No one is cooler than Ibrahim Ferrer

I've been grooving to the smoky sounds of Ibrahim Ferrer, backed by the Buena Vista Social Club, for a few days now. I've come to a conclusion: no one is cooler than Ibrahim Ferrer.

I wanted to learn more about this remarkable talent, and I found the following

Musicians in Cuba have never been paid much and Ferrer is one of the remarkable number of vintage musicians who has been supported on a small state pension which he supplemented by the hard earned money he received by shining shoes. Ferrer lives in Old Havana in a tiny apartment within a crowded and moldering nineteenth-century house with his wife and assorted junior relatives. As money is tight (the average monthly salary is $15), the older generations tend to conserve their small pensions by hanging out not far from their open doors. This is exactly where Ferrer was when destiny came knocking and is best explained in Ibrahim's own words, "An angel came and picked me up and said, 'Chico, come and do this record.' I didn't want to do it because I had given up on music. But now I have my own record, my first one ever, so I'm very happy. I don't have to shine shoes anymore."

I suggest you buy the BVSC album that features Ferrer (in fact, buy every BVSC album you can find). Then imbibe in regular and large doses. If you're like me it'll make you very, very happy.

I could listen to "Guateque Campesino" all day; hell, I did listen to it all day today.

Hay guateque en el bohío
del compadre Don Ramón

Ya está en la púa el lechón,
ya está llegando el gentio.
Hoy viene abajo el bohío,
es santo de Don Ramón.

coro Y llegando bailadores comay,
por los caminos atascados.