Do you already have tickets for ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB in the AB (on 18 November)… but your Cuban thirst still hasn't been quenched? Are you ready then for the third AB-visit of Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca? There's quite a good chance that you've already seen or heard Fonseca in the past. Fonseca was namely enlisted to the Buena Vista Social Club when Rubén González became too ill to keep performing. So it was that Fonseca toured for five years with BVSC. Fonseca could also be heard on albums by Omara Portuondo and also Ibrahim Ferrer. When the latter passed away, Fonseca also stopped working with BVSC and recorded ‘Zamazu’, a tribute to singer Ibrahim Ferrer. Successor ‘Akokan’ was just recently released via Enja. De Standaard wrote of it: “Fonseca doesn't limit himself to the familiar exciting Afro-Cuban jazz, but rather writes accessible, original melodies. The spirit of pianist Rubén González is to be heard on (the track) 'Cuando uno crece'.” Meanwhile, Fonseca is considered to be the point of reference for a new generation of Cuban musicians.

Roberto Fonseca