About the Film

In early March, 2005, Israel López ‘Cachao’ visited San Francisco as a participant and honoree at a two-day celebration of Afro-Cuban culture entitled "To Cuba With Love." The event included an exhibit of Cuban prints in the University's art gallery and the inauguration of the International Center for the Arts, a program which began with a generous gift from SF State alumni George and Judy Marcus, who wished to expand the University's profile in the arts in the Bay Area.

Cachao received the first Marcus Award for Lifetime Achievement for his pioneering and lifelong influence on Afro-Cuban music and accepted the plaque and honorarium of $25,000 with his usual grace. ‘Sin ustedes, no hay Cachao, con ustedes, hay Cachao’, he humbly stated.

The day after receiving the Marcus Award, Cachao and the CineSon All Stars played a sold-out concert at Bimbo’s 365 Club, the famous San Francisco nightspot. Andy Garcia, the actor, director and producer, was also in attendance as the producer of all of Cachao's Grammy-winning albums and as a musician who occasionally plays bongos in the band. Garcia had met Cachao in San Francisco 12 years earlier while prepping his role in “The Godfather, Part III.” Tom Luddy had arranged that encounter, which led to a long-term collaboration between Garcia and Cachao.

The idea of filming the concert was to have an archival record of the inauguration of the ICA and I asked Les Blank if he would shoot it. He declined, saying he was in transition from film to digital, and wasn't fully comfortable yet in digital. However, he suggested Dikayl Rimmasch, whose digital work he highly recommended. After I hired Dikayl he had the idea that we should make a concert film, using nine cameras and lighting the stage to accommodate the cameras. Before long we were in the world of cranes, dollies and steadicams. We also filmed Cachao reminiscing about his musical journey over lunch with Andy Garcia and saxophonist Ray Santos, as well as Cachao’s radio interview with Luis Medina (KPFA). We realized there was a remarkable story to be told, which would reveal the full significance of Cachao’s music. To that end, we interviewed Cachao, his daughter Elena, John Santos, Ray Santos, Richie Bonilla, Orestes Vilató, and a few others who could shed light on Cachao’s life and his contribution to the world of music over the last eight decades. The portrait that has emerged makes one appreciate the man and his music even more.

“CACHAO: Uno Mas” is a tribute to this legendary musician who will turn 90 this spring.

—Stephen Ujlaki
Director, DOC Film Institute