(ODE$)

World Circuit, the label that brought the world BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, presents the original idea for that project - a stellar collaboration between acclaimed Malian & Cuban musicians, and featuring Grammy Award winners Toumani Diabate and Eliades Ochoa. This is the project World Circuit's Nick Gold set out to record in 1996 in Havana. But the Malians were unable to travel to Cuba and the record that was made instead became the multi-million selling Buena Vista Social Club. Fronting the Cuban team is the cowboyhatted singer/guitarist Ochoa, singer of the great Buena Vista theme Chan Chan. The 2 original Malian invitees are awardwinning ngoni lute master Bassekou Kouyate and extraordinary Rail Band guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, both universally agreed to be among the world's great instrumentalists. Joining them are Eliades' Grupo Patria, amongst Cuba's most revered bands, mercurial kora genius Toumani Diabate, legendary Malian griot singer Kasse Mady Diabate andinnovative balafon man Lassana Diabate. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve with a 24 page booklet containing extensive sleeve & song notes.