Buena Vista Social Club’s Eliades Ochoa brings his never-ending tour to the Chan, May 9
At the age of 79, the veteran Cuban performer shows no signs of slowing down, declaring that “a troubadour never retires”
Eliades Ochoa
Eliades Ochoa plays the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on May 9 at 7:30 pm.
AS HARD AS IT may be to believe, Buena Vista Social Club formed 30 years ago. The Havana-based Latin American supergroup’s Grammy-winning eponymous album, produced by Ry Cooder, was a surprise international hit, kicking off a revival of interest in traditional Cuban music. A 1999 documentary by Wim Wenders, titled simply Buena Vista Social Club, cemented the ensemble’s legendary status.
These were veteran musicians three decades ago, of course, and most of them are no longer with us, or at least no longer active musically. A notable exception is Eliades Ochoa. At 79, the singer-guitarist is still donning his trademark cowboy hat and hitting the road. There’s no slowing down for this man, who is given to making such proclamations as “a troubadour never retires” and “I’ll die singing”. That’s dedication.
His current tour, in support of his most recent album, Guajiro, will take Ochoa and his four-piece backing band to the U.S., Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Vancouver, of course, for a May 9 show at UBC.
To be more specific, he’ll be playing the Chan Shun Concert Hall at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and you can be sure the set list will include the Buena Vista Social Club’s signature hit, “Chan Chan”. That’s a lot of Chans. 
Related Articles
