ABSTRACT
As I discussed in the previous chapter, what happened to La Charanga Habanera in August 1997 was the signal of a dramatic wind of change in Cuba. In this chapter, I look at how the offensive on timba musicians found a powerful, if unexpected ally in the extraordinary international success of the album Buena Vista Social Club. Here, I examine the story of the making of Buena Vista and discuss its nature as a revivalist project developed for the global market, with the participation of musicians who hardly ever perform in Cuba. Through its old-fashioned sounds and its celebration of elderly musicians, the album constructed a nostalgic representation of Cuban culture that fits flawlessly into the neo-colonial image of the island promoted by the tourist industry at the turn of the millennium.
