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Buena Vista Musician Compay Segundo, 95, Dies

By Melissa Block
Published July 13, 2003 at 11:00 PM CDT
Compay Segundo performs in Mexico City in 2001.
Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images
Compay Segundo performs in Mexico City in 2001.

Cuban composer, singer and guitarist Compay Segundo died in Havana Sunday. He was 95. Segundo gained worldwide fame as the frontman for the group of musicians who played in the documentary Buena Vista Social Club. The album won a 1997 Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Performance. NPR's Melissa Block speaks with music producer Ry Cooder about Segundo's life and legacy.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Melissa Block
As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.
See stories by Melissa Block