Ibrahim Ferrer has passed away

[Sergio Zamora]

HAVANA (Reuters) - Ibrahim Ferrer, the mild-mannered singer of the Buena Vista Social Club group that took him from shining shoes to world fame late in life, died on Saturday in Havana, his manager said. He was 78.

The Grammy winner known for his trademark cap and gray mustache died of multiple organ failure after returning ill on Wednesday from a European tour, manager Daniel Florestan said.

"He was taken to hospital when he got back and his condition worsened. He died of multiple organ failure," Florestan said.

A singer of Cuba's traditional son music whose voice has been compared with that of Nat King Cole, Ferrer was born at a social club dance in Santiago, Cuba, on Feb. 20, 1927 when his mother suddenly went into labor. He began singing professionally at the age of 14.

By the 1950s, he was an established singer who performed with well-known Cuban bands, including that of the legendary Benny More.

But Ferrer was a forgotten name by the 1990s, supplementing a meager state pension in communist Cuba by shining shoes.

He was lifted from obscurity by the Grammy-winning 1997 Buena Vista Social Club album recorded by a group of vintage Cuban musicians brought together by Texas guitarist Ry Cooder.

The aging musicians were catapulted to an unexpected second career and international fame that grew further with the 1999 film of the same name by German director Wim Wenders.

Two of the group's top members, singer Compay Segundo and pianist Ruben Gonzalez, died in 2003.

Like them, Ferrer launched a solo career and released records in 1999 and 2003, winning another Grammy and two Latin Grammys, including one in 2000 for best new artist at the age of 72.

During his latest tour in Europe, which took him to the Montreux Jazz Festival, Britain, Holland, Austria, France and Spain, Ferrer sang a collection of boleros he was recording and planned to release next year.

[Rob Damen]

Just terrible news.

What a tremendous talent he was.

Rob

[Ron Thorne]

I saw the tail end of a headlines crawl on CNN earlier tonight, and was afraid that this was the story.

What a tremendous loss. What a tremendous soul. What a legacy he left for us.



R.I.P., Ibrahim Ferrer

[Pete C]

Sad, but happily the dice toss of life gave him nearly 10 years of fame beyond his imaginings at the end.

[timoleon]

adios,hermano!

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Sad, but happily the dice toss of life gave him nearly 10 years of fame beyond his imaginings at the end.

AMEN to what Pete said!! Mr. Ferrer said that he was constantly pinching himself in recent years because of what had happened to him career-wise.

RIP, Mr. Ferrer.

[Xavier]

Ry Cooder, in the Buena Vista Club video, said discovering Ferrier was like bumping into an unknown Nat King Cole. What a talent he was and what a loss to music.

[jazzy mary]

Amen to what everyone has said. I met these cats a few years ago at the Montreal jazz fest. I was at the hotel--I think it was called the Saint Paul or something--it was a very modern, Ian Schrager type hotel--dark as hell in the hallways and had a bathroom sink that was like an infinity pond--hard to figure out.

Anyway, I was waiting downstairs for some folks to come down so we could go to the jam session at the other hotel. While I was waiting this huge bus pulled up and ALL the "Buena Vista" cats come out with all their equipment etc. Welll, I was right at the door (this was like 2 in the morning) and I served as this sortof wacky "welcome to the Montreal jazz festival/ door person" for them and held the door for them and helped them. They were all really sweet! And I kept wondering what the heck are they going to think of this wild, so, so modern hotel!

[Chazro]

Coincidentally, I saw 'Buena Vista....' on TV this past weekend. The most touching part of that movie has always been when Ibrahim & Co. arrive in NY, their reactions to the City, their sense of awe, is palpable. I was going to compare them to children at Disneyland but it's much more profound. We truly take so much for granted, we forget how blessed we are.....

Descansa en Paz Maestro!!