Cuban music conquers Broadway: “Buena Vista Social Club” wins five Tony Awards

Buena Vista Social Club: The Musical, a production that celebrates the music and history of iconic figures of Cuban son, was one of the big winners at the 78th Tony Awards, held on June 8 in New York.

The show received five awards, including Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Natalie Venetia Belcon, who plays Omara Portuondo.

The work was also recognized for Best Sound Design (Jonathan Dean), Best Choreography (Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck), and Best Orchestration (Marco Paguia), in addition to receiving a special Tony Award for the musicians who are part of the musical's band, including several Cubans.

Among the honorees are Renesito Avich, Mel Semé, Román Díaz, David Oquendo, Leonardo Reyna, and Juan de Marcos González.

“Special congratulations to all our fellow countrymen in the musical... and especially to Juan de Marcos González, the heart and mind behind the legendary album and musical consultant for the Broadway production,” highlighted music historian Rosa Marquetti on her Facebook profile.

Directed by Saheem Ali and with a book by Marco Ramírez, the musical began its journey on the off-Broadway circuit in late 2023; that is, in smaller theaters in New York, outside of the main Broadway circuit.

Although it is often associated with a smaller budget, off-Broadway is an important space for artistic innovation, where works are created that can later move to Broadway if they succeed. Such was the case with Buena Vista Social Club: The Musical, whose success convinced producers to take it to the grand stage of Broadway.

Since then, it has been praised for its staging, artistic rigor, and its ability to pay tribute to a profoundly Cuban musical legacy, according to the Spanish-language television network in New York, Spectrum Noticias.

The production is inspired by Wim Wenders' Oscar-nominated 1999 documentary about the creation of the Cuban album. It not only brings to light the stories of figures like Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Cachaito, Eliades Ochoa, Rubén González, Pío Leyva, and Portuondo herself, but also emphasizes the international relevance of Cuban popular music.

“It’s a masterpiece. The way they have brought our roots to the musical theater stage is impressive,” said actor and musician Renesito Avich. “This music is the foundation of everything that is heard today, from reggaeton to timba,” added Mel Semé.

The show also had a prominent presentation in May as part of the popular live concert series organized by Tiny Desk Concert from NPR (the music division of National Public Radio in the United States), where the band was enthusiastically received by the audience in Washington D.C., confirming the project's impact on American audiences.

Produced by Ry Cooder, the album Buena Vista Social Club premiered on September 16, 1997 under the World Circuit Records label, and won several Grammy Awards at that year's ceremony. The recording made its way into the ranking of the 500 greatest albums of all time by the prestigious magazine Rolling Stone, at number 260.

The album brought together veteran Cuban musicians who overnight became the most acclaimed figures in Cuban music and propelled iconic songs like El carretero, Veinte años, Chan-chan and El cuarto de Tula.

The recording brought to life the excellent documentary directed by the German Wim Wenders, which was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the United States in 2020 by the Library of Congress for being a work that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The Tony Awards are the highest honors in theater in the United States, equivalent to the Oscars in film or the Grammys in music. They are awarded annually to recognize excellence in theatrical and musical productions presented on Broadway, the most prestigious professional theater circuit in New York and the world.

The full name is Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, in honor of Antoinette “Tony” Perry, an actress, director, and one of the founders of the American Theatre Wing, the organization that, along with the Broadway League, hosts these awards.

The Tonys recognize categories such as Best Play, Best Musical, Best Actor/Actress in a Play or Musical, Best Direction, Set Design, Lighting, Costume Design, Orchestrations, Choreography, and more. They are awarded at a televised ceremony, which has become a key event for the American cultural industry. Winning a Tony often translates into international prestige and greater commercial success for the productions and their artists.

Frequently Asked Questions about the success of "Buena Vista Social Club: The Musical" at the 2025 Tony Awards