Discography - Blue Night Entertainment

Discography - Blue Night Entertainment

BUENA FE
Discography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
"Catalejo"
"Presagios"
"Corazonero"
"Arsenal"
"Dejame Entrar"
"Extremistas Nobles"
"Pi 3,14"
"Dial"
CD COVERS
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BUENA FE
AWARDS
CD "Dejame entrar" (2001 EGREM)
CD "Arsenal" (2003 EGREM)
CD "Corazonero" (2004 EGREM)
CD "Presagios" (2006 EGREM)
CD "Catalejo" (2008 EGREM)
DVD "Live" (2009 EGREM) Dir. Ian Padron
CD "Pi 3.14" (2011 EGREM)
Won Opera Prima Cubadisco 2002
Won Best Seller Album 2002
Won Best Pop album Cubadisco 2003
Won Best Pop album EGREM Awards 2004
Won Best Pop-Rock Album EGREM Awards 2005
Won Best Recording Package Cubadisco 2005
Won Best Pop-Rock Album Cubadisco 2007
Won Best Trova Pop-Rock Album Cubadisco 2009
Won Best audiovisual live concert Cubadisco 2010
Won best Fusion Album Cubadisco 2012
DVD (available at Amazon.com and Itunes.com)
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BUENA FE
Press reviews
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/05/05/havana.buenafe/
Buena Fe
POSTED: 1442 GMT (2242 HKT), October 3, 2006
Buena Fe are Cuba's most popular group, fusing the island's traditional musical styles such as trova (ballads) and salsa
with a more contemporary pop sound.
The duo, Israel Rojas and Yoel Martinez, both grew up in Guantanamo, Cuba's most eastern province, where
Martinez studied classical guitar, playing in local bars and clubs, and Rojas trained to be a lawyer, writing song
lyrics in his spare time.
Playing together at first at local festivals in Guantanamo, Buena Fe soon caught the attention of the national
record label, Egrem, who invited them to Havana to record their first record, Dejame Entrar.
Performing alongside Buena Vista Social Club regulars such as Eliades Ochoa in the music venues of Havana,
Rojas and Martinez quickly built up a loyal following.
In 2002 they won the prize for best pop fusion album at the Cuban Music Awards, cementing their reputation
as one of the island's most innovative and best-loved acts.
They were then named best pop act for three years running, releasing two further albums -- Arsenal in 2003
and 2004's Corazonero -- and selling out Havana's Teatro Karl Marx in a record four hours.
With Buena Fe touring Europe and Latin America in 2006, including performances at the Floridita chain of
restaurants, to promote a new album, "Presagios," the band look set to extend their popularity worldwide.
"Buena Fe means 'good faith,' because our songs talk about the special spirit of a generation," says Rojas.
"Cuba is one special country with situations, contradictions, rich and poor. It's very contrasting society. Our
songs talk about all this with good faith. We wanted through our music to talk about this spirit and the problems
but with love."
2006: Presagios 2004: Corazonero 2003: Arsenal 2001: Dejame Entrar
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BUENA FE
http://milano.blogosfere.it/2012/08/festival-latinoamericando-2012-sabato-18-agosto-in-concerto-i-buena-fe.html
Festival Latinoamericando 2012: sabato 18 agosto in concerto i Buena Fé
Sabato 18 Agosto 2012, 08:55 in Milano eventi di Arianna Ascione
Il duo cubano, formatosi nel 1999 nella provincia di Guantánamo, propone un genere musicale unico, un mix di pop, rock con influenze di trova cubana.
Israel Rojas Fiel and Yoel Martínez Rodríguez sono compositori, musicisti e cantanti d'eccellenza che nella loro decennale carriera hanno pubblicato sei
album che sono stati degli ottimi successi: nel 1999 lanciano il primo singolo "Intimidad" che rivela il loro talento e nel 2001 registrano il primo album
"Dejame entrar" a L'Havana.
I due musicisti amano sperimentare con la musica e ogni album è la prova di un percorso musicale che si muove tra tradizione e sperimentazione di nuove
sonorità, con una grande attenzione ai testi che spesso sono quasi delle poesie in musica. L'ultima fatica è del 2010 "Pi Es 3,14", un disco che tocca temi
sociali di grande attualità nei testi scritti da Israel Rojas Fiel.
