Maria Ochoa’s StoryWe’re listening to the music of Maria Ochoa, recorded in Santiago, Cuba in 2001. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Ambience: Maria Ochoa and her groupInterview: Maria OchoaIn the sixties, Maria and her brother Eliades Ochoa, were regular guests as a singing duo on a popular television show in Cuba. Eliades went on to become featured in the film “The Buena Vista Social Club”. He’s the one in the cowboy hat. Maria told me a favorite story about her famous brother, who was a musical prodigy.A professor of music once came to see Eliades perform and he was extremely impressed, taking many notes about all the chord changes and musical progressions that Eliades was playing. When Eliades finished, the professor thanked him and asked him to please repeat what he had just played to make sure that the professor got his notes right. Eliades said, “Professor, what I played , it just comes out of me in the moment. I have no idea what I played. I couldn’t possibly to do it again.”Professor asked how did this come about without having studied music.Eliades said “I never even put one foot in a music school. What is mine is natural. I learned from my parents.”With Maria Ochoa in Santiago, Cuba. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
Maria Ochoa's Story
Maria tells a favorite story about her brother Eliades, one of the stars of the "Buena Vista Social Club".
Air Date:01/22/2021
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Transcript:
Maria Ochoa's StoryWe're listening to the music of Maria Ochoa, recorded in Santiago, Cuba in 2001. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Ambience: Maria Ochoa and her groupInterview: Maria OchoaIn the sixties, Maria and her brother Eliades Ochoa, were regular guests as a singing duo on a popular television show in Cuba. Eliades went on to become featured in the film "The Buena Vista Social Club". He's the one in the cowboy hat. Maria told me a favorite story about her famous brother, who was a musical prodigy.A professor of music once came to see Eliades perform and he was extremely impressed, taking many notes about all the chord changes and musical progressions that Eliades was playing. When Eliades finished, the professor thanked him and asked him to please repeat what he had just played to make sure that the professor got his notes right. Eliades said, "Professor, what I played , it just comes out of me in the moment. I have no idea what I played. I couldn't possibly to do it again."Professor asked how did this come about without having studied music.Eliades said "I never even put one foot in a music school. What is mine is natural. I learned from my parents."With Maria Ochoa in Santiago, Cuba. I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.