Under Leadership of Original Buena Vista Social Club Member, Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos, Celebrated Orchestra to Visit 55 American Cities as Part of 150-Date Worldwide Tour
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The SSK Organization, a 501C3 organization, along with its founder, renowned entertainment mogul Steven Machat and his wife and partner, Debbie Machat, announce the addition of 55 American cities to Buena Vista Orchestra’s (BVO) global tour. This follows a hugely successful US tour last fall, where the Buena Vista Orchestra played 45 dates and sold out 38 venues across the country. VIP presale tickets for the US dates will go on sale on Wednesday, March 19, at 10 a.m. local time. Local presales will be held on March 19 and 20, and Spotify presales launch Thursday, March 20 at 10 a.m. with code BVO2025. Public tickets will be available from Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m. onwards. All tickets can be purchased at https://thebuenavistaorchestra.com/.
Led by Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos, a Cuban trombonist, composer, arranger and musical director best known as the original orchestra leader, composer and trombonist of The Buena Vista Social Club, which was brought into focus throughout the world in the critically acclaimed 1999 documentary film “Buena Vista Social Club,” followed up by a second film, “Buena Vista Social Club: Adios.
As well as appearing in both films, Ramos was the arranger and orchestra leader of BVSC tours. He has also served long stints in world class ensembles Estrellas de Areito and Afro-Cuban Allstars, as well as on the solo albums of Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales and Omara Portuondo. Ramos is joined on the 2025 international tour by an all-star ensemble of ten Cuban musicians, including original Buena Vista Social Club members “Betun” Luis Mariano Valiente Marin (Congas, Bongo) and Fabían Garcia (Bass), who have toured with different touring versions under the moniker Buena Vista Social Club. The Buena Vista Orchestra continues to celebrate the rhythms, melodies, and soul of Cuban music and carries forward the spirit and musical excellence of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club.
With over five decades of experience in the music industry, Machat’s latest venture, the 2025 tour, is an exciting continuation of his legacy in bringing diverse and authentic global sounds to the forefront. He has represented the Electric Light Orchestra, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector, among others. An influential producer, Machat is the author of I Can Hear Music – The Heroes and Villains of the Muses, a book that explores the inner workings of the music world.
“I felt it was important to share this splendid Cuban music with the world,” said Steven Machat, who first met Ramos in 2017. “Cuba is still a forbidden fruit in the eyes of my country and although the Buena Vista Social Club educated a generation to their multi-cultural songs and sound, I thought the time was right to let the new generations experience, applaud and dance to the music.”
The United States tour begins on July 24, 2025, in New York’s Hamptons, and follows with shows in Boulder, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Austin, Boston Minneapolis, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach, among other major locations. Currently the tour, which began on March 8th, has held sold-out performances in Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary, and will perform tonight in a sold-out show in Vancouver. The Orchestra will then move on to Brazil, the UK, Belgium and the Dominican Republic, before beginning concerts in the U.S., followed by performances in the Caribbean, South America, Australia and Japan.
“My dream was to come to the US with the Buena Vista Orchestra to play the music that shaped my life,” said Ramos. “When I met Steven Machat, I said that this dream was somewhere over the rainbow and he told me to let us see that dream together, and we will build the rainbow that will get you there.” The Orchestra is now doing just that and a signature song that Ramos has added to the playlist Is a song the world knows, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Produced by the SSK Organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting projects that protect and enhance global cultures, Buena Vista Orchestra’s North American tour will cross borders, bringing the music to audiences worldwide. As the official sponsor of the U.S. tour, SSK not only facilitates this international tour but also plays a vital role in preserving the cultural heritage embedded in Buena Vista Orchestra’s music. Music by the Buena Vista Orchestra can be streamed on Spotify.
SSK ORGANIZATION
The 2025 world tour of the Buena Vista Orchestra is produced by the SSK Organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting projects that protect and enhance global cultures, Buena Vista Orchestra’s North American tour will cross borders, bringing the music to audiences worldwide. As the official sponsor of the U.S. tour, SSK not only facilitates this international tour but also plays a vital role in preserving the cultural heritage embedded in Buena Vista Orchestra’s music.
STEVEN MACHAT & DEBBIE MACHAT
Steven Machat, one of the world’s most successful entertainment moguls, and founder of the label SSK Records, has been in the entertainment industry for over five decades, representing famous artists globally, such including the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Genesis, Peter Gabriel and Leonard Cohen. His eclectic and diverse taste in music genres have inspired his present goal of bringing true, raw and an undiluted spectrum of talents back to the world’s stage. On his 2025 roster are talents the Buena Vista Orchestra, Cubanismo, and The Gulls. Currently, Machat is on a worldwide tour with the Buena Vista Orchestra, touching on four continents, following in the Machat tradition. Machat is also a film producer and author of a new book, I Can Hear Music – the Heros and Villains of the Muses, a book that explores the inner workings of the music world.
BUENA VISTA ORCHESTRA
The Buena Vista Orchestra, under the direction of Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos and featuring key players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club, continues the legacy of the legendary group with an exciting new stage production and repertoire pulled from the greatest hits (many of which Ramos composed) and deep-dive cuts. The group has amassed over 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify with their debut album on SSK Records Greatest Recorded Performances, with another album due later this year.
SOURCE SSK Organization
