A solid hour and 15 minutes of incredible talent followed by a 10 minute encore. They know how to engage their audience!

Seeing four original members of Buena Vista Social Club-Jesus "Aguaje" Ramos, Emilio Senon Morales Ruiz, Luis Mariano "Betun" Valiente Marin, and Fabian Garcia-on stage in Detroit should have been a transcendent experience. Their presence alone carries decades of Cuban musical history and global influence. But unfortunately, the performance at the Fisher Theatre didn’t honor that legacy the way it deserved. The sound quality was unacceptably poor. Vocals were tinny, and the overall audio felt more like a rehearsal than a professional production. For a group whose magic lies in subtle interplay and sonic richness, this was a flaw. The setlist was another letdown. Barely a single track from their seminal 1997 debut album made it into the performance. None of the songs that built their global reputation. Instead, the show leaned into lesser-known material. The encore was the longest I’ve ever experienced in a U.S. venue. It didn't feel like a triumphant finale.