AfroCubism
"Al Vaiven de Mi Carreta"
Playing at: Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St., Midtown West)
Get: Tickets ($35-$65) | Directions

Not everybody knows this story, but the Buena Vista Social Club—you may have heard of it—was a mistake. The original plan was for Nick Gold of World Circuit Records to make an album based on a golden idea: to get Mali’s best musicians into a studio with Cuba’s best musicians and let the magic happen. Due to some obscure hurdles possibly involving passport troubles, the session never happened, and the studio time was rebooked last minute with some old musicians hanging around Havana. Fourteen years later, Gold has finally made good on his original intentions. In his "AfroCubism" project, Gold has united Buena Vista alum Eliades Ochoa with kora player Toumani Diabate and guitarist Djelimandi Tounkara, among other Malian greats, for a session and world tour. “Al Vaiven de Mi Carreta” sounds suspiciously like the classic Cuban son we’ve come to know and love, but Diabate’s shimmering kora adds a nice touch, and Tounkara's deliciously slinky electric guitar is also present.