The genesis of the Afro-Cuban All Stars goes back to the early 1990s. At that time, the son ensemble Sierra Maestra, headed by Juan de Marcos, was receiving a lot of international exposure. Consequently, de Marcos was introduced to Nick Gold, president of World Music Records (then a small independent world music label). That encounter led to a couple of successful tours in Europe. Later, the group went to London and recorded Dundunbanza!, considered one of the jewels of the world-music scene of the early ’90s. (In retrospect, this recording opened the doors to the incredible boom of traditional Cuban music of the period.)

Months later, de Marcos got the go-ahead to do an album celebrating the classic Cuban sound of the 1950s—a recording that would feature many great musicians de Marcos knew. An agreement was reached, with a plan to prepare two projects: one featuring a Cuban big band and the other favoring a more traditional sound reminiscent of the acoustic style of Nico Saquito or Portabales.

In March 1996 the group recorded the album A Toda Cuba le Gusta, featuring nearly 60 performers. Then, with the addition of celebrated artists such as Compay Segundo, Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, Barbarito Torres, and legendary American guitarist Ry Cooder, the group became the Buena Vista Social Club. Finally, with a small budget, two live sessions, and simple orchestrations written at the studio by de Marcos, they recorded Introducing Rubén González, González’s first solo album. This was destined to become one of the most successful of the “Buena Vista” series of recordings.

During the spring of 1997 and along with the release in Europe of the three albums, de Marcos and a select group of stellar musicians started touring the continent as the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The original lineup included Rubén González and Guillermo Rubalcaba (piano); Orlando López (bass); Amadito Valdés (timbale); Carlos González and Roberto Valdés (bongos and Cuban percussion); Ángel Terry (congas); Daniel Ramos, Alejandro Pichardo, and Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal (trumpets); Alberto “Molote” Martínez and Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos (trombones); and Raúl Planas, Manuel Licea, Pío Leiva, Ibrahim Ferrer, and Félix Baloy (lead singers).

After years of success—including four Grammy nominations, being the subject of several documentaries and films, and receiving many other distinctions—the Afro-Cuban All Stars have become one of the best-known and most successful Cuban orchestras, along with Los Van Van and Irakere.

The Afro-Cuban All Stars have also opened the doors to a new generation by welcoming young musicians into the band. With his project, de Marcos has developed a concept: to stand up on the roots for creating the future. More than simply creating a band, his approach has allowed him to expand its creative range by incorporating contemporary styles of Cuban music, taking a fluid approach to adjusting the orchestra’s lineup by changing or adding musicians to best reflect the different styles of music from the various periods that the band features.

See the Afro-Cuban All Stars in the Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club documentary by Wim Wenders, the Tony Knox documentary Salon of Dreams, and the DVDs Live in Japan and Live in The Hague.