The original Buena Vista Social Club album was recorded for World Circuit Records over seven days at the vintage EGREM studios in Havana. Released in 1997, it went on to become a worldwide phenomenon, selling over eight million copies and helping to introduce Cuba’s rich musical heritage and pre-revolutionary past to the world. Now, almost two decades later, World Circuit Records reissues Buena Vista Social Club on vinyl as a double-LP.
Cut from the original analog half-inch tapes and mastered by Bernie Grundman (engineer of the original release), the studio recordings have been lovingly pressed on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl. Housed in a gatefold sleeve, the LPs are presented alongside a beautiful 20-page booklet and a digital download card. "From the moment I first heard this recording I was impressed with how natural the sound was and the overall feeling that you were in the room," Grundman says. "In mastering, to preserve that master tape sound, I was careful to use very little processing and made sure that the signal path contained the absolute minimum amount of electronics. A recording of this caliber does not come along very often, and when it does it is a real pleasure to work on."