LATINOAMERICANDO EXPO
http://www.songkick.com/festivals/344258-latinoamericando-expo/id/11607818-latinoamericando-expo-2012
Latinoamericando Expo 2012. ITALY
Artist Line Up
Mana
Juan Luis Guerra
Romeo Santos
Gilberto Gil
Franco De Vita
Luis Enrique
Tony Dize
Grupo Niche
Jorge Drexler
Ivete Sangalo
Tito Nieves
Lenine
Frank Reyes
Zacarias
Gianmarco
Buena Fe
Natalia Jimenez
Toto La Momposina
Gente de Zona
Cuba Duet Buena Fé Concert in Miami
December 29, 2009 |
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Armando Chaguaceda
Buena Fe Christmas concert in Miami. Photo: Yenise Rodriguez
The walls keep falling. On Christmas Day the popular Cuban duet Buena Fé -lyrically reflective and socially
committed- performed in the small and filled-to-capacity Manuel Artime Theater in the city of Miami.
Prior to that, they had made appearances on the late-night shows of Carlos Otero and Oscar Haza, with
dialogues that avoided commonplace simulation and ambitions typical of the Cold War mentality that survives
on both sides of the Florida Strait.
The young singer-songwriters highlighted their condition as artists who choose to live in Cuba. They criticized
restrictions on cultural exchanges that have been erected by both governments and pled for greater
understanding within a single but diverse Cuban community.
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BUENA FE
A few hours after seeing the interviews and the concert on the Internet, I was sent the texts and photos by a
friend, who corroborated the impact of the event and the changes experienced by the younger generation of
Cuban residents in the US.
“It was the most moving and spectacular thing I’ve experienced involving them,” she commented. ”Two hours
before [the performance] there was no parking, and the line wrapped around the length and width of the
theater… it seemed like I was in Cuba… it was as if time stood still… it was the same type of audience, the same
atmosphere; it seemed like an episode in which only the place had moved… When they left the stage, it vibrated
with emotion.”
Buena Fe Christmas concert in Miami. Photo: Yenise Rodriguez
She recounted that lead singer Israel Rojas was so excited that “he forgot his own songs a couple of times… he
was almost bowled over when someone threw a flower onto the stage, and all of that only prompted more
applause… they threw him a Cuban flag, and he wrapped himself in it… that caused total shock… and they
pulled it out again at the end of the concert…
She highlighted that it was a concert that showed much respect. “Between songs, Israel spoke about pleasant,
sensitive, real things … and the public responded equally… when he brought up baseball to introduce his song
“Soñar en Azul” (“Dreaming in Blue,” the color of the Havana team Industriales) he spoke about the major
league Cuban players and how he yearned for the time when everyone could wear the same T-shirt bearing a
certain four-letter word… the whole theater was then revolutionized as people stood up and began shouting
‘Cuba Cuba Cuba!’”
Unfortunately, the intolerance of the old guard of the Vigilia Mambisa exile organization made itself present.
Those were the same ones who used hammers and a steamroller to destroy CDs by singer Juanes when he
performed in Havana at the Concert for Peace last September. In this regard, my friend pointed out, “They
were screaming bloody murder at us, while we were laughing or yelling things back at them.”
Except for such tragicomic incidents, my young Cuban friend summarized the emotion of the encounter in a
single phase. “They spoke about the divided family, the nostalgia… and I was happy to be able to rekindle that,
to see new people and rediscover old faces… singing, shouting and standing up for a better future for our
generation…”
I have nothing left to add but to accompany her good wishes for the New Year
Concert Preview
Protests at the Buena Fe Show May 9 Seem Unlikely
By Arielle Castillo, Fri., Apr. 30 2010 @ 11:00AM
Categories: Concert Preview
There is little that's revolutionary, either politically or musically, about Buena Fe, the Cuban duo of Rojas Fiel and Yoel Martinez Rodriguez. Perhaps that's because the pair are truly products of the
studiously apolitical pop music scene in late Castro Cuba; they formed as a musical act in 1999 and remain based in Havana. These issues, however, are probably of little importance to their fans stateside,
who skew young and are more or less recent arrivals who just want to hear sweet, romantic music. And at creating this, Buena Fe excels.
Some scholars have classified the act as sonic descendants of trova, a style popular on the island from the '60s to the '80s whose lyrics focused on social realism. There are, perhaps, traces of that genre in
Buena Fe's acoustic, guitar-driven songs. With full instrumentation, though, their numbers are more or less straightforward, even syrupy ballads. Perhaps that's why, unlike other "Nueva Trova"
performers on the island, Buena Fe have gone more or less unmolested in their trajectory to relative stardom. The group plays a rare show in Miami this Sunday at the Fillmore Miami Beach, which, so far,
doesn't seem to have raised the hackles of the usual bands of protesters.
