In 1996, Ry Cooder assembled the Buena Vista Social Club and turned Havana’s forgotten musical aristocracy into unlikely stars. Twenty-five years on, the magic of the joyous, bittersweet album they recorded together is stronger than ever. But how did its curator and venerable cast navigate power cuts, food shortages and meetings with Fidel Castro?
Pye Hastings takes us on a tour of Caravan’s old haunts around Canterbury. Along the way, we hear how wigwams, Brussels sprouts and a bypass near Sevenoaks helped them become the enduring, if unlikely, heroes of prog.