If I’m honest Ibrahim Ferrer’s was something of an unknown quantity to me until relatively recently. As one of the most popular members of the Buena Vista Social Club my only exposure to their music came courtesy of the recent ‘Los Rhythms Del Mundo’ compilation. ‘Mi Sueno’ was Ferrer’s last recordings were in 2005 when he sadly passed away aged 78 never truly achieving the success many believed he was due until his latter years.

Ferrer was long considered to be a fan of the Bolero standards and if anything this album represents a labour of love for him and it was his last request that this album be finished posthumously. While I am no aficionado of this genre the results are on the whole pleasing. Setting the gentlest of moods and offering the lightest of touches both vocally and musically its clear that Ferrer’s voice was showing a slight weathering of age but it does little to diminish the overall professionalism of the album.

Musically the arrangements are spacious and measured and while this collection is not one that is going to appeal to all tastes it does have its place. A gentle and unrelenting romanticism is delicately embossed upon the recordings with inflections of jazz (which normally I run a mile from) sprinkled here and there.

For those that find themselves uninitiated in the styling of Cuban music, specifically the Bolero (and I include myself wholeheartedly in this) ‘Mi Sueno’ offers an interesting excursion into the genre. Where you go from there is up to you.

Mi Sueno is released on March 26th through World Circuit Records