Buena Fe. 8 p.m. Sunday, May 9. The Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.
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Cuban music group Buena Fe tours Canada
http://havanajournal.com/culture/entry/cuban-music-group-buena-fe-tours-canada/
Posted October 30, 2007 by Cuban Music
Email this article | Print this article | Search Havana Journal
They’re already a huge success in their homeland, and in many parts of South America, and now Cuba’s hottest pop/rock
outfit, Buena Fe, have caused a storm across Canada.
Israel Rojas, Yoel Martinez and their group of talented musicians spent the best part of October playing to appreciative
audiences in cities including Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Despite this being the group’s first trip to Canada, many of their concerts were a sellout and they’ve already made plans to
come back next year.
Speaking about the tour, Director Israel Rojas said: “It was a real pleasure for us to be able to bring our music to Canada
and play in front of a whole new group of people, both Spanish and non-Spanish speaking”.
Now back in Cuba, the group are hard at work on their forthcoming album, due for release early next year.
“Cuba Concert” will feature well-known Cuban band Buena Fe performing Cuban popular music!
By Suh Hye-rim
2013-08-01 20:08
Music and art from Cuba are the highlight of “2013 Cuban Culture Art Festival,” organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korea
Foundation.
The event, aimed at promoting cultural exchange between Korea and Cuba, runs in Seoul from Aug. 2 to 4 at Yongsan Art Center;
Pyeongchang and Daegu on Aug. 7; Andong on Aug. 8; and in Suncheon on Aug. 9.
As the event’s main program, “Cuba Concert” will feature well-known Cuban band Buena Fe performing
Cuban popular music, the traditional dance performance “Habana Compas Dance,” and a jazz performance by Latin jazz
saxophone player Cesar Lopez and his band Habana Ensemble.
In addition to the performances, there is also a photo exhibition, “Cuba: LIFE or LIVE,” by Cuban photographer Roberto Chile vividly
showing life in Cuba and a briefing session about Cuban culture hosted by the Korea-Cuba Exchange Council titled, “Question About
CUBA.” A Cuban cocktail tasting event and academic lectures “Talk about Caribbean Passion” and “Jose Marti and Cuban Culture” are
also in store.
Anyone over age 10 is welcome and admission to all events are free. For more information about the festival, visit www.cubafestival.kr
or call (070) 8230-8917.
By Suh Hye-rim ([email protected])
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Italian Rock Singer Zucchero and Buena Fe Performs for Over 20,000 Cubans
by Prensa Latina
More than 20,000 people gathered at the University of the Arts,or ISA in spanish, to enjoy the concert of Italian rock singer Zucchero Fornaciari, which
was dedicated to Cuba and the victims of hurricane Sandy.
With this concert, the famous European singer started a tour of the world which will take him to Australia, the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil,
Argentina, and various cities of the Old Continent.
Special guests to the concert included Cuban duo Buena Fe , which was in charge of opening of the free concert of the Italian rock star for
the Cuban audience.
The concert was recorded by various countries' television channels and will be broadcast in different regions late this year or early January.
Zucchero's performance in Havana is also aimed at promoting his latest album, the Cuban Session, in which famous Cuban musicians take part.
http://www.cubanow.net/articles/zucchero-and-his-music-win-hearts-cubans
Music
Zucchero and his Music Win the Hearts of Cubans
HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 10 - Hola Cuba, hola La Habana (Hello, Cuba, Hello Havana), were his first words when he went onto stage on Saturday night to
begin a concert that will be etched for a long time on the minds of those who attended his presentation at the capital’s Higher Arts Institute.
Adelmo Fornaciari, worldwide known as Zucchero, regaled good music lovers with an unforgettable evening, in the beginning of a promotional tour of his
most recent CD: La Sesion Cubana (Cuban Session), also the name of the concert, the Cuban News Agency reported.
The popular Cuban duo Buena Fe opened the show and left the temperature “high” on stage for the Italian rocker, who took the microphone and
began to sing Nena, the first title of the album he recorded with musicians of these parts. Popular pieces like Sexy Thing, Cuba Libre, Un kilo, Love is all
around and an Italian version of the Guantanamera, followed.
