There are songs that seem to transport us directly to Cuba, yet they also have a history in Madrid. Such is the case with “Cómo fue,” the bolero made famous by Benny Moré, whose composer, Ernesto Duarte Brito, settled in the capital in the 1960s. Here he continued his musical career and went on to head the music division at RCA Victor. The voice that made the song famous was Moré’s; the composer was a Cuban musician who eventually made Madrid his home.
That connection between the island and the city now serves as a starting point for hearing it performed live. “Cómo fue” is one of the classics in the repertoire of The Jazz Room, the concert series that will now also feature boleros, son, and salsa at Café Berlín. For now, there are only two confirmed dates, both with limited capacity.
Café Berlín
From “Cómo fue” to “Chan Chan”: an hour of Cuban classics
Ernesto Duarte’s bolero is one of the stops on this tour, but not the only one. “The Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of Cuba” offers an hour of live Cuban music. A band brings the island’s classics to life with vocals and instruments, while also leaving room for improvisation.
The repertoire includes “Chan Chan” by Compay Segundo—a song closely associated with the Buena Vista Social Club—as well as “Cómo fue” and “Son de la loma” by Miguel Matamoros. There’s also room for “La vida es un carnaval,” one of Celia Cruz’s greatest hits, and “Guantanamera,” featuring Compay Segundo’s version as a reference.
Café Berlín, between Santo Domingo and Callao
The venue is Café Berlín, located at Costanilla de los Ángeles 20, near Plaza de Santo Domingo. This venue, one of the best jazz clubs in Madrid, reopened at this location on March 31, 2016, and its stage has hosted musicians such as Jerry González, Chano Domínguez, Jorge Pardo, Javier Colina, Avishai Cohen, and Jorge Drexler.
To get there by metro, the nearest stations are Santo Domingo (L2), Callao (L3 and L5), and Ópera (L2, L5, and Ramal).