Born February 20th, 1927, Ibrahim Ferrer was an orphan by the age of 12, sustaining himself by selling newspapers and produce on the streets of Cuba. He began his professional singing career at the age of 14 when he joined his cousin’s vocal group, Los Jovenes del Son. Ferrer sang with many others during his career including Beny More. The start of the revolution promised a new way of life and expanded musical horizons. In 1962, he toured Europe, but was unable to return when he expected due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Stranded in Moscow until the blockade was lifted, Ferrer returned to Cuba to find the country devastated by poverty. With American tourists forbidden from visiting Cuba, this dramatically changed the music scene. However, since the music was now played by locals for locals, this had a ultimately positive result on the overall quality of what became the Afro-Cuban sound we know today. With the release of the Buena Vista Social Club (when he was 69), Ferrer vaulted from obscurity and poverty to international fame in the twilight of his career. A solo project soon followed when Ry Cooder returned to record the Cuban crooner in 1999. Ferrer died of multiple organ failure in Havana on August 6th, 2005. open.spotify/album/1TYyzV5FaReDcvs3WtQG7V
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:35:13 +0000
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