He had words of encouragement towards the victims of Hurricane Sandy on the eastern side of the island, to which he dedicated the song Ave Maria No
Morro.
After their performance in Havana, Zucchero, 57, and his all-star group, will travel to Australia, several countries in Europe, and North and South
America, to continue their promotional tour.
Cuban Band Buena Fe Ends Tour of Venezuela
Caracas, Oct 3.- Cuban band Buena Fe concluded the tour it started in September of Venezuela, with a concert at the ALBA Caracas
Hotel''s Bicentennial Hall, here in the capital.
The band, sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism as a way of reinforcing social and ecological culture in the community during the 2013
vacation period, toured the various states in the country, performing songs from its latest CD, "Dial".
With this national tour, which began September 21 in Chichiriviche, in the state of Falcon, the Cuban band delighted the Venezuelan
audience as it passed through Yaracuy, Nueva Esparta, and the Capital District, with songs evoking peace and love, set to the sounds
of trova, pop, and alternative rock.
Led by Israel Rojas, songwriter and lead singer, and guitarist Yoel Martinez, the band has more than 13 years experience and has
recorded eight albums to date.
Buena Fe was founded in 1999 as a duo, adopted the band format in 2001, and recorded its first CD under the title "Dejame Entrar"
(Let Me In).
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With numerous awards and recognitions, "Arsenal," "Corazonero," "Presagio" (Omen), "Catalejo" (Spyglass), "Extremistas Nobles"
(Noble Extremists), "Pi 3.14" and "Dial," are the tracks for which the group is best known. (Prensa Latina)
SOLVISION TV
Guantanamo to tribute José Martí
WEDNESDAY, 12 JANUARY 2011 13:32 Source: Martha Reyes
Guantanamo.- Guantanamo the place where José Martí landed to join the war for tha national independence in 1895, is
getting ready to tribute the Hero in the 158 anniversary of his birth, through the concert Con Todos (With All) of the group
Buena Fe, coming Saturday in this city.
About the significance of the tour, Noralis Palomo, president of the Cultural Society José Martí in Guantánamo, noted that
to make of the band's performance in the easternmost province of Cuba the the more brightness, since the beginning the
artistic in Sancti Spiritus, is among the aspirations.
The Guantanamo-born Israel Rojas, leader of Buena Fe said that the tour objective is to highlight the ideas of Marti and
his view to work and exist for the good of society.
He also said that the last CD of the group there is a song, Todo el mundo canta (everybody sing) which deals with the
spirit of inclusion and equality of Marti.
Guantanamo, where José Martí spent 20 of the 38 days of his glory route to Dos Ríos welcomes Buena Fe, a group that
is among the preferences of Cuban youth and will perform 15 concerts in public places along the country to close in
Havana on January 27, the eve of the birth of José Martí.
The activities for the 158 anniversary of the birth of the National Hero of Cuba, also include conversations in more than
fifty Marti club, the opening of a Marti forest in the municipality of Niceto Pérez and the waking on the night of the 27 in the
central park that bears his name in this city.
CUBAHEADLINES
Cuban duet Buena Fe in Holguin soon
Arts and Culture
01 / 09 / 2011
By Lydia Esther Ochoa / [email protected] / Saturday, 08 January 2011 09:53.
Buena Fe while performing in Antilla last 2008, one of the most severely hit municipalities in Holguin province. The
popular Guantanamo born Buena Fe duet will give a concert at the Calixto Garcia square in the city of Holguin next
January 16, as part of the national tour dedicated to the country’s hero Jose Marti.
Buena Fe’s tour began in the central city of Sancti Spiritus and will end in Havana next January 27, in the eve of the 158
anniversary of Cuban apostle's birth (January 28, 1853).
The tour includes 14 Cuban cities, and its performance in Havana will close the traditional Torch March to honor Jose
Marti.
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The Romerias de Mayo festival that is held in Holguin every May was among the first events that served to promote Buena
Fe, a duet founded in 1999 by the composer and lead voice Israel Rojas and guitarist and singer Yoel Martinez.
Buena Fe recorded its first album “Dejame entrar” (Allow Me Enter two years after its foundation.
In 2003 Buena Fe recorded "Arsenal" which was followed by "Corazonero," “Presagios” (Premonitions), “Catalejo”
(Spyglass) and “Extremistas Nobles” (Noble Extremists) and during the current national tour Israel and Yoel are
promoting their latest album "Pi is 3,14" which was recorded last year, but its 12 songs are also aired by Radio Angulo - the
main station in radio broadcasting system in the province of Holguin.
