Buena Vista Social Club

On October 30, 2026 at Kelowna Community Theatre in Kelowna, the Buena Vista Orchestra brings the living legacy of Buena Vista Social Club back to the stage. Born in mid-90s Havana around Juan de Marcos González with Ry Cooder, the project gathered veteran voices and players from Cuba’s 40s and 50s dance bands. Its stripped-back, acoustic approach — voices, guitars, tres, piano, trumpet and hand percussion — put son cubano, bolero, guajira and danzón at the center again, first captured on the 1997 studio album and documented by Wim Wenders’ 1999 film. Through the 2000s and 2010s, touring ensembles have carried that repertoire worldwide, shaped by the spirit and arrangements associated with Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo.

On stage today, the Orchestra revisits that songbook with seasoned Havana players, leaning into call-and-response vocals, interlocking percussion and lyrical horn lines. The set moves between intimate boleros and brisk son montuno grooves, keeping the focus on melody, rhythm and the conversational interplay of the band. No retro gloss, just the acoustic pulse of classic Cuban music presented with care and precision in a theatre setting. A chance to hear how this repertoire breathes live, close to its roots yet very much in the present.