Product Description

Havana, Cuba, during the 1940s and 50s, was one of the most vibrant, thriving and cosmopolitan cities in the Americas, and the dance music capital of the world. Following the Cuban Revolution, and subsequent US embargo, the country and its musicians survived in isolation until 1996 when the young Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos González gathered together some of the greatest Cuban musicians of the last fifty years, to create the Afro-Cuban All-Stars. The ‘golden age’ of Cuban music came out of retirement, to huge international acclaim. This documentary, shot entirely on location in Havana, includes many band members’ fascinating insights into this revival, and features performance footage of an All-Stars’ concert at the city’s Salon of Dreams. Contributors include Juan De Marcos González, Ibrahím Ferrer, Rubén González, Pío Leyva.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37674 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Compilation, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Customer Reviews

Afro Cuban Legends
Really enjoyed it. Not as good as the Buena Vista Social Club documentary but it was good.

Great music and interviews
Aside from the fantastic music, what this video really brought home for me is how the US's totally misguided policies towards Cuba have hurt only the average Cuban and engendered widespread hatred towards the US government. (Doesn't it seem that the US's policies towards "rogue states" always wind up hurting only the lower classes?)

These musicians put up with hardships that most Americans can't even imagine and still produced incredible music.