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VIDEOCLIPS
"SER DE SOL"
http://youtu.be/zlgWQqPNc58
69,894 View
"VOLAR SIN TI"
http://youtu.be/6yWQgpZAE5Y
85,490 View
"SE BOTA A MATAR"
http://youtu.be/lYa-CUUjIj0
6,406 View (NEW RELEASE)
"SOY LO QUE VES"
http://youtu.be/iSRmc2OKOiU
160,338 VIEW
"FUERA"
http://youtu.be/mmvVUSSDEkE
172,538 VIEW
Origins
Buena Fe was founded in Guantanamo, Cuba in 1999 by Israel Rojas (director, composer and lead vocals) and
Yoel Martinez (acoustic guitar and second vocals). From an early age, Israel demonstrated a talent for singing
and composing songs, but he did not follow the path to music school. Instead, he got a law degree. However, he
never stopped composing and was known among Guantanamo’s artistic community for his songwriting. Yoel
was born into a family of musicians. He first learned guitar at home from his father, who played with El Trio
Martínez in Guantanamo, and later studied classical guitar at the Guantanamo School of the Arts.
The two met when Israel was at the School of the Arts using a piano to work out the melody to one of his songs
and Yoel offered to help. This collaboration led them to found a duo in the trova and nueva trova tradition with
two voices and a guitar. Israel has described their partnership as "one trovador with two heads and four hands."
Not only did their talents complement one another with Israel providing the lyrics and melodies and Yoel doing
arrangements and harmonies, but it could not have escaped their notice that their voices are a perfect match.
Although it originally led some people to assume they sang religious music, they chose the name Buena Fe
(good faith) partly due to its meaning in the legal profession and partly because it expresses well the idea of
their intentions with their music in a broader sense.
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Lyrics & Music
The lyrics have always been central to Buena Fe. They draw on the poetic inheritance of Cuban canción and
trova and the social consciousness of nueva trova . Whatever the subject matter, which ranges from romantic
ballads to social critique, the lyrics are always intelligent, insightful, eloquent and poignant, never banal or
vulgar. The experiences of the individual are transformed through Israel’s poetry into a broader commentary on
our shared humanity. The verses are written in such a way that the themes are universal and accessible to a wide
range of people, even when the starting point is Cuba and the experiences of the Cuban people around the
world. There is no mistaking their sincerity and their concern for their people, their country and their fellow
man.
Israel has mentioned that their origins in Guantanamo gave them access to a unique combination of musical
influences. Guantanamo has its own rich musical legacy including nengón , changüí , tumba francesa and other
traditional genres from eastern Cuba such as son and conga . It is also more open than other areas of Cuba to
Caribbean influences. In addition, due to the proximity of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, the people of
Guantanamo had contact via the radio with North American music such as rock and pop long before it was
permitted to be played on Cuban radio. Thus it formed a part of their early musical influences and was
something with which they wanted to experiment.
The first song they wrote was "Intimidad." On the strength of this number, they were invited to join the
Asociación Hermanos Saíz, which brings together young artists who are committed to the trova tradition and
sets up exchanges between events in different provinces, allowing budding musicians a chance to develop their
craft as well as providing them with exposure to a wider audience. In their first year, Buena Fe wrote many
songs and performed at various events and festivals in Guantanamo and other provinces.
Déjame entrar - The First CD
In 2001, Julio Ballester, the director of the Cuban record company EGREM, was in Guantanamo, and when he
saw Buena Fe perform, he recognized the potential of the duo. He offered Buena Fe the chance to record a CD
in Havana. This was the fulfillment of what seemed like an impossible dream for Israel and Yoel. Up to that
point, only four other groups from Guantanamo had ever recorded CDs. Having nothing to lose, Yoel took his
guitar, and they headed off to Havana.
Collaboration with EGREM on "Déjame entrar" afforded them the opportunity to choose the format they
wanted to record in. Working closely with José Manuel Garcia and Amed Medina, they re-worked their
arrangements to include other instruments such as drums, piano, strings, horns and electric guitar. Their songs
went from being standard trova with acoustic guitar to trova lyrics with pop-rock fusion arrangements. The
songs on "Déjame entrar" mixed their traditional Cuban roots, such as son , guaracha and trova , with other
Caribbean genres, such as reggae, with flamenco from Cuba's Spanish heritage and with pop and rock from
North America. When they set off for Havana with their suitcases, a guitar and a little buena fe , Israel and Yoel
could not have known that their musical experiment would become a national success, winning them the award
for the best-selling CD of the year and for Opera Prima at Cubadisco 2002.
