Although the charismatic Ibrahim Ferrer had been singing for a living in his native Cuba since he was orphaned at 12 years old, his time in the international spotlight would not come until he was a senior citizen. In 1997, along with other revered Cuban musicians, he was featured on Ry Cooder's BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB album and profiled in the popular documentary. Ferrer was particularly adept at singing son and other lively dance music, but later in life developed a talent for the more down-tempo romantic bolero style. With the cachet he garnered through the BUENA VISTA album, he was able to record the first solo albums of his career, which were received warmly by critics and fans. He died in 2005 at the age of 78.