Ibrahim Ferrer RIP

Singer Ibrahim Ferrer, an influential voice among Cuban performers of the 20th century and member of the popular and widely-acclaimed Buena Vista Social Club, passed away on Saturday at age 78. Though the cause of death is unconfirmed, he was reported to have been suffering from emphysema for quite some time. The legacy of his work can be seen in the film Buena Vista Social Club and his music heard most prominently on the 2000 Grammy-award winning Buena Vista Social Club and companion Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer. If the mastery of Ibrahim Ferrer passed you by during his lifetime, I cannot urge you enough to seek out his music in the time of his passing. The world has lost an extraordinary voice.