Estrellas de Areito – Los Heroes (1979/1998, Cuba)

Our next spotlight is on number 678 on The List, submitted by platenworm.

Want to listen to over 2 hours of Cuban music? Were you perhaps, like I was, left wanting more Rubén González on piano after listening to Buena Vista Social Club?

Estrellas de Areito (“The Stars of Areito”) was an ensemble of over 30 Cuban all-star musicians, including the aforementioned González, formed around an idea by African record producer Raoul Diomandé to create a Cuban version of the mostly Puerto Rican Fania All Stars. Directed by Juan Pablo Torres, in 1979 the ensemble – which spanned 3 generations and 10 of Cuba’s finest bands – gathered in Havana to record improvisational jam sessions (descargas). The sessions ended up filling 5 whole LPs, put out by EGREM, Cuba’s national record label. And while those albums ultimately had poor distribution in Cuba (and had poor packaging with next to no information, at that) and so did not get the attention they deserved at home, they found success when they reached Venezuela, as well as parts of Africa and France. Those original albums are gathered here, in a 2-CD set.

Enjoy! And, if you like reading some fine print and want to know more about the project and the ensemble members, make sure you click on the image in the Discogs link to read through the extensive liner notes.

• YouTube:
  • Estrellas de Areito – Los Heroes (CD 1)
  • Estrellas de Areito – Los Heroes (CD 2)
• Discogs: Estrellas de Areito – Los Heroes

#1970s #AfroCubanMusic #charanga #CubanMusic #descarga #EstrellasDeAreito #music #sonCubano