It also exported a vibrant idea of Cuba to a world from which it had been largely closed off since the 1959 revolution and the Cold War. For a generation coming of age in the 1990s in the West, the music of Buena Vista Social Club added a burst of colour to the perceived grey palette of Castro's Communism－encouraging people to see the place for themselves.

"We are called ambassadors for Cuba and I am honoured. I think when you do what you love, only good things can come from that. It shines from you and to other people," she explains.

'Berlin Wall' moment

De Marcos Gonzez has previously credited the band for helping begin the thaw in relations between US and Cuban administrations, by re-igniting America's curiosity about the island. Last October the group performed for President Barack Obama at the White House, where he reportedly revealed he too had bought the iconic album.

It was a situation Portuondo says "none of us could ever have imagined" when they started out, describing the leader as "very warm and welcoming".

Early this week Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928, with the White House describing the trip as a "Berlin Wall" moment. Diplomatic ties between the two nations, which broke off in 1960, were restored in July last year.

Portuondo, who has attended parties thrown by the Castros, is circumspect about the fact Obama and leader Raul Castro have been in secret discussions on a rapprochement, or what it means for ordinary Cubans: "Politics is for the politicians. I'm a musician and I love music," she says but adds: "It is good in every situation of life－family, friends, neigbours－to talk."

Cuban revival

She dismisses criticism the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon has created a caricature of Cuban music or that there is a disconnect between what islanders listen to and what is performed for tourists.

"Well nowadays everybody listens to a lot of different music, genres and styles," she says. "The good thing is that traditional Cuban music is very respected...it has a lot of influences, we sing in Spanish, but we have afro sounds, influences from chanson. I think this has made it popular around the world."