Courtesy Photo Buena Fe, Omara Portuondo, Yomil y el Dany “Musica Vital”
The acclaimed Cuban folk-pop group, octogenarian legend and popular reggaetoneros release an unexpected multigenerational track and video that has quickly notched 4 million plays on Facebook.
“Musica Vital,” a love song for Cuba and its music, features the unexpected trio of singer Omara Portuondo (of Buena Vista Social Club fame), acclaimed folk-pop group Buena Fe and popular reggaetoneros Yomil and El Dany.
The track is a poetic tribute to the island’s people and landscape that proclaims “Cuba is vital music.” Buena Fe released the life-affirming Cuban pride song just before Christmas, accompanied by an all-ages video with views of unspoiled Cuban countryside and colonial architecture. The video, directed by Omar Leyva and featuring dancer Lía Rodríguez, has since been played over 4 million times on the group’s Facebook page and has made the news on Cuban media.
The crowd-pleasing, euphoric song effortlessly brings together Cuban musical styles as well as three generations of artists, and like the hit “Bailando,” it’s tinged with Spanish guitar and flamenco moves; Yomil and El Dany bring distinctly Cuban urban flavor.
Portuondo wears a gray hoodie with an embroidered Cuban flag on the front as she moves to the music in her chair. The landscapes in the video are gorgeous, but the most beautiful scene seen so far this year could be the one where the 87-year-old sings together with Buena Fe’s Israel Rojas.
Watch “Musica Vital” below.
