Eliades Ochoa in Pamplona

Eliades Ochoa is a Cuban singer and guitarist, born in 1946 in Songo La Maya. He became the leader of Cuarteto Patria and reached a wider audience through Buena Vista Social Club, singing “El Carretero” and playing guitar on the ensemble’s Grammy-winning album. His solo catalogue includes Sublime Ilusión and Guajira, rooted in son cubano, guajira and bolero. The 1998 Buena Vista Social Club concert at Carnegie Hall featured Eliades Ochoa among the musicians heard on the original album. More than a decade later, he toured with AfroCubism after the collective’s self-titled record, performing alongside Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté and Djelimady Tounkara. In 2023, he appeared with his own band at Glastonbury Festival.