The group's eponymous album was recorded in March 1996 and released in September 1997, quickly becoming an international success, which prompted the ensemble to perform with a full line-up in Amsterdam and New York in 1998. German director Wim Wenders captured the performance on film for a documentary—also called Buena Vista Social Club—that included interviews with the musicians conducted in Havana. Wenders' film was released in June 1999 to critical acclaim, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary feature and winning numerous accolades including Best Documentary at the European Film Awards.
The success of both the album and film sparked a revival of interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American music in general. Some of the Cuban performers later released well-received solo albums and recorded collaborations with stars from different musical genres. The "Buena Vista Social Club" name became an umbrella term to describe these performances and releases, and has been likened to a brand label that encapsulates Cuba's "musical golden age" between the 1930s and 1950s. The new success was fleeting for the most recognizable artists in the ensemble: Compay Segundo, Rubén González, and Ibrahim Ferrer, who died at the ages of ninety-five, eighty-four, and seventy-eight respectively; Compay Segundo and González in 2003, then Ferrer in 2005.
Several surviving members of the Buena Vista Social Club, such as veteran singer Omara Portuondo, trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal, laúd player Barbarito Torres and trombonist and conductor Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos currently tour worldwide, to popular acclaim, with new members such as singer Carlos Calunga and pianist Rolando Luna, as part of a 13-member band called Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club.
Quizás Quizás
Buena Vista Social Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
que cuando, como y donde
tu siempre me respondes
quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días
y yo, desesperando
y tu, tu contestando
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
pensando, pensando
por lo que mas tu quieras
hasta cuando, hasta cuando
Y así pasan los días
y yo, desesperando
y tu, tu contestando
quizás, quizás, quizás
quizás, quizás, quizás
quizás, quizás, quizás
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
porque el niche me invita a guarachear
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
porque el niche me invita a guarachear
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
porque el niche me invita a guarachear
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
porque el niche me invita a guarachear’
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
porque el niche me invita a guarachear’
Siempre que te pregunto
que cuando, como y donde
tu siempre me respondes
quizás, quizás, quizás
quizás, quizás, quizás
quizás, quizás, quizás
quizás, quizás, quizás
The lyrics of Buena Vista Social Club's song "Quizás Quizás" are about a person who is trying to make plans with someone, but that person always responds "maybe" ("quizás" in Spanish) when asked about the when, where, and how of the plans. The singer becomes increasingly frustrated and desperate as the days pass and the person continues to give vague responses. The lines "Estás perdiendo el tiempo / pensando, pensando / por lo que mas tu quieras / hasta cuando, hasta cuando" suggest that the person is wasting time by not committing to anything and that the singer is growing impatient. The song ends with a change in tone as the singer shifts to a desire to go to the beach and dance, with the repetition of the lines "A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar / porque el niche me invita a guarachear", which roughly translate to "I want to go to the beach to dance because my buddy invites me to dance."
Line by Line Meaning
Siempre que te pregunto
Every time I ask you
que cuando, como y donde
when, how and where
tu siempre me respondes
you always answer me
quizás, quizás, quizás
maybe, maybe, maybe
Y así pasan los días
And so the days go by
y yo, desesperando
and I, despairing
y tu, tu contestando
and you, answering
Estás perdiendo el tiempo
You're wasting your time
pensando, pensando
thinking, thinking
por lo que mas tu quieras
for whatever you want
hasta cuando, hasta cuando
until when, until when
A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar
I want to go dance at the beach
porque el niche me invita a guarachear
because the niche invites me to dance salsa
quizás, quizás, quizás
maybe, maybe, maybe
Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dany Lop
Its a very popular song with multiple covers and different artists, you can easily look for translations. But i can give you my basic one thats translating word for word:
siempre que te pregunto
(Everytime i ask you,)
que como cuando y donde
(How, when and where)
tu siempre me responde
(You always respond to me)
quizas, quizas, quizas
(Perhaps perhaps perhaps)
y asi pasan los dias
(And thats how the days go by,)
y yo desesperando
(I become desperate)
y tu, tu contestando
(And you? You keep saying)
quizas, quizas, quizas
(Perhaps perhaps perhaps)
estas perdiendo el tiempo
(Time is being wasted)
pensando, pensando
(Just thinking, just thinking)
por lo que mas tu quiera
(For what you’ve always wanted)
hasta cuando? hasta cuando?
(Until when? Until when?)
y asi pasan los dias
(And thats how the days go by,)
y yo desesperando
(I’m becoming desperate)
y tu, tu contestando
(And you? You’re always saying)
quizas, quizas, quizas
(Perhaps perhaps perhaps)
Elyas Wahab
This is the best version of this song! Bravo!
Amanda Bellaflor
Aplaudindo de pé , Cuba nossa africanidade nos une 😘😘😘😘😘😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😘😘😘
Hhahnfan
Me encantaría viajar a Cuba. Ese país tan maravilloso y hermano de España en el que fluye ese carácter melancólico y hermoso que hace crear esta música tan hermosa.
Ay Cuba de mi corazón, quizás el verano próximo tenga la oportunidad de conocerte y disfrutar de tus gentes y tu cultura.
Un abrazo desde España, hermanos, sois magnánimos! ❤️
Ana María Lopez
Tuve la buena fortuna de conocer Cuba en Octubre pasado. Lo mejor sus playas y su pueblo. Ojalá llegues pronto a Cuba.
Ира Бобровская
Роскошная музыка!
Leon Doors
Best version ever of this beautiful "standard"
Liliana Lira
Bellísima!!! Dios guarde esa voz y esa alegría!!!
Evelia Delgado
Que voz de ésta señora....!
shannon snead
Brilliant musicians!
Lisboa Advocacia Trabalhista
Lindo! Música com alma, que nos faz sentir algo, chega em nosso coração. É feita como manifestação artística e cultural, não como um produto para venda.]