Buena Vista Orchestra

Buena Vista Orchestra brings the Havana songbook to Le Théâtre du Casino in Gatineau on September 25, 2026. Emerging from the Buena Vista Social Club project formed in mid‑90s Havana around Juan de Marcos González and Ry Cooder, this touring orchestra gathers Cuban musicians to carry son cubano, bolero, danzón and guajira on stage. Arrangements stay close to the acoustic core: lead and chorus vocals, tres and guitars, piano, bass and a percussion section built on clave, bongos and congas, with horns adding contours and countermelodies.

The concert revisits pieces linked to Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo alongside other staples of the era. Expect shifting tempos from slow‑burn boleros to rolling son montuno, call‑and‑response passages and space for solos without losing the dance pulse. It’s a live take on a repertoire born in pre‑revolution orchestras and neighborhood clubs, played by an ensemble that treats tradition as material to be shared in the moment.