Buena Vista Orchestra Brings Cuban Music, Joy, and Virtuosity to City Winery Nashville
The Buena Vista Orchestra is a highly talented ensemble of musicians, known for their traditional Cuban melodies mixed with stellar vocals, improvisation skills, and electric stage presence. I was lucky enough to attend their performance at City Winery Nashville this past Saturday (7-10), and was absolutely blown away by the skills displayed on stage. The cohesion and understanding between the musicians and vocalists made for a very dynamic, entertaining show. The ensemble members not only played complex melodies together, but would step-touch and dance in unison! The lead vocalists had choreographed movements for each piece, all while interacting with the audience and keeping them engaged. Every movement and note felt immensely intentional and created a relaxed, fun environment for the audience.
The night began with a beautiful piano solo played by Helder Rojas as an introduction, and the audience was immediately enraptured, the performers then filtered on stage and launched into an upbeat song that turned out to be the theme of the entire night. Audience members soon after started to recognize this melody and sing along. The musicians were able to initiate call and response, sing-a-longs, and encourage dancing in the crowd. This only ensured that everyone in the room was well enamored, and after one couple primed the dance floor, everyone was on their feet! It was a beautiful celebration of music in Nashville, as well as culture.
While it was clear some audience members were fans, and knew the songs being performed, the rest of the room was equally as immersed. I enjoyed sitting back and watching everyone interpret the traditional Cuban music into their own style of dancing and singing. Whether it be experienced salsa and mambo, or simply hip sways and partner dancing, the room was filled with laughter, joy, and inclusivity. By the end of the night, everyone in the audience was singing their heart out to each and every song, even to the extent of being able to hold the tune when the lead singer dropped out. You couldn’t help but look around the room and see the smiles on everyone’s faces, including the performers infecting them! What a special performance for everyone in the room to be able to witness.
Of course, to affect the audience in such ways, the musicians and vocalists on stage were nothing short of spectacular. Each ensemble member was showcased very clearly throughout the night, demonstrating just how much musicality and skill was in the group. From front to back of the stage, every musician was clearly stellar. While every performance was fantastic, I would like to touch on the two lead vocalists. The talents of both vocalists (Barbara Zamora Vargas and Julio Rodriguez Delet) were extremely memorable, from the jaunty theme tune, to each of their ballads. The female vocalist had a rich, significant tone and skillfully belted out each of her emotional pieces, while her male counterpart excelled at the conversational and quick melodies. There is something to say about the talent of vocalists, especially in instrumental heavy ensembles. They not only have to hold their own musically, but in addition, they need to entertain the audience and keep them engaged. On top of all this, these vocalists danced and had choreographed movements! Essentially, vocalists hold the entire show together. This is even more impressive considering all the moving pieces of this performance. It seemed as if each instrument’s harmony was vastly different from another’s, and yet it all came together flawlessly. Spanish language as well as music naturally flows very eloquently, but this was only heightened by each voice. With the ensemble being so in-synch, every performance felt like it was merely flowing out of their bodies. The ensemble felt like one entity, everyone working together to create one unified sound.
Each instrument felt equally as important as the vocalists, as everyone had their moment to shine! Everyone on stage was showcased elegantly. Similar to jazz ensembles, each instrumentalist was given the opportunity to express their musicality and skill through an improvised segment. I was very pleasantly surprised and excited to see a flute player, Kristalis Sotomayor, walk on stage and was certainly not disappointed! The instrument floated on top of the orchestra the majority of the night, holding the melody and top harmony. She was joined by the violinist, Rolando Morejon Reyes, at one point in the night, leading to a jaw-dropping “face off,” clearly demonstrating both musician’s prowess. The instruments would mimic each other, adding embellishments each round, until the audience couldn’t believe it was still happening! In addition, the flautist also assisted on vocals. The pianist held the entire performance together while also including skillful glissando and improvised tunes. The saxophonist (Jason Duarté) and trumpets (Tony Perigo, Raul Rodriguez), while being towards the back of the stage, created so much sound and soul for the ensemble with their clear sound and tone. The percussionists (Pepe Espinosa, Antonio “Pacha” Portuondo, and Miguel Valdes) played multiple instruments each, keeping the rhythm of this complex music the entirety of the show. Finally, special mention goes to Yosmel Garceran, the trombonist who’s playing was a standout backbone of the entire horn section. All of this expertise from each ensemble member was also executed whilst step-touching in unison, of course.
Towards the close of the performance, Vargas invited the audience to join her in singing some familiar tunes. While listening to the voices in the room become one, I took the opportunity to look around and watch people, couples, and friends either dancing or taking in the environment. It was a wonderful example of how unifying music can be, and it was very clear how special this night was to so many people. After the performance wrapped, the audience was begging for more. It felt like such a treat to be indulged in two encores, as no one wanted the night to end! The Buena Vista Orchestra is currently on a world tour and anyone would be lucky to get a seat in their audience! Visit their website and social media for ticket information and events near you. City Winery hosts a plethora of unique performances of art, keep an eye on their schedule for the next one!
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Currently studying music at Middle Tennessee State University, Vivian Acevedo is a huge theater and arts lover. She believes in the healing power of music and its importance in the world!
