Ngoba cishe wonke umculo wezwakala e-United States
iqhutshwa amaphupho odumo nengcebo, imisindo yeqembu laseCuba
eyaziwa ngokuthi iBuena Vista Social Club ziyamangaza ngokushesha. Imiculo,
izigqi, nezingoma zeqembu zikudonsela ngentelezi ehehayo futhi
ubuhle obuhanjelwe yinhliziyo. Ikhuliswe ngabahlabeleli nabadlali kanye nemiphakathi eyisikiwe
kusukela ezinhlelweni ze-PR kanye nokumaketha, le 'ndodana de Cuba' ayivamile kangako
into - umculo osuka enhliziyweni.
Iningi labaculi abenza lo mculo othokozisayo
zase, kwaze kwaba yiminyaka embalwa edlule, sezicishe zalibaleka. Kwathi ngo-1996, isigingci saseMelika
kanye ne-world root music aficionado uRy Cooder weza eCuba efuna ukuqopha a
Iseshini ijoyina abaculi baseCuba naseNtshonalanga Afrika. Lapho ama-Afrika ehluleka
umbukiso, uCooder uqede ukubiza bonke abalingisi baseCuba ukuze baqophe ama-boleros, guijiras
(izililo zasemaphandleni), kanye ne-cha-cha-chas edumile eCuba yangaphambi kwenguquko. I
i-albhamu eyaba umphumela, i-Buena Vista Social Club (Nonesuch/World Circuit), yaba yi-
impumelelo yezwi-nomlomo ngokudayisa amakhophi angaphezu kwesigidi emhlabeni jikelele
futhi uthole indondo ye-Grammy ka-1997. Kungazelelwe iqembu labaculi asebekhulile,
kusukela eminyakeni engu-60 kuya ku-90 plus, aphinde abe yisikhungo. Futhi ngokubonga,
"ukubuya" kwabo kugcinwe ngokumangalisayo kuCooder (umkhiqizi) kanye
Umqondisi waseJalimane u-Wim Wenders eshukumisa ifilimu yamadokhumenti i-Buena Vista Social Club.
Ithwebula izikhathi zokuzilolonga e-Havana nasemakhonsathini
e-Amsterdam naseCarnegie Hall yaseNew York, ifilimu iletha amadlingozi
amakhonsathi omculo we-melancholy nowothando owavusa isimanga
izethameli ezintsha zomculo waseCuba. Phakathi kwabadlali kukhona "izinkanyezi" ezinjalo
njengoba uNat (Inkosi) Cole oneminyaka engama-72 ubudala, u-Ibrahim Ferrer, umdondoshiya oneminyaka engama-92
wendodana yaseCuba, isigingci/umculi u-Compay Segundo, umdlali wopiyano oneminyaka engama-80 ubudala
U-Ruben Gonzalez, kanye ne-bolero eneminyaka engu-69 ubudala nomculi ozizwayo u-Omara
Portuondo.
Kodwa iBuena Vista Social Club ingaphezu kwe
imuvi yekhonsathi. Ukuxuba ividiyo yokusebenza nezingxoxo zomculi kanye nezimfushane
Ukuhlangana kwempilo yasemgwaqweni yaseHavana, umqondisi uWenders uphakamisa okubalulekile
ukuxhumana phakathi komculo nabantu baseCuba. Ukuvakasha okudala komculi
izindawo ezingomakhelwane kanye nokwengeza ubukhazikhazi obubolayo eduze kwemigwaqo yasemadolobheni, eBuena
I-Vista ivusa izinsuku ezidlule ze-Havana endala, ukuswela okwenziwa yi-
I-US embargo, kanye nesithembiso esihlanganisiwe se-socialism. Nokho njengoba umculo lowo
iphuma kule migwaqo idlulisa ukudabuka nobunzima, ayikukhiphi
ukudlidliza, ukuphana nokuzigqaja.
