'Street Signs'

You know, it’s really not my thing, but this isn’t a bad little album and considering the band are pretty upbeat and socially conscious guys that write theme songs for baseball teams, I’m willing to not vent my feelings, too much. 

I’m a huge fan of Latin music. I’m not too interested in overly polished rock-hip hop-Latin conglomerations. Give me the Latin and stuff the rest.

Generally, it’s 13 three-minute songs with some tremendous background vocals. A happy album.

'Buena Vista Social Club'

The Buena Vista Social Club was an actual club in Havana, Cuba. It was a very popular place for Cuban musicians to come and jam during the 1940s and 1950s.

After the 1959 revolution, Cuban president and devout Christian Manuel Urrutia Lleó started to close down casinos, clubs and anything else that supported the supposed hedonistic lifestyle plaguing the little island country. The only real Cuban music left with support was that which backed up the new communist government.

By happenstance, not quite 40 years later, guitarist Ry Cooder went to Cuban to record with some African musicians. Due to visa issues, they didn't show so he recorded with some of the old Cuban musicians.

They recorded the album and it became Buena Vista Social Club, the album. Which would later become the film. It would all spawn a re-interest in Latin music.