Various Artists - Bridge to Havana

The dictum "art transcends politics" is aurally illustrated on this recording, which chronicles a seven-day get-together in Havana with American, English, and Cuban musicians in 1999. It boasts a broad range of artists--from blues rockers Bonnie Raitt and smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, to their lesser-known Cuban counterparts like Yadira Lopez, Carlos Alfonso, and Rey Guerra. On "Vacilon," Gladys Knight and Edesio Alejandro merge African-American soul and the Afro-Cuban bolero. 1970s icon Peter Frampton and Alberto Tosca turn in a midtempo percussion and guitar-driven ditty, "Hey, Hey," while drummer Mick Fleetwood, Todd Smallwood, and Augusto Enriquez get down on the anthemic "One World." The sexy syncopations of "Just Want to Be Alone With You," featuring Joan Osborne and keyboardist Jose Maria Vitier, melds the honk tonk with the danzon, making the 90 miles and political realities that separate our nations seem much closer. --Eugene Holley, Jr. Amazon.com

Bridge to Havana

I bought this CD after reading the history of its making and have not regreted it once. This is one of the most fantastic collaborations I've ever heard. Unfortunately, the shop where I bought it did not have the enhanced version, so that is what I plan to buy next. We need more cultural exchanges like this one and we need to remove trade barriers against Cuba. April 7, 2005

I WAS THERE

yes, I was one of the lucky ones who partcipated in this amazing project, "Bridges To Havana". Although it went by the name, " Music Bridges" at the time.. I am delighted to see the release of this music not only because I was a part of it al but because I never really thought it would ever come out.. It was caught up in politics and litigation for years. Everyone should know that Todd Smallwood had so much to do with this record. I am sure he is not getting the credit he deserves. Look for his solo CD which is being released on 9/25/04 on Sanctuary.Records. He worked on it with Mick Fleetwood. Getting back to Cuba. I was an assistant engineer working in one of the recording studios we shipped down and set up at the Hotel Nacional in Havana. it was an experience I will never forget. seven days of non stop chaos, excitement and creativity. There were some side highlights that happened while we were there that might interest you. Ry Cooder was in Havana for the Premier of his movie, "The Buena Vista Social Club" and some of us were lucky enough to here them play live in a small church in Havana. Also, The Baltimore Oriols came down and played the Cuban Nationals and again some of us got to go see that spectacle as well.. It was the first time since 1947 that the Americans played the Cubans in baseball. It was a big deal. That night we played the 23 of the songs that were written, in concert, after which, we were rounded up and surprised to find out we were being taken at 1am to meet Castro. We formed a single line and two hours later I was face to face with him and let me tell you that was one of the most interesting three minutes of my life. I could go on and on but the thing you should know is that Cuban singers and musicians perform from such a passionate place. There is no money in Cuba. I believe at that time the average monthly salary was $7. yes Seven dollars a month. When you take the monetary gain away from Art it becomes soley about passion. That passion affected all of us who were there and you can feel it in these tracks. September 27, 2004

Smoothjazz.com Review

Star power clout, politically compelling and spectacular music, BRIDGE TO HAVANA is poised to be a global sensation. With such stars as Dave Koz, Gladys Knight, Montell Jordan, Brenda Russell, Burt Bacharach, Buena Vista Social Club's Omara Portuondo, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett, Mick Fleetwood, Lisa Loeb, Peter Frampton, Joan Osborne, Paddy Maloney, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, and many others joined with Pablo Milanes, Chucho Valdes and other legendary Cuban musicians combined writing skills and performances to create a whole new genre of music. The fusion of jazz, pop, Latin, rock and R&B yields multi-format material, which will be available on both CD and DVD in July. The creative and technically expert film ensemble of Haskell Wexler and others captured the highly charged emotional synergy of this event. This compelling footage combined with full digital multi-track recordings, both in studio and on stage, will give an international audience a glimpse into this extraordinary event. Multi Grammy-winner, Ed Cherney (Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones) supervised the recording on 20 bit 32 track digital. This event, created to bridge cultures and political beliefs and foster good will, resulted in a musical event of the highest magnitude. July 26, 2004

Bridge to havana a must listen and buy

an incredible mix of artists and their interpretation of latin/cuban rhythms and beats..just a fantastic disc July 2, 2004

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