‘Buena Vista Social Club’ Speaks Where Words Stop

“Buena Vista Social Club” arrives at the Fox Theatre with a built-in hurdle. It tells a deeply rooted Afro-Cuban story, tracing the true history of musicians caught in pre-revolutionary Cuba and their 1990s resurgence, with lyrics sung in Spanish for an audience that, for the most part, doesn’t speak it. But watching the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical inside the historic Atlanta venue, I realized no translation was necessary. The show’s emotional power was never tied down to its libretto or its lyrics. It lives in the music and the grit of its performers, who bridge the language gap by tapping into something everyone shares: the need to be understood. A guitarist in a black hat, button-down shirt, and khaki pants steps out. Then another. The lights dim, the full ensemble fills the stage, and music floods the room. The brass is bright, the rhythms lock in tight, and the singing is raw. The performers don’t wait for the audience to fully understand.

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