The iconic cover photo for the 1997 album Buena Vista Social Club. World Circuit/Nonesuch hide caption

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World Circuit/Nonesuch

The Record

20 Years On, That Buena Vista Social Club Magic Endures

The group's debut album was an unlikely smash: old-fashioned songs performed by mostly elderly Cuban musicians. Two decades later, its impact still resonates on the island — and beyond.

20 Years On, That Buena Vista Social Club Magic Endures

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The Blossoming Of Guest DJ Kat Dahlia

Cuban-American pop singer Kat Dahlia plays guest DJ on this week's show. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

The Blossoming Of Guest DJ Kat Dahlia

The pop singer's recent live shows reveal a performer who's finally hitting her stride. She joins Alt.Latino to talk about her musical influences and her latest album, My Garden.

The Blossoming Of Guest DJ Kat Dahlia

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Cuban Music's Most Successful Accident Rises Again

The new album Lost And Found compiles unheard recordings from the Buena Vista Social Club sessions, as well as solo work from the musicians involved. Alejandro Perez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alejandro Perez/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Cuban Music's Most Successful Accident Rises Again

Producer Nick Gold discusses a new release from the musicians behind 1997's landmark album Buena Vista Social Club, and the extended family of artists they've inspired.

Cuban Music's Most Successful Accident Rises Again

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Music Interviews

Cuban Musicians Choose To Stay And Play

In years past, famous musicians such as Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval defected from Cuba, citing political persecution. These days, some musicians still leave the island to live abroad. But because the Cuban government now allows more musicians to travel freely, many have chosen to stay.

Cuban Musicians Choose To Stay And Play

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Music Interviews

Manuel Galban's Meandering 'Mambo'

Cuban guitarist Manuel Galban became known in the U.S. after playing with Buena Vista Social Club and winning a Grammy with Ry Cooder. But Galban has long been famous in Cuba because of his work with one of Cuba's most famous groups of the 1960s.

Manuel Galban's Meandering 'Mambo'

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Music Interviews

Buena Vista's Ruben Gonzalez Dies at 84

Pianist Ruben Gonzalez was a member of the Buena Vista Social Club, a group of musicians profiled in the documentary Buena Vista Social Club, which sparked international interest in traditional Cuban music.

Buena Vista's Ruben Gonzalez Dies at 84

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Music Interviews

Buena Vista Musician Compay Segundo, 95, Dies

Segundo, a member of the internationally famous Buena Vista Social Club, was known for his unique styles of singing and playing the guitar. According to producer Ry Cooder, Segundo's style was much more than Cuban; it was informed by his wide knowledge of and experience in music.

Buena Vista Musician Compay Segundo, 95, Dies

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Music Interviews

Omara Portuondo Is In Control Now

Omara Portuondo's career as a vocalist in both female- and male-dominated groups has brought her worldwide success. With her latest album, she's finally able to realize her musical goal to be "in the middle of a lot of men, and to control them."

Omara Portuondo Is In Control Now

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Music Interviews

Ibrahim Ferrer Sings Of 'Loss And Reclamation'

The Cuban singer had retired from singing in the early 1990s, until record producers Ry Cooder, Nick Gold and Cuban bandleader Juan de Marco Gonzalez rediscovered him during the making of the 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club. Here, he discusses his long and eventful career in music.

Ibrahim Ferrer Sings Of 'Loss And Reclamation'

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Music Interviews

Buena Vista Documentary Inspires U.S. Tour

Wim Wenders' documentary about Cuban music, Buena Vista Social Club, has raised interest in the traditional son style — both in the U.S. and at home, where the film wasn't even released.

Buena Vista Documentary Inspires U.S. Tour

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