By the 1950's he was established as the singer with Pacho Alonso's group, in Santiago, and was able to concentrate on music full time. Alonso's band moved to Havana in 1959, and Ferrer stayed with that group for more than twenty years. By the 1970's, the group had become known as Los Bocucos and pioneered the pilon rhythm, which was reputedly based on the sound of pounding the coffee beans.

With the Bocucos, Ferrer's work consisted mainly of guarachas, sones and up-tempo numbers, although Ibrahim yearned to sing boleros. He enjoyed some popularity with songs such as Mi Quimbon and El Platanal de Bartolo, but he would have to wait nearly forty years to record a bolero worthy of his considerable talents as a bolero singer. That song, Dos Gardenias by Isolina Carrillo, is featured on the Buena Vista Social Club recording.

Whereas the other stars from the Buena Vista sessions had originally some fame both in and outside of Cuba, Ibrahim Ferrer had never been recognized in his own right. He emerged as the one true discovery of the sessions. Always regarded as a ?musician?s musician,? Ibrahim Ferrer was given the chance to display his great talent in both the rural Santiago and urban Havana traditions. Ibrahim Ferrer?s debut album, produced by Ry Cooder, was released worldwide by World Circuit-Nonesuch Records. 

He played a starring role in Wim Wenders?s documentary ?The Buena Vista Social Club. ?I pinch myself all the time,? Ibrahim said at the time. ?It is a dream come true. When I was younger I thought I was going to travel the world with my music. The only chance I got was when I came to Europe in 1962. Then there was the missile crisis. I played in Paris and Eastern Europe with Pacho Alonso?s orchestra and then I was stuck in Europe. I had to stay until everything settled down again before I could go home. Then nothing happened for thirty-five years. This has given me the will to live. I?m living the dream of my youth in the body of an old man.?

In 2003, Buenos Hermanos came out. Produced by Ry Cooder, it was the highly anticipated follow-up to Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer, which has sold over 1.5 million copies and topped the world music charts in countries around the world. The Grammy-nominated album won Ferrer the Best New Artist award at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards.

The new album found Ferrer at the height of his energy and playfulness. He navigated a broad range of songs, backed by a dream band that includes Ry Cooder (guitars), Manuel Galb?n (guitars, piano, organ), Orlando ?Cacha?to? L?pez (bass), Miguel Ang? D?az (congas), Jim Keltner and Joachim Cooder (drums and percussion). Pianist Chucho Vald?s, accordion legend Flaco Jim?nez, trumpet player Jon Hassell and the Blind Boys of Alabama all make guest appearances. Buenos Hermanos was primarily recorded at the legendary Egrem Studios in Havana.

Ibrahim Ferrer?s Buenos Hermanos album won the ?Best Traditional Tropical? category at the 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The ceremony was held at the American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida on Wednesday September 3rd, 2003.

His most recent US release was the compilation Cuban Essentials 1 Ibrahim Ferrer Ay, Candela. An interview with Ferrer is available at World Music Central: Ibrahim Ferrer.

Ibrah?m Ferrer lived in Old Havana where the centerpiece of his living room was an altar to Saint Lazarus, or Babal?-ay?, one of the African / Catholic saints of Cuba's Santer?a religion. His shrine was decorated with candles, fairy lights, and fresh flowers every day.

Ibrahim Ferrer died August 6, 2005,at CIMEQ hospital in Havana (Cuba).

"I was born in Santiago de Cuba (1927). I liked the tango very much. I was a kid when Alberto G?mez came once to Havana. He performed on a radio program and sang ?En un beso la vida? I remember that. I like to sing the tango because I watched a lot of films by Libertad Lamarque, Jorge Negrete, they were very popular in Santiago. When I started as a professional it was the "son." I have always sung the "son", because I was born in a ball, in the first place, and later there were balls in my house. My grandfather was the president of two societies in Santiago, one was called Club Aponte, where I was almost born, and the other one was El Cocuy?, which still exists. I was raised in music. We played the rumba at the corner of my street when I was a child, which is why I was devoted to the "son".

I used to sing tangos and boleros, but when I started, when I performed with three or four groups, I sang the "son". The first (group) was Los J?venes del Son. A cousin of mine told me: I am going to make you a musician. He signed a contract to play on New Year?s Eve, December 31, 1941. We earned 1.50 (pesos) and got drunk, because we believed we had won the world. In late 1952, I began performing with Pacho Alonso. With Chep?n in 1956 I recorded ?El platanal de Bartolo?, which sort of made me famous. Always singing dance music, they never let me sing boleros. I loved to sing boleros. In 1957 I came to Havana and in 1958 I worked with Benny Mor? at the Ali Bar. I began working with them through an agreement, because there was not much work and I had a family. Chep?n was the orchestra that worked most, he needed me and I was transferred.

When I came to Havana I lived in dire straits until I began working with Benny. When the Revolution triumphed in 1959, Pacho regrouped his orchestra again and I began singing with him until late 1967. I did the falsetto. I did the first or the second voice or the falsetto. Carlos Kerol did most second voices with Pacho, and I sang a lot with him, we were a duet. Pacho?s was the first group with which I traveled abroad, in 1962. We participated in the L?Humanit? Festival, in Paris; afterwards we went to Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Then Pacho left the group, we were so heartbroken. I stayed with Los Bocucos as the main vocalist, but they never let me sing boleros. I recorded only one bolero with them, and we had so many records. They did not give me credit either, but my numbers were hits. I got tired and retired in 1991.

In 1993, I was at home shining a pair of white shoes and Juan de Marcos came by with Roberto Correa, who had been my director. They asked me if I wanted to make a recording and I told them that I was tired. And he tells me, ?Don?t do that to me. I came here looking for you because you are the only person that can get me out of trouble. His project consisted of a recording with several singers. He had already recorded with P?o Leyva, Puntillita, Tito G?mez, Planas and he needed another one, and he was told, ?Get Ibrahim, he used to sing with Los Bocucos?. We went straight to the studio and there I found Rub?n Gonz?lez, Eliades Ochoa, and Compay Segundo, who I met for the first time, because although we both were from Santiago, I did not know him. Puntillita was there. He began humming a song entitled ?Candela?, composed by Faustino Oramas, and I began singing and playing. Ry Cooder and Nick Gold were in the cabin. I had neither met them or knew who they were. Ry Cooder clicked; it seems the cabin was open. He listened to me and liked what he heard. He called me and told me that if I wanted to record that song, and I said yes. I had gone there with Juan de Marcos to record a song entitled ?Mar?a Caracoles? with Afrocuba. Well, I said yes to Ry Cooder and I recorded the song. From then on I was enthusiastic. Rub?n, who was very restless at the piano, began playing and I did the same. I get emotional when I saw the piano. I sang Dos Gardenias para ti? and go on. I began singing ?Dos gardenias? (by Isolina Carrillo) and Ry Cooder recorded it. It was that way that I joined, without being in the project, because I was not part of the Buenavista (Social Club) project. I recorded four songs. Afterwards, came the tours, the Grammy. I did not know what the Grammy was, and I was told it is an award. I liked it a lot. I am still here, singing, and I will continue to sing as long as I have strength."

Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer (World Circuit, 1999)

Tierra Caliente (Egrem, 2000)

La Coleccion Cubana (Nascente, 2002)

Mi Oriente (Tumbao Cuban Classix, 2003)

Buenos Hermanos (World Circuit WCD065, 2003)

Que Bueno Est?! (Blue Moon, 2004)

Ay, Candela (Escondida, 2005)

Toda Una Vida (Dynamo, 2006)

Essential Ibrahim Ferrer (Manteca, 2006)