Sunny Songs to Melt Your Winter Blues

“Chan Chan” was written by Compay Segundo in 1987 and became a global favorite when the Buena Vista Social Club opened their 1997 album with it. Composed on a simple four-note pattern, the song tells the story of Chan Chan and Juanica gathering sand and drifting through eastern Cuban towns.

Its mellow son groove, recorded by veteran musicians in Havana, carried a warmth that helped reintroduce traditional Cuban music to the world.