The Buena Vista Social Orchestra
Announces 23-Date U.S. Tour
September 5th Through October 19th
Pre-Sale Tickets Available April 17th and 18th
General On Sale Begins April 19th
PRESS HERE For All Tickets
New Single “Babalu” Due Out May 1st
The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, under the direction of Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos, original orchestra leader, composer, and trombonist of The Buena Vista Social Club, has announced a 23-date U.S. tour for this summer and fall. The exciting, new stage production – featuring three additional original players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club – continues the legacy of the illustrious group in 2024. Brought to the U.S. by the School of Sacred Knowledge, The Buena Vista Social Orchestra aims to keep the arts, music, and culture of Cuba alive with a colorful show featuring a repertoire pulled from the greatest hits, many of which were composed by Ramos, and deep-dive cuts, including music from the Grammy-winning, self-titled Buena Vista Social Club album, released in 1997 and enshrined into the Grammy Hall of Fame this year.
The Buena Vista Social Orchestra will launch their tour on September 5th in Jacksonville, OR and then travel across the United States stopping in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, New York City (September 19th at Town Hall), Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Austin, Houston, Tucson, San Diego, Riverside, Dallas, and more, before wrapping in Miami on October 19th. See below for full list of tour dates with more to be announced soon. VIP presale tickets will be available on Wednesday, April 17th at 10am local time with local promoter presales available on Thursday, April 18th. The public on sale will commence Friday, April 19th at 10am local time. Visit www.thebuenavistasocialorchestra.com for ticketing information and to purchase.
“I’m very excited to be coming to the USA leading The Buena Vista Social Orchestra!” shares Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos. “This tour will be a celebration of the music and heritage of my nation and I am honored to share it with the American people. This group of musicians is going to bring the very best of the Cuban music tradition to the stage and I couldn’t be more thrilled for you all to experience it each night!”
“This tour has been seven years in the making!” adds The School of Sacred Knowledge’s Steven Machat. “I first met Aguaje (Ramos) back in 2017 when I was exploring Cuba and its musical culture. He was introduced to me as ‘Cuba’s Quincy Jones,’ which is fitting! He is one of the most talented musicians, songwriters, and arrangers I have been lucky enough to work with in my 50+ years of being involved in music across the world. Aguaje served as the orchestra leader on all of the various studio and touring iterations of The Buena Vista Social Club as well as the Orquesta ‘Adios’ Tour. I wanted to bring his version of this orchestra to the U.S. in 2020, but we (like the rest of the world) were derailed by Covid. Now, in 2024, we at the School of Sacred Knowledge couldn’t be more thrilled to present this fantastic tour, showcasing the musical culture of all the various Cuban styles that gave birth to Latin Jazz, Salsa, and many other forms of music as we know them today. Aguaje is one of four original members from the original Buena Vista Social Club tours bringing an authenticity and historic significance to this group that is undeniable. This will be a night that brings all the energy, magic, and mystique of Cuban music to the stage in a powerful way…you will be dancing!”
In other exciting news, Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos and The Buena Vista Social Orchestra will release their new single “Babalu” on Wednesday, May 1st via SSK Records/The Orchard, a remixed and remastered extended arrangement of an original track off their debut album, Greatest Recorded Performances, released late 2023. PRESS HERE to pre-save. More music from The Buena Vista Social Orchestra to follow later this year.
In addition to his work with the Buena Vista Social Club, Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos has served long stints in the world-class ensembles Estrellas de Arieto and Afro-Cuban Allstars. His musical journey and history is brought into focus throughout the critically acclaimed 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club. Aguaje performed on the World Circuit recordings of Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban Allstars as well as the solo albums of fellow ensemble members Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales and Omara Portuondo. The 73-year-old Cuban artist has been touring extensively since 1997 with various Buena Vista Social Club projects, including the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, where he was a prominent member and musical director of the renowned production that brought the music of the original BVSC back into international prominence during the incredibly successful Adios Tour from 2014-2016.
For the inaugural tour from The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, Aguaje (trombone, music director, conductor) is joined by an all-star ensemble including original BVSC members Luis “Betun” Mariano Valiente Marin (congas, bongo), Emilio Senon Morales Ruiz (piano), and Fabian Garcia (bass). Rounding out the lineup is Lorena Lazara Ramos Diaz (trombone, vocals), Aldo Isidro Miranda Alvarez (vocals), Geidi Chapman (vocals, guitar), Antonio Remigio Rubio Borayo (timbal, percussion), Rogelio Ricardo Oliva Orelly (emcee, vocals).
The magic of the Buena Vista Social Club initially became a worldwide phenomenon in 1997 when the ensemble of top-tier Cuban musicians released their eponymous, award-winning debut album. While critically lauded, album sales rose weekly beyond the specialist world music audience almost entirely by word-of-mouth – all who heard Buena Vista Social Club not only fell in love with the group’s irresistible sound but were inspired to play or recommend the album to everyone they knew. It was one of those rare records that transcended fads to sound timeless but utterly fresh. To date, the Buena Vista Social Club and related projects have amassed global sales over 50 million, making it the biggest-selling Cuban music project in history. As one critic put it, Buena Vista has become “world music’s equivalent of The Dark Side of the Moon.”
THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL ORCHESTRA – 2024 TOUR DATES
September 5 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion +
September 6 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
September 8 – Las Vegas, NV @ Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas
September 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre ~
September 10 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
September 13 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater
September 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst
September 15 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens ^
September 17 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur
September 19 – New York, NY @ Town Hall
September 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre
September 22 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
September 24 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center
September 26 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
September 29 – Orlando, FL @ Steinmetz Hall +
September 30 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater +
October 2 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
October 4 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
October 6 – Tucson, AZ @ Fox Tucson Theatre
October 10 – San Diego, CA @ The Magnolia
October 12 – Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center
October 17 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre +
October 19 – Miami, FL @ Miami Beach Bandshell
+ public on sale April 26
^ public on sale April 27
~ public on sale May 16
For more information on The Buena Vista Social Orchestra,
visit www.thebuenavistasocialorchestra.com
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