Mel Semé Found His Way Home Through Buena Vista Social Club

Mel Semé plays legendary Cuban musician Ibrahim Ferrer in Buena Vista Social Club. The singer and multi-instrumentalist was living in Barcelona when he was offered the chance to audition. Despite lacking a background in theater, Semé scored the role and has been performing in the Tony-winning production since it opened last March. (The production celebrates one year on Broadway on March 19!) Semé sat down with Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens to talk about his unlikely journey to the Schoenfeld Theatre and how he relates to Ibrahim.

For Semé, who graduated from Havana University of Music and was a part of the Havana Symphony Orchestra, music has always been a constant in his life. He is the youngest of 12 siblings, all of whom were involved in the church band and choir growing up in Camagüey, Cuba. “I really don't remember where it all started because since I was in my mom's womb, I was part of that thing," he says. "My brothers helped me out with learning the first piano notes and guitar notes and accordion notes. Whatever was needed in the band, I would be just sitting in.”

Buena Vista Social Club is inspired by the landmark 1997 album of the same name, recorded by an ensemble of Cuban musicians. "The music of 'Buena Vista Social Club,' even before [it became an album], was already in the fabric of the Cuban culture. I grew up listening to all of these beautiful songs," Semé says. Speaking to the album’s resonance, he explains, “Cuba was going through a very rough time in the '90s, the time they called the Special Period. The only thing special about it was that everything was bad. 'Buena Vista' suddenly came out and it became this thing that gave so much hope to everybody because right away the whole world embraced it.”

Semé reveals that the opportunity to join the Broadway production almost passed him by. “I've been a touring musician for 10 years. I've been coming back to America just to tour with my band [the neo-folk quartet Gone Gone Beyond] and I get this email. I showed it to my wife and [told her] they wanted me to send them a video playing a song. She’s like, ‘Let's shoot the video right now.'" There was immediate interest from the creative team. “They answered right away. I'm like, ‘Listen, I live in Spain. I'm a touring artist. I have no time for this. I've never done theater before. I have zero acting experience. So maybe I'm not what you're looking for.’ And they're like, ‘Maybe we can work together.’"

He continues: "At first I was very reluctant, but then they invited me to one of the workshops. I remember the Steven Spielberg iteration of West Side Story had just come out maybe a year before. I fell in love with that. And then when I get to the workshop, I started meeting all these dancers and Justin Peck [who choreographed Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story and co-choreographed Buena Vista Social Club] was there. My mentality kind of shifted in the workshop, getting to meet everybody. I met Renesito [Avich] there as well, our outstanding tres player. So I'm like, 'Maybe I should give this a chance.'"

Ibrahim Ferrer was a seminal influence for Semé, especially as he began to pursue music professionally. “When I moved to Havana, I started to know more about Ibrahim Ferrer. I fell in love with his voice. I fell in love with his demeanor and how humble and grounded he always looked. So he was a little bit of a musical hero for me. It was completely out of my eyesight that I would ever pay homage to him in this way.”

Semé says he connects to his character through the similarities in their career trajectories and the struggles they both faced. "There's so much parallel in both of our stories that I just had to have my experiences be in service for the script," he explains. “I was a classical percussionist, playing with symphonic orchestras and jazz groups, I was touring in Europe. Then I went to Spain and my Cuban passport was revoked. I wasn't allowed to return to Cuba for five years, so I was illegal in Spain for a couple years. I didn't have any access to the work environment that I was used to, so I had to busk. I was singing on the street for a living,” Semé reveals. “So there's a lot that has to do with Ibraham's story.”

Prior to stepping into Ibrahim's shoes each night, Semé says, "I honor the memories of all of these musicians, and especially Ibrahim's memory. They mean so much to us but they also mean so much to so many people. Most of these amazing 'Buena Vista' original artists are gone. So I kind of say a silent prayer before I go on stage.” This type of pre-show ritual is shared by many of the show's performers. “Some of the musicians in the band, they're religious, they practice the Cuban Santería. They also do their prayers with their drums. People maybe don't know when they're coming into the theater and sitting down, but all of them are there just doing their prayers with their drums.”

Buena Vista Social Club has made quite the impact on theatergoers, including those who don't have a relationship to the material. "One of the things that surprised me and still kind of keeps me in awe is how it impacts people that have nothing to do with the Cuban culture," says Semé. "They just listen to the whole thing in Spanish. It's so interesting to me that it hits people's emotions in such a deep way. I feel like even though it's such a niche, small story that we're telling every day on stage, it touches on so many universal aspects of life.”

A year into performances, Semé reflects on the reality of Broadway compared to his initial expectations. “I'm a touring artist, so everything changes all the time. I felt like walking into the same stage every day would be something that would be boring at some point. But it's so thrilling. It's so incredibly exciting.” He adds of the audience, “I feel a responsibility, but also people give us so much feedback when we walk out of the theater. I'm always curious about what's going to happen. I grew up in Cuba and I haven't been playing Cuban music in a long time, so it's a little bit of a comeback to my roots. It ends up being a little bit of a therapeutic experience for me—and for many of us.”

Watch the full interview below:

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