Music lovers should rejoice. The Buena Vista Orchestra is headlining at the Fox Tucson Theatre on October 6. Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos will continue Buena Vista’s legacy, directing an exciting new stage production. The orchestra will present a repertoire pulled from his greatest hits, traditional Cuban and Afro-Cuban music, Latin Jazz and more.

The original Buena Vista Social Club album, released in 1997, was an award-winning album which sold over eight million copies—one of the most successful world albums ever released. It won a Grammy in 1998 for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album. It also revived international interest in the rich musical traditions of Cuba. The band performed at Carnegie Hall on July 1, 1998—its last concert.

Ramos will be joined on the 2024 tour by an impressive ensemble, featuring new generation musicians as well as past members of groups like The Buena Vista Social Club, including “Betun” Luis Mariano. Ramos’ musical journey is brought into focus in German filmmaker Wim Wender’s critically acclaimed 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club. It memorialized this timeless, legendary music and raised awareness about Cuban culture.

Music manager, attorney, film producer and entertainment guru Steven Machat is a cofounder of the SSK record label and the mastermind behind the 2024 tour. Celebrating five decades in the music industry, his clients are worldwide, and include Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Seal, Phil Collins, Leonard Cohen, Bobby Brown, Ozzy Osbourne, Yung Lean, New Edition, Rita Lee, Gilberto Gil, Franco Battiato and Snoop Dogg.

Machat is dedicated to perpetuating cultures from all over the world. “I am honored to bring this band to American cities,” he emotes. Machat is also effusive about the audience being swept away by the music. He predicts, “This is music where you will walk out smiling, holding hands and saying ‘Wow! That was a great show.’”

In 1996, guitarist Ry Cooder and an English company went to Cuba to record an album. The original plan was to have a partnership of African and Cuban musicians, but the Mali African musicians had visa issues and couldn’t attend the recording session. Instead, they recruited a collective of Cuban musical all-stars who made the album.

The album was named after the Buena Vista Social Club, a whites only social club in Cuba where some of the most talented Black musicians would perform in the ‘50s. It was just the right time, and the record became an international sensation.

I produced the tour with the help of my muse, my wife Debbie Machat. The process began in 2017, when I was looking for a band to record. I went to Cuba and was introduced to Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos. He is renowned as a Cuban composer, arranger and trombonist of The Buena Vista Social Club. He is the Quincy Jones of Cuba. He was a prominent member and musical director of the “Adios” tour, which brought Cuban cultural music into international prominence.

While I was in Cuba, Jesus was playing with his band at a hotel. I went to see him, and I fell in love with his music. I signed him and put out an album in Spanish in 2019. Due to the political climate between the U.S. and Cuba, there was a lot of red tape involved producing this tour. It took seven years and necessitated overcoming a lot of obstacles for the tour to become a reality. I met with Jesus again in 2023, and that’s when the tour came to fruition.

As the director of the show, Jesus handpicked all of the musicians and chose the repertoire that highlights the history of the music and the music styles of the island. The female vocalist, Miranda Isidro Aldo, has the rich, resonant voice of a diva. Our road tour is led by Jason Duarte, who is doing an excellent job.

We take you backstage so you can meet and greet the artists, get photos taken and ask questions. We also send you home with some merchandise mementos, including a Buena Vista Orchestra Tote Bag and a collectible, autographed Buena Vista Orchestra tour poster. Merchandise will also be available for everyone to purchase.

Yes. This is one of the best shows I’ve ever produced. We have three of the original touring members as well as some new Cuban legends. It’s a theatrical program, so you can wear your best attire. I want the audience to see behind the curtain of Cuba, to see the beauty of the people and the purity of the land. The show creates irresistible magic. It is nothing but love; that is the message of this show.

Everyone in the audience will receive a Playbill that features all of the songs, as well as the history of the songs. It will also give you descriptions of the type of music, the history of where it comes from and what it has become.

I have written 13 books to date. I get into the metaphysical truths of life, which I learned from my worldwide experience working and producing, as well as representing artists and their bands/orchestras all over the world. I have a few bestsellers, such as Unraveling the Bible and We’ve Gotta Get Outta This Place.

My book writing career started with my book Gods, Gangsters and Honour: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Odyssey. I’m the son of a show business lawyer, so it’s in my blood. I have the DNA background. It reveals how we make music icons into gods. We create a dream. My new book is The Art of the Muses. It tells you where all of the songs come from.

40+ cities. We are already sold out in Austin and Seattle, and I expect others such as New York, Miami and Boston will go clean very soon. I expect a very robust audience and sellout shows. If you have the chance to get a ticket, grab it!