Buena Vista Social Club rekindled global interest in traditional Cuban son, bolero, and danzón, transforming veteran musicians into international icons. The 1997 album Buena Vista Social Club and subsequent film introduced audiences to artists like Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, and Omara Portuondo, preserving repertoire that might have been lost. Their warm, acoustic sound, intergenerational storytelling, and effortless virtuosity bridged cultures, inspiring revivals of roots music worldwide. They reshaped the world music market, proving authenticity could achieve mainstream success, while celebrating Cuban identity, history, and resilience through songs that feel timeless, intimate, and joyfully communal, and connecting generations across continents today.