Nakuba kungeyona ifilimu yepolitiki ecacile, amabili
etshela imibono kaBuena Vista umculi oholayo u-Ibrahim Ferrer enanela lokhu kuqina
umoya. Njengabaningi babaculi abakudokhumentari, uFerrer ubenayo
ithuba lokushiya eCuba futhi wanquma ukuhlala. Uhlala endaweni encane egijima phansi
Ifulethi laseHavana nangaphambi kokuba abizwe emigwaqweni ukuthi ajoyine iBuena
Ibhendi yeVista ibicwebezela izicathulo. Evuma kwinhlolokhono ukuthi impilo yaseCuba
akulula, uFerrer usagcizelela ukuthi izikhathi ngaphambi kukaCastro "zazi
kakhudlwana." Futhi ngesinye isikhathi uyanezela: "Uma silandela indlela ye
impahla, ngabe kade sahamba."
Kushanelwe ukufudumala okulula nokuhle okungenakuvinjwa
intando yabaculi nomculo, izitatimende zikaFerrer zingadlula zinganakwa. Kodwa
ekucaciseni kwakhe okuthobekile, umculi ukhomba ekukhangayo okumangalisayo komculo.
Kunomculo omningi omangalisayo oboniswa e-Buena Vista, kodwa
bona umculo owenziwe waba msulwa esimweni sengqondo, ukuma, kanye nemakethe kuyajabulisa. Iningi labo
isikhathi, asikwenzi kanjalo e-USA.
Enye into asisayizwa kakhulu, ngaphandle kokuthi
amakamu amancane asebeguquliwe kakade, ngabantu abakhuluma ngezihloko kanye nabagobile kwesokunxele
ingoma. Kepha ukuvusa umsindo eNew York City iRichmond eneminyaka engama-30,
Umculi wengoma waseVirginia ogama lakhe lingu-Stephan Smith obonakala ebuyela emuva kwabadala
ukucula izingane zesikole.
Ukwenza imibukiso, amakilabhu, izikole, kanye
amasonto, uSmith uye wakha ukukhula okuqhubekayo kulandela ukubika izindaba ze
usuku olunombono oqondile wokulwa nonxiwankulu kanye nenselelo yokulunga
ukwakha umhlaba kabusha. Futhi ngokukhishwa kukaJuni kwe-albhamu yakhe yokuqala, i-Now's The
Isikhathi (Amarekhodi E-Rounder), uthola isithombe kubabukeli bezwe.
Kukhishwe kuseshini yokurekhoda yezinsuku ezine lokho
kuqoshwe izingoma ezingama-60, I-Now's The Time yethula izinombolo ezikhethiwe eziyi-14 zikaSmith
ekhombisa ububanzi bezifundo nezitayela zakhe. Ngezwi lakhe nje,
isiginci, i-banjo, ne-harmonica, u-Smith ubhalansisa umlando wokuhlukunyezwa
ka-Abner Louima kanye nokudubula okudabukisayo kwasegcekeni lesikole eWest Paducah, eKentucky
ngokumelene namashuni anethemba kanye ne-autobiographical enecala lokucabanga komphakathi kanye a
ukubizela ubushoshovu.
Ukucosha amathuluzi okuhweba kwakhe ngokufuduka
ukusebenza eYurophu kanye nabasebenzi basepulazini ezintabeni zaseWest Virginia, uSmith wafunda
okubalulekile kwengoma yomdabu kudala ngaphambi kokuthi ezwe uWoody Guthrie, uPete
Seeger, Dylan kanye no-Ochs. Kanye nokucula kwakhe kwe-ballad, i-clawhammer banjo
ukudlala, nokucosha iminwe okuwuketshezi, wethula ubufakazi obuningi bokuhle
ukufunda esikoleni. Kodwa ekugcineni, amandla nokuphuthuma kwe-Now's The Time kuhlezi
umlayezo. Kusuka ku-"It Rose From the Dead," ingoma engazange yenze
ukusika kwe-albhamu, isifiso sikaSmith esihlala sikhona: "Uma noma ubani engakubuza
'Kwaqala kanjani lokhu kunyakaza?'/ Tshela bona bahambe. Kwaqala enhliziyweni yami/ Futhi
lwavuka, lwavuka, lwavuka kwabafileyo/ โฆ nokukholwa kwami โโkuyakuthwala umoya wami
kuqhubeke."