Buena Vista Social Club: Adios

source: Buena Vista Social Club: Adios

This is a strange film, as it is a documentary of a documentary! Though that actually doesn't take much away from it, as it is a good film on it's own! Since the musicians in the first film were older back then, it stands to reason that not everyone is still alive in this one, and that brought some sweet sadness to my eyes. But I learned much more about the "main" musicians, and the older footage of them made me smile, and twice, laugh! The only thing this film "suffers" from is repetition - both by using clips from the first film and by repeating some of the origin stories, sometimes verbatim. On the other hand, I loved seeing President Obama and being reminded of what a true leader looks, and acts, like! A good follow up/ending to the Buena Vista Social Club!

Essentially, everything that happened with the supergroup members since the first film. Part of it is a summary of the first film and how the group came together. But two thirds of it is events since then, the international impact, performances, including at the White House. There's also quite a bit of sadness since the film is about the final days of three of the already quite elderly performers. Compay Segundo was already ninety, Ruben Gonzalez and Ibrahim Ferrera in their late seventies. All performed to the very end of their lives, playing only a few days before their deaths. Worth viewing for anyone who saw the first or likes the music.

Buena Vista Social Club: Adios