In 1996, Buena Vista Social Club recorded their debut album in just 6 days; 30 years later, a live music night in Sydney is reviving their historic salsa sounds alongside the music of other Cuban legends

In March 1996, a group of Cuban musicians gathered at Havana’s EGREM studios and recorded an album in just six days. Thirty years later, a Cuban live music night in Sydney is giving anyone looking for things to do this weekend a reason to revisit the sounds of Buena Vista Social Club and more Cuban legends.

The Jazz Room: Journey to the Heart of Cuba is coming to Albert Palais Events, bringing a programme spanning son, bolero and salsa, with music associated with the likes of Benny Moré, Celia Cruz and Buena Vista Social Club.

The anniversary belongs to the Havana recording sessions rather than the album’s release: recorded in March 1996, Buena Vista Social Club arrived in 1997 and won a Grammy in 1998. By 2020, it had sold more than eight million copies, making it one of the best-selling Latin albums in history.

Behind those numbers was a remarkable gathering of musicians. With Juan de Marcos González and guitarist-producer Ry Cooder helping shape the project, the sessions brought together performers including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Omara Portuondo and Compay Segundo. Segundo wrote “Chan Chan”, the opening track that became the ensemble’s calling card.

For Sydney listeners, The Jazz Room: Journey to the Heart of Cuba offers a live introduction to that musical world alongside the wider Cuban repertoire. The tribute includes songs from Buena Vista Social Club as well as Trío Matamoros, Compay Segundo and more.

The setting has its own dance-floor history. Albert Palais opened in 1934 and became one of Sydney’s popular nights out from the 1940s to the 1960s. So many couples met there that the Leichhardt hall earned the nickname ‘The Marriage Bureau’. Now a heritage-listed events venue, it makes an apt setting for a night built around Cuban music.

Everything you need to know about The Jazz Room: Journey to the Heart of Cuba

📍Where: Albert Palais Events, 2 Catherine Street, Leichhardt, NSW 2040, Australia

📅When: 7 November

🕐Time: Two shows on the night, 6pm, 8:30pm

👕Dress code: There’s no official dress code

🪑Seating: Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis in each zone