Buena Fe's first concert in Havana took place in 2001 at Teatro Mella. Unlike recording an album, which can be
done with studio musicians, a concert meant they needed to find a steady group of musicians to rehearse with, a
rehearsal space and music and sound equipment for the band. None of this was easy, but their perseverance paid
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off and the concert was a success. Today the band consists of the duo and four musicians, although Israel and
Yoel still perform some concerts in the duo format. Buena Fe currently rehearse in a garage in Havana.
Rise to the Top
Buena Fe has gone from one success to the next. Their CDs and videos have consistently been at the top of the
charts. From 2001 to the time of this article, they released seven studio CDs, a number of greatest hits CDs, an
award-winning live DVD/CD from the 2008 concert in La Plaza de la Revolución that was attended by about
300,000 fans, and a live CD from their first performance in the United States. Between CDs they also recorded
theme songs for a couple of Cuban televisions series, music for documentaries and the hit single "Pleiesteichon"
for the film "Havanastation" by Ian Padrón. Buena Fe has performed in more than 12 countries and is so wellloved in Venezuela that in 2011 they were given the Keys to the City of Caracas, and in 2012, also in Caracas,
they were presented with the Order of Merit Francisco de Miranda for outstanding achievement in the area of
culture.
This doesn't mean that the path simply opened before their feet; rather it is the result of hard work and
intelligent planning. Over the years, Buena Fe has never stopped to sit back on their laurels; they have labored
tirelessly to ensure that with each new song, in each performance, they give fans their maximum effort and the
best of themselves. Starting with their fourth CD “Presagios,” they have also taken full financial responsibility
for the recording and production of their CDs.
Being children of the IT generation, Buena Fe understands that the means of communication used by artists
today have become increasingly multimedia-oriented. They have their own creative director, a homepage and a
very active Facebook page that is updated almost daily and where they interact directly with fans from around
the world. Israel has also recently joined Twitter and in one of his first tweets he said: “The Internet is the
multinational of those of us who don’t have multinationals.” Buena Fe is making sure they make use of all
available avenues to reach the widest possible audience.
However, Buena Fe has also faced their share of detractors over the years. Hard core troveros and cultural
elitists have criticized them for their lyrics saying that they are too light, and for their arrangements saying that
they are just creating commercial music in pursuit of popularity. They have also faced controversy abroad at
times, but their popularity with their fans has proven unshakable. Perhaps it is as Brendan Behan said: “There is
no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.”
Music in a Time of Cholera
One reason that Buena Fe inspires such devotion in their fans is their consistent dedication to the values
expressed in their songs. They don't just sing them; they live them. They do not take vacations. When they are
not recording or touring, Israel and Yoel are visiting children’s hospitals, speaking at schools or doing concerts
at prisons. In July 2012, Buena Fe was scheduled for a tour of eastern Cuba, including the city of Manzanillo.
When the cholera outbreak began, many events were cancelled, but Buena Fe completed the entire tour
spreading a little happiness and giving the people a much-needed reprieve.
Buena Fe also gives back to the artistic community. They know very well how difficult it is for new artists to
find an audience and create their own space in the world of Cuban music. Being an established band they are
now able to help new talents. In some cases they have invited young musicians to play as special guests at
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concerts. They have also collaborated with artists as in the case of Raudel from Escuadrón Patriota with whom
they recorded a hip-hop fusion version of their mega-hit “Soy” for Michel Mirabal’s “Créeme” project. In the
case of DcoraSon, a new trova-fusion group made of students from el ISA, Buena Fe helped them record their
first CD by loaning them musical equipment and getting them access to a recording studio. In 2012 Israel wrote
the song "Corazón universidad" for the 90th anniversary of the Univeristy Student Federation (FEU) and they
recorded it with DcoraSon and added it as a bonus track on their 2013 release "Dial"
Social Engagement
Buena Fe has never backed down from singing or saying what they think. The video for the 2012 hit single “Ser
de sol,” written together with Descemer Bueno, broke new ground in Cuban music video history by changing
the standard love story from being about a man and a woman to being about two women. The video was written
and directed by filmmaker Ian Padrón, with whom they have worked on many other successful projects.
