A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A veteran Major League Baseball infielder who is also a Latino pop star known as Candalita is making his Broadway debut. He has a part in the musical "Buena Vista Social Club," which celebrates the Cubans who created the award-winning album. Here's Jeff Lunden.
JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE: Jose Iglesias was a spark plug utility infielder with the New York Mets during the 2024 season. Even though he played with the squad for only a few months, he had a big impact, says All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor.
FRANCISCO LINDOR: As a teammate, he was great. He was always happy. He was always encouraging others and became a great friend.
LUNDEN: And when Iglesias introduced his single "OMG" in a performance at Citi Field, Lindor says all his teammates joined him, dancing and singing.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOSE IGLESIAS: New York City, let's get the party going.
LINDOR: It was cool to see everybody celebrate him and share him and love him, and he became part of the DNA of that group.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "OMG")
CANDELITA: (Singing) Oh my God.
(Singing in Spanish).
LUNDEN: And that group, who made it within two games of the World Series, became known as the OMG Mets.
IGLESIAS: And in the middle of the song, having all my teammates running to me - it was like - it was a magical night.
LUNDEN: While he fondly remembers his time with the Mets, Jose Iglesias has now traded batting practice for show rehearsals.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (Singing in Spanish).
IGLESIAS: It's an honor to represent Buena Vista, have this great opportunity that I will grab with two hands and I won't let go, like a ground ball.
LUNDEN: Iglesias left Cuba at 17 to pursue his dream of playing baseball, but he's also been a musician since he was a kid. So when he was offered the role of narrator in "Buena Vista Social Club," he immediately said yes. And every night through October 4, he'll step into a recreation of Cuba on Broadway.
IGLESIAS: Part of us is definitely there, left behind - our soul, our culture. You know, we're growing up playing ball in the streets, you know, talking to your neighbors every day, sharing. It's like - so yes. We're here. But there is a percentage of you that always will live in Cuba.
LUNDEN: For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EL CUARTO DE TULA")
ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST OF BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB: (Singing in Spanish). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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