MovieChat Forums > Buena Vista Social Club (1999) Discussion > Does Ry + His Son Always Have to Jam Alo...

Does Ry + His Son Always Have to Jam Along?

posted 18 years ago by carlgt1
13 replies | jump to latest

It's great Ry seeks out little-known but great musicians, whether the
Cuban musicians in this film, or African guitarist Ali Farka Toure, but
I can't help but get the feeling that the music on his projects would
best be served without him (and now his son) jamming along. For
example, it just seems a little awkward & silly, that with all the
great Cuban percussionists, Afro-Cuban beats etc they must have
encountered, we have to listen to mediocre Joachim's drumming 99% of
the time.

[–] czugi 18 years ago

had similar thoughts

[–] redrum2323 18 years ago

i agree with you 100%. cooder and his son have no business whatsoever playing with these Cuban greats. i realize that it was cooder's idea initially to go down to Cuba and find these guys and then the whole thing just sort of took off. it would have been hard for anybody else involved in the project to tell him and his son to not participate.

however, cooder should have know better. problem is, most musicians, I'm not saying all, but most musicians have a tendency to be selfish people. they are only into themselves and their music and what you think about their music. I'm sure cooder saw this as an opportunity for himself to play with these guys even though he had NO business at all even being on the same stage - don't even get me started on his gravy training son. what was that all about? they even had the nerve to do a short profile of him in the movie. like anybody is interested or cares about what this guy has to say. what has he done?? he will be forgotten as soon as the movie is over. he is only in the movie because of his dad's involvement.

and as the movie description mentioned, cooder's annoying slide guitar had no place with the traditional Cuban folk music. it was disruptive and completely out of place. it was so painfully obvious that his part was just stuck in there for the sake of him having an excuse to be on stage, same with his son. both men were definitely out of their league with the rest of the Cuban greats and their presence detracted from what was otherwise a classic ensemble.

shame on them both!!!!

[–] hatevoid_ua 18 years ago

ignorent scumbags all of you
first of all ry cooder, are you kidding me for one hes a very influential guitar player second of all you are all really really lucky this guy went to that lil hole in the wall that was forgotten decades ago known as cuba ok
second he brought people something you wouldnt even know about if it wasnt for that album so who are you saying he has no right on stage you guys have no right running your mouths about someone with more talent in there hair folicles then any of you would have in your life
*beep* critics
you should all thank cooder and his family for what he did cause you know what im sure every member of BVSC was very happy to have him there
unlike the ungreatful ones that live in florida

[–] anotherpilotdown 18 years ago

I think you're missing the point being made hatevoid_ua. So just settle for a moment.

No one is suggesting that Cooder isn't talented in his own field or that he didn't do an incredible thing by bringing these musicians together. In respecting what was being recreated through the BVSC, however, he should have been gracious enough to acknowledge that his role rightfully extended only so far as to bring the musicians together and provide them an opportunity to display their incredible talents. Neither Cooder nor his son had any place performing with the BVSC - especially with a slide guitar which only detracted from their otherwise amazing sound.

I can't help but feel that personally involving himself (and his son) within the performance was an indulgence on Cooder's part, at the expense of respect for both the music and the Cuban musicians.

[–] tampaMr 15 years ago

"second he brought people something you wouldnt even know about if it wasnt for that album"

i'm sorry, but we're not all musical heathens, I believe most people that love the film/album are not doing so because cooder so graciously granted us some trendy new obsession....
if you are cuban, you are aware of these musicians
for one, compay segundo's group duo los compadres was played excessively in my home when I was a child..
and i'm only 18 years old, i wasn't there to remember
i've never even been to cuba

i suppose those who were unaware of guajiro music before can mark this as their introduction to the genre, but in no way are cooder and his son at the experience level of these legendary performers, nor were they even a part of the old scene in la habana pre-revolution
i.e.----
they shouldn't be lumped to play with these greats, who through their recodings are recreating their past, and reminiscing about the peak of their genre

cooder and his son took no part in that chapter of history...

his son's profile was unnescesary.....I could find 5 street conga players better than joachim
http://www.matchflick.com/member/3739

[–] czugi 18 years ago

" cooder's annoying slide guitar had no place with the traditional Cuban folk music."

I couldn't agree more

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bluesbro84 17 years ago

I have to agree with some are saying in terms of how Ry Cooder and especially his son should have tried to keep it more original or more 'Cuban' by not playing with the band.

While it was tough to watch Ry and his son in the film, the music was still good to hear. On the album, I'm sure one wouln't even care because it's great nothenless.

ALl I can say is that I'm sure glad that Cooder got this group of guys together when he did before it was too late. Most of the notable guys have passed away (within the past 3 or 4 years).

I can't get that song 'Dos Gardenias' out of my head...

[–] aabonce 14 years ago

Last month we were watching this movie (for the n~time) with some friends. And somebody suggested that it would be amazing if one could find this amazing soundtrack WITHOUT the slide guitar.

That guitar is (in fact) really annoying.

[–] donald-vanvliet 13 years ago

No it isn't.

There !

And regarding the argument that RC and son had "no place/no business" playing with the Cubans : great musicians *want* to play together.

I bet none of the Cuban legends made any objection to that, so there is no reason for you to be so sour.

If you want "pure" Cuban music (which is BS, music always evolves), look someplace else...

[–] TheSummer2012 13 years ago

Ry is one of the greatest guitarists of all time but I also thought he was a bit out of place there. Having said that, he just couldn't resist straddling away and who can blame him?

He did a great job by getting these guys together again so I, for one, forgive him.

[–] land-on-the-moon 12 years ago

Guys, jeez, the movie is thought as a documentary of an album-built-as-a-jam-session which turned big. How can you be so bitter over this ?!
btw, I didn't hear Joachim "losing" the drumsticks during a song.

Really, how many artists bothered to move their a*sses to world (except for CIA)-forgotten places to bring to shine lost diamonds? or bothered to find money & people interested investing into something nobody would expect too much of?
Sure, it's OK to say now "they are great" , but before how many believed the old-style Cuban music will still create interest, or that those old ones still have a voice - since so few singers in the West survive late in their age ?

And, no, I don't think the Cooders went to take the main stage - the guys of the Buena Vista Social Club were damn good at stealing the show & the public heart.

[–] tmzjames 7 years ago

BVSC continues to travel the world thankfully without a slide guitar or a talentless bratty gringo percussionist. So many of the original performers are no longer with us but their legacy and the music continues