Although there was nothing vulgar about the way the subject matter was presented, the video was not shown on
Cuban television. Despite this it debuted at number eight and quickly rose to number five on the Lucas video
charts . On August 3, Israel posted at Facebook about the video’s conspicuous absence on television asking fans
to write the Cuban Radio and Television Institute (ICRT). Within a week the story had been picked up by
foreign newspapers and on August 15, the video finally had its Cuban television premier on the program “Fuera
de rosca.” By early September “Ser de sol” was the number one video on the Lucasnómetro after ousting Los
Van Van from this coveted position.
Renewal
Far from having a formulaic approach, Buena Fe look for ways to nurture their creativity. One source of
inspiration is to collaborate with other artists, sharing and learning from the creative world of others. In 2010,
Buena Fe released the CD “Extremistas nobles” that they recorded together with trovero Frank Delgado. It took
them back to more acoustic, trova -style arrangements. On the 2011 CD “Pi 3,14” they recorded the rock-hiphop song “Miedos” with Los Aldeanos, “Despedida” with Pablo Milanés and “Mamífero nacional” with Eliades
Ochoa. Their collaboration with Descemer Bueno on the bachata “Ser de sol” has led to plans to record an
entire album together in 2013. Also in 2012, they co-wrote the song “Volar sin ti” with Galician
singer/songwriter Andrés Suárez . Buena Fe plan to finish their 8th studio CD by the end of 2012 and in a 2011
interview on “23 y M” Israel said that they will be experimenting on the new CD.
Another of Buena Fe’s strengths is that they can perform with different instrumentation. Their current standard
format is acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, drums and piano/keyboard. But Israel and Yoel continue to
perform concerts as a duo. This means that a song that was recorded as with a full band and "guitar hero"-style
solos can be performed with just a single acoustic guitar. They also have what they refer to as “acoustic”
versions of their songs where Maikel (the drummer) uses a cajón rather than the drum kit. They may use this
format in smaller venues where a full drum kit is too much for the acoustics or when they want to do
“unplugged” versions of their songs. For special concerts they also may invite additional musicians such as a
live horn section and a minor percussionist. This ability to change the arrangements of their songs keeps the
repertoire fresh both for them and for the fans who keep coming back for more.
Here is an example of the song "Corazonero" with the original rock arrangement as performed at the 2008
concert on the "Buena Fe Live" DVD and the same song performed as a ballad at the Latinoamericando
festivalin Milan, 2012.
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BUENA FE
Secret of Success
Buena Fe has managed to stay at the top of the charts for 13 years and developed a loyal following not only
among Cubans, but also outside of Cuba despite Cuba’s lack of industrial and economic machinery to promote
music. They are often asked in interviews why they are so popular and have answered differently at different
times. More than once Israel said “You’ll have to ask the fans that,” so as a fan I will attempt to summarize
from my point of view.
The first thing that strikes any listener is their voices. Israel has a very distinctive timbre that is at once both
beautiful and sensual, and Yoel’s voice is the perfect match to carry the harmonies. The combination is sublime.
When you listen to “Intimidad” with just their two voices and Yoel’s guitar, you instantly recognize that it is
something exceptional, whether or not you speak Spanish.
As Israel has said, the music is “eclectic” and varies from bolero to changüí-fusion to rock with hip-hop to
straight-up pop, but it is always well-suited to communicate the ideas and emotions to the listener. I have tested
this on my non-Spanish speaking friends and although they don’t understand the lyrics, they still enjoy my
“test” playlist.
But without question the lyrics are what set Buena Fe’s songs apart from standard pop and rock. Let me
illustrate using a post by a fan at YouTube concerning the song “No te salves” from the CD “Extremistas
nobles” For a man who has dreamed to "Arsenal," who has cried to "Sigo cayendo," who has laughed to
"Mamífero nacional," who has made love to "Intimidad" and has felt that music is at a high with Buena Fe...As
I said, for a man like me to say that this song touches my soul is to really say a lot...Thank you Buena Fe
But there is still more to it than all this. Simply as human beings Israel and Yoel bring charisma, empathy and
sincerity to their performances. They are able to connect with their audience on a genuine emotional level,
andar en cueros if you will, and stay true to who they are and to their roots as two country boys from
Guantanamo who want to spread a little buena fe .
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